Christmas has come and is coming more...

Last Saturday, we had our Christmas here with the boys since my family was coming in during this week to spend the holiday here. We thought we'd get our gifts out of the way...and have them opened and able to be used when everyone was here! :) The kids had a great time opening and using their gifts...most of which were either Wii products or movies. There were other things, but we really like family movie nights here...and so movies were a big part of it. If we're not watching movies, we're playing the Wii. Anyway, as soon as we got things opened up, we started the day of playing, movie watching, playing, movie watching, etc... so much fun and relaxation. ;) I have a couple of videos to post and a ton of pics to post, but will have to do that at a later time....there just isn't time to sit and wait for them to upload right now! LOL I need to go play the Wii....

Then we found out that it would work out best for all concerned with my family for us to postpone our Christmas to the following week (the week of New Years) to ensure that the kids will get the most time together. Well, and us adults too, but the focus is the kids. :) Which is actually really nice, cuz I wasn't quite ready to have 10 people in my house! LOL I could have been ready, but why push it, huh?

So we are leaving in the next couple of days to go to Salem a bit early instead of just Friday and Saturday. So exciting...we'll get to spend time with a new baby that has joined the family and see all the cousins and nieces and nephews that we never get to see! The kids are looking forward to having 3 more Christmases in the next week too! LOL

I wish everyone who reads this and checks in with us a very Merry Christmas! I probably won't be back to update again until after the New Year, so Happy New Year too!

Job update

Things are certainly getting interesting with the economy and how it's effecting us in the job area! Even though Terry is working for Toyoda (a Toyota company, Japanese based) they make parts for both Ford and GM owned companies. So since those companies are having problems, it is creating problems for TG. There has been talk since Thanksgiving that things were going to change for them over Christmas (they normally get about a week off for "shut down" over Christmas and New Years), but they weren't sure yet how much. Well, about two weeks ago, we found ot that they would be off definitely the 22nd and 23rd of this month. Okay, not bad. But then the next day, they added the 18th and 19th to that. Then the next day they said they would also not be working the first full week of January (5th-9th) and would be coming back on the 12th.

Really, that isn't so bad, but they are making people use their own vacation time in order to get paid for these days off. That's 9 days of vacation!!! And for those who didn't have the time, they had to take it without pay. I feel so sorry for those people...thankfully, we have the time for it. (I'm just not sure what I will do having Terry home for 3 weeks straight!)

But things are possibly getting worse. There is rumor that there will be more days in January that they will have to not work and another rumor (which is 99% confirmed by a member of management) that they will be going to a 4-day work week. Now, that's not 4-10's. That would be 4-8's. So they would only work 32 hours a week instead of 40. We're not sure as of yet when that's gonna happen or how the pay issue would work out since Terry is salaried. Legally, there can be some issues there.

For the time being, I'm trying to keep Terry from worrying about things...but that's hard to do with him being the head of the household and feeling so strongly about filling that role so well. He feel responsible and is worried that things are going to get so much worse in the coming months. But we're healthy, have a roof over our heads, have food on our table, and have presents under our tree. We are BLESSED and we are trying to focus on counting those blessings.

Family is coming to spend some time at our house in ONE WEEK! :) The kids are getting so excited and I have to admit, so am I! LOL

Mid-December update

We are getting healthy again! LOL It's been a while since I have posted, but mostly that has been due to either illness, craziness (not mine!), and exhaustion!

Right before Thanksgiving we decided to rearrange our living room to better accommodate our upcoming Christmas festivities and cuz we've been wanting it rearranged for quite some time, and this seemed like a perfect time! But I told Terry that I wanted to paint if we were gonna rearrange...it's been 8 years we've been in this house and I've never gotten to paint the living room/kitchen. So I picked out paint and had it mixed and I painted one wall (the one where the entertainment center would go when it was moved) the day before Thanksgiving. We got home from Thanksgiving and (as you have already read) I got sick. We had already moved the entertainment center on Monday night, so the living room looked like a tornado had thrown up in there! But then I was sick for 3 days so we weren't able to work on it at all.

On Thursday night, I was feeling better, so we talked about how to do the weekend with all the finishing we needed to do...furniture, wiring for the stereo and video equipment, etc. Terry suggested that we could go ahead and paint 2 more walls (which would take the paint into half of the kitchen) with no problems on Friday night. See, I had planned on just painting that 1 wall and stopping till after Christmas. But he had a point, why not get it all done while the furniture is already away from the walls? So Friday night, we had a "date night" of painting the living room walls and one kitchen wall. The kids got to help some, but they entertained themselves having a 'gameshow' of the two contestants having a painting competition. They would get their announcer voices (which sounded oddly British!) and take commercial breaks and interview the "painters" and everything. It was really quite comical and made the evening more fun. But then, we were nearing the end of the night, the end of the painting (for now), when Terry had to open a new gallon. I looked at it and said, "It looks more pink...." He said, "It's probably just cuz it's wet and the stuff up there is already starting to dry." Okay, whatever. :) So he gets back to his part and I finish up the corners and ceiling area I was doing....I get down and something told me to look at what he was doing. I stepped back far away from it and just said, "Honey stop!" He said, "It's not the right color is it??" Yep, the store mixed the color wrong. And we had a 3-foot-wide-floor-to-ceiling patch of it that wasn't right. And it was too late in the night to take it back to them. But then we got to looking at it all and realized that the color we had been putting on the wall was actually the wrong color (which we liked better!) and the one in the cans left was the right color! So the next morning, we took them back and they mixed up some fresh color, matching the wrong color, and didn't even bat an eye! I was shocked; I figured they would make us pay for it....but they didn't!

So we finished painting and started putting things back together. We got the living room put back and all the wiring done by about 7:30 last Saturday night and we just collapsed! On Sunday mom and dad came down so that we could put up the Christmas decorations, and mom stayed an extra day helping me get the school room and the rest of the living room (the tornado throw up from before was still there!) back together again. (I suddenly feel like "all the kinds knights and all the kings horses..." Ha!)

The boys decided they wanted to go home with Grandma, so they went home with them on Tuesday night...and we started our Christmas shopping! All online! LOL It's really fun to be able to ship everything right to your door! We got all the boys' stuff ordered that night and just have to finish up a couple more things for extended family this weekend! YAY!

Work is proving to be an interesting situation for Terry...being in automotive, things are getting tough. TG makes parts for other manufacturers, and those companies are shutting down more and more over the next few weeks...which means that TG isn't working either. So, they have told them that they have to be off work 9 additional days (additional to their holiday time off) and it has to come out of their vacation time...if they don't have vacation time, they take it without pay. Then he came home last night and said that other departments are already talking about working 4 day work-weeks (not 4-10's, but 4-8's....getting them only 32 hours a week instead of 40) and that he suspects his department will be next, cuz they are so closely linked in what they do. *sigh* So, starting when he comes home next Wednesday, the 17th, he will be home and not working until January 12. That's over 3 weeks off. Granted, that will be nice to have him home and we'll get some things done, and we're thankful that he's got the vacation time to use so we won't go without pay, but it's making it hard to figure how to make things okay if work gets worse. And it has great potential to get much worse. :-( We're just praying and, honestly, it's helping our faith more, cuz we know that God will take care of us and make things okay. :)

Well, I am off to do more laundry and get ready for my boys to be home. :)

Well, I'm sick...

Here I sit, on my bed doing Christmas present research for Terry while I'm sick...but he's up and doing the dishes and the laundry and cleaning stuff. :( I have 2 infections in my left ear and one in my right. Ugh. I've had horrible luck with my ears this year. Ho hum. LOL C is asleep by me and B is helping Terry, which is good for them. Guess I'm having a pity party of sorts, huh? :-)

I will update soon about our Thanksgiving...it was truly a blast! We had 4 days in Salem and it was such a blessing.

Till then...

Getting to that time...

I haven't updated in a few days because I haven't had time! I have been spending my days (and some evenings) working on mom's portfolio and getting things ready for the Craft Show this weekend in Cape. I'm excited about it....but man there's a lot of work to do! LOL

Mom and dad came down on Friday so that Saturday we could work (together) on all the details that still needed to be worked out. The guys built a 'stand' for all the quilts to go on, mom worked on sewing, and I worked on the portfolio and dimensions. When the guys finished, we ate an early supper (ordered pizza cuz no one had time to cook!) and then sat down at the table and started working out other details: pricing. What a time consuming thing! We worked on things till 11 PM and we were all so brain-fried that we had to stop...then mom and dad still had to drive home!

Monday I worked more on portfolio and then went downstairs to sand down the stands. After dinner (leftover pizza from the weekend!) I went down again and began painting. I realized quickly it was going to take at least 3 coats to cover up the construction grade lumber, but that's okay...I love to paint!

Yesterday (Tuesday) we spent time at the chiropractors office (our third week there for Brent since he rotated his hip out of place) and were finally cleared by the Doc to return to TKD in December! Woohooo... :) [But that is short lived, perhaps. Last night, right before bed, I had the boys come and put some of their laundry away and when they finished, (for some reason) Brent went skipping through the house and around the island in the kitchen.... Well, he fell and started crying. When I got to him, he was holding his right knee...the same leg that was rotated. :-( So, we'll see how that affects him over the next couple of weeks...we may be fine or we may end up back in the chiro's office.] After the chiropractor's office, the boys and I had dentists appointments where a teeny tiny cavity was found on one of Brent's teeth. So that is getting fixed on Friday morning. Then on me, I was explaining to them how my lower left teeth are really sensitive at times and after their questioning me, we figured out that my root canal tooth (from 10 years ago) was the one giving me fits and that my teeth are hitting together too soon and too hard. So, by using some carbon paper, Doc figured out where and he ground away parts of my upper teeth to keep it from hitting so hard in places. He said it's a work in progress and I may end up needing more done to it, but it is an easy fix. :) At least I won't have so much pain anymore!

Last night was Friendship Sisters reorganization..so I got to go and get a new FS. I'm so excited about the one I have for this year! :) But the coolest part of the evening was when I got home, Terry had put away several loads of laundry, cleaned out a basket of his old shoes (that had been sitting in our room for about 3 months!) and washed and put away another 4 or 5 loads of laundry! WOW! What a man! LOL I know he's really trying to help me out this week knowing that I have so much else going on.

This weekend, while Mom and I are at the craft fair, the original plan was for the guys to rearrange the living room....but I had asked if I could paint when we did that. Terry said he didn't want to rearrange until after I had painted that one wall (cuz it is the entertainment center which is a HUGE pain to move around) and now that I'm running so behind on time, he will most likely just run the wiring this weekend. Then next week I can paint and we'll rearrange things one evening. It will work out okay. We just have to have things rearranged by Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I have added my Playlist back to my blog..but this time with some of my favorite Christmas songs on it. Enjoy! We're getting to that time of year when I can't wait to see Christmas things and put my tree up! Believe me, it would be up by now if I thought I could get away with it! LOL But I will settle for listening to the music here on the computer for now. The tree will hopefully go up the week after Thanksgiving, but we'll see. :)

Review Sites

I sent this out via email, but thought it might be helpful to post it here too! :)
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Common Sense Media
This one has a rating system on it that tells you what age it is most appropriate for, what age it has 'iffy' things for, and what age is not appropriate for viewing. Really cool. Plus, you can add your own reviews if you like! It also has a way to search through each category alphabetically...but that is way at the bottom of the page and sorta grayed out. But it's there! :)

Kids-In-Mind
Another one for movies...I don't think it is quite as user friendly, but it's got the information needed.

Plugged In Online
This has been an old stand-by at our house! We love this one and I will continue to use it. VERY useful! The only thing I don't like about it is that the movie reviews aren't out quite as quickly as we would sometimes need them. For instance a movie coming out on Friday doesn't have the review released until Thursday evening. Makes it a bit hard to plan. But other than that, it's good. (We dont' hit the theater very often anyway!)

My suggestion would be to look up a few movies on each website that you KNOW how you feel about and compare what is said on each site to what you feel personally about those movies. That should give you a good indication of whether or not you trust that particular webiste.

He's better!

Well, the night of the election, Brent woke up at about midnight throwing up and continued with it all night. He finally quit about 7 AM and went to sleep...sleeping most of the morning. Then mid-afternoon he said he was dizzy...so I took his temp. Yep, 101.8! Ugh. So he had fever all afternoon and into the evening, but the odd thing was that it went down throughout the night! When he went to bed it was down to 99.3 and I could tell he was getting better cuz he got contrary. :)

This morning he came bounding out of bed saying he felt so much better! He said he's still dizzy a bit, but other than that he's fine!

What a weird bug....just a few hours! Terry had the same thing apparently last weekend. I really hope I don't get it! LOL

Sad Day for our Country...

So much to be said, and yet I can't find the words to truly convey what I'm feeling. I am saddened and disappointed. I'm angered and frustrated. I'm tired and yet it's just beginning.

Last night, Senator Barack Obama was elected as our 44th President of the United States. Such a shame. So many people voted for him and have absolutely NO idea what they were voting for, except they knew they were voting for a black man. They didn't pay attention to his stances, his plans, his history, or his policies. They saw a black man and said, "Finally, we can get vindication for all the abuse we endured 150 years ago..." Well, here's news: THEY weren't the ones who endured it. Just because their ancestors were enslaved does not mean that that enslavement holds up for generations. Instead of realizing that fact, many Americans blindly voted for a man that has no business being the POTUS.

Things are about to change in our country...and I don't think any of us can truly predict what's about to happen. Here's a quote from Fox News:

Despite McCain's appeal for unity in his speech, many in the audience wore hard feelings on their sleeves.

Some stood with arms crossed, anger etched on their faces. Others expressed disappointment, even fear. Still others wiped away tears and grumbled when John McCain congratulated his opponent, America's first black president, for making history.

And it was clear on an election night like no other that the hard feelings of a hard-fought campaign would not fade anytime soon.

Jeri Mott, 58, of Tucson, listened to McCain's concession speech with her arms tightly crossed and a look of disgust on her face.

"I'm thinking that I'm real worried about what's going to happen tomorrow, especially about my troops," said Mott, whose son recently enlisted in the Army. "He'd better be paying close attention to what he's doing with our troops," she said of Democrat Barack Obama. "Don't leave them with nothing."

As for the historic nature of the night, Mott didn't much care.

"I have no problem with an African American at the helm. It's his vision of what he wants to do that I have a big problem with."

"The wrong African American," she called Obama.

Molly Pinckney, 60, of Phoenix stood frowning, the red pom pom she earlier had waved tucked by her side.

"I'm really sad. I'm sad for our country." .....

....One supporter muttered, "I'm feeling like doom is coming."

In closing, Kyl cited a Bible passage that seemed as appropriate an ending to McCain's campaign as any.

2 Timothy 4:7:
"I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith."

And then there is Sarah Palin. :-) I truly love and admire her! It was during McCain's concession speech that I got the saddest last night....when I saw Sarah's face. She looked truly heart-broken (as you can see below) and let down and my heart just broke for her.

But I don't think we're done seeing Governor Palin! I truly believe she will be back in 4 years to run again. She is one of a kind and deserves our respect for how she handled herself during this campaign. She was ridiculed and run through the muck by the press and by the Democratic campaign, but she held her head high and continued to do what she knew was right: fight for our country.

Now we just wait and see what is going to happen in the coming months. So much has already been said on the news this morning about Obama's plans and the reaction of the troops and the reaction of the rest of the world. Time will tell....

Trunk or Treat

Saturday night we had a Halloween party for the kids at church. There were some quick crafty things for them to do for a couple hours, food to eat and then they went outside for Trunk-or-Treat. So much fun! Here are some pics of the evening! :)

Only one person decorated their 'trunk' but that was okay...the kids just wanted the candy anyway! :) What a success!

Show Me Palin Power!

Last Thursday, I had the awesome chance to go see Sarah Palin speak at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau at a Victory Rally. OH. MY. GOODNESS. !!! She was absolutely awesome!!!

The night before, I made some shirts for us to all wear. I used an iron-on process and just made up my own logo. We had a big Missouri outline on our shirts with "Show Me Palin Power" across the outline. We got so many compliments on those shirts...people were saying, "Wow, I haven't seen that one yet...where'd you get it???" Hehe...it was cool to say, "I made them. (Just patting my back a little bit....) You can see part of the shirt on Clayton in the pics below...

Mom wanted to go with me and I had nothing to do with the boys...but what better way for them to spend a morning than hearing their next Vice President in person! So we were all up around 4 AM heading to Cape and getting in line! Wow, what a line there was! The doors opened around 6:30 and we were in and seated by 7:30, so really not bad...and the boys did famously! No complaining and (thankfully) no begging for the bathroom till we got in there! LOL They were SOO tired by the time we got in there, but they very quickly got pumped up! Brent screamed "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!" everytime the crowd roared! Clayton was squealing in my ear!






Of course, there were many other Republican candidates from the state there as well so we got to also hear Kenny Hulshof and Joann Emerson speak. The color guard came out with the Missouri Flag and the US Flag and all of us....all 8,000 people in attendance....said the Pledge of Allegiance at the same time! I had chills! It was completely an awing experience.

Then Sarah came out with Alaska's "First Dude" Todd Palin....what a cutie! :) Her speech had us off our seats and screaming! Here is a link to the speech from YouTube.





(Incidentally, the next day Arnold Schwarzenegger was at a rally with McCain in Ohio and spoke as well. Here is a link to his talk. Be sure and click on Part 2 as well so you can hear ALL of what he says....wow, what a speaker!)



As we came out of the Show Me Center, there was a guy outside still cheering for Sarah. (I found out after the fact that he was 'removed' from the rally for whatever reason.) Since he was there, I asked if he would take pics with my boys...of course, he was happy to agree! LOL I later saw him on Fox News over the weekend! Way cool!


Then we were walking to the van and we saw all these people lined up at one end of the parking lot. I figured it was something cool, so we went over....and discovered that was where Governor Palin's motorcade would be going when she left! Sweet! So we stood there (much to the dismay of the boys!) and I got this video of them leaving. Sarah is in the 2nd SUV and she is in the back-passenger seat waving. If you zoom it to a full screen video, you can see her waving. :)

Once we were finally driving (0h yes, traffic was tough!) we ended up driving where Sarah's car drove.....I told mom, "I'll never wash these tires again!" LOL Okay, just kidding, but it was fun to be stupid! LOL


We went to eat lunch and nearly everyone we saw there had been at the rally. So many people were smiling at us and saying, "Wasn't it great!?" "What did you like the best?" and other things like that. It was so awesome! I told Terry later that night that I like rallies! LOL He said he wasn't surprised, but wasn't sure if I needed to go to them anymore....I haven't shutup since I got home!

Quirky Kids

The other night, Terry and I were finishing up our supper at the table and the kids were playing in their room. Soon they came out and I looked at Brent in the living room and just started laughing!! He had taped a little troll doll thing to his face with scotch tape!!! After we finished laughing at him, I got pictures. I'm still not sure WHY he taped it there, but whatever!

Recent Happenings

Wow, it's been a while! I haven't posted much on here cuz last week there just wasn't much to post! LOL

2 weekends ago, we went to Salem with the Watson's for the annual hayride there. The hayride was okay...but really the most fun we had was when we took them out into the woods and we all got to go 'tree-tipping'. I know, I know...sounds like a really hillbilly thing to do! Well, it is and it's fun!! LOL We basically find old dead trees that are pretty rotten in the root system. Then you just push 'em over! They go over really easy but it's so much fun to watch the kids feel so powerful in the way they can 'move trees'.

Last week was a week of recouperation and time to start getting ready for the upcoming Halloween party and Trunk-n-Treat at church. The boys began seriously preparing for their upcoming Tae Kwon Do tournament that is this weekend.

On Friday evening, I was completely tuckered out and decided that since this was the first in about 12 weekends that we've had at home with nothing to do, I was gonna go rent some movies and we'd veg on Saturday (Terry was sick anyway, so I knew there was no way he'd be up working outside on Saturday!). I am blogging our reviews of the movies we watched here.

On Sunday evening at the end of the worship, there was an announcement by our minister saying that he and his family would be moving on to another location at the end of the year. Oh. My. Goodness. There were tears and hugs and utter sadness for nearly an hour! We were all shocked and saddened, but know that that is us being selfish in our wanting them to stay. This is what they feel they have to do for themselves and is what they feel they have been led to do...but it is NOT an easy thing to accept! I know for myself, I struggled until late afternoon yesterday to be able to not cry every 5 minutes. And Brent was really struggling too...he cried from the moment we got in the van that night until I finally got him to bed around 10, and then was crying again when he woke up the next morning. Thankfully, he is better now. He's still sad, but is better and is processing it well. I know the Lord has good things in store for the M's and for us at Jackson....He will bring someone to us that will help us grow even more!

This week, we are working on Halloween costumes...we just painted them today. They need a second coat and then I can finish the last bit of it...I will post pictures later! :) We're also working on their Halloween bags...I have decided to use canvas bags that they can decorate with paint. I don't like the little plastic buckets you can get and using a pillow case (like I use to do) doesn't work so well with C, who is short! Fun! We're taking a few days break...sort of a "Fall Break"....from schooling. Brent needed it and so did I. He just finished Unit 1 in his books and I thought with all the Halloween activity coming on, it would be good not to have to do school 'formally' this week.

We also have TKD tourny coming on Saturday followed by the Halloween party at church...should be lots of pictures to share next week!

My other blog

Well, I've had this other blog in place now for a while, but haven't added anything to it...at all. ;) The goal is to have a place where I review and rate movies I see and books I read (mostly it will be books!) so that friends and family have a place to go to see my thoughts on that (if they so desire!). But, I just haven't had the time to put anything over there.

Until today! LOL I just finished a book that I think warrants a review, so it will be my first over there. Eventually I will c&p the ones I've done here on this blog over to that one so they are all in one location and easier to find.

So if you want, here's a link! ABCatHome-reviews

4-H Meeting at the Fire Station

On Friday we had our first 4-H meeting of the year...and since it was National Fire Safety Week, we had it at the Fire Station. Mr Jeff showed us around and put on his gear for us. (Did I mention that our 'little' 4-H group is made up of all homeschoolers?? LOL) After he finished with his gear, the kids got to explore inside the fire truck, which of course, they thought was completely awesome!

There were all kinds of gadgets on the outside of the truck too. Knobs to push and things to look at!

One particular door that opened was truly fascinating to Brent....the one with all the sharp objects!! LOL He was "wow'd" by the axes and such that you see below. I'm sure you can tell his jaw is hanging open as he leans on the truck looking at all of it!

Near the end of the tour of the truck, the kids all climbed in the back seat area and sat still long enough for a posed shot!

One of them (I don't remember which one) asked about the 'heat sensing gun' to help them find people in a fire. (I am thinking it was Brent cuz he knew about the camera from our trip to the firehouse in Jackson last year...) Mr. Jeff got it out for us and was showing them how it works. Below, you can see his hand in the camera screen where it is on the door. These camera's are really neat...cuz for a few seconds (maybe 15) after he moved his hand, the heat imprint was still visible on the screen. Really cool!

Reason #997,247 to be a homeschooler...

Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day
Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, October 11, 2008

A group of San Francisco first-graders took an unusual field trip to City Hall on Friday to toss rose petals on their just-married lesbian teacher - putting the public school children at the center of a fierce election battle over the fate of same-sex marriage.

The 18 Creative Arts Charter School students took a Muni bus and walked a block at noon to toss rose petals and blow bubbles on their just-married teacher Erin Carder and her wife Kerri McCoy, giggling and squealing as they mobbed their teacher with hugs.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, a friend of a friend, officiated.

A parent came up with the idea for the field trip - a surprise for the teacher on her wedding day.

"She's such a dedicated teacher," said the school's interim director Liz Jaroslow.

But there was a question of justifying the field trip academically. Jaroflow decided she could.

"It really is what we call a teachable moment," Jaroflow said, noting the historic significance of same-sex marriage and related civil rights issues. "I think I'm well within the parameters."

Nonetheless, the excursion offers Proposition 8 proponents fresh ammunition for their efforts to outlaw gay marriage in California, offering a real-life incident that echoes their recent television and radio ads.

"It's just utterly unreasonable that a public school field trip would be to a same-sex wedding," said Chip White, press secretary for the Yes on 8 campaign. "This is overt indoctrination of children who are too young to have an understanding of its purpose."

The trip illustrates the message promoted by the campaign in recent days, namely that unless Prop. 8 passes on Nov. 4, children will learn about same-sex marriage in school.

"It shows that not only can it happen, but it has already happened," White said.

California Education Code permits school districts to offer comprehensive sex education, but if they do, they have to "teach respect for marriage and committed relationships."

Parents can excuse their child from all or part of the instruction.

On Friday, McCoy and Carder, both in white, held hands on Newsom's office balcony overlooking the rotunda and recited their vows.

"With this ring, I thee wed!" Carder said, shouting the last word for emphasis.

After traditional photos, the two walked out City Hall's main doors where the students were lined up down the steps with bags of pink rose petals and bottles of bubbles hanging from their necks. McCoy, a conferences services coordinator, was in on the surprise and beamed as the children swarmed around Carder.

The two said they have participated in the campaign against Proposition 8 and planned to travel around San Francisco on Friday afternoon in a motorized trolley car with "Just Married" and "Vote No on 8" banners.
The two met on a dance floor two years ago.

"This is one girl I can honestly say deserves happiness, and it came in the form of Kerri," said Carder's friend Dani Starelli.

Creative Arts administrators and parents acknowledged that the field trip might be controversial, but they didn't see the big deal. Same-sex marriage is legal, they noted.

"How many days in school are they going to remember?" asked parent Marc Lipsett. "This is a day they'll definitely remember."

Carder's students said they were happy to see their new teacher married.
"She's a really nice teacher. She's the best," said 6-year-old Chava Novogrodsky-Godt, wearing a "No on 8" button on her shirt. "I want her to have a good wedding."

Chava's mothers said they are getting married in two weeks.

The students' parents are planning to make a video with the children describing what marriage is to them.

Marriage, 6-year-old Nolan Alexander said Friday, is "people falling in love."

It means, he added, "You stay with someone the rest of your life."

As is the case with all field trips, parents had to give their permission and could choose to opt out of the trip. Two families did. Those children spent the duration of the 90-minute field trip back at school with another first-grade class, the interim director said.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's not controversial for me," Jaroflow said. "It's certainly an issue I would be willing to put my job on the line for."
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Now, I realize this is California and not where I live, but still. If this isn't another reason to homeschool, I don't know what is! So sad....

Grades Report...from LAST year! HA!

Okay, I know it's a little late for this, but, well, I just got them done! LOL We schooled all summer to make up for what we lost last year with Janice's illness/hospitalization and Terry's surgeries. So, we had just finished with last years' stuff when we jumped straight into this year...I had no time for grading or posting to my 'grade book' (which is just an Excel spreadsheet with multiple tabs that I created last year so it could do all the figuring for me!). So, here we go:

Phonics:
9769/10165 = 96% A

Reading:
4135/4297 = 96% A

Writing:
618/627 = 99% A

Math:
11167/11586 = 97% A

Art:
505/517 = 98% A

So, obviously, B was 'promoted' to 2nd Grade! LOL He did really well last year and is actually past his actual grade when it comes to many aspects of his schooling. We've decided to change Mathematics curriculum this year to Modern Curriculum Press Math...it's sequential, vs the spiral that we had been doing in the past 3 years. We're still using Rod and Staff for Phonics and Reading, and they also sent us a Social Studies book this year that Brent LOVES! It's doing a general study of the world geography, and he's learning all the continents and some of the individual countries within them. Very cool!

2nd grade is definitely more work for him (and me!) but he's really enjoying school this year. Plus, it helps that Daddy is teaching math this year too! :)

More later!

Freed-Hardeman Chorale

We were truly blessed this weekend! For three years now, the Freed-Hardeman Chorale has come the first weekend in October to stay a night with us and perfrom for us on that Sunday afternoon. This year was no different! The 'kids' came in on Saturday evening and a few of us stayed together to eat dinner and play some cards. Oh what fun we had!!! The card game we learned/played was like Spades and Bunco combined...what a treat! We rotated tables and really got to know each other.



We had Asia and Rebecca...Asia is pictured below, on the left. She's a sweetie and I'm SOOO thankful we've been blessed to get to know her!