Journey to Excellence

1. Kyndal passed both of her cosmetology state board exams! She received an 88% on the Theory and a 91% on the Practical. She is now a legit hair stylist!! I am so proud of her! This is a girl that absolutely hated school. She wasn't interested so she just didn't try to do well. Why? Because from the time she was little she knew that she wanted to be a cosmetologist and, to her, school was a colossal waste of time. It drove me absolutely nuts when she was growing up. But she has proven that once she sets a goal, she will do all it takes to achieve it. Once she started on the path to her career she gave it her all, and one year later her hard work has paid off. 2. Tomorrow we are celebrating Dawson's 18th birthday. How in the world is it that this goofy kid is now an adult? Do you know what he wants to do for his birthday? He wants our family to go to Incredible Pizza. So that's what we are doing. We are all loading up tomorrow afternoon to drive two hours to th...

As we were finishing up the last few chapters of Little House on the Prairie this week, I decided that it would be the perfect time to invest our study hours into watching my favorite mini-series Frontier House . Frontier House was a PBS series that first aired in 2002. It is about three modern day families who took on the challenge of living as pioneers in 1883 in the Montana frontier. It was an epic exercise in survival. They had to build their own homes, manage their own money and food, decide how much livestock they would have, and then spend five months preparing for their first winter. At the end of the five months, experts came to evaluate whether the families would have survived. It is reality television at its best! I have now watched it three times, and it never gets old. If you can get ahold of a copy of it (our library has it), I highly recommend that you watch it. It really is just that good. The series took up the majority of our study time this week, with the e...

I got my feelings hurt this week. And it may be a similar emotion you have experienced as a mom, especially a stay-at-home homeschooling mom. We received the Judgment in the case I have been involved in with my ex-husband for the past 16 months for child support for Kyndal and Dawson. The results of the Judgment did not upset me. The judge heard the evidence and made a determination as to what he believed was fair and just. My children will receive some much-needed support and I will get a little help in supporting Dawson for the next five years until he graduates from college. As is with any legal case, nobody won. I didn't get what I wanted and he didn't get what he wanted. It just doesn't work that way in the legal system. I was prepared for that and was prepared for less justice than I believed was deserving. The ruling itself wasn't the reason for my hurt feelings. I stopped working outside the home 13 years ago after Rick and I got married. I came home to t...

What's your favorite time of day? Why? I am someone who needs alone time. So at about 8:30 p.m., when everybody goes to their own rooms, I am able to just sit and watch the t.v. shows that I want to watch, read, look at blogs, and do whatever I want to do for a little while before going to bed. It is my wind-down time and I cherish it. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender ... which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house? My microwave decides to just not allow you to push certain numbers, usually the 0 or 1. There is no rhyme or reason to the problem. It just decides that today is the day. So sometimes I have to get creative in punching in a time, like 75 seconds for 1 minute 15 seconds, etc. It stretches my math skills! Then later that day or the next the buttons will start working again. But overall the microwave still works so I will hold onto it until it poops out. It's National Grouch Day (October 15) ... what's som...

I think I start every wrap-up post these days talking about how busy the week has been. And not just in school but in our every day life, as well. But it is all good .. so good. School work is getting done. Learning is happening. We are having fun. Rick and I are accomplishing much at home. And we are getting to spend lots of time with family and friends. So I have a question: Should watching Little House on the Prairie count as school hours? Sometimes I feel guilty that we relax at the end of each day with an episode. How can enjoying something this much count as school? (Isn't homeschooling great?) But, oh my gosh, the things that we learn while watching it! This week we learned all about Typhus. I had never heard of it. So we paused the show and did some quick internet research before we continued watching. Sure enough, the storyline covered all of the different symptoms and causes. It was so informative! Just in a week we have learned about simple machines, molding a bell...

1. Rick, Brynne and I were up early this morning to attend the elementary school homecoming pep rally. Brynne was invited to join her volleyball team. I am grateful that the school offers to include its homeschooled students in their activities. Brynne and her friend Jenna are always welcomed with open arms, which is awesome. 2. Kyndal is, as I type this, taking her cosmetology theory exam. She is so nervous, but I am sure she will do fine. She takes her practical exam on Monday. After she passes both she will have her full cosmetology license. She has been working with her temporary license the past couple of weeks. UPDATE: She passed her theory! Now she just has to pass her practical on Monday. Half-way there! 3. Also, as I type this, my niece, Rylee, is having an ultrasound. She is 35 weeks pregnant and barely measuring 28 centimeters. This diagnostic ultrasound will determine if she can continue to carry the baby to full term or if they will need to take her early because o...

Do you manage your own money or do you have a financial planner who helps in some way? Do those kinds of conversations stress you out? A lot or a little? We do not have a financial planner. Rick is our planner. Or, I plan and he finds a way to put it into our budget. I hate talking about money. There is never enough and I always feel like I am not handling my part as good as I should. I try not to worry about it and remind myself that it's just money. I am frugal and do my best. The second week of October is Pet Peeve Week. Off the top of your head share TWO of your current pet peeves. My number one pet peeve is my pillows being knocked off my couch onto the floor. Between dogs and kids I bet I pick up those pillows 50 times a day. My second is when homeschooling moms use bad grammar in their blog posts. What is one thing you would like to learn right now, this very week if you could? I would like to learn what the Court's order says in my child support case. I saw...