Archive for the Kenzi Category

All’s Quiet on the Home Front

Well, my Bigs have headed off for Cadet Camp… Ev in Introduction to Leadership and Kenz in Basic.  It’s very strange being at home with just the Littles.  I find myself having a lot more time for reading stories, playing games, enjoying funny play.  I’m kept laughing at their funny understanding of the world.  Greys informed me today that he’s the “betht bathkitball player in the whole backyard”  (he was alone in the backyard at the time - and told me this through the back window).  Chae is so impatient… she wants to eat the apples on the trees.. and will not hear me that they are NOT READY yet.. and that worms live in them (Kenz told her that hoping to make her stop picking them).  So, she went on a tangent telling me it is “not fair that worms are in my apple acuz those are MY apples on MY tree and those worms aren’t aposed to eat apples - they are aposed to eat dirt!” (she’s really mad!).  She’s also adopted a pet slug.  I have a feeling she’s finding a new one every day and thinking it is the same one, but who knows… she also brought an inchworm in the house - then promptly LOST it… so now SOMEWHERE in my house there is a confused (or possibly dead) inchworm… Lovely.

My Square Foot Gardening adventure has kind of taken on a life of it’s own… I’m almost scared to go out there each morning as these tomatoes and beans and zuchinis are trying to take over the lawn!!!  The “Beans” and “Tomatoes” are two BIG gangs having a turf war in my garden… everyday it would seem one or the other has been “knocked out” (read: laying on the ground under) by the other.  But my tomatoes are prolific just the same… and my beans, well… with all the foliage, I’m not sure I’m ever going to see a bean on the thing.  Oh well, it’s been so much fun!  I also have some eggplants coming along nicely.. small, but at least they are finally there!!!  Eggplants are so pretty, even their flower is so pretty… I’d almost grow them anyhow just for decoration! :o)

So, All’s Quiet on the Home Front with only half our offspring makin’ noise… I never realised how much noise my “quiet” Bigs generate!   But I have to admit… I do miss them!

Blessings (and peace!)

End of Year

ev-chapel-2.JPGWell, not that we’re there yet, but we are certainly getting anxious around here for the end of the school year!!  This week *should* be our last for the currect school year, and we’ll pick up again in the middle of August.  Kenzi still has math to complete over the summer to finish up the Saxon book she’s working on, but otherwise all “formal” lessons will end on Friday.  MOM can’t wait!!!  This was a challenging year, I’m not afraid to admit it… it was a lot of nagging and a lot of heartache as we both worked out our comfort zones…. but then we found Connect the Thoughts and that helped SO much, and then a very wonderful friend gave us an old laptop for Kenzi to use for her lessons and that helped even more… I didn’t realise how much of the battles were in fact related to her dysgraphia…. amazing really.  But as wonderful as this new “system” is, we really are in need of a break… a time of just being Mother and Daughter, and not Teacher and Student… really!

Ev is finished his school year in the Junior High School, and will be homeschooling next year as well… that will also make a difference around here in that we’ll be together for learning instead of having all our days so choppy.  Everett can’t wait to start Connec the Thoughts Creative Writing courses either… he’s looked the two I have over and is so excited to get started so he can move onto the Master’s Courses.  I was surprised to hear that he wasn’t as interested in the Animation course… but I think if he tried it he’d probably like it… we’ll have to try it as an elective in August.  He also just finished his Puzz3D that he’d been working on for a while… the Sistine Chapel!!!

This past week was the cadets Annual Review - both Ev and Kenzi were on the Drill Team, and Kenzi even got an award!!!  She was given the “Tracy Turton Award” for “the cadet that perseveres”.  That’s a positive statement, eh?  She was so surprised (as was MOM!) and proud that she’d stuck it out… it was a long haul, that’s for sure!  But she’s looking forward to Basic Camp this summer.  Ev got Leadership Camp, and he’ll be gone for a full three weeks!  I don’t know how *I* am going to handle it… but I guess it’ll be lots of fun for him! *grin*

cadets-in-a-line.JPG  kenzi-award.JPG

(Ev and Kenzi right beside him…. Kenzi getting her award)

charley.JPG

We have a new dog… I can’t remember if I blogged about him already or not, but his name is Charley (okay, I’m a die-hard Lost fan, and we wanted a name from Lost, but we were torn between “Hurley” and “Charlie” *our two favourite characters!* … so we decided on Charley… clever eh?  LOL!  Not that he cares, he just answers to anything - silly boy!), and he’s a lovely blond cocker spaniel.  SO cute…   He had a little “mohawk” going when we first got him, but we trimmed it off because it made him look even sillier than he generally does.  He’s so smart and learning more by the day… and he’s SO sweet to the kids!!

We got him about 3 weeks ago and although he’s housebroken VERY easily, we’re having “Bark Busters” come in to work with us and the two dogs next week. We’re hoping it will make a difference in some of the undesireable behaviours he has, mostly we believe caused by improper (none existant) training he recieved at his previous home.  He’s very bright and learns fast, and best of all, is eager to please. 

  

Agarden-june-18.JPGnd lastly… my garden update… this is my garden ONE WEEK from the last picture… I can’t believe how fast this thing is growing!!! We finally got the tomato rings on and had a real battle to do so, since the plants are not only large, but really sturdy - not easy to “flex” to get them through the center!  But we did it… and they seem happy! *wink*  From the looks of the the flowers, we are going to have LOTS of everything.  The only thing I’m not sure of is the eggplants… are they supposed to be slow starters?  If anyone knows, I’d be so happy to find out!

I have to tell you this funny story.  Miss Chaeli came inside COVERED in dirt the other day, and I was, of course, worried about my lovely vegetable gardens.. what had she done?  Well, apparently nothing… she’d been playing in one of our front gardens… anyhow, while I was out there “fixing” her mess, I noticed these three obviously fast growing plants had taken root in my annual bed (I only have one, we positioned it over the septic tank lids so we can always find them AND it doesn’t matter when it’s dug up because they are only annuals anyhow… smart eh?).  As “pretty” as they might think they are, I didn’t want them there.  So, UP goes the plant… well, it has what looks like a giant peanut on the end.  Interesting.  So, I yank up another… this one is a normal looking root.  The third one (these were all the same type of plant, btw) told me what had happened… we had POTATOES growing in my annual bed!  HAHAHA on me!  I guess we must have had some potatoes go to seed and we tossed them, and I suppose a squirrel must have found them and reburied them in my garden… clever little agricultural creature that he must be.  but alas, I stole his harvest…. after all, everyone knows potatoes need to stay buried so they can grow… so I repotted the one plant, buried it up past it’s leaves… and a couple days ago, we could see the little leaves peeking through again, so today I buried it some more.  Chaeli keeps trying to dig them out, but I think this time I’ve convinced her to “let’s wait and see what surprises we can grow”.  I hope we get some good potatoes!!  If we do, I think maybe next year we’ll make this a FORMAL school project… maybe to end off the school year for Greyson… along with a little lapbook on Plants or something. 

That’s me… always planning ahead! *LOL*

Blessings!

What a GREAT DEAL!!! (and more!)

KBC Grandfather's Wisdom Lapbook CurrClick has a real treat for those who visit their site this week.  Of course, every week they offer a free ebook (curriculum or sometimes even a story), but this weeks ebook is really something special!  They are offering one of Knowledge Box Central’s Interview Series Lapbooks called “Grandfather’s Wisdom“.  What a treat!  This lapbook is designed to help your child glean the wisdom of his/her grandfather and to compile it in a neat way that will certainly become a keepsake to treasure!  Summer is coming, lots of “family time” to work on it.  Why not make it a summer project?  The ebook is regularly priced at 24.99$ but you can get it FREE this week only at CurrClick!  Don’t miss out!!!

OH!  And something really neat has happened here in our homeschool (well, for Mom anyhow *grin*) - Steven David Horwich, author of the Connect the Thoughts course recently sent an email out to several hundreds of people who had signed up for his newsletter - and a little known Yahoo Group exploded!!  My friend Stephanie and I, who are both using CTT in our homeschool, had started up a Yahoo Group looking to find others using CTT in their homeschools.  Well, it was slow going as neither of us is a marketting guru (apparently).  But with Steven’s email came a big surprise!  He had listed our group on HIS site (http://www.connectthethoughts.net) and our “population” grew… often by the minute!  It was a crazy chase to get everyone approved, but I am DELIGHTED to say that everyone started sharing and encouraging from the get-go, and Steph and I have found ourselves exactly what we wanted - Community!  Yippee and BIG THANKS go out to all those who joined and of course to Steven and his Webmaster,  Ray!  If you’re using CTT or would like to know more, I encourage you to check out the official site and you are also welcome to join our little (but growing!) Yahoo Group too at http://groups.yahoo.com/connectthethoughts .

What a whirlwind week -  the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is over (phew!  What a ride!!!) … BUT NOT REALLY!  I’m seriously going to talk to Cindy about renaming this amazing event to the Ultimate Forever Parenting Online Convention… or something equally appropriate!  I was talking to a friend of mine about it, who doesn’t homeschool and I was trying to explain how this isn’t just for homeschoolers, and it isn’t over!  Not only have all the sessions been recorded and will be available on the Members Site, but they aren’t just audios for homeschoolers.  These are really audios for great parents (LIKE YOU!).  There is everything on there from bringing up Godly children to Planning for your future to spiritually uplifting talks like God is Sufficient.  And all the “homeschool” related talks are equally appropriate for those who are involved in their children’s education in the public system, or could I even say, for public school teachers to learn how to intill the love of learning in their students?!  So don’t feel like you have missed the “ticket”… you haven’t!  And if you buy it now, you’ll get the “convention” price of only 40$ (soon it’ll be repriced at 99$ - so don’t delay!!).  Go grab your ticket here:

UHSE 2008 Banner

Narrators

Now - one last thing (I saved it as your “dessert”)… KENZI was in a THEATRE production this week!!  Okay, it was a homeschooler play, but I am SO proud of my BIG girl!!!  She’s so shy, and overcame many obstacles to play the part of one of the narrators (which meant she was on the stage the entire 45 minutes while the play was being performed).  She was dressed as an “ancient greek” because the play was an adaptation of several of Aesop’s Fables (written by Gerald Murphy - which I got a kick out of because that is also my uncle’s name… LOL).   The whole cast did amazing and I was so proud of them!  It was directed by Melanie Doerr and was performed at the Hudson Village Theatre.  Well done everyone!  (psst… that’s Kenzi on the left with her little narrator friend who, in my opinion, was the funniest member of the cast hands down!  “Don’t ask ME - ask AESOP!”  HAHAHA!)

Have an ABUNDANTLY blessed day!

IT IS SPRING!!!!

YES!  Spring has finally SPRUNG (even here in Quebec!)!!!! The kids “escaped” yesterday and brought me home probably the only three flowers in my lawn brave enough to peek their heads through the snow… I love Spring!  Here’s a picture of the one Kenzi brought me… unfortunately the Littles’ flowers didn’t “make it”… *wink*  Pretty, huh?  (btw, it was VERY tiny… that’s the grain of the wood of my desk under it.. I got a reeaaaaaallly close up shot - I love my camera!)

first flower closeup

One of my FAVOURITE (and sometimes least favourite as I will explain later) parts of Spring is SPRING PLANNING!  That’s when all next year’s stuff gets planned out (okay, loosely) and books are planned to be purchased.  It is when I seek out inspiration and encouragement more than ever, because… (which brings me to my LEAST favourite part)  I really hate the End Of Year drudgery. 

We always are just dragging along - trying to get all our “things” finished, when really what we want to be doing is going OUTSIDE - as you’ve seen above ^^.  

SO… in the spirit of motivating MYSELF to get into the Spring PLANNING and less into the END OF YEAR (and to help past the avoidance issue of going out to play instead) mentality… I would like to share with you a resource from the “sneak peek” on the membership site of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo for this year.  After the postive response I got from the last set I shared with you, I got Cindy’s permission to share another little “freebie” with you - she really can relate - she’s in the process of preparing for her second homeschool graduation with her sweet daughter, Elisabeth (her son graduated a couple years back, and in fact is graduating again THIS WEEK from his Basic Training for the MILITARY!  Way To Go Matthew!!!).  She’s been there, she’s got it all figured out (okay, not all the answers, but, Boy, is she good!) 

So, without further blah blah from me, here’s HER description of this FREE gift!  This is an ebook AND an audio set to help you  get all “orgamanized”  - and remember, there are LOTS more free gifts when you sign up for your own ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo - in fact, a whole “Mommy Grab Bag”!!!!

Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year Super Set!

Let’s Get Ready for the New School Year Mommy Planner…
Ebook by Cindy Rushton

Need some help gearing up for the new school year? Wish you had a friend to take you by the hand and help you plan your year? You will LOVE this! It includes a quick Mommy Planner with a potpourri of planning sheets from all of Cindy’s products to help you get started on the right track with your homeschool planning. It is full of goodies!

Download Part One
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp1.pdf

Download Part Two
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp2.pdf
PLUS! Companion Audio! :)
Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year–Audio

Download by Mp3
http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/GetReadyNewSchoolYear.mp3

Isn’t that cool?

And, just think…this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site… There are hundreds more!!!

Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

The Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008

Blessings!

SUCCESS!

Well, sometimes God just makes me laugh.  He knows our struggles so well, and is already sending “help” before we’ve even asked for it.  I was so stressed out last week - ready even to call it quits… when along came Help.  I stumbled upon a really unique curriculum that was just too revolutionary. I was hesitant to start something new, but seeing as we were finished up Egypt, and really ready to go on to something new and as McKenzie had declared an all out strike at my plans… I figured a change of pace couldn’t hurt.

Oh my goodness…. what a change this week!  Okay, things aren’t PERFECT, but they are a dang sight better than what we were doing!  I came across a curriculum called “Connect the Thoughts” (CtT).  It is completely unique to anything I’ve ever seen before… it gives the student ownership of their own education, in a directed, yet respectful of their individuality way… instead of writing what they need to “regurgitate” or “narrate” or even using “copywork” (which although helped my daughter tremendously in the area of penmanship and her pencil “allergy”…. it certainly wasn’t getting her to think and ponder the things she was studying.  CtT does just that… instead of being concerned about the mechanics of writing, it encourages the student to really THINK and PONDER and CONSIDER whta they believe, know and need. 

In one week, no - in a few days, I’ve seen such changes in McKenzie.  Deeper thoughts, more responsibility, more ownership of her education…

One of the things I’m finding incredible is watching my daughter “own” her education.  Today she said the most insightful thing I’ve heard out of her in months…. all related to one of the assignments in her CtT book.  She said to me “Mom, this brick wall I drew means that when you rush through your studies, and you just keep going even when you don’t understand something, you are leaving out a brick in your wall… and if you leave out enough bricks, your wall is going to fall down!”  And she went on to explain that that was exactly how she felt in public school, like some of her bricks were missing and she felt unstable (in her learning, like she was faking knowing something because everyone else seemed to know it - I reminded her that maybe some of those other people were faking it too… so no one would know unless everyone spoke up). 

One of the saddest aspects of my education was not learning how to tell time on an analog clock… I missed that week in grade 2, I guess, anyhow, by the time I figured out everyone else could do it I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn’t… it took a friend to teach me when I was in my early 20’s…

Guess what I make sure my kids learn early?  LOL!

One other thing we’ve implemented this week, which has helped as well, has been a “goals” sheet.  On Friday evenings, Mom, Dad and Kenzi sit down with a sheet of paper with all her subjects listed on the left side.  Beside each subject, she determines (with our guidance) what her weekly goals will be.  During the week, she is responsible for her time.  I will remind her that it is still school hours and that she should make best use of that time, but I will not tell her WHAT she needs to be working on.  She is responsible for her own education - I’m just here to encourage and facilitate.  At the end of the week (Friday evening again) she needs to take a little time to review her past week and write on the bottom of the form her self-evaluation - how she felt she did on meeting her goals, including things such as attitude towards her work.  Then we go over the work she did that week and Tony and I write our own evaluation notes below her notes.  Then she puts that in her notebook, at the begining of that weeks work, and takes a new sheet for the upcoming week.. and she writes her goals for the upcoming week again. 

Now, that being said, this is Week One of this new system, but it’s run so smoothly I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner!  I’ve been saying for years that her education is her responsiblity… yet I guess I was too thick-headed to trust her enough with the logistics of her education.  It is so much more meaningful to her to be in control of how much or how little she gets done.

Please understand that last sentence though…. she still has minimum requirements… for example, she must do one math lesson a day.  SO, in her goals, she can write 5 math lessons OR she can CHOOSE to move along faster, and write 10 math lessons and plan her time to do two math lessons a day (if she were so inclined…. which didn’t happen this week, and I don”t expect to happen any time soon - but there you have it, the option is there, and she’s only really accountable to herself, with us as mentors and encouragers). 

I don’t think this would work with a student too young, but I think somewhere around 10 - with guidance - would be a beneficial homeschool addition.  After all, if we’re the only ones with any say, then as soon as we stop saying, they’ll stop doing.  I want a lifelong learner, and I think ownership and a little CtT might just be the ticket!

I’m so pleased today!  :o)

Blessings!

Student Strike

Well, it appears my daughter has decided to go on a school strike.. and to be honest, I’m tired of fighting with her about it all… so  I gave her ownership of the “problem” of her own education and told her I’d be thrilled to mentor her should she need me… but if not, she can choose to remain ignorant. 

HOW do they deal with these things in public school?  I mean, I guess those children who decide not to learn just don’t - but as a MOTHER it’s a lot harder for me to let those things go than it is for a teacher who will be rid of the student in a few months anyhow, you know?

SO - I made her a list of what she needs to accomplish for me to pass her into grade 7… (she’s 12)… and it’s up to her to accomplish it… (like if she wants to do the literature, I’m so there for reading it to her, but I am not going to pin her down to read.. you know?).

When she decides to get motivated… I guess I’ll be here waiting. In the meantime, the Littles love my company.

I hate knowing she’s going to experience regret over her bad decision, but I guess there comes a point where she needs to be allowed to make poor choices… at least this is one area homeschooling has an advantage… she won’t miss anything - we’ll just pick up where we left off… *sigh*

Hope you are all having a better homeschool day!

New Use for Duct Tape!

I knew there had to be a way to bring Duct Tape into homeschooling! LOL!

My daughter loves to do “lapbooks” or “portfolders” or “lappacks”… basically a file folder refolded to make a portable viewing station housing a collection of little homemade folded booklets. It’s a great way to teach children to organize their thoughts… and we’ve been using it for years. THIS year however we decided to head in the direction of notebooking (keeping a binder full of page protectors in which we keep all our work each day)… now… Kenzi still wanted to do lapbooks… but how to put them into the binder to keep all her work together? Hmmmm…. Mom had to think about this a little.

Then it came to me! DUCT TAPE. Of course we all know that DUCT TAPE is the answer to all Life’s Questions… in fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a striking resemblance between God and Red Green when the DAY comes…. (jk)

SO, I thought I would include some pictures, so you have an idea of what I’m talking about.

First, take an ordinary folder and refold it to make your project pack…

Second, measure a piece of duct tape just slightly smaller than the long folded edge of your folder.

Third, stick a (roughly) 1/4 inch section onto the folder. I do this while hanging the edge of the folder off the edge of the counter so the duct tape doesn’t stick to anything else (like my counter! LOL!)

Then flip the folder over carefully and folding carefully, stick the duct tape to the folder abotu 1/4 inch again to the other side, leaving about a 1/2 inch “tag” along the edge.

Be careful to stick it down straight, or you’ll end up with ridges and lumps in your duct tape!

Now… if you have a great three hole punch, go ahead and punch this like it is… I do not. And because it is tempermental, I decided the safest route was to go with my one hole punch and a piece of loose leaf to guide me.

Once the holes are punched… there you go! Slip it into your binder and move onto your next project!

Personally, I think this would be a neat thing to do to a bunch of folders in one session… it’s kinda sticky work, might as well get it over at once… so either hang on to the folders and insert them later, OR, you could make a bunch of folder packs up at once and duct tape them and THEN use them…. because the duct tape is so durable it won’t matter if it’s being handled.

Some examples of our lapbooks…. some of these are double (two folders attached together by one of the shorter edges… holds more mini books that way!

We love lapbooking! :o)  (okay, so these are just the outside covers…but honest, there are mini books inside… and maybe someday I might even get around to photographing them!  …. but then, that is what the notebook is for, isnt’t it?

Enjoy and I hope this has helped someone!

A BOOK!

Well Well Well!

 McKenzie has decided to WRITE a BOOK!  MY daughter… the one with dysgraphia.. the one that loathes writing ANYTHING …. a BOOK!

 Are you getting the feeling I’m stunned?  I am!  Why would she want to write a book?  Well… many reasons.  She wants every kid she knows to know something she knows… something she loves and knows they will love too - if they only knew what she does!  Heehee… I’m being evasive on purpose.  I will unveil more information as the project moves forward, but keep your eyes peeled for the release of a soon to be Best Seller!  LOL!

I’m such a proud Mama!

And that is today’s GLORIOUS View from the Hill!

Shannon

A Reason to Homeschool

Today was a bad day.

… till a few minutes ago. Let me tell you why.

I suck at math (oh, and before you tune this story out, this has very little to do with math) always have… but I’m forced to challenge my non-mathematical brain into grasping grade 6 math every day. I do *not* like this part of homeschooling. History, YES! Literature, YES! Reading, Writing, Grammar, Geography, Art, … EVEN SPELLING, YES!!!!! But Math, no.

SO, we were doing math… it wasn’t going well. I feel so stupid and imcompetent as a trudge around despretely trying to help Kenzi figure out some answer to some stupid math problem.. feeling like maybe I should reconsider this whole homeschooling thing after all. Well, we made it through (well, till Dad comes home and tell us we did it wrong.. LOL! Then it’s back to the kitchen table with us!). I was burnt out. It was about 10 in the morning and all I could think about was why bedtime was so far off.

Then we moved on to French. I am GOOD at french, conversationally… but written grammar, well… let’s just say I have to stop and think sometimes. But we managed to get through it with no real bumps or bruises. Then Kenzi was off looking for a book she’s misplaced and we’re supposed to be reading. The littles are just hanging out, making messes, playing loud (through this whole time, I might add). Kenzi finds her book (or one like it?) and starts reading. After about half an hour or so, she comes to me asking if she can make lunch for her and the littles. Of COURSE I say “yes!”. I decide to take the time to check my emails.

Fast forward half an hour. Kenzi comes to the door of the bedroom looking pale as a ghost. “Mom, I don’t feel well.” Okay… what’s wrong now? “I ate some of Greyson’s egg that I made him for lunch” - “but, Kenzi, you are ALLERGIC to eggs” - “I know, I think that’s why I feel sick. Do we have any benadryl?” - “no.”… so off goes Mom to the pharmacy to buy some allergy medicine… grrrrr’ing all the time over how kids do the dumbest things, and WHY is this kid at home anyhow, am I TRYING to make myself crazy?!?!

I get back home, she takes some medicine… half an hour to an hour later she’s feeling a bit better.

Now comes to “Reason” part. While I was out, I noticed the Metro store had some nice pumpkins for sale, cheap! So, I decided to get a pumpkin for them to gut and roast the seeds. We don’t do halloween, but fresh pumpkin seeds and the promise of making some nice pumpkin pie filling to can just sends shivers up my spine (literally!). How cozy, how warm…

So now it’s about 1:30 in the afternoon, there’s me doing dishes, the pumpkin is now on the floor of the livingroom, with Kenzi, Greyson and Chaeli digging around with their bare hands, pumpkin guts pretty much everywhere, sorting seeds and guts” into different containers. I was just about to … um… reprimand, remind, I don’t know, about all the pumpkin strings on my floor and how there is sticky stuff getting rather near my freshly folded laundry sitting in the basket nearby, when Greyson - sweet, wonderful Greys, up to his elbows in orange, stringy, sticky pumpkin guts - looks up adoringly at Kenzi and says, “I wuv you, Matenzie”. I shut my mouth. Kenzi replies, “you do?” “Yeth, I wuv you becauthe you are my betht big thithter” (I love you because you are my best big sister). I almost tear up. Then Chaeli, not to be outdone, pipes up, “I love you ME TOO, Kenzi!”. Now my eyes are stinging with tears.

THIS is my reason for homeschooling. All this happened in the peaceful quiet of the afternoon, before the schoolbusses started passing by dropping off this student or that student laden with bulging backpacks full of homework. It happened because Kenzi was home, IS home… experiencing life with her little siblings who get to spend time with her while they are at their best, not only late in the afternoon when the whole supper hour craziness is upon us.

Thank you, Lord, for leading me to homeschool McKenzie. Today was a lovely day.

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