Making Memories!

For some reason, this time of year makes me nostalgic!  Getting out all the homemade ornaments, baking cookies...and..very important to my kids--I don't worry as much about the house as I do about the reason for the season and having fun with them.  If you want a clean house PLEASE don't stop by without an appointment.

A few years ago, my daughter & I found another time of year for us to reconnect: The FPEA convention in Orlando.  We head over to the Gaylord Palms, just the two of us, for a girls' weekend. 



I'll spend time with my friends some of the time (and so will she) but we make a commitment to spend some time on just the two of us.  Dinner together, curriculum hall together, maybe even the pool. This year will be a really big year--it's her senior year, and probably our last convention together.

If you've never been to a convention, don't miss this awesome opportunity to make family memories.  AND the FPEA brings all the best speakers in the country to one place.  Curricula...it's all there!  But most important it's a chance to get away and have fun as a family.

Put the date on your calendar now, and  be sure to check the FPEA website frequently for updates!



Feeling blessed, how about you?

Linda

FPEA Ambassador

http://www.fpea.com/ 

Is there change in the air?

Around this time of year, there are always families who realize that their current school situation isn't working.  Then comes that wonderful feeling of falling off the "homeschool cliff"....without a parachute!

Well, have no fear, your parachute is here.  Here, in 3 easy steps I'll tell you how to homeschool in the state of Florida.

1. Join a local support group.  You're going to need people around on "those days".  When I facilitate homeschool orientation, I refer to it as "those days when you understand why some animals eat their young".  It's also great to have people you can call on when you have questions. 
2. Join the FPEA, your state support group.   We have amazing members (and some will be in your back yard!)  The convention is a MUST NOT MISS event (I'll be sure to blog more about that later).  There is a lot of strength in the FPEA, after all it's been around for over a quarter century!
3. After you join the FPEA, you can download this amazing  FPEA Guide to Homeschooling in Florida.  It has info about the law, record-keeping, learning styles....pretty much if you need to know it, it's in this little book!  I still refer to it and I've been teaching other people how to homeschool for over 5 years (and been homeschooling for 13 years).

So if you're thinking of taking up "cliff diving" this Christmas break and opening your homeschool; come on in the water's fine!  You'll have the most fun you've ever had learning...right along with your kids!
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Feeling blessed, how about you?

Linda

FPEA Ambassador

Website: http://www.fpea.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FPEAHomeschool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FPEAHomeschool

Government...up close and personal!

I grew up in a suburb of Washington DC so I've had my fill of "government".  Except I realized that I never really studied it in school.  Of course, I had the chance to study it when my son was in high school, except I let him take the class as a dual enrolled student.  So, third time's the charm, right?

I just finished teaching a government class at our homeschool co-op when I saw the info for FPEA's Day at the Capitol on Friday January 12, 2012 .  What a great way to learn about government up close and personal!  Did you know that Florida's method of government is the same as our federal government?  And do you know what method of government that is?  (Hint: Democracy is the wrong answer).  Have you ever visited Tallahassee and been invited to meet with your lawmakers?  Now is your chance for all of those opportunities!  Don't miss out!

Feeling blessed, how about you?  (BTW, the correct answer is constitutional republic)

The Very First Ever Homecoming Dance!

Wow!  What a week!  We just had our very first ever homecoming game, dance, homecoming court.  It was a week of firsts!

I am not necessarily a fan of copying what the public/private schools do.  However, I AM a fan of the high school kids in the PPEA having a great high school experience.  The teens like dances.  I like the teens (usually).  So I started planning our homecoming weekend.

First the game--we don't have a sports team.  A co-ed game is absolutely out--hands are gonna end up in places they ought not to be.  Powderpuff game...well, now would probably be a good time to admit that I don't really understand all the rules of football, so no football games.  But they love laser tag!  Ah ha!  A class on class face-off!  (BTW, seniors won!)

Fast forward to the next night--the dance!  Sock Hop theme, music from the 50s and on, pizza and snacks...did I mention the bling?

This was a big deal...to the girls! Anyone who had purchased a ticket by the deadline (and was a student member of the PPEA) was nominated for Homecoming Court!  Let the voting begin!

The whole gang!

We even did the Limbo Rock--and somehow they talked me into playing too.  OK, I crawled through.  After all, I'm old!

Feeling blessed, how about you?


http://www.fpea.com/

Whew! I need a nap!

Ever have one of those weeks when the schedule is crazy...even with your best efforts?  Oh, yeah!  Me too!

The disaster actually started in the spring.  I scheduled a visit to a local unversity for last week. We added a fall event.  I didn't think it would be a problem, because all I had to do for the university tour was to show up.  But, of course, that wasn't enough.  The Tampa Bay Rays called to see if we could provide a color guard for one of the last games of the season.

So, I'm now up to 3 events in 1 week.  But did I stop there?  Oh, no!  We still had to fit in the 18th birthday party!

So, this week...this week I'm not put anything on the schedule...no way, no how!  Well, maybe I'll have my platinum highlights retouched.  They really need it after last week..

Feeling blessed, how about you?

Living in the Past!

I've mentioned several times (my husband would say ad infinitum) about my work on Ancestry.com.  Just as I hit enough walls to discourage me from continuing my work, I'll have a breakthrough that will get me all excited again.  It's like the history course I always wished I could take.

Two weeks ago, I found relatives from Plymouth, MA; who were most likely Puritan.  Then I hit a dry spell.  Just last night I found a relative of my husband's who was on the Second Supply ship to Jamestown.  Naturally this ignited the fire again!

But there is also a lot of frustration!  Everyday I'll follow a lead (or in the case of Ancestry.com, a leaf) that has ridiculous info.  For example the father is born in 1640 the mother in 1645 and the son in 1650.  Are you kidding me?  The interesting part is that no less than 10 family trees have duplicated this info.  Does no one do math anymore? Your average 5 year old, no matter how precocious is not likely to be birthing children!  Just last night, I found a listing where the son is 28 years older than his parents!

Which is actually a good life lesson.  It's important to pay attention and not accept things at face value. It pays to read a document before you sign it.  Most importantly, it pays to compare what you know to be true to what someone tells you is true.

Oh, and even though I love Ancestry.com--don't drive through life looking in the rear view mirror, cuz you miss all the good stuff.  God didn't design us to live in the past, but to learn from it!

Feeling blessed, how about you?

Zero to Sixty in 1.2 Weeks

To recap, this last week Cindy completed her 2nd week of dual enrollment.  We started with just one class because I knew she'd be shocked when the full work load kicked in.  Guess what started to happen in class #4? Oh yeah, babe, let the essay questions and massive reading assignments begin.  I tried to advise her to get a bit ahead on her assignments, but that only works if the professor gives you the assignments ahead of time!

In addition to that, our co-op classes begin this coming Friday. While she has been working on her school assignments, I've been working on the PPEA high school events, and my co-op classes.  But has Cindy been working on hers?  She's been trying to fit it in between assignments, with limited success. Will she get everything done?  I have no doubt of that, she's a very tenacious young lady. But it will be an interesting few weeks as she adapts to her new schedule!

Oh, and we can't forget that this is her senior year.  So we also have senior portraits, grad meetings and all things graduation!

So fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!