Dear New Homeschooler!

Dear Terrified New Homeschooler

    There will come a day. A bad day. The baby kept you up all night crying with a head cold. Your daughter, who could add double digit numbers yesterday, today cannot add 2 +2. She's forgotten how to read, too. Your son is staring off into space instead of doing his work. You've reminded him 15 times in the last 10 minutes to get back on it. You're ankle deep in craft paper from the failed origami projects. It's a quarter till noon, and everyone is still in their pajamas.

    Don't panic. You're fine. Everything is going to be fine. The baby will take a nap and so will you. Your daughter will add and read again tomorrow. Your son won't become a juvenile delinquent. Tomorrow he'll discover that he loves salamanders and want to write a report on them, all on his own. (By the way, Mom, can we pleeeze have a salamander? I promise I'll take care of him! His name is going to be George, after Mad King George of England. . .) The mess will get cleaned up. Tomorrow will be better.

    I hope that this bad day never happens to you.

    There's That Parent in your homeschool group who has never had a bad day. Her three-year old is doing Calculus. Her house is spotless. She has a school clock, complete with alarm to keep everything on a perfect, precise schedule. She has never in her life had to rummage through the couch cushions to find the glue stick and paper scissors. She LOVES every MOMENT of homeschooling. She never wakes up a 3 am, wondering if her kids are going to end up illiterate and unemployable. She never wishes that Hogwarts was real, so that she could run away to it and never homeschool again.

    Maybe you will be That Parent. If you're not, know that you belong to a large, if not illustrious club. There are many of us that have had bad days at the homeschool. We will not judge you. We ask that you do not judge yourself too harshly either. Bad days can be hard to get through. But you *can* get through them. There are many better days waiting to be had. We veterans of bad days will be over here with a good supply of hankies if you need us. 

This was in my e mail box this morning and wanted to share. Author unknown

Found a hurt Dove

Every morning before we start school at Wolf Bay High we walk.  It's about a mile a half a day.  Yesterday day on the walk we found a Morning Dove with a hurt wing beside a school we walk by. My little Wolfs they have heart as big as Texas couldn't leave it and I didn't have the heart to tell them no. So, we bought the poor frighten thing home, put it in a box gave it some water and food. It slept most of the day.  This morning got up to check on the little one and he was walking all over the room, still not flying, the little Wolf Girls take it outside a couple times a day and watch it like a hawk.  Its so cute.  Hopeful this week end I can get pictures up of it.  They did tell me today as soon as its better they would let it go out in the wild.  They are so sweet, can't even kill a spider, let alone a little bird. Guess they wouldn't be big hunters when they grow up. Hopeful the man they find to live with wouldn't hunt either.

Good day at Wolf Bay High!

Today we were busy with Baby Wolf studying for  a English exam. She is so funny as we were working they were asking her about compound sentence, complex sentence, nouns and verbs.  She look at me and said Mom when is the last time you were talking to someone and you notice they talk in a compound sentence or said a noun out of place.  I said all the time. LOL she said really. I said no, I don't judge.  Wow! that was a mistake then Baby Wolf said why do I have to study this stuff then . I told her to help her write letters, for college, or a job.  Ok that went over a little better. She did wonderful so I sent her in to her room to her desk to take the exam. I guess Baby Wolf thought I was a smart ass telling her I listen all the time to people talking so she thought she would play a trick on me. Came in with a big sad wolf face and said I am sorry Mom I did the best I could. I said ok let me check it. 
Check it over and Baby Wolf got a 95. Way to go Baby Wolf. You rock!   Then sent her off to study Math and History.  
So, I could work with Big Wolf Daughter in History, we are learning about Russia right now. She said it's boring but doing ok in it.  
While I  sat and work with her,  I got teary eyes just thinking this is the last year of school with her. I wish I knew where all the years went they sure slip by fast. Yes, we had some days we both would of loved to thrown our hats in and give up. But, we stood strong and knew this was best and its proving to be. 

Well once the little Wolf pups were busy reading I went down to make home made stew in a slow cooker.  Daddy Wolf ask for it.   Linda, I will get the slow cooker recipe off soon. 
Stew is easy I just bought little red potatoes cleaned them and put them in whole with carrots, celery, onions, then add my stew meat which I rolled in flour and brown first. Then made homemade gravy and put over the stew and it smells great in here.  Add what ever seasons you all like.

Everything working again at Wolf Bay High!

What a difference a working a/c can do to for us Wolf's its nice to be able to rest  again and sleep in our beds.  I think the whole pack will get a great sleep tonight. I hope so anyway.  
Once the a/c got up and running made homemade poppy seed muffins for the little wolfs for breakfast this morning. Homemade brownies for daddy wolf. Then for supper made chicken breast in olive oil, along with homemade sweet potato fries.  Sure found where all my energy went, it went right out the window with the heat. One thing I found out is the heat sure takes all the energy out of a person. 
The wolf girls did a lot better in school today.  Sure is a whole different family when you get things working and stomachs full again.

Where does time go?

I was laying in bed last night, asking myself this question Where does time go?  It seems like yesterday I gave birth to my oldest wolf pup and two years later along came baby wolf pup.  Now they both are young ladies looking into college, looking at boys and Daddy wolf and I are saying where did the time go.   I know some days it seems to move slow but really it moves the same no matter what you are doing?  I just wish it would slow down so I could enjoy it more.  Yea sometimes I wish life away and I know I shouldn't but if you are sick or in pain that is when you do.  Sometimes life doesn't give us a bowl of cherries. Sometimes we have to work harder to get what we want. But, isn't that what makes life fun and how we learn. 

Remember all those wonderful people from 9-11

My heart is broken today like so many others. Thinking of all those innocent people who lost there lifes on this day.  People that were just like you me, going to work to make a living for there family. Those wonderful firefighters, EMT all the first responders to help others that were trap. Those who fought and stop the last plane from landing in another building. My heart goes out to you and all your love ones. The pain has to be hard. But, remember you have alot of support through the country to help you all. Still it wouldn't bring back your love ones.  But, I do hope it helps you get through every day life until you see them again.  Our hats our off to you all today and everyday.  You all will never be forgotten.

Test Day!

The wolf daughters are waiting for the end of the day they both are doing a history exam which we been studying all morning long.  Mama wolf is even learning some things. Wow I didn't think  that could happen. Who says you can't teach old dogs new trick come on look at me.  Another very hot and humid day in south Texas but hey what more can we ask for in Sunny South Texas. Winter hmmmm dreaming now.  Guess it never hurts to dream a little, all it does is make us stronger.  
On the phone with the a/c people this morning, still waiting for the warranty company to decide what they want to do. Ok I said where is this warranty company out of the lady said North  I said figures they are moving slow they don't understand how hot it down here. Oh well we will make it, might not like it but hey we will do it.  Like Daddy Wolf said in a few months we will sit back and laugh about this, I don't know if I will laugh about it but I know I wouldn't forget it.