Twas the Night Before Christmas - Homeschool Style

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the home,
Children were still studying for their test on Rome.
Mom was planning, she had just an hour,
To teach 'one more lesson' before their night shower.

A whole week of vacation, the children were thrilled,
But Mom saw the lesson plans, and the blocks were still filled.
"Can I stop for a day, much less a whole week?"
Just the thought of time off made me shudder and shriek!

Would they remember anything, would they fall behind?
"Lord, I need your help, just give me a sign!!!"
Then out on the sidewalk, I saw my four boys,
And I heard them say, "it's not about toys."

To the neighborhood kids, they explained Jesus' birth,
And how through Jesus, not toys, we gain our worth.
At that point, math and spelling and learning to write,
Meant little to me as I had lost the sight

Of what teaching at home was truly about.
Then I sat at my desk and began to pout.
The pouts turned to sobs, "Lord what have I done?
It's not about grades, but to follow your Son!"

"Please guide me and show me my job is to teach,
and turn them to you, and of Jesus I'll preach."
Now we'll put away books and not open them 'til later,
We'll focus on Jesus, our Lord and Creator.

It's His day and so we will all celebrate,
I'll never mention the words "behind" or "we're late".
So, Thank You, Lord, for blessing me,
With such a great husband and family.

Now homeschooling moms, TURN OUT THE SCHOOL LIGHT!
And, "Happy Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!"

(Author Unknown)

EDIT: someone gave me this information:
The proper title is "Twas the Night Before (A Homeschooler's) Christmas". The author is Christy Taulbee and the copyright date is 2002.

It's My Math!

Last Friday, as we were riding home from another Dr.'s office visit for Melissa, Zachary said "Oh, Mom, I need new math pages." I told him he didn't because I had put enough pages in his book for this week and next week.He said "I do need new ones, I finished all those." I said there was no way he finished all those pages. "Yes, I did, Mom, I skipped all the hard parts, and only did the pennies." Zachary! You can't skip the hard parts! "Yes I can, it's my math!"



ROFLOL



Needless to say, this week, Zachary is going back and doing all the "hard parts"!

The Perry Christian School Medical Journal

<b>WARNING!!   WARNING!!</b><br><br>

Save Yourself! <i>RUN</i> away now!<br><br>

Consider yourself warned!<br><br>

Still here? Then don't blame me! I am in no way responsible for what you are about to read and see! <br>

Click your browers back button to leave at anytime!<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE I</b>

<b>Thursday, June 29th</b>

I went to the dentist to have 5 teeth pulled. Yep, my mouth is sore, yep, the p@in p|lls make me feel bad, Yep, the antibiotics make me feel bad. <br><br>

<b>ARTICLE II</b>

<b>Saturday, July 1st</b>

D got sawdust in his eye and scratched it. The pain kept getting worse as the day progressed. I ended up taking him to the ER. Yep, my mouth is sore, yep, the antibiotics make me feel bad, nope, I'm not taking pain pills. <br>

In ER Room 6...

<i>Yo Ho Yo Ho, it's a pirates life for me, Yo Ho Yo Ho</i>

<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE III</b>

<b>Thursday, July 6th</b>

Melissa was in bad pain from her lung thing. sigh It just keeps coming back. So i take her to the dr's office. Her appt was at 2:45. We only waited about 10 minutes before being called back. She took the 4 kids and I with her for moral support (aka henchmen to "take care of" her dr if he made her mad). Well, her oxygen sats were low, 87 to 91, and her heart rate was high, she was pale and in pain. She had a chest xray, and an EKG which were normal. He considered putting her in the hospital, but let her go home with an appt for a CT scan at 9 the next morning.

 

 

<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE IV</b>

<b>same day as Article III</b><br>

9:00 p.m. Abigal falls in the driveway will walking, and cuts her knee. So Mel gets up off her sick bed to babysit while D and I rush Abby to the ER. We both had to go, so one could drive, and one could hold her knee shut. It was bleeding pretty heavily. Abby asked on the way why God wanted her to fall down and get hurt. So I explained that God didn't want her to get hurt, but sometimes accidents happen. So she asked if the devil pushed her down. I asked her if she felt anyone push her. And cringed while waiting for an answer, cause, you just never know. But nope, she didn't feel anyone push her. She was upset on the way, and requested to be put to sleep, while they stitched up her knee.

In the ER Trauma Room 1...

On the left, she "just" scraped off the skin, but you can see the gash on the right, that required 4 stitches. She did great! Such a brave little trooper. She did cry while they were giving her the shots to numb it, but didn't feel anything while they stitched her up.

We got home at 1 a.m. and had to set her up a bed in the schoolroom. So if she need us in the night, I mean early morning hours, she was closer to us so we could hear her call. She can't get up by herself, as she can't bend her knee.

<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE V</b>

<b> Friday, July 7th</b><br>

We had to get up early (which was hard after the late night, last night) so we could leave at 8 a.m. to have Melissa at the place for her CT Scan at 9. That was a challenge, as Abby can't bend her knee at all. But we made it. Even Mel, who couldn't eat or drink after midnight. She had her scan, while they injected dye (or something) into her. I didn't go in, as I was sitting in the waiting room with all the kids. But they are well behaved, so it's not a problem at all. Except poor Mel had to go in by herself.

Abby and Mel in the waiting room...

<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE VI</b>

<b>Saturday, July 8th</b><br>

We got a call yesterday, saying that Melissa's CT Scan was normal. No further instructions, nothing. What do we do now? Anyway, on to today. Mel was sleeping really late today, (so what else is new!) Anyway, I finally went to get her up at about 12:30 p.m. and she said she was really hurting. On a pain scale of 1 - 10, she was a seven. sigh I went to hit the shower (we had just got in from working in the garden) D came and told me that he checked on her and she was crying with the pain and we should take her to the ER. So she got ready and I took her.

In ER Room 10....

So after telling them the long story about the last couple of days, and numerous tests, etc.  The Dr. said he wasn't going to repeat any since they were so recent. But he thought she had Pleurodynia aka the devil's grip aka the grasp of the phantom.

Link 1    Link2 He put her on n@proxen 500 mg. So she started taking those tonight, and they WORKED! Yeah for Mel!

<br><br>

<b>ARTICLE VII</b>

<b>Monday, July 10th</b><br>

We all go back to the Dr's. so Mel and Abby can have rechecks. Abby's knee looks fine, no signs of infection. The Dr. didn't know what to do with Mel (typical) said he's glad the meds are working, and just for the fun of it, he wants to check her oxegyn sats. Well, it's in the 80's again. sigh So then he starts doubting the machine. He tests it on himself, and then knows for sure that the machine is messed up. grrrrrrrr He tells us that the Ct scan was completely normal, and sends us on our way. But not before telling us how well behaved the kids are, along with the nurse, and receptionist, who tell us that everytime.

Mel and Abby in the Dr's office.....

 <br><br>

<b>ARTICLE VIII</b>

<b>Wednesday, July 12th</b><br>

Today, I get to go the big, big city, for Calen's 3 month exam with his oncologist as well as lab work. He saw Dr. G today, and she's really nice. He had his favorite lab tech, B, who always gets it the first time. He did it for the 2nd time without any numbing cream! I asked him if he felt brave and he said "No, it hurts!" Well, I think he's brave anyway!

Calen in the exam room....

 

 <br><br>

<b>ARTICLE IX</b>

<b>Thursday, July 13th</b>

<b>Final Thoughts</b><br>

Duane's eye is better now. And I'm working on having him <i>remember</i> to wear eye protection. He's been getting things in his eyes a lot lately. He did <b>buy</b> a pair of safety glasses...

Mel's meds are working, and she is in less pain, but not totally feeling better, as the meds make her very tired and she has to nap alot. Wait! she did that before the meds!

Abby's knee is better. She can now bend it, and is running around al over the place. She hasn't attempted to ride her bike yet, though. She is busily planning what she is going to wear to the Dr's on Wednesday the 19th, when she goes to have her stitches out.

Calen had a good exam, and doesn't have to go back until October. He will spend the next 3 months deciding where he wants to go eat lunch after his exam.

Me? my gums still aren't healed. It's been 2 weeks today. I was hopeing for faster healing. But since I wasn't able to lie low and heal like I had planned, and had to out and about, I guess it's to be expected. I know all this activity has hindered my healing, because it hurts when I talk, and I'm the one who has to do all the talking at all these dr's and ER visits. I'm not in very much pain, only hurts once in a while now. But I'm hanging in there, happily anticipating the time when I'm healed enough to get my replacement teeth!

We're Moving!!!!!

That's right! We're moving!! Don't forget to change your bookmarks!!

In The New Library

Zachary, Calen, Hannah, and Abigail sitting in a reading alcove in the Childrens Room at the new library. We really love the new library! This picture was actually taken on April 30th. Yep, I'm behind!

A Lion in the House

I just wanted to let you all know there is a two part series coming on this
Wednesday and Thursday it airs on PBS. It's called "A Lion in The House", I
encourage everyone to watch it, and also pass it on and encourage other
people to watch. I have already heard from some people who have seen it and
it is something everyone should see.

If you "think" you could possibly know (or even have a glimpse of) what a family goes through, or more important what a child goes through battling this disease here is an
opportunity just for two nights to walk in their/our shoes. Don't worry it's only for
two nights, not the 2 1/2 years or more that these families (and far to many
others) have had to endure. Calen had treatments for 3 years and 3 months.

In this great country we live in, ONE in every 330 American children
develop cancer before the age of 20, (it could be your child), and when
Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of American children - more than
asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, AIDS and muscular dystrophy combined!

We need awareness that children do get cancer so there can be more
reasearch. Reasearch to find cures to save the lives of our precious
children.

Calen has been blessed by God. It has been 5 years and 8 months since his diagnosis and 2 years and 6 months since he finished treatment. So far he has beat the odds,
but there are no promises. There are far too many children who do not have "good outcomes" and even some of the children who do have good outcomes initially do not beat the odds.

One review:

'One of the most cleansing, emotional, honest,
unsparing, devastating, cathartic experiences I've
ever had in a theater, A Lion in the House simply must
be seen. Following five cancer-infected children and
their parents over the course of many years as they
deal with the ups and downs, tragedies and hopes, wins
and losses, this momentous work of human empathy
demands to be seen. You will simply not be the same
person coming out as you were going in.'


Please watch "A Lion in The House". It will be a memorable event.

To find out when it is playing in your area, or for more information, you can click on the link below.


A Lion in the House

Contest

Spunky is giving away a
Benz Microscope
and Apologia Biology Set this week. Click Here to get the details.

Free HSLDA Trial Membership

Homeschool Legal Defense Association is offering a free trial membership!

We had.........

Twins!!!

Check it out!

We have a New Kid!

Visit our farm blog for pics!

Olympics Food!

We've realy enjoyed the Olympics so far. One of the best parts is all the Italian food we've been eating! Here are a couple of pics from Opening Ceromonies night:

Our Antipasto tray


Hot Cross Buns that the kids made. You can't see the frosting "cross" very well, but it's on there. My kids wouldn't leave the frosting off! lol


D has been getting into the Olympics, too. He's been eating ALL the food, and requesting more Italian dishes. ROFLOL

Physical Education

A parent who works at a local ministry with a gym, has started a weekly physical education class for homeschoolers. We have a retired teacher teaching the kids, and he's really good with them. The kids really like him.

Zachary doing sit ups with Mel's help.


Z doing push ups. Notice his form? LOL


Mel and Hannah doing pull ups.


Playing broom ball. There were 11 kids playing.


And playing basketball.










The kids really enjoyed this time. Even though they were sore for a few days! lol

Torino 2006

We're gearing up for our Olympics unit study! We've been eating Italian food all week, lasgana, spaghetti, tortellini, chicken cacciatore, and pizza! Tonight, during the opening ceremony we're having antipasto, bruschetta, hot cross buns, and Italian ice!

Here are a couple of websites to visit!


Torino 2006 Official Website See the schedule, learn more about the games, get backgrounds and screensavers!

NBC'S Olympics site for local tv listings, athlete info, and MORE!

And don't forget Enchanted Learning for a LOT of Olympic printouts, activities, books, and Italian language printable books, and online dictionary!!

Learn Italian for the Olympics!

BBC - Languages - Learn Italian
Click on Quick Fix!


Italian for Kids