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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>There were a lot of things that I didn’t know about blogging when I first started a few years ago.</p>
<p>For example, I had no idea that people would offer me free things in exchange for writing about them.</p>
<p>I must admit, I used to get pretty flattered when those emails would find their way into my in box offering me homeschool curriculum or other new fangled “mommy” type items to try out.</p>
<p>Of course the flattery came to a screeching halt this week when a company contacted me about “reviewing” a new line of…..</p>
<p>(wait for it)….</p>
<p>feminine hygiene napkins.</p>
<p>WhAAAAt?!? Seriously?!?</p>
<p>After getting over my initial reaction of, “EEEEEEEWWWW, GROSS!”, I wondered for a second if I was being punked. Was it possible that someone was playing some big joke on me?</p>
<p>Nope.</p>
<p>It was a very real offer from a real company that wanted me to give them my phone number so they could talk over this opportunity with me personally because they wanted to “help me feel better”.</p>
<p>Ick!</p>
<p>Could you imagine how that review would read? And what?…Did they want me to host a giveaway too?</p>
<p><em>*insert cringe here*</em></p>
<p>I know that mommy bloggers are getting hit up by companies now more than ever to help promote their products, but how far are we willing to go with this nonsense, people?</p>
<p>Any product that has anything to do with “That not so special time of the month” is never going to find it’s way onto this chick’s website.</p>
<p><em>(…at least not while I have PMS anyway.)</em></p>
<p> <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> <em>*wink*</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>We’re baaaaaack!</p>
<p>It has been a pretty good week back to school for us, even though we’ve been dragging a bit getting out of bed before noon.</p>
<p>What about you? Are we the last ones back? Is anyone else STILL on their Christmas break?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>I have been getting lots of emails lately asking me for advice about homeschooling for the very first time.</p>
<p>If you’re new to homeschooling or thinking about homeschooling make sure that you check out your local state rules with the <a href="http://www.hslda.org/" target="_blank">Homeschool Legal Defense Association</a> and then read my post on <a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2010/03/homeschooling-newbies-wannabes/" target="_blank">Homeschool Newbies & Wannabes.</a></p>
<p>It’s hands down the very best advice I can offer ya!</p>
<p><strong style="font-size: large;">Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…</strong></p>
<p>We went to lunch a few days ago with my parents and proceeded to teach them how to play Words With Friends. There were 5 of us around the table at a nice steak house restaurant, all with iPhones playing Words With Friends with each other.</p>
<p>The waitress kind of hated us, but we had a blast!</p>
<div id="attachment_1081" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 286px">
<img class="size-medium wp-image-1081" title="Words with Friends Lesson" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo-1-286x300.jpg" alt="" width="286" height="300" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Hubby teaching my Dad how to play Words With Friends at the restaurant</p>
</div>
<p>In other news, my family is in need of a Words With Friends recovery program.</p>
<p>We’re all officially addicted!!!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>It’s official… I just bought my first iMac computer and I totally feel like one of the cool kids now.</p>
<p>My hubby talked me into getting the fancy magic track pad instead of the mouse, so now I have a whole new computer platform to learn AND these special “gestures” that you have to do with your fingers on the trackpad to get it to work right.</p>
<p>I think that my <a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2012/01/my-year-of-new/" target="_blank">Year of New</a> is off to a good start so far, don’t you?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>Are you planning to attend a homeschool convention this year?</p>
<p>I know that convention season is almost upon us, and I can’t decide if I want to go this year or not.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<div>A pic of my new BFF not even out of the box yet!… <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </div>
<div></div>
<div><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1080" title="Sue's New iMac" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></div>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,<br />
<a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-779 alignnone" title="PrettySue" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png" alt="" width="80" height="88" /></a></p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HomeschoolChick/~4/d3e4RRQXcGg" height="1" width="1"/>37http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2012/01/a-new-computer-words-with-friends-the-one-product-i-will-never-ever-review-on-my-blog/Sue<![CDATA[Do You Want a Piece of Advice?]]>http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/?p=10752012-01-13T05:15:18Z2012-01-13T05:07:24Z<p></p><!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 150px">
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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>Have you ever had something so hilarious happen that tears flow from your eyes, and then all of a sudden, your spouse blurts out…</p>
<p>“You are NOT allowed to blog about this!”???</p>
<p>I have.</p>
<p>Our poor families & friends hang out with us bloggers at their own peril sometimes, don’t they – <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>We’re still plowing through my son’s holiday reading assignment, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carry-Mr-Bowditch-Jean-Latham/dp/0618250743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326414341&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Carry On, Mr. Bowditch</a>“, trying to get it finished before next Monday.</p>
<p>It’s been really nice to have our time off to get the reading finished, but when 2nd semester kicks off, he’ll be required to read a book of this length each week.</p>
<p>My son is a fluent reader, but not a very speedy one so I’m a bit worried about how he’s going to fare.</p>
<p>I’m thinking about getting some of the books on tape so he can read along with them, hoping that will increase his pace a bit, but I have no idea yet, if the idea will work.</p>
<p>I’ll keep ya posted.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>This was our last week off and my son and I enjoyed our downtime like crazy!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>Are you already thinking about your next homeschool year?</p>
<p>I am.</p>
<p>I’m really going back and forth on what we want to do next year.</p>
<p>What about you? Do you already have a plan?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Things I’m working on…</strong></span></p>
<p>Did you read my <a href="http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2012/01/a-new-season-for-hip-homeschool-moms/" target="_blank">BIG news</a> over on Hip Homeschool Moms this week?</p>
<p>I’ve been working on turning the HHM reins over to these ladies for the past few weeks and am so excited for all of the plans they have for our fun community!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I’m reading…</strong></span></p>
<p>I read the entire <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxed-Set/dp/0545265355/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326413904&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Hunger Games trilogy</a> from start to finish over the last 5 days.</p>
<p>A friend of mine told me that it was a fun, fast paced series that you get totally sucked into from the first few chapters, and she was right!</p>
<p>I guess the books have been out for awhile, but apparently I’ve been living under a rock and hadn’t heard of them until recently.</p>
<p>Have any of you read them?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1076" title="Do Not Copy" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Erma.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-779" title="PrettySue" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png" alt="" width="80" height="88" /></a><br />
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HomeschoolChick/~4/5SP3Zga5tn4" height="1" width="1"/>22http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2012/01/do-you-want-a-piece-of-advice/Sue<![CDATA[My Year of “New”]]>http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/?p=10722012-01-06T17:02:47Z2012-01-06T05:15:28Z
]]><p></p><!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/The-Homeschool-Mothers-Journal-graphic.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-894 aligncenter" title="The Homeschool Mother's Journal graphic" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/The-Homeschool-Mothers-Journal-graphic.png" alt="" width="400" height="198" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>2012 is off to a great start! <em> (Well, kind of.)</em></p>
<p>The Christmas decorations have come down and I finally feel like I have my house back to normal.</p>
<p>Of course, after returning home from up north, I have failed, yet again, to unpack my suitcase in a timely manner.</p>
<p>My husband, however, always unpacks within minutes of stepping foot back in the house, but me…not so much!</p>
<p>I usually throw all of my junk on the floor within feet of the front door and heave myself onto the nearest piece of comfy furniture so I can recover from the exhaustion of it all.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m kinda delicate like that.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, after I nearly ripped off my pretty red toenail on the aforementioned unpacked suitcase in the middle of the night last night <del>and cursing like a sailor</del>, I unpacked it and put it away today.</p>
<p>Happy New Year to me!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>We are still off on our holiday break, but have a little reading to catch up on.</p>
<p>It’s been a balmy 75 degrees here in AZ, so we’ve been hanging out reading on the hammock with our sunglasses on.</p>
<p>The weather is great, but I must admit, I kind of miss wearing the warm clothes I was in up north last week.</p>
<p>Crazy, huh?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>I could probably write an entire stand-alone post about this topic, but for now, I’ll limit myself to just this little snippet.</p>
<p>There’s been lots of talk lately about selecting a single, personal word to define what you’re expecting or focusing on in 2012.</p>
<p>Before all of the blog posts and facebook statuses started popping up everywhere, I started to think about 2012 and wondered how I could define my anticipation of it with only one word.</p>
<p>There are a lot of things going on in my life lately that I haven’t blogged about. Things that have actually kept me from blogging…but all of that is going to change very soon.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be cryptic about anything, but I have several things about to change in my life. Personally and blog-related.</p>
<p>I hope to post about those things as they happen over the coming months and share them with all of you in greater detail, but for now, I’ll simply state for the record that 2012 is officially going to be my year of “New”.</p>
<p>What about you?</p>
<p>Do you have a single word that defines what you’re expecting or focusing on in 2012?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>Here’s a little something pretty and new that I just had to share.<br />
<a title="Flower in vase by The Homeschool Chick, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehomeschoolchick/6645300247/"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6645300247_01ef50cb7f_z.jpg" alt="Flower in vase" width="342" height="513" /></a></p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-779" title="PrettySue" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PrettySue.png" alt="" width="80" height="88" /></a><br />
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HomeschoolChick/~4/kWIKoy1rM04" height="1" width="1"/>26http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2012/01/my-year-of-new/Sue<![CDATA[A Snowy Holiday Break]]>http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/?p=10652011-12-30T06:44:08Z2011-12-30T06:38:53Z<p></p><!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><p><a title="The Homeschool Mother's Journal" href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/about-the-homeschool-mothers-journal/"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/HSMJgraphic.jpg" alt="The Homeschool Mother's Journal" /> </a></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: large;">In my life this week…</span></strong></p>
<p>My family headed up north to visit my parents in ShowLow, AZ over the last few days. It was beautiful and the view through their picture window was filled with towering pine trees and blankets of white snow.</p>
<p>My son informed me that this was officially only his third time to ever see snow in his entire life and I wondered how strange that must sound to folks that live in colder parts of the country.</p>
<p>Such is the life of an Arizona desert dweller, I guess.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: large;">In our homeschool this week…</span></strong></p>
<p>Even though our homeschool is taking a little holiday break, I overheard my son explaining scientific classifications and binomial nomenclatures to my mother as I was sitting in the next room.</p>
<p>I had to laugh as my mom loving replied, “Oh, that’s nice dear.”</p>
<p>I guess you can take the kid out of the science class, but you can’t take the science class out of the kid. Right? <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>I loved watching my son out on my parent’s deck, which was covered with 3 feet of snow, mounding up into huge piles of ice.</p>
<p>My favorite moment was when he took a broom handle and jabbed it at the snow stuck on the roof only to be pelted with it in the face seconds later.</p>
<p>I must admit, his cold, stunned look was pretty hilarious.</p>
<p>Yes, I know that a loving mother shouldn’t find such things so funny, but I couldn’t help it.</p>
<p>Terrible. Huh?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>For those of you taking a holiday break from your schoolwork, when do you plan to return?</p>
<p>Will your family be hitting the books again on January 2nd or will you stretch your break farther into the new year?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>I was playing around with a new lens that got for my camera and captured this silhouette of my son looking out of my parents’ window into their snow-covered backyard.</p>
<p>My husband just thinks that it looks blurry, but I think that it looks kinda artsy and cool.</p>
<p>What do you think?<br />
<a title="Looking out of the window by The Homeschool Chick, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehomeschoolchick/6598739083/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6598739083_eaf1214d68_z.jpg" alt="Looking out of the window" width="612" height="408" /></a></p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling & Happy New Year,</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>Yes. I occasionally dress up my <del>four-legged daughter</del> dog in funny little costumes.</p>
<p>Don’t judge.</p>
<p>Truth be known, it was all I could do to resist buying the most adorable Santa hat and white curly beard set for her to wear around our house on Christmas day when I was at Target this afternoon.</p>
<p>The set was $10 and I thought that $10 was just a bit too steep for a doggie costume that my precious Princess Leia would just scratch off, drag out into the backyard to gnaw on, swallow parts of, and then hork back up under the piano. (her special spot)</p>
<p>With that said, I’m still totally hoping that it will be on the clearance rack next week so I can scoop it up for our family photos next year.</p>
<p>I’ll keep ya posted! <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>I took my son to the dollar store to buy his gifts for the family and our time there turned into a fun little impromptu finance lesson.</p>
<p>I must say, the dollar store is such a great place to teach kids about real-life transactions with cashiers and how to make sure that you receive correct change.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…</strong></span></p>
<p>We will be having four (yes, 4) different Christmas gatherings over the next few days!</p>
<p>We’ll be visiting aunts, uncles and in-laws, followed by a 2 day trip up north to see my parents’ new home in the cold, snowy northern Arizona country.</p>
<p>Good times!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>My favorite thing this week was baking cookies with my son and wrapping up gifts to go under the tree all with my new Michael Buble’ CD playing in the background.</p>
<p>Isn’t Christmastime the best?!?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I’m cooking…</strong></span></p>
<p>For Christmas dinner we’re going with more of an Italian flair this year.</p>
<p>In years past, I’ve made prime rib or sweet honey ham for the main course of our big dinner, but this year my husband is craving his family’s famous Rosemary Chicken Cacciatore, so off to Italy we go!</p>
<p>I’m pairing the cacciatore with a side of gnocchi topped with marinara and butter sauce, Parmesan garlic toast (my son’s favorite), green salad and an herb potato casserole.</p>
<p>Needless to say, we’re all planning to go into major carbo-shock after gorging on our big feast, but it will be soooooo worth it!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>Posting this picture has become a kind of little bloggy Christmas tradition of mine, so I just couldn’t resist dusting it off and pulling it out of my archives to share with all of you again.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“On Dasher!…On Prancer!…On Princess Leia!”</strong></em></p>
<div id="attachment_1062" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 572px">
<img class="wp-image-1062 " src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Reindeer-Doggie-1024x789.jpg" alt="" width="572" height="440" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">*Woof!*</p>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p>Merry Christmas!</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span><br />
Dinner with my family earlier this week involved a crazy hunter safety discussion about a real-life duck hunter who’s dog shot him in the buttocks with a shot gun.</p>
<p>Apparently, this duck hunter was out on the lake in a boat with his dog. He propped his shotgun up against something inside of the boat so he could get up and go fuss with some of his gear, forcing his dog to retreat to the opposite end of the boat near the gun.</p>
<p>His mistakes that day were numerous, but propping the gun up in such a way so that it WAS AIMED DIRECTLY AT HIS BODY was probably his biggest. This became obvious when, all of a sudden, good ol’ Fido bumped into the gun causing it to fire 18 pellets into the hunter’s backside. …18 pellets lodged so deep into his backside, some of which still remain there to this day!</p>
<p>Needless to say, this story led to a giggle & snort-filled question session between my 13 year old son and his father. I won’t share all of the bathroom related questions that were discussed at length, but we all desperately want to know what story Mr. Duck Hunter tells TSA as he sets off the metal detector at the airport.</p>
<p>Kinda brings a whole new meaning to the word, “hindsight”, doesn’t it?</p>
<p><em>*wink*</em> <img src='http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong><br />
</span>This past Monday was our last Classical Conversations homeschool class for the semester. <em>WooHoo!</em></p>
<p>The difficulty was following the, <em>“Enjoy your Christmas break!”</em> sentiment that we experienced at the end of the day on Monday with four full days of work.</p>
<p>It’s been brutal getting our minds to focus on schoolwork when all we want to do is lay around drinking hot coco counting how many times we can watch the movie ELF in a row before we slip into a Will Ferrell induced coma.<br />
<strong></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: large;">I am inspired by…</span><br />
</strong>My son’s Classical Conversations tutor gave him a few very sweet Christmas gifts on Monday before he left for the day. One of which was a clear glass ornament filled with a Mercator projection map of the world with a pencil and little note card hanging from it.</p>
<p>Now, this is significant for two reasons.</p>
<p>First, because my son has been learning to draw the entire world from memory this past semester.</p>
<p>Secondly, because of this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/called-to-go.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="called to go" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/called-to-go-1024x817.jpg" alt="" width="492" height="391" /></a><br />
<strong></strong></p>
<p>To be honest with you, it kind of made me feel like a total schmuck for complaining about all of the excessive map-drawing going on around here lately.</p>
<blockquote><p>“Learn to draw the entire world, and you will know how to get to the places where you are called to go.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Beautiful, huh?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Next week we’re on Christmas break.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Joy to the world!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-world.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1052 aligncenter" title="Joy to the World!" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-world-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="382" /></a></p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>I don’t know what is going on around my house lately, but ornaments are falling off of my Christmas tree left and right. So far, the collateral damage involves the headless bodies of a Canadian Mountie and Kris Kringle himself.</p>
<p>Their ghoulish looking heads now hang from our tree like a scene out of a Tim Burton movie, because my 13 year old son thought that it would be comical to torment his mother by putting them back on the branch from whence they came.</p>
<p>He succeeded.</p>
<p>Now every time I walk past my tree I don’t see baby’s first ornament or the sparkly jingle bells. No. Instead, I see decapitated Santa and decapitated Canadian Mountie.</p>
<p>I really feel bad about Santa and the cute body he lost riding a light-up bicycle with a fun little basket of toys, but the Canadian Mountie makes me feel a tiny bit better about that horrible Olympic hockey game that we shall not speak of ever again.</p>
<p>Go USA!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>We are so excited to almost be finished with this semester.</p>
<p>It has been a long hard road for us over the last several months and we are soooooooo ready for a break.</p>
<p>We have one more week left and then we’re off for 4 whole weeks.</p>
<p>[<em>insert happy dance here.</em>]</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>Breathing is good.</p>
<p>Breathing deep cleansing breaths and treating yourself to an occasional peppermint latte is even better!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>Winter has finally arrived in Arizona!</p>
<p>It was actually cool enough for me to pull out a sweater and turn on the heat in the house.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>How’s the weather in your neck of the woods?<strong></strong></p>
<p>Is anyone else enjoying the fact that you don’t have to bundle up your kids and send them off to school?<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I’m praying for…</strong></span></p>
<p>I am so sad for the Duggar family and <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/19-kids-and-counting/michelle-duggar-miscarriage.htm#mkcpgn=fbtlc1" target="_blank">the miscarriage of their baby</a>.</p>
<p>Say what you will about this unusual family, but I think that there is something very special about them.</p>
<p>They are in my prayers.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>My hubby snapped this photo of our bodiless ornaments with his iPhone.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1048 aligncenter" title="photo" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo-999x1024.jpg" alt="" width="448" height="457" /></a></p>
<p>And this photo shows you why you should always wear your bicycle helmet.</p>
<p>… RIP Santa.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RIP-Santa.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1049 aligncenter" title="RIP Santa" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RIP-Santa.jpg" alt="" width="452" height="699" /></a></p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HomeschoolChick/~4/uN5xaZTKv-s" height="1" width="1"/>16http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2011/12/off-with-their-heads/Sue<![CDATA[Modify & Press On]]>http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/?p=10212011-12-02T03:48:03Z2011-12-02T04:00:38Z<p></p><!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 150px">
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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In my life this week…</strong></span></p>
<p>The Christmas tree made it’s way out of our scorpion-infested attic this past weekend thanks to my son and husband who wrestled its plastic piney goodness through the small opening in our garage ceiling.</p>
<p>It’s now nestled in a place of honor between the dog’s water dish and her basket of squeaky toys. Needless to say, my furry little Shihtzu is none too pleased.</p>
<p>It’s almost completely decorated except for a topper of some kind, which I cannot find to save my life!</p>
<p>I considered going with a more modern look, adding some twigs & feathers to the top, but my husband informed me that a “Big Bird” tree topper might not compliment our decor.</p>
<p>So, the topper hunt continues.</p>
<p><em>*Sigh*</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>In our homeschool this week…</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial,sans-cursive;"><br />
</span></p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Modify</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>& Press on.</strong></span></em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is my new philosophy for the remainder of our homeschool year.</p>
<p>We really do love our Classical Conversations group and I really am sold on the classical education model. Although, I don’t necessarily always agree with CC’s interpretation of how the classical model should be implemented, I just can’t argue with the high level of work my son is producing this year.</p>
<p>Soooooooo, after much <del>complaining</del> contemplation and prayer, we have decided to stick it out to the end of the year, but plan to modify our workload along the way.</p>
<p><em>*Phew!*</em></p>
<p>Homeschooling is a roller coaster sometimes, isn’t it?!?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…</strong></span></p>
<p>I think that taking each day, each semester, and each year as it comes is really important.</p>
<p>As homeschool moms we’re in a constant state of evaluating everything we’re doing and we need to remember to pause, catch our breath, and not get ahead of ourselves sometimes.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I am inspired by…</strong></span></p>
<p>I love this post from my friend <a href="http://www.dwimble.com/" target="_blank">Louanne</a> over at Hip Homeschool Moms this week:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2011/11/what-really-matters/" target="_blank">What Really Matters</a></p>
<p>I think that she hits the nail on the head when she reminds us to focus on the reasons that we started homeschooling, other than focusing on what everyone else is doing.</p>
<p>Such good advice!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>My favorite thing this week was…</strong></span></p>
<p>This may sound crazy, but my favorite thing this week was when I forgot to set my alarm clock on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>I slept in until 9 the next morning. On a Wednesday. It was glorious!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Questions/thoughts I have…</strong></span></p>
<p>We have two weeks left of homeschool before we take time off for Christmas.</p>
<p>When are you going to break for the holidays and how long are you going to take off?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I’m reading…</strong></span></p>
<p>I just got a new book called, <a href="http://shpublishing.com/homeschool-supermom-not-by-susan-kemmerer.html" target="_blank">Homeschool Supermom…<em>NOT</em>!</a><em></em>, by Susan Kemmerer and am really enjoying it so far.</p>
<p>Wanna know how I got this snazzy new homeschool book?</p>
<p>I won it.</p>
<p>Wanna know how?</p>
<p>Apparently, I won a Homeschool Misfit award over <a title="Homeschool Misfit Award Winners" href="http://www.homeschoolreviewsandmore.com/2011/11/homeschool-misfit-award-winners.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></p>
<p>Wanna know which one?</p>
<p>The Snarky Homeschooler Award</p>
<p>Ha!</p>
<p>Isn’t that hilarious?!?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A photo, video, link, or quote to share…</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Just so you can see it for yourself. Here is where our Christmas tree sits.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Between the…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-Squeaky-Toys.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1043 aligncenter" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="The Squeaky Toys" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-Squeaky-Toys.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="266" /></a><br />
& the…<br />
<a href="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-water-dish.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1042 aligncenter" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="The water dish" src="http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/The-water-dish.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="266" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Woof!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Happy Homeschooling,</p>
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