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The hardest day ever

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:16:59 -0500

We started school today. Madelyn is in 4th grade, Emma in 2nd, Gloria will be in Kindergarten but her curriculum has yet to arrive and baby Audrey is, well, a baby. So try to get a visual here. I did not take a picture! Gloria is standing on the chair at the computer desk making a video of herself dancing with fish with the mac webcam, Emma is working on something. I don't remember what, but I use the term "working" very loosely. She is hardly paying attention. She keeps making the awful boo/monster sounds at the baby, who is by the way sitting in the floor in a pile of toys not very happy with the situation. Madelyn is sitting next to me going over her science lesson. It was a disaster. All day long we hoped from one subject to the next haphazardly. I did school almost nonstop from 8:15-3:30. Which to most may seem normal. But when you homeschool things generally go much quicker because of the student to teacher ratio. I am going to rework things tomorrow so they will run smoother. I am going to try doing the same subject at the same time even though they are working on different levels. At least that way when some one askes me what is the difference between a biosphere and an ecosystem I won't answer "long vowels." I also printed off some little games and crafts for a mini unit about the olympics for Gloria to give her something to do until her boxes arrive. Wow...this was the worst home school day ever!!! I love our new curriculum...I just hope it gets better than this!

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My best bud

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:41:22 -0500

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Would it be too 8th grade to say my BFF? I visited my BFF in the Atlanta area while we were on our major trip. I haven't been able to post much about it yet. We have been so crazy busy. But, we had such a wonderful time. I really LOVE them!!! I will get more pictures out soon!

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Helen Keller Birthplace

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:44:04 -0500

Yesterday we took the girls to see the birthplace of Helen Keller. It was so beautiful. I was so excited to see my kids enjoying learning about history. I taught them about Helen Keller at the beginning of last school year and they were really looking forward to seeing her home. I was so proud of them. They could have easily complained about it saying they didn't care or that it was too hot, but instead they went from room to room excitedly asking questions and pointing out different things. It was really cool. I will post pictures when I can.

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so many firsts

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:05:21 -0500

Audrey, like all my babies, is having a lot of firsts during this week away from daddy. Much to his dismay. So this is what she has done in the last week.

1. Ate solid food: rice crispies. She can't pick them up, but she tries.

2. Sat up in the real bath tub. This is out of necessity.

3. Splashed in the tup and in the pool. She has swam, but never splashed.

4. She reaches for me when I hold out my hands.

5. She is wearing those adorable "Carters" pajamas that have the tight little tee shirt and long tight pants. You know, the kind where the belly sticks out. Sooooo cute. They are her first ones.

I am so sorry Luke. I can't help it. She is a baby and they do new stuff all the time. I am so sorry that you didn't get to see it. I have taken pictures and if I ever try, I might get them posted.

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to be honest

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:59:35 -0500

I have to be honest, I don't really know how to put pictures on my computer. Ok I said it. I know I know it isn't that difficult. And since we are being honest, I haven't actually tried. I never have the time to try. So with that said..pictures of my trip will be posted when I get home and my honey can do it for me.

I am luke dependent.

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sweet tea any one?

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:21:10 -0500

Well I made the great adventure across 5 states...Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and into Alabama, with my 4 little girls. I think I deserve some kind of mommy award for traveling alone with my kids like that. So right now I am sitting in my mom and dad's house in Harvest, AL, with Jon and Kate plus 8 playing silently in the back ground as my 4 little angels snooze away a hard day's play in their beds. My folks have spent many years living on a military salary. My dad has been retired for 8 or 9 years now and they finally can see the fruits of their labor. Their home is beautiful and there is plenty of room for me and my brother to come at Christmas with our families. Together we have 6 kids plus his wife and my husband. It will be a bustling house full, but I am really looking forward to it. Our babies our just three weeks apart and his 7 year old is 8 weeks older than my 7 year old. So they are great friends.

This trip will include a couple of days spent in Atlanta with my friend. Then I will come back here, back to my grandparents in MS and then on to home in Kansas. Luke is flying in to drive back with me so that will make things a little easier on the way home. It is a long haul, but much worth it to see my family and let them have time to spend with the kids.

I will try to post some pictures soon.

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You be the judge!

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:09:42 -0500

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I think she is saying momma! I think this because I hear it all the time. Luke says she isn't. So, what do you think? Momma or just babbling? I say it is momma for sure!!!

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We got to see the triplets!

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:34:51 -0500

Our friends Tom and Shannan have 2 month old triplets. They live in Independence, MO, so we don't see them as often as we would like. The babies are all home and doing well. We stayed for only about 3 hours and I have to tell you it was pretty non stop baby care for them. Shannan even said it was a calm 3 hours. I think they are doing a great job. They seem to be very calm and in control. I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to care for 3 little people 24 hours a day, but they seem to be pros at it already. The babies are all adorable. I am so excited to watch them grow. It will be really cool to get to know their personalities and find out who they really are!

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Shannan and Scarlett then Gloria and Scarlett

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Luke holding Gavin and Tom holding Scarlett

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Emma holding Gavin and Madelyn with Simon

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Madelyn and Simon

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Baby Simon aka Tom Lookin' Baby.

check out Shannan's blog to see more pictures of them at chickfreakcubed.vox.com

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A few more pics from the 4th

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:13:25 -0500

I think you can tell from the pictures that we really had a blast on the 4th. I hadn't uploaded these pictures yet. When I saw them. I knew they were truly blog worthy.

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LVS

nobody@vox.com(Carrie Catlin) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:52:47 -0500

I am excited to say that we will be starting Lawrence Virtual School on August 11th. I am both excited and nervous about the school. I am excited because I will know the kids are doing every thing they need to and then some. They will be doing more lessons each day. The curriculum sets its pace with the child. Though we will have to finish the entirety of each subject in order to be accepted into the next grade, mastery is the key. They must master each individual lesson to go to the next. I am nervous because I am not famous for being a good time manager. I know we can do it, but teaching kids at home is a full time job. Some hard core home schoolers say that virtual school students aren't being home schooled. I don't think they know that you have to teach every lesson. I will still view myself as a home school mom. I am just choosing a high tech curriculum that happens to be provided by a public school.

Some home school families are so anti public school. There are a lot of things I don't like about public school. I can't even begin to name them. I choose to have my kids at home. However, if you choose to send your kids to school I don't site you for it. I know some really great moms, who really love their kids, who send their kids to public school. That is their choice, and lets face it public school needs some good kids there. If every strong, loving family took their kids out, schools would be much worse than they are. As one person put it, they kids can be salt. But with all my complaining about public schools, along comes this virtual school. Which, one could by the way, purchase the curriculum with out being affiliated with a public school. The curriculum is current, exciting and fabulous. So, after all my irritation comes something good about public education. I decided to support it. If I don't like it we can quit and I will know. I'll never know unless I try it, right?

So we will keep you posted on our adventures in home schooling. I can't wait to get started.

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