Dolphin Tale Homeschool Day!

September is turning out to be THE month for truly family oriented movies. Courageous opens September 30, one that I am SO excited about but will post about later.


Dolphin Tale opens in theaters September 23. Not only is this movie family friendly, it's also homeschool friendly! So much so that Homeschool Movie Club is organizing a Homeschool Movie Day!
Not only am I excited about the movie (Hello? Harry Connick, Jr. is in it! *wink* I love you Sound Man! hee hee), but Homeschool Movie Club also has curriculum to go with the movie! Written by marine biologist Sherri Seligson, Apologia's Marine Biology curriculum author, this curriculum takes you through five lessons that are about ocean wildlife, not just dolphins. Seeing as how Kiddo wants to be a marine biologist, this is right up our alley. Can you see why I'm giddy?

I was already excited, but then when I read Sally Clarkson's glowing endorsement of the movie (not that having her son, Nathan, as a consultant on the movie had anything to do with that...hee hee), I did a happy dance! To help spread the word, Sally is giving away four Dolphin Tale Fun Packs!

Head over to her post to read more about the giveaway, and please go to Homeschool Movie Club and become a member. It's free! Plus, you'll get info on this movie as well as the others they endorse. You can sign up for their newsletter, as well as like them on Facebook for updates about the Homeschool Movie Day.

I can't WAIT for September 23rd! I hope our homeschool group will catch the excitement and support this movie on opening day. That's Sally's wish as well, as you'll read in her post. We want to send a message to Hollywood that we as Christians DO have a voice!

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a movie premiere! I just counted and I say a form of the word "excited" six times in this post. Maybe I need to cut back on the caffeine.

Tornadoes and Tests, Not Necessarily in That Order

I. Am. So. Tired. I haven't even checked email since Tuesday. I'm sure there are people on Facebook and in Blogland who think I've dropped off the face of the earth. Well, not quite. I've felt like I wanted to this week, though.

First, let me say that for the past week and a half, I've been sick with something akin to bronchitis. I NEVER get bronchitis. I always end up with a sinus infection, but nothing ever goes to my lungs. Right now I sound like I've been smoking a pack a day for twenty years. Not fun. I have been coughing so much my stomach and back are sore. I can't laugh because it will throw me into a fit of tuberculosis-sounding coughing. And heaven help my bladder. Just sayin'.

In the middle of all this hacking, we have been in the eye of the storm...literally. In case you don't live in the South, you may not know we have been S.L.A.M.M.E.D. with storms this week. Day after day after day. Today is the first day in at least four that has seen non-tornado weather. You know it's gonna be bad when The Weather Channel sends people to your city. Now, we haven't gotten ANYTHING like Arkansas, central Mississippi, and Alabama got. Sound Man called me this morning and told me about the devastation there. We were worried about Brandi and her family and then I remembered that Myra from The Casabella Project also lived close to where the storms in Alabama had torn through. I checked on Brandi on Facebook and found out that she is not only okay, but helping her church collect items for the tornado victims, so many of whom have lost everything. And I just saw on Facebook where Myra is okay, but will be without power for a week. As much as I'm thankful they're okay, it breaks my heart to know so many aren't.

In the middle of all these storms, our homeschool group has been taking achievement tests. I'm the administrator for the tests, so it was up to me to decide if we postpone our second day because of the threat of severe weather. We had been able to slip our first one in between rounds of tornado sirens. Out of 20 or so families, NO ONE complained about postponing for a day. Not only did we have the threat of MORE bad weather, but many roads in our county were flooded. While it did sort of break our momentum, we were still able to get back at it today, none the worse for wear. The kids are troopers.

I, however, am at my limit. With all this emotional, physical, and mental strain this week, I'm ready to rest for a day or two. Or twenty. I really wish the beach wasn't 8 hours away. Where's Calgon when you need it? ; )

Homeschooling is Very Educational

My son is taking piano lessons. This week his first song to work on was the children's song, Alouette. You know, the one sung in French. As he was playing this morning, I was singing away...

"Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tête
Je te plumerai la tête
Et la tête, et la tête
O-o-o-o-oh!"

And so on. Just a pretty little French song, right? Well, I don't speak French, so when my inquisitive 9 year old son asked me what it meant, of course I had to look it up. Here's what Wikipedia had to say...

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Skylark, nice skylark

Alouette, je te plumerai

Skylark, I shall pluck you

Je te plumerai la tête

I shall pluck your head

(Je te plumerai la tête)

(I shall pluck your head)

Et la tête

And your head

(Et la tête)

(And your head)

O-o-o-oh

WHAT? It goes on to say that it was sung as a French Canadian song that trappers would sing as they paddled down rivers to pass the time. Skylarks were eaten as game birds during that time, so evidently they were hungry as they traveled downriver. Although after finishing this song, I can't imagine anyone being hungry. Here are the other additions to the verses, added one on top of the other, like we do with "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

Et le cou
And your neck
Et le dos
And your back
Et les ailes
And your wings
Et les pattes
And your feet
Et la queue
And your tail
Et le coeur
And your heart
Et les poumons
And your lungs
Et le cerveau
And your brain
O-o-o-o-oh

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Skylark, nice skylark

Alouette,

Skylark,

'Tu es un torse saignant

I left the translation for that last line out. You can look it up if you want to. But since I have peeps from Australia, and possibly even Great Britain, that sometimes read my blog, I will refrain so they don't think I'm cussing (or I guess they'd say "cursing", but hey, I'm from the South) on my blog. And only the Lord knows what kind of freaks I'd get on here if they happened to Google that phrase.

You're going to look it up, aren't you? So now that I have now ruined this precious little song for you I'll say that I figured if I had to learn about it, so did you. That's homeschoolin' for you. You're welcome.

I was going to go eat lunch now, but...um...(turning green)...I think I've lost my appetite.

Yesterday...

...was bad. Really bad. Bad day in school (for both me and my poor Kiddo...we both ended up crying, and that's putting it mildly), bad day for my sinuses, bad day for Jonathan who peed in the floor twice...I could name a few other things. I was very frustrated. Again, that's putting it mildly.

Then I read this post on Like a Warm Cup of Coffee, guest posted by Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates. It made me realize that I have a job to do, no matter how my day is going. I am the keeper of my home, and for me right now that includes educating my son. Like Lisa says, "This is what God has called me to do." Yep. Yucky Math days and puppy pee and all.

It's a great post, one that I appreciated very much after yesterday. Thanks, Lisa, for the great post as wel as subbing for Sarah! Now, y'all go check it out!

Say it ain't so!

Sigh...one of the things about ending school at the very beginning of May is the ugly reality right after 4th of July that school is a month away.

Yesterday A Beka was in our area and a friend and I went to get what we needed for the coming year. And while I love getting a head start on buying his books, mooching borrowing from my friends, making sure we're ready...I just don't want to be a grown up just yet. I want to sleep late, not have a schedule, do as I please...oh, wait...I homeschool! I can still do all those things!

Just kidding. I try (that is the operative word) to stay on a schedule during the school year. But I digress. There is still so much of summer left to do, like go to Kat's for a swim, Kiddo's camp, spending time at Grandmother's, visiting his cousin. What have we done all summer? I feel like it's flown by, and I don't have anything to show for it.

Except for some really cute birds. Oh, yeah, that's what I've been doing. And reading Jane Austen. And watching Jane Austen movies for free from the library.

Chicks, chick lit, and chick flicks. Okay, it hasn't been all wasted...

Not to throw a damper on anyone's summer, but all you homeschool peeps out there, when do you plan on starting back?

First Day of Summer Break!

As a homeschool teacher to my son, the rhythym of my day is determined by our schooling. Last year I couldn't wait to get finished with the year. Mostly because I was impatiently awaiting the Atlanta trip that was happening the day after our last day of school. We sort of rushed through those last few days. I was afraid this year would be the same way, just because we both were more than ready for school to be over with. However, I found myself a little sad that school was ending for the year. I honestly can't tell you why. There have been more than a few days when I called my husband in tears, wondering if I really was cut out to be a homeschool mom. He always calmed me down, reminding me that yes, I was not only cut out for it, I was called to it. We both feel very strongly that this is the best option for our family. Our son really does thrive, and ended the year with straight A's. Most of his friends are homeschooled, so he really doesn't know that life could be any different. Sometimes this is a problem, like when he complains about having to start school at 10:00. I quickly remind him that most kids his age had to get up at 6:30 to be at school by 8:00 and will stay there, with few breaks, until 3:00. We, on the other hand, get to sleep later, start later, and end sooner than all those kids. I ask him if he'd like for us to start being more like public school and do school for 6 or so hours, but he quickly straightens up and starts his math worksheet.

So, with these thoughts running in my head, why am I on the melancholy side? I still can't say. Maybe it's just that now I have to figure out how to organize my day for the next three months. Maybe it's that I don't want him to be in fourth grade yet. Maybe I'm sad there's no Atlanta trip to fall down at. Hmm, yeah, that last one. That's the ticket.