A mundane summer day post

I began my day when my little girl opened my bedroom door and snuggled up next to me. She patiently waited for my eyes to focus, "Mommy, you can go back to sleep. I'll go eat some breakfast." Oh, yeah. More sleep. It never works like that, but I wish it would.

Pooh Bear ate a frozen waffle and jumped back into bed with me asking to turn pages for me during my morning devotions. I've never mastered listening prayer with a bunny girl in the curve of my arm before, so I moved on to give Pooh Bear my full attention.

I read The Lady and the Lion- a Brother's Grimm Tale retold by Laura Long to my book loving girly. The luxurious illustrations are practically edible. It made me want to break out the paints and canvas one homeschool day soon. When we finished reading, I knew Pooh Bear felt as awed by the art due to her response, "Mommy, I just wish there were more pages of the story."

A few weeks ago, I bought this particular book online, because the public library insisted, by mail even, that we had failed to return the loaned copy before our vacation two months ago. I instructed my husband to carry the newly purchased book into the Farragut Branch with apology. Upon his return to our van, his expression and book still in hand told me things did not go as planned, "They found the book on the shelf, so we get to keep the one you bought." I was irritated then, but not today. And as a bonus, I can hold my head up proudly when I enter the library once again.

Pooh Bear joined Wise One in a game of Monopoly, so I made my morning phonecalls. Then I hit the sidewalk outside our back door with the hose to remove chicken droppings. The funny birds mill around the back door during the summer, because that's where the glorious appearing of chicken scratch comes forth each morning.

Onto the next chore. I've begun milling my wheat outside, because I do not own a costly but tidy Whisper Mill. I own a free flour spewing Grain Master which is much easier to clean up after outside. After the chickens had run for their lives because of the very noisy grinding process, I carried in large jar of fluffy brown wheat which may last two or three days. I'm on a muffin making kick. Ever tried fresh hot blueberrymuffins with lemon curd?

Today I tried zuchinni bread recipe in my bread machine which I've never done before. I'll let you know how it turns out. It's cooking now. It stunk- stuck to the bottom of the pan and recipe just didn't appeal overall.

I pulled some meat from the freezer to thaw for dinner. I have some laundry to do.

I'm waiting, tapping my watch, for the homeschool materials to arrive I ordered a few weeks ago. I'm itching to set up my plans for each child and get started now that I've decided which direction to go. Peace will be attending a once a week co-op and studying for his courses there for the rest of the week. I'm a bit nervous, because he'll be accountable to someone other than me. He's at the point where he needs to develop independent study skills, and I think this is the place for him to learn.

I'm doing something completely new for Wise One and Tator- some courses through Bill Bennett's k-12 online school. Comprehensive but very pricey. I only wish Tennessee would join other states in funding homeschool with this type of excellent curriculum, but instead homeschoolers here are fighting state support in fear of state control of the home; I personally believe fear need not rule decisions which would benefit children.

Pooh Bear begins kindergarten, and I bought yet another reading program to try- Mountainwood Talking Letters. I enjoy the premise in that each letter has a sweet story to help remember the sound. I will be a reading specialist when I successfully get this girl up and reading.

I pulled out my satellite homeschool records to finish for this year and next year. I dread filling in the 180 days and grades. It's a drag.

I hope to make plans to go pick up a free Nubian buck from my dear goat farming buddy in Nashville. We'll never have milk unless we kid again, and kidding is the best of farm life so far. Then what will I do with the stinky billy when he's done his duty? Yours truly does not wish to contend with male animals on the pretend farm. See previous posts on my nemesis rooster, Frankenbelle.

A homeschooling neighbor dropped by a while ago to give my children yet another box of Sonlight books. What a blessing! Now Tator can't say he's read every book in the house for at least a week.

Onto laundry and more phonecalls. And the children could use a little mom time. Hopefully I can still sneak in my pleasure reading a bit later- still a great book.