The Back to Homeschool Woman's Daybook

I looked back on my blog to see when the last Simple Woman's Daybook got posted and was astonished to find that it was in MARCH of this year. Where has this year gone? I feel like I'm on Magic Mountain at Disney World, rocketing through the dark towards an unknown future. So many colors and tunnels ahead - but I know the Lord has me firmly secured on His track.

So today, I'm in that 'random thought' mode and a Simple Woman's Daybook sounded divine. Hope you don't mind me letting the brain dribble a bit...

The view from where I sit ... a very clean desk, portfolio binders lined up against the school room wall waiting to be put away after our two-day project last week where we hole punched and put away over a year's worth of school papers, the last sip of Gold Peak tea at the bottom of my Mason Jar, my open prayer journal with today's list of 'I hope to get done's, my new IKEA vase and red fake Gerber Daisy that I got this weekend for less than 3$, and a package of Italian software that needs to go to the post office today when we run our errands.

Outside My Window... Rooftops of suburbia. The window by my desk doesn't have the nicest view. It looks like a partly cloudy day out there - plenty of sunshine and probably very, very hot. It is Texas, after all. I CAN'T WAIT FOR WINTER.

I am thinking... of where we need to go today, what we need to do today, when I can find time to study more in my photography textbooks, and about friends who have lost loved ones or are going through hard times... my mind is always moving - even when I'm still.

I am thankful for... big kids who have the potential to shine today (praying the tween attitudes don't interfere with my hopes and plans for them), my washing machine and dryer, hopes that we can raise the money to attend Relevant on time - we are all so excited to have a family 'field trip' in the near future, God's amazing provision and the opportunities he has placed before me lately

We are learning... on Monday....
Mama is learning more about photography.

The kids are learning...
BIBLE/DEVO: starting Screwtape Letters (a little late, sorry, Alli!) and picking up reading through the Bible
MATH, GRAMMAR, SCIENCE, HEALTH: picking up where we left off a few weeks back
READING/HISTORY: Egyptian books... Mara, Daughter of the Nile is what we are currently in the middle of, next up is - The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green, and then Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton.
LIFESKILLS: making our weekly menu and grocery list today, taking care of baby as always, pulling weeds in the garden once the sun sets (too hot outside now)
Some of our curriculum is in the mail still... so excited to start using Institute for Excellence in Writing's Student Writing Intensive. We're going to focus on writing more this year than ever before.

From the kitchen... We're probably going to eat lunch out today. I sense some fast food grease coming on. We have no groceries to speak of, unfortunately - and payday is still a week away. Here's hoping that the mail brings us a happy financial surprise today (forget the hope, let's make that a prayer - Amen).

I am wearing... my pajamas! However, I'm about to get up and go shower and get dressed before we go.

I am creating... order. I'm so happy that our piles of paperwork are finally gone, the kids' rooms are nearly cleaned out, and my desk is clean. I'm thrilled to use our new clear workboxes this year for school.

I am going... I found a wonderful place on Sunday to take my client for portraits this weekend. I'm planning to go there this week in the evening so I can get some test shots taken in the evening light and check my camera settings for the different spots I'll be working in.

I am reading... the Bible, Life Management for Busy Women - Elizabeth George, White Picket Fences - Susan Meissner (fiction!), and of course - all the books the kids are reading (listed above)

I am hoping... for another $1620 in sponsorship donations to come in by October 15th. Of course, we're putting our own money in to this pot, too. This past week I added my website ad money to the pot and raised it a bit. Every dollar counts. The kids are talking about selling lolly pops and drinks to raise extra funds.

I am hearing... Blues Clues

Around the house... things are slowly getting organized, but progress is certainly visible (that's a good thing)

One of my favorite things... my new prayer journal from Target (has an owl on it and uses recycled speckled paper with a date heading at the top where I can simply circle the month and day)... it makes me want to 'write pretty'

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Here's my list:
update my 'brain' binder and calendar, print new monthly inserts, clean out old stuff, update appointments
pick up the house, finish the kids closets and rooms final touches, get laundry done
put the portfolio binders away, finish filing the last school paper pile (my "to-do someday papers")
pair up the last 2 swappers for the Homeschool Post
send out PR kits to Hannah's vendor list she sent me for the Homeschool Blog Awards (to gather prizes)
make weekly menu, create grocery list, cook at home, dishes, clean out refrigerator drawers with wet rag
check the mail, take things to the post office
school supply closet organized
school planning and workbox schedule printed
blogging, facebook, twitter and insane amounts of email as able
read, study, plan and learn for weekend's photo shoot, take test shots on location, get print samples
consolidate sticky notes and to-do lists, retype school to-do list and print for binder
order trip brochures, make reservations for field trip tours, touch base with GM
doctor appointment for the pea in my pod - tomorrow

Here's a picture thought that I am sharing:



They are growing up.