Quotes

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

William Shakespeare quotes (English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet. 1564-1616)

Programs I'd like to dl for my wizard

MyWizard
from Productivity:
drive.wzd
GroceryList.wzd
HoundofBaskervilles.wzd
LibrarianOZ.wzd (or LibrarianOZ_12.wzd?)
Librarian.wzd
skthit02.wzd
TMToolsTips2a.wzd
wizbook19P.wzd
WordMarcoV07.wzd (word macro)

Maybe List:
mmemo.wzd
OZ23.wzd
ozoffice11.wzd
spsheetCTV4.wzd or spsheet.wzd
Super_Quizzer.wzd
viewweek213.wzd and vwconfig207.wzd
WaterDeficit.wzd

from Utilities:
=FlashCard=15.wzd
goe.wzd
mc.wzd or morse101e.wzd
Sharp770fix.wzd

Maybe:
BCode.wzd
cash.wzd
chat.wzd
CSM_Calc.wzd
FastDraw.wzd
Filemanager.wzd
Freemem.wzd
fsfm_creator_1_1b_zip.wzd
fsfm_rdr.wzd
ftp.wzd
LoanPayment.wzd
memoryfix.wzd
mempak.wzd
StopWatch.wzd
TBConsole.wzd
WPla15.wzd

Priorities

I think I need to work on my priorities some. I have a tendency to let things get out of order from time to time.

God - Daily Bible study

Family - Make some family time each evening, even if it's only an hour

Home - FLYing
Shiny Sink
Morning Routine
Read Reminders (at least 2 minutes daily)
Hot Spots (at least 2 minutes daily, and make sure to put all bills in one place)
Evening Routine

School - Start using what we already have more efficiently.
Make lesson plans once a week, but be flexible enough to change them if the kids need to slow down, or if they find it so easy that they can go faster.
Get speed reading program installed on computer(s) and get Joe started using it.
Get all of the kids started using the Flashcard program.
Start using the Writing Road to Reading, even if not using it completely yet.

Finances - Look at Marla's baby steps for facing your finances.

Business - Do something with TBM daily.

And if need be, I can work into all of this in baby steps, instead of trying to do it all at once.

Feeling better

I'm starting to feel better. I met a lady at The Rainbow who is diabetic. I asked her some questions about how to decide what will or won't hurt me when I eat it. She said that the glycemic index is a good way to decide. She also told me that I need to be eating at least every 2.5 to 3 hours, even if it's just a little something.

She also said getting a little exercise each day would help, even if it's only 5 minutes twice a day. So I'm going to give that a try too.

What's wrong with me?

I feel awful. I haven't felt this way in months. I have no energy and very little motivation to get up and do anything. And my pms was worse this month than it has been in months.

Ever since my doctor found the maximum thyroid dose I can take safely, and then added anti-depressant to it, and adjusted the dose a bit, my pms has been MUCH better. Then I cut sugar and potatoes out of my diet, and drastically reduced white flour. That increased my energy and motivation tremendously. Now all of a sudden all of that is gone. And I can't figure out why.

I'm still taking my thyroid and anti-depressant. And as far as I know, I'm still not eating sugar, potatoes, or much white flour. Although, I have been eating some no-sugar-added ice cream, which may have some stuff in it that could be hurting me. I think I'll put what's left of it in the deep freeze and see if I start feeling better. I may also go ahead and cut white flour completely out of my diet. I know it's hurting me. I just thought that eating it in such small amounts wouldn't hurt me too much. And it didn't for months. So why it would be now, I don't know. I've got to figure this out. I hate feeling this way.

Bible Study

Well, I tried to do the first lesson in that other Bible study course, but when I got to the questions at the end of the lesson, there were questions that none of the multiple choice answers were correct. And I didn't like the direction it was taking. In the very first lesson, it was already leaving the scriptures and teaching baptist doctrine instead. So I decided to sign up for a course with the World Bible School. I've heard that they go more by the scriptures and not so much by any man-made doctrine. They sent me the first lesson in my email today. But I'll probably wait and do it tomorrow. They also said in a welcome letter that they'll assign me a personal teacher for any questions I may have. But it may take a couple of weeks for them to get that done. Which is fine, I'm in no hurry for that. I just need something organized to help me get back on track in studying my Bible on a regular basis. And this should do that for me.

Knowing The Bible

I noticed last night that I haven't been spending as much time in prayer or Bible study as I used to do, or need to do. So last night I prayed about it. Today I did some research and found an online Bible study I can do, and a site that has a daily Bible reading for reading the Bible in chronological order in one year. I don't care whether I do it in a year or not. But I have always wanted to read it in chronological order. I think it would help me to understand some aspects better, and to make connections I haven't made yet. And I think I'll make myself a timeline as I go, to help put things together.

Education

Ok, if I start re-educating myself, I'm going to need to go back to Alg. 2 and refresh my memory a bit. I guess 20+ years is just too long to be able to remember it all, heh.

Here's our list of what else we need to get for our homeschool. We can get by with what we have, but these are some things we'll need in the relatively near future, and some of it is extra stuff that I'd like to have.

Ray's Arithmetic - W. & S., and maybe me
RC upgrade
A Bible Study Guide for All Ages
Saxon 7/6 - J.
Latin program - J.
Henty books
Unit Studies
Saxon Algebra 2 - me :)

Things we haven't completely ruled out yet:
Smithhand Cursive
Spelling Power
Sequential Spelling from AVKO

Feeling better

Wow, I went and spent some time with my kids, and I feel better. Not great, but certainly a lot better than before.

I did some math with Sarah, showed Wes and Joe a new math program I found for the computer, looked at some books in the RC list with Joe, and printed out a poem/story he found in there that he wanted to read, and helped Wes get started with a new book in his Power Touch System. I also fixed myself a grilled cheese sandwich. I think that's going to help me feel better too. And a cup of Tummy Mint herbal tea should help settle my stomach. My stomach hasn't felt too good today. The kids have been sick with some sort of stomach bug. I hope I'm not getting it.

Feeling a bit down today

I'm not sure what's going on. Yesterday I felt down.... sad, depressed, etc...... this morning I felt better. But then this afternoon I'm starting to feel down again. Maybe I'm just pms'ing. But my doctor put me on medicine that is supposed to help with it, and has been helping up until recently. Maybe my body's changed enough that my medicine needs adjusting. Or maybe I'm just not getting enough sleep. I know I feel better when I get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and I haven't gotten that much in one night in probably 2 weeks or more. And last night I only got about 3-3.5 hours. So maybe that's all it is.

Something I've been thinking about for months is trying to figure out what I might like to do with myself as my kids get older and don't need quite so much time from me. I've got my business I'm trying to start online. And I think I'll enjoy it, if I can get it going. But I don't really think it's where my passion lies.

I love children. I think my passion would be in that area some how. I've been considering opening a private schoo that would have students segregated by skill levels, rather than by age levels. And let them work at their own pace, so the quicker ones aren't held back, and the slower ones don't get left behind. And I could help the parents learn how to help their kids at home. Even help them learn to homeschool, if they'd like to try that option. I could even act as an umbrella school for them, until they get their self-confidence up.

Another idea I've thought of, which is sort of along the same line, is a tutoring center. I would need to work with whatever curriculum the student's school is using, but I could also supplement with whatever I think would help the student the most. That way they learn the material they need to know, and learn how to interpret whatever book their school has them using (unless of course it's just a really horribly written book).

Another idea is writing children's books. I'm kind of leaning towards this one right now, because it's something I could start sooner. I wouldn't have to wait until my kids are grown and gone to do this. I could start with a little bit each day, or even a few days a week, and see how it goes. I can't afford to take a course on the subject right now. I looked at what it would cost, and there's no way we can afford it right now. But I wouldn't have to have the course to just start putting some ideas together. I may give it a try. It's something that's popped into my head many times over the last several years, and it seems that each time it does, I like the idea better.

Something else I'm thinking about doing right now is furthering my own education. I'm using a really good curriculum with my kids; much better than what was used with me. So I was just thinking today, there's no reason why I couldn't improve my own education while making sure my kids are getting a good education. I might have to go a bit slower than them, since I do have other responsibilities, but I could do it. Even if it was just a little every day. I think I'll try it.

Feeling a bit better

I just spoke with the Dean of Students. He assured me that any time I need to be later than 2 picking up my dd, it's fine. She just needs to let her dorm mother know that she's going to be late leaving and needs to wait in the lobby. I mentioned to him what happened Friday, and explained that she thought she was to be out of the dorm by 2, no exceptions, so she had taken her stuff outside to wait, and her friend was waiting with her so she wouldn't have to wait alone. And then the dorm mother called security, and my dd thinks her friend was probably written up. He asked what was her friend's name, and I told him, and he said yes, but that he hadn't spoken with him yet, and he was glad that I had called. So I hope that means that he'll take that write-up off J.'s record, since he was just trying to help my dd out. I still plan to try to get there by 2, but at least now we know that all she has to do is let her dorm mother know that I'm coming, but will be a little late, and she'll be allowed to wait in the lobby.

I need to email H. and let her know what I found out.

Frustration

I'm feeling pretty frustrated today. My older dd was nearly written up at college Friday because I was later than 2 getting there to pick her up. Now I'll admit, I should have checked the student handbook to see what time she was supposed to be off campus. But today I did check it, and it doesn't say. It does say that she is supposed to be out of the dorm by 2. But it doesn't say what time they're to be off campus. Personally, I think 2 is awfully early for even being out of the dorm. What about students who do not have their own transportation? What about those whose parents both work, and they can't come pick up the student until they get off work at 5? They could be as late as 6 or 6:30 getting there. We're lucky in that I don't work outside the home and can aim at getting there whenever I need to be there. But I still have no control over traffic problems. There was one Friday when it took me an hour and a half longer than it should have for me to get there, because there were 2 accidents on I-55. One was a 10 car pile-up. The other only involved 2 or 3 cars. But both accidents had traffic backed up horribly. So instead of getting there about 3:30, it was 5:00 before I got there.

Anyway, it doesn't make sense to me that they would make the students be off campus by 2:00. But yet when my daughter was sitting outside her dormitory, and a friend waiting with her, because she didn't want to wait alone, the dorm mother called campus security (without saying one word to them), and she nearly got written up. And she thinks her friend may have been written up. I hope not, since he was just trying to help her feel safer.

I plan to be there before 2 from now on, so she doesn't have to go through this again. But I think it's ridiculous. I may even aim at being there by noon, so that if there are accidents on the interstate to slow me down, maybe I can still make it by 2. But I think it's totally ridiculous that we should have to go to that extreme just to keep her from being written up, or having to sit and wait alone on a nearly deserted campus. And she was not the only other girl still there; in fact, the other girl was inside the dormitory getting her stuff so she could leave. She had a friend waiting outside for her too, and my dd thinks he may have been written up as well.

Personally, I think they should give the students until 6:00 before writing them up, and even then make exceptions for those without their own transportation. But then I'm a parent, not a member of administration who cares more about getting home early on Friday afternoon, than I do about the safety of the students. It's almost funny. Almost all other daytime jobs/carreers require the employee working until 5 or later. But not HCC. They get off a half day early on Friday, and make rules and regulations that put the parents and students in a position of having to choose between breaking college rules or leaving work early and risking losing their job. I don't work outside the home, but I'm the exception to the rule. And what's worse, is if the student is written up too many times, they're not allowed to live on campus, and could even be kicked out of school altogether. I'm starting to have second thoughts about sending her to HCC. Maybe we should have chosen a college closer to home, or one without so many ridiculous rules and regulations making things difficult.

Notebooks for The Writing Road to Reading

legal size paper
rule it lengthwise (check book for sizes of spaces)
fold in half
open it and punch holes in the fold
make a cover and hole punch it
stitch it all up
tape for the spine is probably not needed, but consider it

Book printing and binding

Simple paper back binding:

Print pages in blooklet format.
Fold pages.
Punch holes.
Sew book up in groups no larger than 100, then sew the groups together.
Cover stitching with colored duct tape.


Nicer hard cover:

Same as above, except that instead of using tape to cover stitching, use some of Sheila Summer's ideas from her Bookbinding Tutorial.