tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62344152011-04-21T18:02:37.881-05:00A daily journal of a homeschooling, UU mother of 3 boysBethnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1127098410858452852005-09-18T21:51:00.000-05:002005-09-18T21:53:30.863-05:00

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1117734596319566092005-06-02T12:44:00.000-05:002005-06-02T12:49:56.323-05:00

Why is it that as soon as my children see a telephone by my ear they turn into wild animals? They're old enough to know better, or at least that's what I tell myself, and it's driving me nuts.Of course, it's driving me nuts that I'm on the phone so much. All week I've been battling with the insurance agency of the man whose car I hit in my car accident. This man, driving a Lexus, pulled into

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1117503561940514062005-05-30T20:29:00.000-05:002005-05-30T20:39:21.946-05:00

Recently, a long time poster on The Well Trained Mind boards was talking about how she doesn't really enjoy her older children. I tried to explain just why I really enjoy watching my children grow older but I know I failed miserably in my explanation. It's just not something you can really explain.My 11 year old son is a pretty typical 11 year old. He's big, goofy, loud, ridiculous, obnoxious,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1117202353549321572005-05-27T08:58:00.000-05:002005-05-27T08:59:13.556-05:00

Please welcome the newest member of our family - Odysseus.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1117135404652667882005-05-26T14:10:00.000-05:002005-05-26T14:23:24.660-05:00

We are in the middle of the Spring that never was. It's been raining nonstop and the weather has been COLD. We all could use a little sunshine. I miss playing ball with the boys. I miss working in the garden. I miss fresh air. Please send some sunshine our way.I've been thinking of blogging lately. It seems that there have been so many blog worthy things to write about. It's hard to know

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1117107908730132332005-05-26T06:43:00.000-05:002005-05-26T06:45:08.733-05:00

Is it possible to go too long between blog entries and make the blog obsolete?I'm thinking of returning to blog land but wondering if it's too late for me.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1111710849184860142005-03-24T19:18:00.000-05:002005-03-24T19:34:09.186-05:00

So ... I've been feeling a little like a chicken with its head cut off. I couldn't really pinpoint why until today.We have a really busy schedule all year long except for the glorious months of July and August. The boys participate in three seasons of sports: baseball, soccer and basketball (3 boys, 3 different leagues that play at 3 different times). In addition, Adam started indoor soccer

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1111501852077636012005-03-22T09:23:00.000-05:002005-03-22T09:30:52.080-05:00

This is what homeschooling looks like on a good morning.While I was in the shower, the boys decided to gather their animals and books and read together on the couch. The cooperative together thing doesn't happen very often for my oldest and middle sons. On Sunday night, however, they watched It's A Dragon's World together. My oldest son has had a fascination with dragons for over a year and my

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1111274998118836292005-03-19T18:26:00.000-05:002005-03-19T18:29:58.120-05:00

My 5 year old called me on my cell phone this afternoon. He wanted to know when I'd be home with the new memory cards for the GameCube.We chatted for a couple of minutes until he said, "Mom, you're breaking up with me ..." Then the phone went dead. I laughed all the way home. Cell phone service in rural America is spotty, at best, and I guess he's heard us say, "You're breaking up," too many

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1111096887190793052005-03-17T16:59:00.000-05:002005-03-17T17:01:27.193-05:00

May your troubles be less and your blessings be moreAnd nothing but happiness come through your door.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110921053629008152005-03-15T15:58:00.000-05:002005-03-15T16:10:53.633-05:00

As I rethink our educational goals and my educational philosophy, I promise that you'll never hear me call myself an unschooler. It's not just that I think the term is kind of silly or that it describes what you don't do rather than what you do. The real reason is that unschoolers themselves can't really define unschooling. Besides, I'm just not the unschooling type.I'm abandoning classical

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110685856555361502005-03-12T22:46:00.000-05:002005-03-12T22:50:56.556-05:00

It's been a long time since I've done any homeschool research online. I've been in my safe little rut for a few years now and I haven't ventured from my path.Tonight I found a great resource. I still have a lot of exploring to do on this site but it looks very interesting. Check out Go Figure! The Fascinating World of Mathematics.While the boys shovel out tomorrow, I think I'll do some online

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110663716045346122005-03-12T16:41:00.000-05:002005-03-12T16:41:56.046-05:00

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110558496250984622005-03-11T10:58:00.000-05:002005-03-11T11:29:58.343-05:00

Sometimes you read a book and it changes the way you view the world. Othertimes you read a book and it resonates so deeply that it crystallizes the way you think. I'm currently rereading David Guterson's Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. I read this book early in our homeschool adventure and I don't remember much about it. Lately, however, I've been rethinking our homeschool

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110472188945977952005-03-10T11:21:00.000-05:002005-03-10T11:29:48.950-05:00

I found this at Lynn's blog and though it's a week late, I thought I'd post it here.A little diversion1. Grab the nearest book 2. Open the book to page 123 3. Find the fifth sentence 4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog, along with these instructions. 5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it. Just grab what is

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1110374807361120192005-03-09T08:07:00.000-05:002005-03-09T08:26:47.363-05:00

I'm working on habits. Trying to get back into the habit of going to the gym. Trying to get the boys going on schoolwork again after a two week vacation. Trying to blog again. The best way to form a habit is to just do something over and over again. Even when you don't feel like it. In the case of blogging - even when I don't feel I have much to say.Getting comments from someone new who

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1109721499522815482005-03-01T18:44:00.000-05:002005-03-01T18:58:19.523-05:00

One week ago my boys left for Florida. My husband and middle son flew to visit his parents in Vero Beach and my oldest son flew to Tampa to visit my mom. It was strange seeing them all off. It left just me and my youngest son, Eric, home alone for an entire week.I know it would make me sound like a good person and mother to write about how I missed them terribly. The truth of the matter,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1108387466115706832005-02-14T08:14:00.000-05:002005-02-14T08:26:52.766-05:00

Ah, to be the only woman in a houseful of boys on Valentine's Day. My husband is always wonderful on Valentine's Day and my romantic youngest son is following in his footsteps. Just a week ago, driving home from a soccer game, he told me that he will always buy his bride chocolates in heart shaped boxes (hmmm ... he also said that he was going to buy her 4 rings for their wedding). So, Eric

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1108330758853953162005-02-13T16:37:00.000-05:002005-02-13T16:39:18.853-05:00

"The hardest of all is learning to be a well of affection, and not a fountain; to show them we love them not when we feel like it, but when they do." ~ Nan Fairbrother

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1108132114527947312005-02-11T08:54:00.000-05:002005-02-11T09:28:34.530-05:00

It's been a very snowy January and February and we've been snuggled inside getting lots of reading done.While searching our truly pathetic town library one night while Adam was at Scouts, I picked up The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I don't normally read mysteries but these books aren't really mysteries. They are light but wonderful and I really enjoyed the simple, direct prose. I read them

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1107993429724174932005-02-09T18:43:00.000-05:002005-02-09T18:57:09.723-05:00

Jared has his second OT appointment today. His therapist, Michelle, is very nice and I like the way she relates to him. Seeing him relate to another adult one on one highlights the fact that Jared is "different". Not different bad - just different. It's hard to explain and you'd have to know him to see it but I'm his mother and, well, I just know. The OT doesn't have any special magic though

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1107897060294476392005-02-08T16:08:00.000-05:002005-02-08T16:11:00.296-05:00

This was our view from our kitchen window this morning Jeff and the boys had thrown out some apples that had been left in the garage. They were well past their prime but the deer seemed to find them delicious. First we saw the mother deer come down and eat. After awhile, she was joined by three smaller deer that are probably her children. They hung out for quite awhile and came back later

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1107436290725630762005-02-03T08:10:00.000-05:002005-02-03T08:11:30.726-05:00

Adam wrote this story last night as a speech therapy assignment. The dragon human wars One day, the human kings and leaders thought that the dragons would make the ultimate weapons. But the dragons didn't want to be enslaved. So the dragon highlords decided to attack the humans. But little did they know that the humans had good dragons who liked them. The elves joined the humans, too. The

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1106532746254717232005-01-23T21:05:00.000-05:002005-01-23T21:12:26.253-05:00

1. The book is always better than the movie 2. Chocolate is a food group 3. The search for truth is more important than the truth itself 4. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts 5. Opposites do not attract 6. We're all in this together 7. First impressions are generally correct 8. Silence is golden 9. Nothing smells better than a newborn baby 10. Baseball is America's sport

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1106233513942299682005-01-20T09:59:00.000-05:002005-01-20T10:05:13.943-05:00

As a homeschooling parent it's really important to know when to call in outside help. This morning I had to admit to myself that although I've done everything I know how to do to help Jared with his fine motor skills, he really needs professional help. At 7.5 he still can't hold a pencil - he puts all his fingers on top and points the eraser away from him toward the opposite wall. I don't know

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1106021842965459112005-01-17T23:04:00.000-05:002005-01-17T23:17:22.966-05:00

I am a huge fan of CSI. I love how they examine the evidence and manage to solve a crime in less than 60 television minutes. I've been working on a mystery for 7.5 years now and I'm nowhere near to solving it. My middle son, Jared, is a complete mystery to me and has been since the day he was born. When I was pregnant with my first son, I imagined what my baby would look like. I knew he

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1105839986257795982005-01-15T20:37:00.000-05:002005-01-15T20:46:26.256-05:00

I've always been an organized person. My organizational abilities are what allow me to live such a crazy life and still remain sane. My illness has been wreaking havoc with my memory, and thus some of my organizatinal skills, for the past year or so. This week when it became clear to me that I had an opportunity to work with Jared on something he was genuinely interested in, I pulled out all

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1105199763174339522005-01-08T10:37:00.000-05:002005-01-08T10:56:03.176-05:00

It's been a cold and snowy week here and I've been feeling under the weather. I just haven't had the energy to be the mean, evil Mom and force my children to do their schoolwork. In fact, the week has given me time to really rethink the whole mean Mom thing. While Jeff has the boys off sledding I just might have a few moments to write some thoughts down. My oldest son has always been easy to

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1104893358810490982005-01-04T21:41:00.000-05:002005-01-04T21:49:18.810-05:00

It's awfully hard to blog when you just don't have any time. New Years Eve was fine. We got Chinese food like we always do and hung around until midnight. We watched tv (lots of funny stuff on Comedy Central) and played board games. Adam had a friend over - a boy I really like. While he likes having a friend over for New Years, I realize that it really takes something away from the rest of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1104497744738407762004-12-31T07:45:00.000-05:002004-12-31T07:55:44.736-05:00

Today, the last day of 2004, I have a visit with my endocrinologist. *sigh* Since my diagnosis of Graves Disease in May, I have been wanting someone to really discuss my illness with. I have wanted a partner in my healing process. My doctor is not that person. While I have spent numerous hours educating myself off the internet and by reading books about Graves, my doctor seems to have stopped

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1104336932363068082004-12-29T11:10:00.000-05:002004-12-29T11:19:10.676-05:00

Jerry Orbach, who played Detective Briscoe on "Law and Order", has died. I stopped watching "Law and Order" once Orbach left the show. It just wasn't the same without him. We'll all miss you, Lennie.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1104330248364213602004-12-29T09:10:00.000-05:002004-12-29T09:24:08.363-05:00

Today is a sad day. My wonderful husband had to return to work this morning. I LOVE having him home. He tackles projects that I don't want to touch (like putting away the Christmas decorations) and plays with the boys. Life is so much easier when he's here. Now we need to return to our regularly scheduled life and I'm feeling blue. Before the new year is upon us, I thought I'd share some of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1104277976623655912004-12-28T18:47:00.000-05:002004-12-28T18:52:56.623-05:00

I've been notably absent from my blog. At first it was just that I was busy with other things. Then it was that I wasn't feeling terribly well. My thyroid slowed way down and I've been rather depressed and tired. Now it's more that I'm out of the habit. As the cold has settled over New England and it's hard to get out of bed in the mornings, I've been staying in later and later. I haven't

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1101999400592366882004-12-02T09:45:00.000-05:002004-12-02T09:56:40.593-05:00

Last night, just after The Little Drummer Boy ended, the lights flickered for about 30 seconds before going out completely. It got real dark real fast. The boys' voices were alarmed as Jeff and I felt our way around in the dark to find flashlights and candles. Once we got the candles going the boys settled down a bit but they were still not happy with the situation. Even though it was bedtime

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1101607505165071812004-11-27T20:59:00.000-05:002004-11-27T21:05:05.166-05:00

So, The Relatives Came, and the relatives left. My inlaws (mother, father and brother-in-law) arrived on Wednesday and left on Friday. Those 48 hours are mostly a blur of cooking, eating and doing dishes. We ate plentifully. The Thanksgiving meal went off without a hitch. We all had much to be grateful for. I kept everyone busy. My mother-in-law was set to work painting the signs I need for

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1101240187225417362004-11-23T14:46:00.000-05:002004-11-23T15:03:07.226-05:00

I'm not one to ask for a lot of advice concerning our homeschool adventure. I'm pretty confidant in what we're doing. I spend time reseaching and rarely make a bad curriculum decision. Right now, however, I'm wondering what to do about Adam. Adam is a good reader. He enjoys reading but doesn't spend tons of time doing so. When he finds a book that he really likes, he'll stay up late into

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1101073425628895742004-11-21T16:26:00.000-05:002004-11-21T16:43:45.626-05:00

It's been almost two weeks since I've blogged. This wasn't on purpose. It just seems that I've had nothing to say. My life seems pretty inconsequential when I look at all the horrors happening around the world. So few people seem to care. My thyroid levels have been wacky which can cause some depression. I'm sleeping and eating fine and don't think I'm depressed. I do, however, feel down.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099964215994321322004-11-08T20:32:00.000-05:002004-11-08T20:36:55.993-05:00

A circuitous post today. I got this from Margaret - who left it in my comments. Margaret got it from William Gibson's blog and was thoughtful enough to share it with me. I couldn't bear the thought of it being buried in my comments section and so will post it here for all to see. This is the first thing I've read in a week that's made me feel better. Thank you Margaret for sharing it with me

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099924933047702342004-11-08T09:35:00.000-05:002004-11-08T09:42:13.046-05:00

My inlaws are coming for Thanksgiving and will be here for a few days. That means that in addition to planning the Thanksgiving meal, I also need to plan meals for the other days they'll be here. To that end, I picked up the November issue of Cooking Light Magazine. There are a few recipes I think I'll try but the one that really jumped out at me was the Hazlenut Bundt Cake. While shopping at

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099874589894294852004-11-07T19:32:00.000-05:002004-11-07T19:43:09.893-05:00

As if I needed proof that I'm still not over the election results, I just could not make myself get to church this morning. I told myself I wasn't going because Adam was at a sleepover (and going to a Christian church) and Jared had a cold. The truth is, however, that I just couldn't bear the post election sermon. I didn't need or want a morning of crying. I am so afraid for our country. So

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099574815755035732004-11-04T08:25:00.000-05:002004-11-04T08:26:55.756-05:00

Bin Laden tips his turban to Bush Osama bin Laden claimed victory in the U.S. presidential race today, telling supporters that his recent video appearance successfully swayed the election to his candidate, incumbent President George W. Bush. Bin Laden said his unwavering message of pervasive fear closely paralleled that of President Bush. Offering post-election analysis from his anchor desk at

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099519730721305212004-11-03T17:07:00.000-05:002004-11-03T17:08:50.723-05:00

I hereby declare today a National Day of Mourning. There is nothing more to say. What a terribly sad day for our country.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099419052802042372004-11-02T13:02:00.000-05:002004-11-02T13:10:52.803-05:00

Phew! Election day is finally here. No matter who wins tonight, I'll be glad the election is over. I don't like the idea of four more years under Bush and I'm very worried about the future of our country. Nonetheless, I will be very grateful when the votes are counted. I'm tired of politics day in and day out. Voting in a small town is interesting. There were long lines at the polls this

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1099136335206568012004-10-30T06:21:00.000-05:002004-10-30T06:38:55.206-05:00

To be a Red Sox fan who witnessed the team win the World Series is a very strange thing. You wake up the next morning a changed person. Although I've always said I'm a faithful fan, I never really believed they'd win the World Series. Although I never really believed in the Curse of the Bambino, I had to find a way to explain why such a great team could never win. Although I always had hope (

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098965491010751802004-10-28T07:01:00.000-05:002004-10-28T07:11:31.010-05:00

After what can only be described as a miraculous post season, the Red Sox won the World Series. It was amazing to witness. As a life long Red Sox fan, I wasn't sure I'd ever see them win the World Series. I've seen them get there, I've seen them get close, but to actually win ... well, that's amazing. The Red Sox made history in this postseason. Never before had a team come from behind a 3

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098750827280814572004-10-25T19:30:00.000-05:002004-10-25T19:33:47.280-05:00

From my son's wonderful Latin teacher comes this note: Student Adam bugged me all during Intro to Latin class today for the Latin name of the Red Sox. I did some research this evening and here is what I came up with: Red Sox = Tibiala Rubra (tib-ee-ah-la roo-bruh) Boston Red Sox = Tibiala Rubra Bostonis (boss-tone-iss) The best I could come up with for the Cardinals is Aves Rubrae (ah-wayss

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098734155034658202004-10-25T14:52:00.000-05:002004-10-25T14:55:55.036-05:00

I think Mike Celizic is the most talented sports writer in the business. This man captures the true heart and soul of a Red Sox fan like no other. Just read the first sentence if nothing else. Watching the Red Sox go into St. Louis with a 2-0 lead is like watching Janet Leigh go into the shower. If you’re a Red Sox fan, you know what I’m talking about. Every time your team starts to look as

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098707816658618602004-10-25T07:32:00.000-05:002004-10-25T07:36:56.656-05:00

Now that I'm down with my first cold of the season, let me share my biggest winter pet peeve. No, it's not the commercialism of the Christmas season. It's not the fact that Christmas decorations are in the stores before Halloween is over. It's not even the fact that the days get shorter and shorter. My biggest pet peeve is people who say they "think" they have the flu. Or even people who tell

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098533797878423692004-10-23T07:12:00.000-05:002004-10-23T07:19:29.100-05:00

I've been doing some thinking since the latest hullabaloo on TWTM board over one of MFS's blog entries. I enjoyed the entry. I didn't agree with all of it, of course, but it did help me to rethink and re-examine some things that have been bothering me. That's how blogs are. I often have to rethink something I believe or re-examine my life. I remember when I first read the quote - Comparison

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098467535644109452004-10-22T12:46:00.000-05:002004-10-22T13:03:10.663-05:00

The good Red Sox fans were not let down when their team struggled and clawed their way to a victory in the ALCS. Now it's time to hunker down and win the World Series so their fans can bury the curse once and for all. The bad The Red Cross is raffling World Series tickets to New England blood donors. This is just plain wrong. And creepy. The Boston Red Sox have made it to the 2004 World Series

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098403142144933152004-10-21T18:52:00.000-05:002004-10-21T18:59:02.143-05:00

So many records were broken in this ALCS which encompassed 29 hours and 17 minutes of total playing time. It is unbelievable to have a baseball team come back from a 0-3 record and win the next 4 games. It was an historic moment. The Red Sox beating the Yankees in their own stadium. Now, I don't want to be a sore winner, but the face on A-Rod after the loss was priceless. Curse Shmurse. I'm

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098300563301751132004-10-20T14:22:00.000-05:002004-10-20T14:29:23.303-05:00

Will they make history? Trailing, 0-3, in a best-of-seven series has always sounded a death knell for the defeat-afflicted team. No such team ever has come back to win the series. No one, though, has gotten closer than Boston. When the Red Sox downed the Yankees, 4-2, on Tuesday night to even the series at 3-3, they became the first 0-3 team to force a postseason series into a seventh game.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098299908198787332004-10-20T14:08:00.000-05:002004-10-20T14:18:28.200-05:00

My mother flew up from Florida for a quick four day visit. She was with us for about 36 hours. I hadn't told the boys she was coming and they were very surprised when she walked in the door with me on Monday night. My mom (Mimi) has been joking with the boys about being a Yankees fan. Truthfully, she doesn't know anything about baseball but she thought it would be fun to get a rise out of the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1098066871124802372004-10-17T21:26:00.000-05:002004-10-17T21:34:31.123-05:00

The weekend flew by. Saturday went just as it was choreographed to go. Two parents, three boys, 5 activities. We got it all done. Soccer is so much more fun than baseball - the parents stay sane. All the boys love it. Jeff brought Jared and Eric to a farm museum with Cub Scouts. I heard they had a good time. I brought Adam to a Master piano class. It was strange. Adam was surprisingly

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1097862373557793532004-10-15T12:32:00.000-05:002004-10-15T12:46:13.556-05:00

Today we went with our 4-H group on a field trip to tour the landfill in a nearby city. The man who met with us was wonderful. He explained everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about landfills and encouraged questions. After the classroom experience we all got on a little bus and had a tour of the landfill itself. I must admit that when I woke up this morning I wasn't exactly looking

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1097688601463667052004-10-13T12:21:00.000-05:002004-10-13T12:30:01.463-05:00

I'm not sure when it became a family tradition to meet Daddy for lunch after dentist appointments but the boys assured me it is a tradition. So, in the name of tradition, the boys and I picked up Jeff to join us for lunch at Wendy's after the dentist. Dentist appointments went well for everyone. The younger two boys had their first x-rays and everything looks good. Adam and Jared have some "

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1097496765918647222004-10-11T07:04:00.000-05:002004-10-11T07:12:45.920-05:00

For those of you not following baseball on your own but are waiting for me to update you, let me do my best. On Friday night, the Red Sox defeated the Angels to win the third game in their series. On Saturday night the Yankees did the same thing to the Minnesota Twins. These wins mean that once again the Red Sox and the Yankees will face each other for the American League pennant. We all

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1097495748987594962004-10-11T06:50:00.000-05:002004-10-11T06:55:48.986-05:00

Christoper Reeve died yesterday at the age of 52. I'm so very sad. Many years ago, I saw Christopher Reeve play Superman on my first movie date. My boyfriend, Claude, and I went to the movies with his older cousin and her boyfriend. I thought the cousin's boyfriend looked just like Christopher Reeve. I will admit that seeing him in a wheelchair all these years has been difficult. I have

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1097203639141432202004-10-07T21:28:00.000-05:002004-10-07T21:47:19.140-05:00

I've always said that you've got to be home to homeschool. I give this advice often to new homeschoolers at support group meetings. It's too easy to become over committed and involved. Most homeschoolers I know really struggle to find a balance between educating their children, managing their homes, and keeping up with their children's activities. You might notice I didn't even mention

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096992325688627522004-10-05T10:39:00.000-05:002004-10-05T11:05:25.686-05:00

I really wanted to title this blog entry - This IS the year. I just couldn't do it. I don't believe in The Curse of the Bambino. At least I tell myself I don't believe in it. For those of you who don't know about The Curse here it is in a nutshell. In 1918 the Red Sox won their 5th World Series, the most by any club at that time. One of the stars of the Boston championship franchise was a

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096910037532618372004-10-04T12:04:00.000-05:002004-10-04T12:18:39.396-05:00

It's usually not a good sign when you get in your van at 6:00 a.m. and it won't start. *UGH* I woke up bright and early this morning and decided to get up and work out. I got myself dressed, drank some water and headed out to the van only to find it wouldn't start. Apparently, Eric left the inside light on yesterday after he got something out of the van. Luckily, Jeff was able to jump start

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096736409247296302004-10-02T12:53:00.000-05:002004-10-02T12:04:39.126-05:00

Yesterday was a picture perfect Autumn day. We took the whole family to a local orchard to pick some apples. We got many, many apples as well as some pumpkins and apple cider. Apple picking is a family tradition for us. We've been picking apples together since Adam was 6 months old. We always have a good time. Afterward, I make apple pies and applesauce to freeze and we enjoy our harvest

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096585574960866432004-09-30T17:59:00.000-05:002004-09-30T18:06:14.960-05:00

Okay. Time for a little honesty. Who's watching the debate tonight? I must admit that my first feeling upon remembering that the debate is tonight was frustration that it would be preempting CSI. Which is more entertaining to watch - a crime scene investigation or a presidential debate? Tough call. Truthfully, I just can't stand watching the debates. Does anyone really decide who they're

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096486552002763082004-09-29T14:27:00.000-05:002004-09-29T14:38:04.493-05:00

The Red Sox have clinched a spot in the American League East playoffs with their win over Tampa Bay on Monday night. It is possible, however, for them to still win the division. They'd basically need to win all the rest of their games and the Yankees would need to lost at least 3 of theirs. It's not likely, but is is possible. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have some players with great baseball

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096468536427519332004-09-29T09:15:00.000-05:002004-09-29T09:35:36.426-05:00

When I first began investigating homeschooling, I ran across Five In A Row. The literature approach really appealed to me and I quickly gathered manuals and books. My oldest son had a wonderful first grade year using FIAR. We read many wonderful books, went on field trips to accompany them and made lapbooks. For many reasons, we abandoned FIAR after first grade and started using more

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096370101972157182004-09-28T05:57:00.000-05:002004-09-28T06:15:01.973-05:00

We have wonderful Christian neighbors. I know for many people who read this blog that Christian neighbors would be a great thing but it certainly made me nervous when we first moved in. My oldest son made friends about 5 minutes after the moving van left. He saw the kids get off the school bus, started a conversation and was playing with them 10 minutes later. Soon he was wanting to play with

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1096285786498455112004-09-27T06:39:00.000-05:002004-09-27T06:49:46.500-05:00

If only there were pictures of Jeff painting the house, or me scouting yard sales, or the family watching the Red Sox, you'd have a complete picture of our weekend. Even without those Kodak moments the photos below pretty much capture our weekend. All the boys lost their soccer games this weekend but they all had a good time and have a great attitude about sports. The weather was too

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1095860105142213372004-09-22T08:27:00.000-05:002004-09-22T08:35:05.143-05:00

Every year I go to the Staples Teacher Appreciation Day and come home with a bagful of goodies. Fun stuff like erasers, pencils, ball point pens, report covers ... I haven't bought a pen in years. We've never used the #2 pencils because my boys have always used the triangular Hand Hugger pencils. About a month ago, I noticed that my oldest son was wrapping his thumb around the front of the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1095776480813823282004-09-21T09:18:00.000-05:002004-09-21T09:21:20.813-05:00

We celebrated a big turning point in our family life this weekend. My husband took all the "plastic" to the dump. All the Little Tykes houses and cars, the Tonka trucks and vehicles, the cute little red wheelbarrow and lawn mower - GONE! He said that people were taking them out of his hands before he could even get them out of the van. I am grateful to have these things out of my yard and

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1095708136492656942004-09-20T14:18:00.000-05:002004-09-20T14:22:16.493-05:00

The boys and I made it to church again this week. The 9:00 service is killing me - we live 40 minutes away. The boys had their first RE class of the session and I'm thrilled with their topics. They both have teachers they've had before and all are people I've come to expect. I enjoy watching the boys in church. A year ago, I would never have dreamed that Jared would go looking for people to

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1095246893454599582004-09-15T05:59:00.000-05:002004-09-15T06:27:24.253-05:00

the behinder I get. Isn't that what dear old Pooh said? Oh my. Fall activities have started with a vengeance. This week we are almost up to full schedule but added in some extra things to keep us away from the house. Jeff is home this week attempting to get a part of the outide of the house painted. It's so hard for the boys to have him here working. They just want him to play catch or

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1095008650606518012004-09-12T12:51:00.000-05:002004-09-12T12:04:10.606-05:00

There is something so ironic, irreverent even, about stopping at Walmart on the way home from church. And yet, we end up doing so more weeks than not. When you live 40 minutes from church and 30 minutes from the nearest Walmart, it only makes sense to combine the trips. I was feeling pretty proud that we were making it to church at all today. Our church has one service during the summer at

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1094665054475247592004-09-08T12:25:00.000-05:002004-09-08T12:38:25.940-05:00

Dy has been asking what we can do to help out those around us. She's been compiling a list of volunteer activities and good deeds. It can be hard to volunteer when you're homeschooling a bunch of little guys and you don't feel like you have a moment to spare. I know the feeling. I've recently had to cut back on my volunteer activities to decrease the stress in my life. There are many easy

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1094561624591695482004-09-07T07:47:00.000-05:002004-09-07T07:53:44.590-05:00

Eric crawled into bed with Jeff and I this morning. It was nice to wish him a happy birthday while we were all snuggled in bed. He had forgotten that today was his birthday though he's been counting it down since Jared's birthday. He turned to Jeff in bed and said, "Is today a staying day?" Jeff told him that he had to go to work. "But it's a holiday!" Eric proclaimed. Jeff conceeded that

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1094384059512521702004-09-05T06:19:00.000-05:002004-09-05T06:34:19.513-05:00

We've never been the kind of family that limits television, computer or Nintendo time. I can't stand the idea of telling them they can watch x number of hours of television and then trying to police it. Most of the kids I know who live in families like this seem addicted to the television/Nintendo. They know exactly how much time they have and they want to be sure they get their daily fill.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1094210701828900202004-09-03T06:11:00.000-05:002004-09-03T06:25:01.826-05:00

I've never been one for fashion. In fact, I realized I dress rather frumpy. I"m happy to wear some Old Navy men's jeans, a turtleneck, a hand me down sweatshirt from my husband and some wool socks. My sister says I dress like a memere (I say she and my mother dress like Garanimals). Nonetheless, since I've lost weight I don't have any pants that fit me and it's starting to get cold in New

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093964575831213602004-08-31T10:00:00.000-05:002004-08-31T10:02:55.830-05:00

Each month that I am able to sit down and pay the bills - ALL the bills - I feel incredibly blessed. For that reason, I will share this Thanksgiving prayer. I know it has nothing to do with money but in this time of harvest I thought it was very appropriate. A Prayer Of Thanksgiving ” Written by Max Coots Minister Emeritus of the Canton,N.Y Unitarian Universalist Church Let us

Bethnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093823100512234012004-08-29T18:28:00.000-05:002004-08-29T18:45:00.513-05:00

Did you ever have a pet peeve and not even realize it? We were not one of the first families to get online. In fact, we didn't get online until shortly before my youngest son was born. He will turn 5 in a little more than a week. In fact, he was born about 4 days into my oldest son's kindergarten year. When I started homeschooling I had a 5 year old, a 2 year old and a brand new baby. I've

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093721649481079362004-08-28T14:27:00.000-05:002004-08-28T14:34:09.483-05:00

As the youngest of three brothers, Eric has a tendency to say, "I can't". He knows that he won't be as good as his brothers at playing soccer or basketball or baseball. He can't ride a bike as well and he's not as fast or as strong. It's hard for him to find his niche as his brothers are involved in so many activities and in Eric's eyes they are very good at what they do. We kept encouraging

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093520408656680462004-08-26T06:29:00.000-05:002004-08-26T06:40:08.656-05:00

Yesterday as the yellow school bus drove past our house, Adam was upstairs doing required reading while Jared and I sat at the table working through Explode the Code. Adam later tackled both grammar and the first exercise in Singapore Primary Mathematics 5A. We're starting back slowly into our studies. By next week we'll have added in most of our subjects. I'm still trying to figure out how

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093377814083752432004-08-24T14:49:00.000-05:002004-08-24T15:03:34.083-05:00

Summer is drawing to a close. Only a fool of a Yankee would allow the calendar to dictate the seasons. In New England we have four distinct seasons: 1. Fall. Fall runs from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. It is the best season in New England. The days are warm and the nights are cool. The harvest needs to be brought in before the first frost which, in my neck of the woods, is around the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093198626564454912004-08-22T13:12:00.000-05:002004-08-22T13:17:06.563-05:00

INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups chocolate graham crackers 6 tablespoons melted butter 1 quart chocolate ice cream 1/2 cup chocolate fudge topping 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup powdered chocolate of hot cocoa mix 1. To make the crust, place the graham crackers in a large sealable plastic bag, close it tightly, and crush the cookies with a rolling pin until they resemble dirt. Pour 2 cups of the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1093141535801931732004-08-21T21:19:00.000-05:002004-08-21T21:25:35.826-05:00

Friday was Jared's 7th birthday. We had 4-H scheduled at our house that day and Jared liked sharing cupcakes with his friends. He even paid enough attention during the presentation to tell Daddy about the watershed that night at dinner. Jared requested waffles for breakfast which went off without a hitch. He requested homemade pizza for dinner. I've made the exact same recipe for pizza

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092931846798667682004-08-19T11:01:00.000-05:002004-08-19T11:10:46.796-05:00

On Tuesday we went on our annual family pilgrimage to Water Country. We join a large group of homeschoolers to get discounted fare. A small group of us congregate around some picnic tables. Kids and adults come and go throughout the day. There is always someone to go on a ride with or to share lunch with or to ask to hold your baby. We all look forward to it every year. Later that night I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092704897091210712004-08-16T20:03:00.000-05:002004-08-16T20:08:51.916-05:00

Bill Martin Jr. has died at the age of 88. Adam's first book was Brown, Brown Bear, What Do You See? There weren't many board books out when Adam was born and so he got this book as a hardcover book. The pages got wrinkled and ripped and we fixed them with packing tape as best we could. I can't even begin to estimate how many times we've read that book in 10 years with 3 children. Luckily,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092673239148677242004-08-16T11:13:00.000-05:002004-08-16T11:20:39.146-05:00

With the unusually cold and damp weather, my mind turns to fall. I love fall. September and October are hands down my favorite months of the year. Autumn in New England is a glorious thing. When I was young, I couldn't wait for the back-to-school issue of Seventeen magazine. Though I'm not much of a fashion queen, it was exciting to see what the new styles would be. Then I'd pick out an

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092568782876714132004-08-15T06:00:00.000-05:002004-08-15T06:19:42.876-05:00

The book piles next to my bed just get higher and higher. In the summer, when I can get great books for $1 or less at yard sales, I tend to accumulate them near my bed until I decide what to do with them. They're not all successes. Elizabeth Berg's Open House was formulaic. I read it in dribs and drabs over the summer. Truthfully, I didn't care what happened to the characters. I did finish

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092536136009282172004-08-14T21:04:00.000-05:002004-08-14T21:17:58.936-05:00

I hadn't realized that it had been Wednesday since I last posted. My baby niece, Devin, underwent surgery yesterday. They removed one lobe from her lung. Apparently her heart beat is much improved. I'm getting my information third hand, which is hard, so it's hard to be specific. My prayers remain with Devin and her parents. It's so hard to have your tiny newborn baby in the hospital.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092275264065327622004-08-11T20:45:00.000-05:002004-08-11T20:47:44.066-05:00

I just got a call from my father. My new niece - my brother B.J.'s 3 week old daughter - was taken by ambulance to the hospital today. Apparently she has a cyst on her lung that is pushing on her heart. They are planning to remove one lobe of the lung tomorrow at noon. Her name is Devin Watson. She's just a bitty thing. She could really use your prayers.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092244391132329252004-08-11T12:05:00.000-05:002004-08-11T12:13:11.133-05:00

On Monday, I called my endocrinologist's office. I spoke with the nurse and told her that I'm feeling better than I've felt in a long time. I'm concerned about the dosage of the medication I'm taking because it is above the recommended maximum dose and I'm worried that it will have a negative effect on my liver and push my levels toward hypothyroidisim if I continue to take it at this dosage.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092137677811329592004-08-10T06:27:00.000-05:002004-08-10T06:35:06.950-05:00

I've been wondering what to do with my middle son. When Adam was his age I was very enthusiastic about homeschooling. I had a 6 year old, a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Everything seemed brand new and full of possiblities. At that time I discovered Five in a Row. I loved the literature approach to learning and we quickly dove in. I became obsessed with finding all the out-of-print books and

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1092067828329874962004-08-09T11:05:00.000-05:002004-08-09T11:10:28.330-05:00

Baseball is bad for my health. Seriously. If you are a Red Sox fan you understand. The Red Sox are one of the best baseball teams in baseball history and yet they just can't pull it together to win. They last won the World Series in 1918. 1918 Ugh! I thought this might be the year. I really did. But now I know it isn't. Yesterday Tim Wakefield became the first pitcher since 1940 to allow

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091836714984920142004-08-06T18:51:00.000-05:002004-08-06T18:58:34.983-05:00

Rick James the legendary King of Punk Funk died today at the age of 56. He was a Superfreak Extraordinaire. My boys love funk. Especially Jared. It started when Jeff made a compilation cd a few years back. All kinds of great funk. There was nothing funnier than seeing my fair faced, blond curly haired toddler singing "Play that Funky Music White Boy" or "Brick House". We play that cd often

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091800686055615622004-08-06T08:57:00.000-05:002004-08-06T08:58:06.056-05:00

I haven't done a quiz in a dog's age and found this one interesting. You speak eloquently and have seemingly read everybook ever published. You are a fountain ofendless (sometimes useless) knowledge, andnever fail to impress at a party. What people love: You can answer almost anyquestion people ask, and have thus beennicknamed Jeeves. What people hate: You constantly correct theirgrammar and

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091644164877993092004-08-04T13:23:00.000-05:002004-08-04T13:29:24.876-05:00

Adam's best friend went back to school shopping yesterday and it gave Adam the shopping bug. He asked me last night if we could do some school shopping. He couldn't even think of anything he needed and I know we don't need more pencils or markers or rulers or anything school related. Finally, he said he wanted a new backpack. Well, he's had the same one for 5 years so it seemed like a

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091469672020540302004-08-02T12:49:00.000-05:002004-08-02T13:01:12.020-05:00

Last night I started working with Adam on his Webelos Family Member Badge. It's a pretty simple badge and I thought it would be nice for us to work on it together. He went through his cookbooks, like Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone and picked out recipes he'd like to try. We planned out a week's worth of meals. Next we need to write up a shopping list and

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091297895355701832004-07-31T13:12:00.000-05:002004-07-31T13:29:19.170-05:00

I picked up Adam from camp today. He had a blast. He was eager and enthusiastic to show me everything at camp and had done a great job packing up his stuff. His counselor, Rafe, said Adam was great and that this had been the best group all summer. We knew all the boys in the cabin. Adam said the food was really good and he ate every meal (instead of peanut butter and jelly). We listened to the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091239140673210722004-07-30T20:57:00.000-05:002004-07-30T20:59:00.673-05:00

I received two letters from Adam today. I thought the second one was pretty funny. Rafe is his counselor. Dear Mom Today is the second day and it is pouring! I had to take swimming lessons in the rain! Thank you for the letters. Noah is sick and Kyle is homesick. He wants to go home so we're trying to cheer him up. Rafe lets me wear his hat and I turn into mini Rafe. Love, Adam/mini

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091185281817530052004-07-30T05:51:00.000-05:002004-07-30T06:01:21.816-05:00

My middle son is turning 7 in about 3 weeks.  It's one of those years where he doesn't really have anything specific that he wants for his birthday and  he doesn't need or want any new toys.  He did mention that he'd like Red Sox stuff.  He really wanted a Nomar shirt. I went shopping everywhere and finally found Nomar shirts for both Jared and Eric (whose birthday is 2 weeks later).  Yesterday,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6234415.post-1091020247285569302004-07-28T08:02:00.000-05:002004-07-28T08:10:47.286-05:00

When I was first diagnosed with Graves' Disease I was overwhelmed, surprised and sick.  I had a difficult time with my memory and I was too sick to do much research.  I was able to get on the internet and do some research.  I knew by the time I saw an endocrinologist that I wanted to try to keep my thyroid without radiating it.    I have been taking methimazole for a month now.  I've notices

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0