Still working on a very LONG post about last weekend's road trip and quiz meet. It may be awhile before I have the time to say everything that needs to be said so, for now, here is my slideshow!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Road Trip!!!
We're leaving any minute for the final quiz trip of the year! These are pics that Michael took on the last quiz trip and passed on to me. . .
In the first two meets Zach came in first place in the high school division. . .
In the third meet he tied for 2nd with the girl in the blue while the quizzer in purple took first:
Even though they all would like to be in first place, they still really encourage each other . .
All five of these quizzers are very competitive. . .
In the third meet he tied for 2nd with the girl in the blue while the quizzer in purple took first:
Even though they all would like to be in first place, they still really encourage each other . .
Zach is hoping to go home with a blue ribbon this time. . .
Just because he memorized all of 2 Corinthians doesn't guarantee him first place. I'm sure it will help, though. . .
Thursday, April 15, 2010
We've Come A Long Way, Baby. . .
I'm always amazed that Gloria's horse instructor, Kim, just casually gives me tasks to do on the farm that are way out of my comfort zone and yet she just trusts me to do them. She knows all about my fears and phobias around horses but she still sends me out to get them or move them or help someone with them. Granted, I've come a long, long, LONG way in the last two years and I almost always rise to the occasion and accomplish the tasks she gives me even though I'm usually faking it until I figure it out!
Today, however, she asked me to do something that I really didn't think I could handle. All of the horses were out in the big field after having baths that morning in preparation for Kim's big trip with many of them to Kentucky next week and they all needed to come in and get sorted into their respective gated pens. Kim had to go out to the field with Gloria and the other three students to catch the horses they would be riding so she told me she would be sending all of the horses (about 30) back my direction and all I had to do was stand between the horses and the other big field that was behind me. The idea was that the horses would see me and be too afraid to head for the field and, instead, turn into the open gate that led to all the pens where her son would shoo them all into the correct pens. So . . . my job was to just stand between 30 galloping horses and freedom. No problem. But, like I always do when she asks for help, I just nodded and smiled and went and stood right where she told me to. . .
Of course I had my Blackberry for protection so I stood my ground, took pictures and kept my mind busy thinking about what a great blog post this would be (I do that a lot. . . ) . . .
Amazingly enough, the horses saw me, got nervous and turned into the gate instead of plowing me over and heading back out into an open field. . .
This one actually thought about taking me out but decided at the last minute that I was far too frightening of an image standing there with my purple phone . . .
I have to say that I'm really glad that Kim has confidence in me. I've overcome so many things out here on the farm because of her high expectations of me.
Gloria rode Diamond again and did really well. . .
All the girls had a chance to trot with their horses sans saddle. Diamond would much rather canter so Gloria had to use every muscle she had to stay on. . .
Gloria has come a long, long, LONG way, too. . .
She's turning into a very confident rider . . .
Kim has been really good for both of us. . .
Today, however, she asked me to do something that I really didn't think I could handle. All of the horses were out in the big field after having baths that morning in preparation for Kim's big trip with many of them to Kentucky next week and they all needed to come in and get sorted into their respective gated pens. Kim had to go out to the field with Gloria and the other three students to catch the horses they would be riding so she told me she would be sending all of the horses (about 30) back my direction and all I had to do was stand between the horses and the other big field that was behind me. The idea was that the horses would see me and be too afraid to head for the field and, instead, turn into the open gate that led to all the pens where her son would shoo them all into the correct pens. So . . . my job was to just stand between 30 galloping horses and freedom. No problem. But, like I always do when she asks for help, I just nodded and smiled and went and stood right where she told me to. . .
Of course I had my Blackberry for protection so I stood my ground, took pictures and kept my mind busy thinking about what a great blog post this would be (I do that a lot. . . ) . . .
Amazingly enough, the horses saw me, got nervous and turned into the gate instead of plowing me over and heading back out into an open field. . .
This one actually thought about taking me out but decided at the last minute that I was far too frightening of an image standing there with my purple phone . . .
I have to say that I'm really glad that Kim has confidence in me. I've overcome so many things out here on the farm because of her high expectations of me.
The girls ended up having a bareback riding lesson. . .
Gloria rode Diamond again and did really well. . .
All the girls had a chance to trot with their horses sans saddle. Diamond would much rather canter so Gloria had to use every muscle she had to stay on. . .
Gloria has come a long, long, LONG way, too. . .
She's turning into a very confident rider . . .
Kim has been really good for both of us. . .
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Caution: Hazards May Exist That Are Not Marked
I saw this sign today and decided that if these were placed EVERYWHERE maybe people wouldn't be so quick to sue. . .
Friday, April 9, 2010
Educational Ramblings . . .
So, I've been doing a lot of processing lately about my kids and the reasons I have chosen to educate them at home. I'm sure that our decision to enroll Gloria in public school in the fall has something to do with it. Well, today I was reminded of the reason that I decided to home school in the first place, way back in 1999 when Zach was in the first grade at Cole Valley Christian School. . .
We started out the day with a driving lesson. Zach is doing just fine as a driver except that he keeps comparing the things I'm teaching him with the things he has learned on the Wii game, Need For Speed. It has me a little worried. Anyway, I wanted to give him a chance to practice for a couple of hours today so he drove us out to Nampa to visit my parents. . .
After a short visit with my mom and dad followed by lunch at Panda, I decided to stop at a thrift store and see if there were any book treasures that I could buy cheap and sell on Amazon. As I was browsing the books, Zach found a hardbound college textbook titled, Introduction to Psychology. He made his way to a table, sat down and began to pour over it.
This is when I was so clearly reminded about the main reason I decided to home school in the first place.
When Zach was in the first grade, we would go to the library and he would make a bee-line for the non-fiction books. He knew exactly where to find the books on dinosaurs, space and volcanoes. He would take one off of the shelf , make himself comfortable and begin to read it, cover to cover. He liked school well enough but he would often tell me that he wasn't learning anything there. I really didn't see myself as capable of teaching him but I figured I could give him a stack of books and he could teach himself!! That's really not too far from the way it's worked out.
I had to laugh when we left the store with his newly purchased text book when he told me I could drive this time because he wanted to read. When we got home, he sat down on the couch and spent another 2 hours soaking up Psychology. . .
So, it's been a no-brainer for me each year on why and how I educate Zach. 
The funny thing is, I'm really not worried about her socially or academically. She's confident and smart and seems to learn what she needs to know right when she needs to know it. Kind of like her dad. I guess my biggest worry is that someone, somewhere along the way will decide she should be something she isn't . . . Hmmm. . . I'm still processing all of that so I'll save it for another day. . .
We started out the day with a driving lesson. Zach is doing just fine as a driver except that he keeps comparing the things I'm teaching him with the things he has learned on the Wii game, Need For Speed. It has me a little worried. Anyway, I wanted to give him a chance to practice for a couple of hours today so he drove us out to Nampa to visit my parents. . .
After a short visit with my mom and dad followed by lunch at Panda, I decided to stop at a thrift store and see if there were any book treasures that I could buy cheap and sell on Amazon. As I was browsing the books, Zach found a hardbound college textbook titled, Introduction to Psychology. He made his way to a table, sat down and began to pour over it.
This is when I was so clearly reminded about the main reason I decided to home school in the first place.
When Zach was in the first grade, we would go to the library and he would make a bee-line for the non-fiction books. He knew exactly where to find the books on dinosaurs, space and volcanoes. He would take one off of the shelf , make himself comfortable and begin to read it, cover to cover. He liked school well enough but he would often tell me that he wasn't learning anything there. I really didn't see myself as capable of teaching him but I figured I could give him a stack of books and he could teach himself!! That's really not too far from the way it's worked out.
I had to laugh when we left the store with his newly purchased text book when he told me I could drive this time because he wanted to read. When we got home, he sat down on the couch and spent another 2 hours soaking up Psychology. . .
So, it's been a no-brainer for me each year on why and how I educate Zach.
Gloria, however, is a whole 'nother ballgame. . .
The funny thing is, I'm really not worried about her socially or academically. She's confident and smart and seems to learn what she needs to know right when she needs to know it. Kind of like her dad. I guess my biggest worry is that someone, somewhere along the way will decide she should be something she isn't . . . Hmmm. . . I'm still processing all of that so I'll save it for another day. . .
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Extreme??
Every Thursday for at least the last 2 months has been cold. The sun peeks out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then, inevitably, hides behind the clouds on Thursday. Today was no exception. The farm sits up on a plateau so when it's windy at our house, it's REALLY windy on the farm. I was cold. And windblown. And kind of miserable. . .
. . . And then I had a chance to listen to someone who knows what it truly means to be cold and windblown and very miserable. . .
We got a last minute call yesterday from someone looking for a projector rental for a presentation at a store downtown:
I've never given much thought to mountain climbing and I've never understood people who choose to put themselves in grave danger and will go to any lengths to conquer a mountain.
Well, I still don't understand it but Don Bowie has conquered more than his share of mountains and lived to tell about it. And he tells it in a very interesting, captivating way.
One of his expeditions was turned into an NBC special in 2007 and it was the topic of his slide show this evening. The stories and the pictures he showed of the extreme weather these climbers face on mountains like K2 made my afternoon in the horse arena today seem like a breezy walk on a tropical island!!
. . . And then I had a chance to listen to someone who knows what it truly means to be cold and windblown and very miserable. . .
We got a last minute call yesterday from someone looking for a projector rental for a presentation at a store downtown:
I've never given much thought to mountain climbing and I've never understood people who choose to put themselves in grave danger and will go to any lengths to conquer a mountain.
Well, I still don't understand it but Don Bowie has conquered more than his share of mountains and lived to tell about it. And he tells it in a very interesting, captivating way.
One of his expeditions was turned into an NBC special in 2007 and it was the topic of his slide show this evening. The stories and the pictures he showed of the extreme weather these climbers face on mountains like K2 made my afternoon in the horse arena today seem like a breezy walk on a tropical island!!
It was an unexpected but interesting way to spend the evening. He didn't motivate me in any way to want to climb a mountain but he did have a good message about the human spirit and how difficult it can be to choose to help others when you can barely help yourself but how he hopes he will always choose to help anyway. . .
Here are a couple of videos explaining all of this a little bit better:
An interview with Don Bowie from Daniel Baas / SixGun Pictures on Vimeo.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Look Out World. . .
As of today, April 7, 2010, Gloria is officially enrolled in the public school system for the 2010-2011 school year. I turned in her paperwork this afternoon and now there's no turning back.
That is, unless I have a complete melt down over it this summer and change my mind. . .
Sunday, April 4, 2010
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