Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Guess I'm in a bloggy kind of groove

2 consecutive posts! I haven't done that for a while.

I finally submitted our portfolio today. I called ahead to the school admin. offices to make sure when the office hours are AND to find out the magic abbra-cadabbra voo-doo stuff that one apparently needs to know in order to even ENTER the building. Oh, I kid...sort of. That place has 3 entrances (and it's not that big of a building) none of which are marked or appear to be the main entrance. After the call though, it really was pretty simple to find the correct office and enter the building.

Let this be a lesson. In the future when I am unsure of something, it's really okay to ask.

I'm really quite pleased at the warm and friendly interactions I've had with the school admin. thus far. I posted this blurb on my Facebook account today and one of my friends said the nicest thing in the comments. I'll just copy what she said cuz really it was so very nice.

"That is because you are an amazing person doing a superb job of educating your kids! How could you be anything but nice when faced with your organized approach to record keeping, the depth of your educational scope and sequence, and your amazing child's ability to produce lovely samples of her intellectual growth!"

And she was totally sincere, and not even after any kind of favor. She's just that wonderful! <3 I love my Mommy-friends!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Checking In

Summer vacation is in full swing here at the F>actory. While the temperatures still haven't been all that summery (except for a day or two here and there) at least it's not quite as cool.

We had our first official homeschool evaluation done. I tried to submit everything to the district today, but couldn't figure out how to get in the building! I should have called ahead first. That's on the agenda for tomorrow.

I can't say enough how nice it is to have a break from hard work. Our brains all needed the respite-even mine. Whoever said "those who can't, teach" sure was a little off target. In order to be able to teach, one has to be able to "do" first. This holds true with homeschooling. I always learn the topic (or review) before I even begin to attempt to teach it. I'm getting a better elementary education as an adult than I did as a child.

Did I mention I broke down and bought a pool? Not a a super deluxe "real pool" but a new one for us at least. I don't know who was more disappointed about not swimming this summer, My Girls, or my mother. I'm pretty sure it was my mother. Just don't tell her I told you ;)

Here's the one we have. We really enjoy it, and even though it won't last forever, it really gives us a lot of fun (when it's hot enough at least...)


I know I've been pretty scarce lately, but I'm seriously just enjoying our break!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

It's Summertime

...even though the weather doesn't quite feel like it. It seems to me that this gloomy cool weather has been the norm for the past 3 years for the first part of June. Our summers seem to be cooling to me rather than warming. I haven't written anything down, so I don't have proof, but rather than having a short cool snap around the end of July (usually accompanied by rain) it seems we have multiple cool snaps for most of the summer.

Our pool definitely has a leak. We've tried to patch it, but with no luck. The girls are a little upset (as well as my mother) about not having a pool, but I just don't think I can justify the repairs when I'd rather save and upgrade to a better one.
:(

On a better note, we're heading off for a weekend in Virginia. It's quite a drive, but a beautiful one!