October Quick Takes

~Linking up with Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum. Drop in for more Quick Takes. ~

1.

True Confessions: I started this post LAST Friday and wasn't able to finish it, so I'm updating and, hopefully, coming up with a few more takes to make it to seven!

2.
Sitting at Chik-fil-A on Day 8 of the Whole30 diet while Meg does her schoolwork. There's pretty much nothing here that I can eat, so I'm gritting my teeth and drinking decaf. I don't mind just drinking decaf, but I can't stand their coffee. And I probably could have some french fries without too much guilt but I don't think that would really help the cause. (Another True Confession: I had french fries today because they're fried in peanut oil, momentarily, and conveniently, forgetting that peanuts are legumes and forbidden.)

3.
What's the cause, you ask? Aside from the never-ending quest to lose weight, it's to get the sugar and junk out of my life. Lately, my diet has been getting worse and worse, and I haven't put on more than a pound or 2, but they always invite their friends over, don't they? They find a happy place and invite everyone over for a rave. Pretty soon, someone needs to call the cops....That's the Whole30. :-)

4.
"Rika-Chicka", as one of my babies famously called this place, has the nicest employees. There's a lovely German lady who visits with us every time we come, chats with me about my knitting, and even brings free coffee! I shouldn't complain that it tastes bad.

5.
Meg and I made our 2nd of the 9 First Friday's today last week. We started because our schedule lends itself to the devotion right now, but I can see that it will be a struggle to continue if our schedule changes. I'm praying that God will grant the graces necessary to persevere! As I have had a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for nearly 14 years, now, (My Margaret Mary will be 14 in January!), it's about time I attempted to make the 9 First Fridays. One of the great things about the parish we have been attending on Fridays is that the pastor actually stops to pray the Litany to the Sacred Heart and an Act of Consecration. It's a lovely start to the day.

6.

Our flooring arrived much more quickly than I expected, and the installer is faster than I expected, so installation starts on Monday---maybe even finishes! We had to hold him back a bit to have time to empty the basement. We've begun, but there will be a big push tomorrow to bring everything upstairs. I'll be so happy to have the next phase completed! It will still take time to get everything purged and put away, but I like that part a lot better than the messy painting and packing.

7.
So excited! I just sold another item from my Etsy shop Rosy Knits. I really need to knit more to add to the shop. I've been preoccupied with other things this summer. Like floors. ;-)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xo,

Sara

A New School Year

::Weekly Rambles::

What’s really on my mind and heart?

It's the first full week of school, and we are trying to get into the new routine. I'm starting a new carpool tomorrow---something we've haven't done in many years!!---I hope it works out for both families. If I don't have to drive in the afternoons and interrupt whatever cleaning or crafting project I have going on, that will be awesome!

What am I thankful for?

I'm thankful for routine. One could argue that I have less time now than I did during the summer, but now I know that I have certain blocks of time at home or out of the house. I have to get my chores done during the home block. Before, I either worked on something until I was completely exhausted, or I did nothing for far too long. Usually the former. Neither option is great, so I'm happy to have a more regular schedule.

What’s going on in school?

Just getting started, learning the ways of our new school building. It's not really "our" building as we are leasing it for one year while we close on our new property and build our own permanent school. That will be something to look forward, too. This temporary location is farther away for us, closer for others, and really far from some families. We are all adjusting to new traffic patterns and times on the road. It takes a while to figure out the nuances---and how to find the right time to leave so you don't get trapped behind a school bus!

What’s on the needles?

Oh, there's a blanket....soft, cozy, alpaca blend.

And this shawl/scarf which I despair of ever finishing. I like the lace, but it takes so much concentration that I don't do more than 20-30 rows in a day of heavy knitting (which doesn't happen often!).

And I'm starting a Catan Afghan because we love Settlers of Catan so much. I'm not sure what I will do with it, or how long it will take me to finish. The project will become a permanent fixture in my car when I finish the other blanket, because little hexes are perfect tagalongs to meetings and carpool lines.

What’s special about this week?

New carpool and getting ready for a neighborhood yardsale! This is almost perfect timing after this summer. Now I have to do some really fast work to go through the house and get everything together that we're getting rid of!

What am I reading?

OMG. So many books on my nightstand! I just started another Philippa Gregory novel last night: Wise Woman, because it's less pressure and requires less brain power at bedtime. ;-)

What am I praying about?

• Our country
• everyone with cancer
• all my children (that sounds like a soap opera!)
• for all our priests and deacons and religious

What projects are happening at home?

• trim painting
• yard sale prep
• cleaning out the basement for new flooring
• choosing that flooring (HELP! What would you put in your basement? What do you have and how do you feel about it? We are back to considering carpet again, but I'm not sure. Frankly, I'd like something that doesn't require a complete overhaul if there is ever another sewage backup!)

Tell me about YOUR week! :-)

xo,
Sara

A Day in the Life

Do you want to know what a week in my life is like these days? It's not filled with quite as much mayhem as in the past, but it's still pretty busy. I rarely sit and do nothing, although I do spend a little too much time engaged with my phone when I do sit. I'm trying to curb that habit. I'd really rather read or knit, or both, and the iphone is a black hole!

Monday is a home day for our 2 hybrid home-schoolers. Katie was home Sunday, stayed over- night and had to leave at 10 a.m., so after checking email, FB, and blogs, I woke Meg and Pip around 7 or 7:30. Pip's response was, "I have a sore throat." He rolled over and stayed in bed. Meg got up. I gathered their laundry, sorted it, and started a load before I went down to the basement to alter Katie's chorus dress and re-hem and repair a thrift store skirt she got. I listened to "The Catholics Next Door" podcast and talked to a couple of people who called me early in the morning while I sewed.

Meg was up doing school when I came back up; Pip was on the sofa with a fever. I changed out the laundry and started another load; Katie left, and I sent Pip to bed so he could get better rest and we would get less exposure to the plague. My frantic fingers were itchy, so I brought up a bin of yarn to see what I could make with it (as if I didn't already have at least 4 projects going!). I sat at the table and knitted up this cowl while Meg worked.

I checked mail and FB while walking the dog, and I declared it a gorgeous day when I got back! Look at the vivid blue sky behind her! Meg modeled the cowl for me for Rosy Knits.

Afterwards, Meg decided we needed burgers for dinner and that required buns from the store. So, I checked on Pip and gave him whatever he needed, and Meg and I walked the mile to the store and back again. (She hates exercise, but she likes little adventures!) Not one to let grass grow under my feet, I added the cowl to the Etsy shop while we walked! After that, I promise I put the phone away and we enjoyed our walk!

More laundry after the walk, and a little rest. Pip was still sleeping. I can't even remember what I was wrapped up in after the walk---probably trying to figure out what to knit next---and doing some work on the computer, like editing the school newsletter. Meg was a sweetheart and folded the 3 loads of laundry. I think I knitted the rest of the afternoon until it was time to cook dinner because I was feeling kind of blah myself.

After dinner there were some newsletter fires to put out, and emails to return, FB to check, knitting to do, until bedtime. I should have taken pictures, but I hadn't planned on doing this. The family room and kitchen looked a disaster with yarn, laundry, and books everywhere!

Stay tuned for tomorrow, a school day! Aren't you excited? :-)

{PHFR} School Edition

                          {pretty}

It was a beautiful day when we delivered our son to college. It was a sad day too. I'm sure most moms can identify with the dueling emotions of pride and sorrow. We can be proud of them and at the same time we miss them. We never stop missing them.

                        {happy}

These two were happy to go back to part-time school so they could see their friends. I think we're already in the third week of classes----I've lost track already. Even with just two children at home I still have plenty of things to do and not enough time to do everything. Hence, the lack of  blogging. In fact, I started this post last week!

                        {funny}

A little bowling trip for my 50th birthday Katie is the cutest bowler! It was fun, but we obviously need to go bowling more often because we're  terrible!

                           {real}

All the stuff ready to go to college! Boys are so much easier than girls---they need so much less stuff in their rooms.

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Summer Daybook

::Weekly Rambles::

What’s really on my mind and heart?

First and foremost, the biggest thing going on is a crowdfunding campaign to get the necessary dollars to buy a new building for our hybrid school. The link is here on Causevox. 

We lease space at a small Christian school, but between our growth and their growth there isn't room for all of us. When we started there, they had 40 students and we had 54---it was a win-win situation! Now, they have a new headmaster who has done a great job of growing their enrollment, while ours has also increased to 240 students. They don't need us anymore; they certainly don't want us taking up valuable space for their students, and we can't blame them for that!

After years of searching and fundraising, knowing this day would come, we've found an awesome site that is a bargain and everything we need. We just don't quite have the downpayment yet. Our school operates well in the black, so that with our current enrollment, we have plenty of money to make the mortgage payments once we get the building. Not only that, but once we have it, we will be able to fill a Monday-Wednesday session of classes and double our enrollment. (Since we're a hybrid, lower school students meet only Tuesdays and Thursdays.) We have a great curriculum and excellent teachers for 1/3 of the cost of most private schools in the area!

If you're still reading ;-) will you please, please, please, click the link and watch our video? If you can make a donation of any size, we will be eternally grateful. If you can't, you can still help us out by sharing the link on FB, twitter, and G+. We are committed to using all the money we earn towards the build-out on the bare essentials our students need. Beyond that, we're committed to building strong families, educating children who can think for themselves and have a willingness to serve others.

Would you like to help jumpstart an education revolution!?

Thank you for clicking and helping!

What am I thankful for?

I am really thankful for our school, St. John Bosco Academy. My good friend, one of the founders, asked me repeatedly to join them years ago, but I didn't feel I needed the assistance in the early years, and my older ones were already in private, Catholic high school. Now that SJBA has grown sufficiently to have a high school of its own, I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to send Pip there. I hate to think that they might have to close the high school, at least, if we don't acquire this new property. We love this school.

What’s going on in school?

Pip is working on his AP World History homework every day, and I'm working on fundraising. :-)

What’s cooking?

There's lots and lots of green stuff in the fridge that needs to be cooked!

What’s on the needles?

Just the Sock Yarn Blanket. I'm thinking about starting another scarf if I can drag myself downstairs to look at the stash. 

What’s special about this week?

Not much this week. I'm sick, sick, sick. I think it's from the water park on Sunday and having a hefty dose of chlorinated, germy water forced into my sinuses. Yuck. Conveniently, I had an appointment for a physical today and the strep test was negative. So, when I finish this, I'm going to curl up with my knitting.

What am I reading?

Or my reading. I'm on Vol. II of Kristin Lavransdatter. I loved this trilogy 20-odd years ago when I was a new Catholic, but it seems very different this time. Poor memory may be part of it, but it's very likely that my understanding of the Catholic faith has changed and matured over the years. Reading about Kristin's pilgrimmage to confess and do penance for her sins was very moving.

What am I praying about?

Lots of prayers and novenas for the success of our building campaign! 

What’s on my ipod?/

Not listening to many podcasts these days. 

What projects are happening at home?

Don't speak to me of projects.  :-) They're not happening, either because I don't have the energy, or because I'm busy working on the SJBA building campaign, or learning how to be the AHG treasurer!

***

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

7 Quick Takes - Catching up!

---1---

It has been 2 weeks since I was here! I have a lot of other stuff on my mind. Summer is crazy, in general, and the least little bit of activity throws me off. I'm not a very self-disciplined person, so I do much better during the school year when there are more regular schedules.  Do you?

Anyway, I'm glad to be back---I missed you guys!

---2---

First and foremost, the biggest thing going on is a crowdfunding campaign to get the necessary dollars to buy a new building for our hybrid school. The link is here on Causevox. 

We lease space at a small Christian school, but between our growth and their growth there isn't room for all of us. When we started there, they had 40 students and we had 54---it was a win-win situation! Now, they have a new headmaster who has done a great job of growing their enrollment, while ours has increased to 240. They don't need us anymore, and they certainly don't want us taking up valuable space for their students. And we can't blame them for that!

After years of searching and fundraising, knowing this day would come, we've found an awesome site that is a bargain and everything we need. We just don't quite have the downpayment yet. Our school operates well in the black, so that with our current enrollment, we have plenty of money to make the mortgage payments once we get the building. Not only that, but once we have it, we will be able to fill a Monday-Wednesday session of classes and double our enrollment. (Since we're a hybrid, lower school students meet only Tuesdays and Thursdays.) We have a great curriculum and excellent teachers for 1/3 of the cost of most private schools in the area!

If you're still reading ;-) will you please, please, please, click the link and watch our video? If you can make a donation of any size, we will be eternally grateful. If you can't, you can still help us out by sharing the link on FB, twitter, and G+. We are committed to using all the money we earn towards the build-out on the bare essentials our students need. Beyond that, we're committed to building strong families, educating children who can think for themselves and have a willingness to serve others.

Would you like to help jumpstart an education revolution!?

Thank you for clicking and helping!

---3---

For a little vacation, and since some of our kids needed to keep working, we decided to head to Athens to visit them and do some of the things they've always wanted us to, but we never had time. Meg and Pip got to have the cool sleepover at their sibs' apartment, and the hubs and I got quiet time at a hotel. Ahhhhhh! 

The beer-lovers in the family wanted to go to the Terrapin Brewery where we took the tour and tasted a lot of beer. Some tasted way more than others, IYKWIM. It was fun and the weather cooled off nicely in the evening so that we could play a little catch. I think it was one of those memorable evenings that we will think of fondly.

              

---4---

This guy didn't go with us. He went to the beach with her (and her family) and had fun deep sea fishing, instead.

---5---

Since Brendan didn't have much time off---holiday weekends and movie-theater managers don't equal family time. :-( So we saw him the only way we could: we went to a movie every day where we saw him for 5 minutes before and after! Quality time, people, quality time. 

I know you're dying to know what we saw: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (entertaining, but not as good as the first), Transformers (way, way too long, and still pretty stupid, but definitely better than the last one), and The Edge of Tomorrow (The best of all 3. We enjoyed this one a lot---Groundhog Day meets Source Code).

---6---

Independence Day fun was courtesy of a Barnes and Noble parking lot. It wasn't the best view of fireworks, but there was a lot less traffic, and we had a good time anyway. This is what made it all worthwhile for Meg:

---7---

One of the favorite activities here is walking along, or on, the railroad tracks to the tree swing. It had been cut down when the kids stayed there last, but a city official had a new and improved one put up. It's a lot of fun!

Other than that, we spent a lot of time eating at great, local restaurants. Yum!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

I need to blog more often!

My last post was a week ago!  I'm still working out this new lifestyle of hybrid homeschooling, and not getting the hang of it very well.  You would think, and, I admit, I do, too, that I could blog on the days Meg and Pip are at school, but it doesn't work that way.  Not when they're home, either.  I can barely get any time on the computer anymore.

When they're at school, I don't want to spend all my time at the computer---which is a real temptation.  You know what a black hole the internet is!

Anyway, today's coping strategy is to alternate work with play.  The normal routine for that is 45 mins. of work relieved by 15 minutes of recreation, like reading, and then back to the work.  It's a great method for getting things done and not feeling like a total drudge with no time for yourself!  Today, however, I'm alternating things that need to be done with things I'd rather do.  Some of the "rathers" are actually work, like decluttering, so I'm getting lots done today.

I have 12 more minutes here before going back to the cleaning routine.  I managed to get the family room  spic-and-span while watching "Call the Midwives"----needs and rathers at the same time!  Woot!

Next up:  cleaning the kitchen while listening to a podcast.

How do you organize your time when you need a little relaxation and have a lot of things to do?

7 Quick School Takes

---1---

Barbara asked how school is going, and it has taken 10 days for me to get around to answering.  What does that tell you?  It's a little crazy around here, learning the ropes at the hybrid school.

---2---

It's definitely weird not being The Teacher, and not knowing what the lesson plans are.  Yes, we print them out for the week, and I can read them, but that's not the same as planning them and knowing the whole outline for the year!  I have to keep reminding them that I can help with math problems and other questions since I'm still the Primary Educator!  (wink! wink!) I also have to check a bunch of things, and check off that they've been completed because the teacher never sees them----like handwriting practice.  So, I have all these Teacher Duties without the glory of being The Teacher. :-/

---3---

I'm very proud of how Pippo (and all my previous 9th graders) has risen to the challenge of an exponential increase in homework.  He has a ton of work to do, and he's been very dedicated and uncomplaining.  To be brutally honest with myself, I know that that is due to his (and their) being happy to go To School.  If I assigned that exact same work and they were home with me all day, I would never hear the end of the whining and moaning!  

Meg has had a couple of rough days of homework, too.  I don't think it's terribly excessive (maybe more than I would assign a 6th grader), but she's had some seriously long days of work at home.  They are both learning that they can't just come home and crash after school, but they need to buckle down and do math and, maybe, another subject, too.

---4---

Socially, they're both loving getting up and dressing in their uniforms, and getting to see peers all day long.  Well, Meg is.  Pippo is as blasé as a 9th grade boy should be about School.   I don't know how he can be blasé with 8 girls and only 3 boys in his class.  Sounds like good odds.  

---5---

How am I doing, you ask?  After 23 years of having children around all the time?  I'm seriously enjoying my 7 hours of peace and quiet 2 days a week!  I stay very busy with things around the house, but it's nice!  And it's about the only thing that is saving my sanity since the driving is turning into a minor nightmare.

Tuesday's not so bad.  I bring Meg and Pip home, kill an hour (lol!), and then go get Tom in the rush hour traffic.  But the past 2 Thursdays are about to drive me over the brink!  I pick them up from school, drive 5 minutes to Cross Country practice, hang around for over an hour (Meg does math), and then take them all to pick up Tom from school.  Since this is the height of rush hour, it takes twice as long as it should (ok, not really.  It's just 20 extra minutes.  But still!) and I'm ready to cry by the time we inch the last, slow mile home.  Do any of you have that issue?  What do you do??  

When AHG starts on Thursdays next week, and I have to turn around and leave as soon as Meg and I can put on uniforms, I may have a nervous breakdown.  Really, really hoping that God comes up with a plan, there.  :-)

---6---

Fridays are going to be a little awkward from now on with Meg taking Art and Chorus.  I'll have to take her after lunch, kill 2 hours somewhere, maybe at home, and go back for her at 2:30. Sometimes Pip will be finished then, and sometimes he'll have extra-curriculars for another hour. I think it's a good thing I've been spinning a lot, because I think I'm going to have lots of knitting and reading time in the car!

---7---

The final Quick Take is that, overall, we're very happy with our hybrid choice, thus far.  There have been hiccups, but I think it will be awesome overall.  There are some great Catholic families in this school that I'm glad my kids get to spend time with.  And the Quiet Time for Mom isn't too shabby, either.  :-)

How's your school year going?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

School Started!

{pretty}

Did I show you this picture of me and Meg at the Mother/Daughter Tea?  It was back in the spring, but the picture was only sent to us recently.  It was a lovely tea party/mini-retreat put on by some ladies in our homeschool group.  

{happy}
Another picture of my babies off to school!  Because that is consuming all our thoughts these days as we try to learn the homework system and figure out how to school at home and away.  Their backpacks are so. heavy.  Pip's is extended as far as it will go.  Meg carries a backpack AND a messenger bag!  In fact, Pip said to count to 3 and he would stand up straight under the load in time for the picture.  Funny, but sad.
{funny}
I know, it's just a lame picture of a dog on his back!  I'm still amazed when I see our once very dominant dog willing to lie on his back with his belly exposed.  He's not perfect, but he's so much better than he used to be!
(Scraping the bottom of the barrel here for funny!)
{real}
A glimpse of some of the mess in my foyer.  See those books in the back?  Help me out by stopping by my curriculum sale and shopping a little!  I'm cleaning out a bunch of the school books that will never get used again.

Last Daybook of Summer!

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...
Sunny and hot, I think.  I haven't paid much attention to the outdoors this morning.

I am thinking...
...about the long to-do list in the corner of my computer screen.  There are 14 things on it that vary in importance.  It does NOT include all the last-minute stuff that needs to be done today before school starts tomorrow for Meg and Pip.  Having a minor freak-out here.  Obviously, the treatment is to blog and ignore it for a little while.  ;-)

I am thankful...
...for my birthday weekend.  A nice day Saturday (that included some special girl-time with just me and Meg) was followed by a lovely day with the rest of the family.  We went to visit them in Athens to hang out and see a movie, and just be together for a little while.  I love those big kids!

Meg's fun, formal manicure!

From the school table...
...Lots of syllabi and printed-out lesson plans for the week (which someone else planned, so I'm liking that!).  We are trying to figure out how to get everything in the backpacks!  The drawback to a hybrid school is that Meg has all her subjects on schooldays, so she has to carry all. her. books.  She has a locker, but she still has to tote them all in and out every day.  I'm starting to think that purchasing a 2nd set may be unavoidable.  :-(  Pip has 4 classes at most, but his books are bigger, so he has a problem, too.

In the kitchen...
...Last week I made up 7 weeks worth of menus and accompanying shopping lists.  I hope that makes everything a lot easier, but I'm going to have to get in the habit of deciding in the morning which meal we're having for dinner and get it started.  Case in point:  today.  It is 11 a.m., and I probably should have already taken something out to thaw.

I am wearing...
White shorts and navy tee.  The shirt will probably get tossed in the ragbag when I check off "Clean out Mom's closet" from the To-Do List.

What I’m doing with fiber...
...Still working on plying all the grey yarn from the sweater I unravelled.  I was trying it out with my new Turkish birthday spindle, but it's making the yarn thicker than my other spindle, so I may have to stick with the same one until I finish this job!

I am going...
...to buy more school supplies.  It never ends.

I am wondering...
How I'll get it all done.  But I know the answer already:  by the grace of God.  That's how it always happens.

I am reading...
In between books.  I want to start this Chesterton reading plan, but I'm supposed to be (re)reading The Hobbit for my book club, along with a companion book, whose name I can't recall.

I am hoping and praying...
...for the healing of Thomas Peters, the American Papist
...for a mother with cervical cancer
...for all of our priests

I am looking forward to...
...the feast of The Assumption

I am hearing on my ipod...
...Not much.  I'm spending most of my time at the computer doing stuff.  No, not just reading blogs and FB.  Actually working.

Around the house...
...Lots and lots of stacks that need to be picked up and dealt with.

One of my favorite things...
...A lack of stacks.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
...Unstack.  Restack.  Destack.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Love them.  So much.

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

7 Quick Takes on a Hybrid School

---1---

Someone asked recently if I am selling all my homeschooling books (since I'm not home schooling anymore).  But I am home schooling, still.  We're just using a hybrid school.  What's that, you ask?  A hybrid combines the best of school and home, where the students attend 2 or 3 days per week, and paid teachers teach them the concepts they need for the week's work.  We do pay for this:  more than just staying at home, but much less than the local Catholic schools.

---2---

Is it the same as a co-op?  No.  From my perspective, a co-op is when a group of moms get together and share the teaching of a couple of classes, usually at the high school level.  The costs are lower, or nonexistent, and the moms who are science or math experts can provide valuable services to their friends who aren't.  A hybrid uses paid teachers who are experts in their fields.

---3---

I've been homeschooling for 19 years, why do I want to use a co-op now?  The first 4 children all got farmed out to Catholic high schools which have been very good, on the whole, but not perfect.    We missed out on a lot of time with our kids, and I have a big problem with paying lots of money for a not-stellar education and a nominally Catholic environment.  

The Hybrid has grown from my friend's basement into a lovely environment with 200 students, pre-K - 11!  Though she's tried to get me to join for years, I never felt compelled to pay money for teaching anything below high school, because I can handle all of that just fine.  Now that Pip is entering high school, we thought this might be the time.

---4---

This hybrid is using the Kolbe Academy curriculum for high school, which would be my choice at home, but too challenging for me to teach without a lot of stress and/or help, so this is perfect!  Meg lucks out and gets to go "to school" in 6th grade because she would be too lonely at home with me---and I can send the 2 of them for way less than the cost of Tom's school!

---5---

I will still be overseeing my children's education and making changes to their workloads, as needed.  Spending plenty of time with them at the kitchen table, knowing what they're doing and helping.  

---6---

What about Socialization?  That all important subject which I, generally, think is a load of malarky.  Home schooled children get plenty of socialization in playdates, group activities, field trips, and it's all in mixed-age family-style groups.  Ideal in my book.  However, I will acknowledge that most teens do need to be around their peers.  No, I don't think they all need to be the same age, but they need to be around other teens in safe environments.  Large groups going to the movies, or hanging out eating pizza and playing games.  I know myself well enough to know that I would have a very difficult time arranging suitable activities for my at-home teens that would meet their very real needs.  The Hybrid will be great for that.   He'll be able to develop friendships in his class of 20 (at last count)---more than he would if he just went to the monthly teen activities with our home school group.

---7---

Is the Hybrid going to be the perfect school?  No.  It's going to be awesome, with some wonderful families that we know and love.  It's going to have vexations because it's full of sinners, and it is always hard to give up some control to The School.  It's going to be thoroughly Catholic where the students will be taught why we believe what we believe and how to respond in society.  

The education will be a good one provided someone puts in the effort.  It will be better than I could provide at home, but not flawless.  None of them are.  It takes a combination of a smart, dedicated student, and excellent teachers for the best education.   A motivated child can make great strides where the teachers are lacking, and a smart student can waste opportunities if he doesn't do the work.  And excellent teachers can bring out the best in average or less-than-average students.

We are looking forward to this new stage in our home schooling!  Not the driving.  Getting up early and getting out of the house.  Ugh.  We are never excited about the driving, but we'll save that for another time.  :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

Chilly Quick Takes

---1---

I'll start with a complaint...because that's such a Lenten thing to do...I'm getting a wee bit sick of this winter that can't decide what to do with itself!  One day it's cold and wintry (normal, you know), and the next day it warms up to spring-like temperatures.  But Winter and Spring don't like each other much, so they clash, and we get rain.  Not warm, summery rain, but cold wintry, unpleasant rain.  Now, if Winter would just stay, you know, winter, we could stop having these wet clashes with pushy Spring.  Give me cold sunshine over cold rain any day.  

---2---

I don't like to complain about the weather, but this winter is getting to me.  How are you enjoying your sun/blizzards/ice?  Is it normal for you, or is this winter driving you crazy?

---3---

Our homeschool group had a lesson from Chinese dancers today.  We saw lots of different dances, and the kids got to practice a little with fans and scarves.  Oh, how I wish that I hadn't had my knitting in my hands and I had gotten a video of my 14 yo son doing the ribbon dance!  He was so cute.  (Don't tell him I said that!)

---4---

Said 14 yo son needed a ski mask over President's Day weekend for a ski trip with the Boy Scouts, so he picked one off Ravelry, and I crocheted it for him:  

Oh, sorry, that's the model.  An Ood from Dr. Who.

Here's the one I made:

Pip loved it, but it turns out that it's not actually practical for skiing.  

Who'd (see what I did there?) have thunk it?

---5---

It's taking me hours to finish these nots-so-quick takes!  Mainly because of a phone call from a friend in AHG.  We just talked about everything under the sun while waiting for an email which never came.   Surfing through my Google Reader between takes slows me down, too!

---6---

So, I've been looking all over my house for the kids' standardized test scores.  I can't find them anywhere.  But you know what I have found?  A bunch of stuff that doesn't belong here, or there, or anywhere.  As soon as it warms up....why? why can't I work while it's chilly?....I want to go through my house, room by room, drawer by drawer, and organize the whole place!  I think I probably said that a while back...when the weather was warm...and never did it.  

What do you do when you're sick of the clutter and disorganization?  Don't tell me you clean!  Tell me how you clean!  Pretty please.

---7---

In lieu of actual, official Standardized Test Scores, Meg and Pip will have to undergo Assessment Tests next Tuesday for the hybrid homeschool we applied to!  Say a prayer for them.  They're bright kids, but they're sort of freaking out a little.  Me, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!