I spent a long time today teaching and learning my psp x2.  It was a lot of fun.  One of the many projects I did was the one above.  Some I kept, some I experimented and deleted.  This picture was taken by me about 2 years ago.  I liked its "new" look.

I went to the hair dressers today and got my hair flat ironed for the weekend.  I love it.  It was extremely reasonable, and I do believe I'm going to rework a few things so I can have it done more often.  It will only last until it rains too hard on my head or I have a shower.  But its fun to have a temporary change. 

This weekend is meant to be long, but first I have to get through tomorrow.

Rob will be going to the trial, and as soon as I know something I will post.

Prayers are still appreciated!

In a very recent upset we have learned that my dad's sentencing is this Friday.  Its funny how you wait and wait for something and then when it comes it knocks you flat...

My kids are devastated.  The intense quality time they've had with grandpa in the last months has been precious, and they rather enjoy being spoiled.  My dad rather then calling met us alongside the road in no-man's land and told me there.   So I had hysterically crying kids for the last 35 minutes of our drive home.  I offered to pull over and just let them cry while I comforted, but we all just wanted to get home.  We had after all been in town since 9:30 and it was 6:30 at night.

God's sense of timing ya know.

There's a good posibility his sentence will "just" involve intense counselling, etc.  But there's also a good chance he will be doing a lot of jail time. 

So limbo.

The next couple days are going to be extremely hard on all of us.  Prayers are appreciated for every member of my extended family.

On a different note.  The new digital nuts were released to challenge us.  So I buried my head into that.  And have this to share.

I was quite happy with the way it turned out.  And am enjoying any distraction from the current stress!  Below the "good" one is the original picture that we started with just to show you where it came from. 

See that.  Its spring.  You have to look hard around here to see signs of it, but that is a definite sign.  We went for a walk on our trail on the otherside of the river, and I found that.  It was the *only* one blooming, but hey its a superb start. 

And there were lots of these blooming.    Skunk Cabbage.  Beautiful even if they have a terrible name.  LOL

Rob has been working hard redoing our trail--getting the windblow and flood damage off of it, and extending it quite a lot.   Yesterday my dad came out, and we took him hiking on it, and doing some more work.  Today is pay day, and tomorrow I will get him another claw.  This tool was invaluable last summer in clearing the small junk off the trail.   This as I said last fall is Rob's hobby.  He's so enjoying being able to get back there.

Jeremiah hiked almost all of it, even with all of the little junk on it.   He even took several side explorations.  LOL  I think the whole trail when its finished will be about 3/4's of a mile.  It rambles along the river, through the woods, meets up with our creek, follows it, and then reconnects with the river.   In the summer time their will be a bridge to get across.  It however will wash away each winter, and has this winter.   So at the end of the hike rather then walking all the way back to the car where we started.

We waded the river.

BRRR!!!!!

    I love bouncing plans.  (not)  I love changing plans at the last minute.  (not)   I love calling people and explaining to them as truthfully as possible why we're changing plans and not following through on a commitment.  (not)

      So plans.  We should be in the car making a long drive to Silverdale.  But yesterday morning the Sekiu youth organizer called to say "I forgot to call you and remind you that the 3 on 3 basketball tournament is TOMORROW."  He was supposed to have called us a week and a half ago with them teams....  Its his first year organizing, and yeah he goofed.  This happens a lot that we're the last to here because everybody else learns about it at the public school.  This is a SMALL town, and homeschoolers are not the norm.  

     Rob told him, "I'm sorry we have already committed to something else."  because I wasn't home.  And when I got home Zeria was crying.  She's very very much been looking forward to the basketball.

    Well we are as happens 2 days before payday.  BROKE.  We were going to go into our overdraft in order to get to Silverdale, and were not thrilled about that.  Besides 4 hours one way trapped in a car didn't exactly sound like fun.  So after a lot of talking we decided to stay here.

    Darn that hurts my feelings.     So we have an all day basketball tournament with 3 on 3 teams just for fun.  Zeria and Samuel will be on the same team.  And me...I'm just praying my back holds out through it all.  LOL  

    They have the worlds most uncomfy chairs there after all! 

This is one of my digi nuts for this week.  The bright color swirly thing was the picture we were to play with.  I rather liked the outcome.  It looks like Fantasia to me.  And is not my normal thing, but somehow I fell in love with it.  Okay I guess I'm just in love with a good reason to "play" with digi pictures.  LOL

Yesterday was uneventful.  And driving my new vehicle a DREAM.  So nice not to be worrying about breaking down etc.  Of course said vehicle is already starting to look a bit lived in...*snicker*

This weekend will be brought to us by Awana Games.  We are travelling to Silverdale for three of the kids to compete.  The Sparks are not entering a team this year, but the TNT boys team was shy a boy so they invited Jamari to join them.  Kaylin has chickened out playing the last two years anyhow, so this doesn't hurt her feelings much.   So now I'm trying to come up with something fun to pack for a lunch.  We really can't afford to eat out...and packed lunches are BORING.

Give me some new ideas PLEASE.   And not boring sandwiches.  BORING sandwiches.  Some kind of stuffed rolls, or finger food, or a nice salad, something that doesn't require too much silverware, and no reheating. 

PLEASE?  Inspire me!

I'm starting to count down the months until my Wednesdays become less frantic.  I love Awana, but I'm also glad its over the first week of May.  And that that's really not that far away. 

I hate remembering and helping my kids remember everything we need for our marathon Wednesdays.  Shoes for the gym floors that can't have street shoes.  Uniforms, books, batons.  Its just rather exhausting.  LOL  And then there's the continuing saga of the costumes.  There's a light at the end of that tunnel...but the exit hasn't been met yet.  I forgot to tell Kaylin to give the mermaid costume to the mom 2 weeks ago.  And last week we just plain forgot the costume.  So that detail has to be worked out.  And Kaylin's squad is still fussing with a costume...though I believe I have the fix sitting at my left elbow.  In the process of that I taught myself how to tie a sarong.  You tube is the best.  And I was highly amused that though the baton teacher was *convinced* the way she wanted it tied was "the" way sarongs are tied....there are actually about 50 ways to tie a sarong, and hers is about number twenty-five.   Its amazing how preconceived ideas keep us going...even when our preconceptions are WRONG. 

Anyhow there's Kaylin's costume.  (probably)  And she did h er whole routine in it and it didn't slip so that's good news. 

In regards to my homeschool blog and logic.  I'm not a fan of logic.  I'm a fan of common sense.  I happen to believe they are two different things.    I suppose I should do this in a seperate blog, but as you know my blogs aren't organized things, there rather a spew of my thoughs.  *giggles*  Anyhow I think that logic can be abused, twisted, and misused so you can allow yourself to believe almost anything.  Do I like logic questions.  Definitely.  Do my kids like them, yup.  We've done several critical  thinking books and I'm sure we'll mess with them again.

But in regards to life and functioning.  I think teaching common sense would be much better.  You know.  I have four dollars.   The toy at Walmart costs $6.  Do I have enough money?  No.   What is the solution to this.  Beg money from parents?  Work for it?  Wait until allowance kicks in.  (if you get an allowance my kids don't.)  Or buy something else.  Common sense.  Something we will use for the rest of our life.  

We bought a bag of candy from Costco.  They are small candies.  Each kid needs two for snack at baton.  Mom wants two too.    How many candies should you pack in our lunch.  Common sense practical math.

The thing about the wasl is there wasn't any two plus two = four questions.  Not anywhere that I could see in all the prep questions.  The kids are gonna come out being able to answer questions about freckles, but NOT how to balance their checkbook.  Which is what the teachers were saying to me.  I'm thinking balancing the checkbook would be a better life skill. 

This isn't a vendetta against the public school.  This is a vendetta against the wasl program in *my* state, and the teachers who are desperately trying to do a hard job for no pay being forced to work even harder because of government and beaucratic stupidity.     If I could place my kids in the competent teaching of my two friends at church and know that they could do their job the way they should I would in a heart-beat.  But they can't.  So I'll keep learning from them on the side, and teaching here.

One DAy in THe House I was going to PLAy mY FAVorITe GAme.  BUT it was gon. 

Its a mystery.  We need to Find mY GAme.  Lets LOOK in THE BAckYrd. 

It WAS NOT THEAR.

LET's ask my mom she's in THE GArden.

Mom SAid She Hasn't Seen It.

So THey Went to DAD HE IS iN THe GArAGe. 

He said He HASn'T SeeN IT.

I Know WHERE iT is. 

Let's Go to the Teerfort.  (tree fort) they clib up.

There It is.  We figured out the mystery.

The end.

Typed out the way she wrote it.

*edt*

Zeria is ten.  And yeah her spelling sucks.  She knows it, and we know it.  I happen to know however her spelling on par with the public school kids her age in this district....not that *that's* anything to boast about.     I think the reason I was so impressed with this story is it was not a school assignment.  It wasn't required.  She just spent two days working on it.  I think all in all it was about 3 hours of work.  She'd walk away when she'd get frustrated and then come back to it.    Zeria has truely struggled with her reading.  Her dyslexia and attention issues due to her background have made reading a nightmare.  She is however now officially on par with her grade level.  Something we are extremely proud of her for.     I read the reading for the WASL and know she could pass that.  Too cool.  Considering how hard she's worked for it. 

And that being said she made a HUGE learning jump in the last two weeks. TWO weeks.  Two weeks ago I couldn't have said she was on par.  Suddenly the light bulb came on and someone was home.  *cheers* 

The heavens declare the glory of God.

And today he is weeping.

March roars in like a lion.  Actually yesterday March was quie tame.  Today March is drowning us.

I am finally pain free.  Its so nice.  Just my normal creaks and groans no extreme over the top shoot me now pain.  So as a result we're hoping to get back to a bit more organized school.

I'm an unschooler.  I firmly believe that kids do a lot of self-educating.  Zeria wrote and is writing a beautiful mystery yesterday.    She just decided she could.

And Samuel designed and labeled a very creative video game story on paper with a pencil yesterday.   

Saturday we learned all about octupus habitats...and studied the one the seagulls were enjoying for dinner.  *gag*

My kids are always learning.  But that being said their are things I want them to learn too that we attempt to do in "school" time.  We have about 3 weeks and we will be done our math for the year.  I would so love to not have that hanging over me in May.  And my kids LOVE math.  But between flu and back pain it didn't get done.  So we're gonna do another push in between pain flares. 

I looked up the WASL questions yesterday after a talk with the two teachers in our church.  And decided if that's what they think they need to learn in the Public School I am absolutely NOT intrested.  One of the teachers I was talking to has 10 beautiful well behaved intensely smart children.  His 16 year old has dropped out of school.  Why?  Because he's going to finish school at home.  He will continue to do English and Math at the PS, and track as he's the schools track star.  But he has moral objections to the WASL and his parents agreed and said he could come home.  They already took their oldest daughter out two years ago. 

And go figure the teacher is teaching the fourth grade wasl year.  LOL  And he says due to where they were when he got them...and the extreme stupidity of the wasl questions 50% of his class will not pass.  He is a very very good teacher.  That they are not passing is NOT his fault.  It is the fault of a test that is idiotic to the extreme.

Tell me what this problem has to do with math skills for life.

James noticed that each day he was in the sun he got new freckles. On Friday he counted 31 new freckles, and the day before he had gotten 7 fewer new freckles. Beginning on Tuesday he had gotten 7 more new freckles each day than he had gotten the day before. During the five days, how many new freckles did James get?

Or this;

Erica, Kayla, Josh, and Nathan each had a favorite school lunch.  One of them likes turkey gravy the best, one prefers corn dogs, one favors green salads, and one likes chicken burgers.  Kayla does not like sandwiches.  Nathan does not eat meat.  Erica loves turkey.  Which lunch does each student like the best?

The above IS a math question...apparently. 

Besides that what does it have to do with fourth graders? 

I was in approval of some kind of testing for public school kids.  I even agree that their should be word problems.  But normal word problems.   Rob is a graduate with a bachelor of science.  He looked over the fourth grade questions and admitted he couldn't graduate from the fourth grade. 

The stupid thing in all of this is the kids in Washington state are STILL falling behind.  Because they are STILL not learning how to read, write, and arithmetic.  Instead their learning how to answer idiotic logic questions to satisfy some nerd who designed this test.

I guess I have different goals then the educators in Washington.  The teachers who are teaching I just weep for them. 

On another note.  Rob is a Registered nurse.  Once a year he spits out $50 to a nursing board in Washington to maintain that registry.  That's it.  NO credit update, nothing.

The teachers are required 150 hours of approved learning every five years.  This because they get paid sooooooo well.  (sarcasm oozes)  My friend who I was speaking of just acquired his masters in teaching.  But you know what?  That doesn't count in his 150 hours...he still has to do the classes the lovely school system deamed "acceptable"  cause they changed the rules again.  Just peachy.

So aren't you impressed with the education system in Washington?  I am. 

The funny of this...is I had somewhat longingly tossed around the idea of placing Zeria in the p.s.  I guess God needed to remind me of my prioritys.  LOL 

Busy day yesterday.  In the morning as is usual my dad came out.  We ate breakfast and then took the excursion for a test run so he could drive in it.  We of course had to end up at a beach.  It was gorgeous sunny although a bit cold.  We walked a LONG way along the coast.  Probablyl about a mile.  So nice.

As we got near where we could go no further Rob and I noticed the sun was disappearing into a huge rain cloud.  He decided to run back via the highway and get the excursion so we didn't get caught in the downpour.

We got caught anyhow   But not too long maybe five minutes or so.  While we were their we found a dead octopus in the surf.  That was rather cool, but I'll spare you the pictures.  Kinda nasty too.  *snicker*

We all climbed in the car greatful for heat!  And dried off quickly.  The whole day ended up being like that.  Gorgeous sunshine,  Huge downpours.  I guess spring is here! 

In one of the sunshine breaks we walked to the river.  Jeremiah rode his bike.

I suppose we should say pushed his bike.  He was quite proud of himself even if it was a phenomenal amount of work.  He loves his "bike". 

While there of course we had to throw rocks.  And Rob and I were curious if we could catch a picture of the splash.  After a bit of experimenting.  We did.

I believe we will call those abstract art.    We thought they were kind of cool.

After dinner and chores I was still restless.  It was just one of those kind of days.  So we loaded up the guns and went for a drive.  Unfortunately as we got to our shooting spot it began to rain.  And we'd somehow managed to get Jeremiah in the car without boots.  (He'd been taking a very late nap.)  So instead we just drove to one of our favorite close by forest service views.  Samuel got out and shot his bee-bee gun, and mommy shot the sunset.

Look its a Ford commercial.  Points down and giggles. 

All in all it was a fun busy day.  Rob spent much of the day fixing the fence from all of the damage the river did to it in December.  He was quite hopeful it was fixed.  But as the pony was in the yard this mornign.....apparently it still needs some tweaking much to his frustration.

I have random serious thought floating in my head, but I'll shove them away for another day and say Happy Sunday. 

So here it is Our Ford Excursion.  Its already got a wee bit of dirt on it.  *snicker*

We loaded up and headed to the beach, and took a picture after we were done.  Its so nice and quiet, and turns around so quickly.

I'm having a terrible time learning how to steer it.  It steers very very easily.  And I keep trying to take these big sweeping truck driver turns when its like driving a Geo.  My kids tummy's are taking the brunt of the oversteering. 

Its all good thats a easy complaint.  LOL