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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Can you work and homeschool at the same time?

Yes. Lots of us do it.

Most homeschooling families are single income families. But not all. There are many moms (and dads) who also try to work part time or even full time to supplement the household income.

First, my girls are older, and are able to complete most of their work without my constantly looking over their shoulder. If they do run into trouble, they can often skip that part until I get home.

Second, our family home schools year around. Year around means our days schooling days are shorter. So, if we do miss a day here or there, we still get our hours in. Last year we ended up with close to 1600 hours, way beyond the 1000 hours the state requires.

We also count things that some may not think to count--such as trips to museums, or art gallery's, or even the bank or grocery store if they learn from it. When we travel each girl has their own map to plot our trip and they get some geography time. If we watch an educational TV program, such as "How Its Made", we count it as science, even though we may watch it as a family outside of our normal schooling hours. If we go bowling, swimming or skating, we count is as PE.

I require my girls to read one hour a day, EVERYDAY-even holidays. That isn't hard, as they often get books for birthdays and Christmas, so they are wanting to read it anyway. If the subject is fiction, it normally counts as reading under language arts. But if they are reading, say, a book about Ben Franklin, we may count it as history rather than reading. They also have a history lesson as well, but this will help give them extra hours in that subject.

We also do at least 3 times a week, reading comprehension. I as a general rule, use true stories for reading comp. That counts for another subject as well. Last week we had a reading comp about the history of clocks. (That credit goes to the Chinese-did you know that?)

I sub teach. Since we school year around, that is 3 months a year that I don't sub, in addition to spring break and Christmas break. When you sub teach you have the option of accepting or turning down the call. I try to take my calls on days my hus band is off. One of the schools I sub for is a private Christian School. At times they have me allowed me to bring my daughters with me, who in turn get to eat lunch and go to PE with their friends. At times they have stayed in the library, and at other times they have taken their work and actually done it in the classroom of their peers. The small school is open to this idea, because several years ago my daughters attended there. I am sure they would not allow this every day, but once every 8 weeks or so they do.

I have several homschooling mom friends who work 10 or 12 hour night shifts at hospitals once or twice a week. That schedule works for them, and brings in an extra $1000 a month for their families.

My girls take all their classes at home. But some friends of ours kids go to public schools on Tuesdays and Fridays and take art, music and band for 3 hours in the afternoons. The mom has elected to work nights on Mon and Thurs nights, then naps while the kids are in school for those 3 hours. She takes them in after lunch, but they get to ride the PS bus home.

I also do some child care one or two days a week. The ones I watch love to "do school" when my daughters do their work, and we also do work while the little ones are napping. I treat them as if they were my own children, just as a homeschooling mom of toddlers would treat hers. Another option here is to provide over night care in your home. Many parents who work nights have trouble finding night care. For child care, check your local and state regs.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

This and Thats.....



Teh 3 younger girls are at church camp again this week. (The twins are campers and Emily is staff. Not sure how that is going, with her getting to tell her sisters what to do in an official capacity, but I am sure I will hear all about it.) I will be giving them credit for camp as homeschooling hours. Some will be under the subject of Bible, and some will be under PE, as they go swimming or bowling daily.

Today is also the twins 12th birthday, and they are spending it at camp. Hopefully the weather is nice there, as here on the farm it is pouring, thundering and we have lots of lightening. About 3 minutes ago, a branch just came off a tree out back. I don't think it was from lightening, but it may have been as the wind isn't that strong. We did have high winds during the night, so it may have been weakened then. We have been having temps around 100 and the rain has brought it down to 69 degrees right now--a much needed break from the heat.

The garden is in, but so far it has not produced much. We got our first tomato, and that was about it.

I have not been posting on here as often as I should. I am getting error messages that my browser is out of date, and blogspot kicks me off. I get that on all our computers, but then again, they are all at least 10 or more years old.

Last weekend was my class reunion. It was my 30th. It was good to see everyone. Some people never changed, and others I didn't recogonize at all. Some I have seen throughout the years, and others I have not seen since the night we graduated. We all enjoyed ourselves and had a lot of fun.

Another one missing...


One of our daughters is friends with this family.

Ashli Rauscher and her daughter have been missing since Wednesday July 14th 2010. She left with her husband Chris who may have forced her to go, no one has heard from her since. They may be driving a 2010 hyudai sonato silver in color.

If anyone has seen them or may know their location please contact the Dexter Police Dept. 1-573-624-5512.

For more information, see the local TV broadcast at http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kfvs12.com%2FGlobal%2Fstory.asp%3FS%3D12823332&h=c6421

Trolley in Independence

Truman trolley begins today in Independence. One buck buys rides all day. To catch the trolley at Union Station, call 816-512-5555. For hours, days and route details, go to www.visitindependence.com.


for details, go to www.visitindependence.com or call the Truman Trolley hotline, 816-512-5555
The “Truman Trolley”, a partnership between the Independence Square, Harry S. Truman Library and Museum and Independence Tourism, is set to begin on Tuesday, July 6 and run through October 2. ( no service during the Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival, September 3-6).
The trolley can be boarded Monday through Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Union Station for a nonstop ride to Independence (with advance reservations to 816-512-5555). Enjoy a convenient day trip to the one of a kind shops and restaurants on the Square as well as twelve of the city’s highlight attractions without the need to rent a car, take a taxi or ride the Amtrak train. A nonstop return trip to Union Station will leave the Independence Square at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday
In Independence, the trolley will run continuously from 10:30 to 5:30, Monday through Saturday beginning at Clinton’s Soda Fountain, 100 W. Maple, on the Square. All day tickets cost $ 1 for ages 6 and up for a full circuit. Riders may get on and off at various stops without paying an additional fare.
After leaving Clinton’s, the trolley will stop at the following attractions in this order:
• National Frontier Trails Museum and Chicago and Alton 1879 Depot (both at 318 W. Pacific), as well as the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, (across the street at 313 W. Pacific).
• Mormon heritage sites at River and Walnut (Community of Christ Temple and Auditorium, and Mormon Visitors Center, Church of Christ Temple Lot )
• Truman sites (Truman Home at 219 N. Delaware and Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, 500 W. U. S. 24 Highway)
• Vaile Victorian Mansion, 1500 N. Liberty.
• Truman Home Ticket and Visitor Center, 223 N. Main (see an orientation film here and buy tickets for Truman Home Tour) and 1859 Jail and Marshal’s Home, 217 N. Main.
Listen to a narration by the driver about city highlights and watch tourism videos as you ride..
For more information, call the Truman Trolley information line at (816) 512-5555. For a complete list of all tourism attractions and summer events, go to www.visitindependence.com.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

She has been found

The Amber alert that I posted yesterday is one of few that has a happy ending. I received an updated text from the amberalert.com system around 3:30 this morning. She was dropped off in a parking lot by her kidnapper and released.

Prayer does work!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Amber Alert



Please check amberalert.com for more information, or to subscribe to get alerts sent directly to your email or as a text to your cell phone.

Incident: Louisiana, MO
Issue Date: 07/05/2010 19:35:57 AKDT
Incident Date: 07/05/2010
Incident Time: 00:00
Missing From: Louisiana, MO
If you have any information please CALL
Missouri State Police at 573-754-4021 or 911
Incident Summary: Subject was playing in her front yard with her brother when a black 4 door passenger car pulled up and took the child from the yard.

Victim(s): Alisa Maier
Name: Alisa Maier Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown Age: 4 Year(s) old
Ethnicity: White Weight: 40 lbs
Gender: Female Height: 3 feet and 0 inches

Identity Features: No Information Provided


Clothing Features: a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts.

Suspect(s): Unknown Unknown
Name: Unknown Unknown Eye Color: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown Age: 20 Year(s) old
Ethnicity: White Weight: 0 lbs
Gender: Male Height: 0 feet and 0 inches

Identity Features: teens to early twenties, has dark hair and dark skin


Clothing Features: No Information Provided


Vehicle(s): 0 Black Unknown Unknown
Color: Black Year: 0
Make: Unknown License State: XX
Model: Unknown License Plate #

Description: 4 door passenger car
This is an activation of the AMBER Alert System.
We have just received this important information regarding an abducted child in Louisiana, MO Pike County. Missouri State Police is looking for a child who was last seen at Louisiana, MO and is believed to be in danger. The child's name is :

Alisa Maier, she is a 4 year(s) old White Female with Brown hair and Brown eyes. She is believed to be 3 ft, weighing 40 lbs. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts..
Authorities say that the child may be in the company of a 20 year(s) old White Male . They may be traveling in a Black vehicle. If you have any information on the whereabouts of this child please contact 573-754-4021 immediately.



Details surrounding the description are vauge, as the only witness known at this point is her 5 year old brother who she was in the yard with.

Trail Mix


Since the 4th, it has been raining off and on to the point it is too wet to mow or work in the garden, so I have been doing some indoor chores.

Today I made up a huge batch of trail mix. I never make it the same way twice, but today I used pretzel sticks, O's cereal, peanuts, M&M's, dried cherries, dried apple slices, dried pineapple, mango's, cranberries and apricots. I only used half of the dried fruits that I bought so we can make another batch in a few weeks. I spent around $9 in fruits, m&m's and such. It made up about 5 pounds worth, with only using half, so that comes out to less than a dollar a pound. Can't buy it ready made for that. I do buy my ingredients for it at either Aldi or Dollar General and that normally makes a substantial savings.

We also have been cleaning the girls rooms and going through all their clothing. This week we are concentrating on Rebecca's room. All her clothes were taken out, washed and sorted (half were on the floor-couldn't tell the clean from the dirty...typical kid I guess). Today we took all the summer outgrown clothes and donated them to the Ministerial Alliance. It amounted to two large totes and 3 trash bags full. We have an equal amount of winter clothing that will go to them later this year. With the clothing picked up and put back where it belongs or donated, she now has a decent room again! I don't think my room ever looked like that, but, I am sure my mom will say that it did. I do remember hiding stuff under my bed, but her bed sits so low, she can't put items under it. Meanwhile, her twin sister is a neat freak with a spotless room...raised the same, just different personalities....