Autumn Oak Homestead

My 37th Birthday

Where does the time go?

This picture was taken 30 years ago, when I was 7!...You can't really see them in the picture, but I had on my favorite Smurf barrettes :-)...I remember taking this picture and can't believe that was 30 years ago...

Germain made a pancake and bacon breakfast...He makes THE BEST pancakes from scratch, and we are always excited when he makes them...For those of you who are wondering, no, he did not make the bacon from scratch!

Happy New Year to all of you...

Until next time...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Chrismas everyone!...I am watching the boys play with their gifts while listening to Josh Groban...A good day indeed :-)

I hope this Christmas finds you happy and grateful...

Until next time...

Happy Birthday Germain :-)

What a wonderful day!...No one woke us up this morning, and when we woke on our own, the boys came in (after knocking of course :-0) with this for Germain...

They didn't tell me they planned to do this or involve me in any way...Keanu wanted it to be a surprise the boys did on their own...They used a board game box as a tray, and I thought it was the sweetest thing...Needless to say, Germain was very appreciative of their thoughtfulness...

We have a tradition on this day...Every year on Germain's birthday he cuts down a Christmas tree and we spend the day decorating the tree and the house for Christmas...I wasn't so sure we would get a chance to celebrate this year...We have been on such a tight budget that I figured any money we have on hand needs to go towards bills...With two of the boys spending time in the hospital in September, the bills have increased significantly...I went to bed rather sad last night about the entire situation...I prayed that God would work things out for us, and we would at least be able to get a tree this year...I woke up this morning resolved about our finances and just grateful that Germain has seen yet another year, and happy that he was off work and that I would get to spend the whole day with him...We got dressed, spent the morning hanging out with the boys, and then checked the mail...I was surprised and shocked to find a check that we were totally not expecting, but needed desperately...I had tears in my eyes, marveling at what God had done for us...I can probably still get tears right now just thinking about it...So we got our tree!

Germain cut it down as he always does...

And Keanu helped haul it back to the car...

We decorated the tree and somehwhat decorated the house...We are still not doing much decorating this year, so I just put out some Christmas stuff we had from previous years without adding anything new...Then after a very busy day (our town had a "Winter Wonderland" celebration this evening that we also attended - will post about that another time, along with the decorating pics), we finally came home and sang "Happy Birthday" to Germain...

Everyone in this house gets the birthday ring, I don't care how old you are :-0

Happy Birthday my love...I respect and appreciate you much more than you will ever know...

Until next time...

Our Thanksgiving

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving...Mine was okay, not great, just okay...We always go to my mother in law's house on Thanksgiving, and then I cook our Thanksgiving meal on Friday...This sounds fine, at first...The only problem is that Friday is "Black Friday" and Germain has to work...So for the whole day, I am home cooking the entire meal while trying to keep the kids at bay...Most times the kids are not the most cooperative, and I end up thinking to myself, "I am not doing this next year"...Then the next year comes and it is the same thing all over again! :-)...By the time I sit down to eat and gaze upon the happiness on Germain's face at the meal in front of him, I forget all about the craziness of the day...I enjoy the meal and then all is well...But all was not well this year...Germain still had the look of pure happiness on his face (Germain LOVES to eat), but the meal wasn't the greatest to me...Something about my turkey was off this year...After all of that hard work...Germain was grateful, but the boys complained...

Here is my plate from Friday...I ate way more than I usually do, as the rest of the meal was fine...I just didn't enjoy the turkey as much...It tasted better on Saturday though...

Now that I have been totally negative about my Thanksgiving holiday experience :-0, I will express the bright side...There is always so much to be grateful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but all year long...Many went without a meal this past weekend and I am grateful to have eaten, regardless of what the turkey tasted like...I also now know what Germain and I need to help the boys with...A lack of gratitude is a character issue that we all need to deal with...

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed your holiday and had a great time with your families...I am very grateful for my family and love the time I get to spend with them...

Until next time...

The Cow Parade

I know, I am probably the only person you have ever heard of that has actually gone to a "cow parade", but our family went to one yesterday!...

There were also goats there, but they were not part of the parade...

It turned out to be a great afternoon...If your town ever has a cow parade, I highly recommend it :-)

Until next time...

Homeschool Week 6 - In Review

We are completing our 6th week of our school year...The boys have been enjoying Tapestry of Grace...I am really surprised Keanu is enjoying it, as he typically doesn't like a lot of reading...Back when I was planning and the books were coming in the mail Keanu said to me, "I can't read all of that...I don't think I am going to like this Tapestry of Grace"...Germain was quick to jump in and let him know that he actually can read all of that (gotta love Germain :-0)...Unmoved by Keanu's objection (if you know us IRL, you know this is not a child led home), we started with week 1...It went okay, but by week 3, Keanu was loving it...He enjoyed "A Place in the Sun" (it is on the out of print list, but I was able to get a copy) and he has declared the Gilgamesh books to be the best books he has ever read!...His reading is also improving...I figured he didn't like to read because he wasn't good at it (nothing is enjoyable if you are not good at it), so we picked a literature intense curriculum to give him the practice that he so desperately needed - and still needs...So far so good...

He also LOVED learning about the ancient Egyptians...

I snapped this picture of him writing his name in hieroglyphics (during his free time, mind you)...

Here it is after he completed it...He has gone on to write all of our names in hieroglyphics...Maybe he will do the family name on nice paper for me and I can frame it...

Well, that is my review so far...We have 30 more weeks to go so...

Until next time...

Ramblings...

We did not make a big deal out of Halloween this year...We did take the boys trick or treating (well Germain took the boys, I stayed home and gave out treats)...

These three characters went out for an hour and came home with all of this...

And they did this while being accompanied by this man...

Germain bought one of those plain white masks and colored it like this to make it scary looking...It was kind of scary looking, especially in the dark...

The boys pulled out dress up stuff and costumes we already owned instead of getting something new...We are planning to buy the house we are living in during 2012, so the old budget kicked in...We decided not to spend money on new costumes, or fall decorations in general...We will still get a Christmas tree and make the home somewhat festive for the holidays, but as for other stuff, buying the house is more important...Since I can't engage in my normal decorating activities, I decided to get the house organized during this time period...Then I will decorate after the house is bought (and organized :-)

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One thing I have been thinking about is this blog (this post isn't titled "ramblings" for no reason :-0)...Blogs usually have a main theme, like "homeschooling", "organization", "knitting", or whatever...What is the theme of this blog?...I can't decide on one...I am a homeschooling mom, I am trying to organize my home and get better at being organized in general, I am learning how to knit and am really enjoying it so far, and I also love decorating and pretty clothes...And I am also not an expert on any of these things (or anything else for that matter), so I can't have an expert blog where I am really showing people how to do something...So I guess the answer for me is to not have one theme...I will simply pick days and devote them to a topic that I love, a day devoted to our homeschool, a day devoted to our home, a day devoted to knitting, etc...There are only so many days in a week and so many days I can blog, so I will have to choose wisely...

Until next time...

Crafting Love

I started making a new scarf for myself yesterday (well really Monday night)...It is my first time making something like this and I love it so far...The pattern was really easy for me to memorize and I am hoping to be done in the next two weeks...It is the most enjoyable thing I have knit so far...I know this is not saying much since I haven't knit too many things, but it is still my favorite so far...I am using one of the yarns I got from Rhinebeck, and I love the colors...

I finally finished the scarf I was making for Germain...I started it at the end of last year, put it down, and picked it up again this year to finish it for him...I told him I would have it done before it gets cold or snows, so when that October snow storm hit us, I stayed up late to get it finished and still didn't finish until the day of the storm...He wore it the next day :-)...It is a simple masculine scarf, but warm because it is wool...

Don't worry, he didn't wear that tee shirt the day after the storm...The scarf isn't that warm!...He just modeled the scarf for me...

I didn't forget about Halloween...I will post a pic of the boys tomorrow...

Until next time...

Rhinebeck 2011!

After three years of wanting to go to this place, I finally made it to Rhinebeck!...If you do not know what that is, it is the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY...We left home at 7:30 am and after what seemed like forever (it took us two hours just to drive the last couple of miles into the fairgrounds due to traffic) we finally arrived at this knitter's and spinner's paradise!...There was so much yarn and wool and natural fabrics of all kinds, I had a hard time picking out what to buy...We are on a strict budget now, so I couldn't buy any and everything, I had to look for what I really wanted, what I will really use...I came home with a modest, but beautiful bounty...

The boys got to see and pet many exotic animals like a hegdehog and a kangaroo, so they were happy...Sorry to say that the sheer amount of yarn and fiber did not excite them :-)...They were excited by the specialty hot chocolate that came in so many great flavors though...

Can you see the beautifully carved pumpkins in the background?...I got a close up of a few...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't wait to get started on my new knitting projects...I am still an inexperienced knitter so I cannot make everything I dream of making, but I am happy with the little I can make and know that I will learn more as time and many hours of practicing goes by...

Until next time...

Where We Started

I am finally starting to feel like we are pretty much back where we started...Noali came home from the hospital Sunday evening, and we had an entire week to just be around one another...Noali is feeling much better and is back to his old self...We didn't school this week, decided it was too much after being apart for what seemed like so long...I also had so much to catch up on at home...I am planning to start up again on Monday, so I am really back where I started, planning out week three...I can't believe it is already October and I am only on week three of school...I figure there are fifty two weeks in a year and we only have thirty six weeks of work to do, so we have time to get it done...

I am happy to have spent the week at home, with all of my boys...I wish I had gotten more housework done though...

 

In Gratitude

I am sending this post from beside the hospital bed of my little Noali...We took him to the ER last Thursday because he wasn't breathing well...I thought the ER would help him and then we would be sent home, but it didn't work out that way...He was transferred to a children's hospital about 45mins away from our home last Friday morning and spent a week and a day in intensive care on a bipap breathing machine because he couldn't take in enough oxygen on his own and he had pneumonia on top of it...I am so grateful that he is now breathing with a little help from an oxygen tube and we were just transferred out of ICU to a regular pediatric room...He is due to come off oxygen totally tomorrow, and we may be home in a couple of days...

This has been some week, but I am very grateful...Grateful that we are in a wonderful hospital that has taken such good care of not only Noali, but Germain and me as well...Grateful for family and friends that have sacrificed time, energy, and money to come visit us, take care of Keanu and Mekai, bring us clothes and food,  and bring stuff for Noali...Grateful that the food here is not bad at all...Grateful that there is a TV with a DVD and VCR player, bathroom with a shower, extra bed for Germain and me and small refrigerator right here in our room...Grateful for Wifi internet access in our room...Grateful we have pretty good health insurance...But most of all, I am grateful that Noali is getting better and is smiling, laughing and talking again...

We still don't have all of the answers as far as what went wrong with Noali, but the doctors are pretty sure he has asthma and is allergic to dust...Even when we do go home, we will have to come back for follow up visits, but I am grateful that we are not too far to drive here and it is close to Germain's job...

 My little Noali...

Sending this post with much gratitude and love...

Curriculum Choices

Once again it is September and many people, homeschoolers and traditional schoolers alike are facing a new school year...For some homeschoolers, a new school year brings about new curriculum changes...It has for us this year...

It is no secret that I have been finding my way the past couple of years...We went from totally Waldorf to a Classical approach during this past school year, and I have been trying to find what will work for our family...By that, I really mean what will work for me - but that is a blog post for another day :-)

Anyhow, I discovered "Tapestry of Grace" this summer and we are giving it a try this year...We already started it and it seems like it will be a very good fit for us...In my mind I am planning to use it for the duration of our schooling, but I am trying to be rational and use terms like "give it a try"...Classical style homeschooling is still so very new to me, so I am taking our curriculum choices one year at a time, at least until I get a few years under my belt...So I am as committed as I can be to Tapestry of Grace right now!

Here is the rest of my line up...

Grade 5 - (Keanu)

- Tapestry of Grace - Upper Grammar (covers History, Writing, Literature, Geography, and Fine Arts - We are using MCT for writing)

- MCT - Language Arts (Grammar, Writing, Vocabulary, and Poetry)

- Math Mammoth - Math (Keanu is working behind level in math, so we are doing 3B & 4A Light Blue Series

- Elemental Science - Biology for the Logic Stage

- Rod & Staff - Health

- Spelling Workout - Spelling (Level C & D)

- Logic Countdown - Logic

- Webster's Speller - Phonics Review

* I am still making a decision about Writing With Ease...I have it but I am not sure we will use it this year...I would much rather do narration and dictation during our History and Science lessons and not use another program...If Keanu has difficulty, then I will add in the Writing With Ease...

 

Grade 1 - (Mekai)

- Tapestry of Grace - Lower Grammar (Some of it may be too difficult for Mekai, but I will work with him where he is)

- Math Mammoth - Math (Light Blue Series 1A & 1B)

- Elemental Science - Biology for the Grammar Stage

- Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading - Phonics

- Writing With Ease - Level 1 (Copywork, Narration, & Dictation)

- Spelling Workout - Spelling (Level A)

* Mekai will also have Handwriting practice, but we are not using a formal curriculum for that...

 

Kindergarten - (Noali)

- Tapestry of Grace - Lower Grammar

- Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading - Phonics

* Noali will also have various preschool printouts from the internet and Handwriting practice without a formal curriculum...

 

So these are our curriculum choices for this school year...We are on vacation right now with Germain, and Mekai will go into the hospital next week so our school year will continue on September 19th...We did the first week of Tapestry over a two week period and will be on week two when we start again...Mekai is having tests done for his seizures...He had four seizures in one day a few weeks back and is now going in for more testing...Tomorrow is his birthday, so it is a lot going on for him right now...

 
My Boys :-)

We are enjoying our vacation and time with Germain...Until next time...

Starting Anew

I thought seriously of giving up blogging, but I decided that all I really needed was a break and a fresh start, a chance to start anew...I am in the process of updating the blog and plan to return to blogging regularly about our lives as Christian Classical homeschoolers...

We started our new school year today...We had a really rocky start but managed to get everything done...Homeschooling is just one of those things that gets better over time, like any other area of parenting...As your children grow and mature, you have the opportunity to learn so much and discover new ways to help and manage it all...This new year has brought about some curriculum changes as well as some household changes...My attempt at a new way to manage it all :-)...I feel good about the changes so far and will write more about them later...

At any rate, welcome to my blog (all over again!)

A first day of school picture of the boys...

 

 

Oh Happy Days

Despite the fact that I have been sick since last week, the past couple of days have been "happy days"...It all started yesterday when I got this...

 And these...

 

Germain bought the card in the middle and the boys made the two on the ends...Now Valentine's Day is usually very uneventful here...Four people say, "Happy Valentine's Day" and that is pretty much it...So you can imagine my suprise to get all of this...And Germain even made chocolate covered strawberries for me on Sunday night :-)

Germain and I were talking yesterday about the way the house is set up...I am currently schooling on our dining room table and storing our books in our small guest room...We have a play room upstairs that I originally wanted to use as a classroom as well, but I don't have a place to keep my stuff...Germain volunteered to make me a bookshelf...I figured I would get it by next school year...You can also imagine my surprise when Germain woke up this morning and went to a lumber place, bought wood, and made me two bookcases!

 

 
*I guess it was also a "happy day" for Keanu, who got to miss some of his regularly scheduled school work to do a woodworking project with his dad :-0...

 

Here are the finished shelves...Perfect for holding my stuff!

 

And to top of all of the "happy day" news, my brother was just signed as quarterback for a new football team in our state...

Hopefully tomorrow will bring more happiness and good cheer!