Friday, April 30, 2010

Changes for the 2010-2011 School Year

I have decided to start early on our next school year!  I have gotten  most of the curriculum or at least know what I want.  We will be educating a Ninth grader (yikes!!), Seventh Grader, Fourth Grader, Second Grader and off and on a Preschooler.  We will be utilizing the WorkBoxes this year in different versions: The drawers for Caroline, Jack and Evan and the file folders for Sam and Tyler.  I am looking forward to having a plan every day. 

I think we are going to start this through the summer.  They need to work on something during the summer or their brains turn to muss!  Our summer work will be:  They won't be working all day, but hoping they can get something done everyday and reading EVERY day.


Tyler-working on Algrea-through worksheets, a unit study of his choice and reading at least three different books.
Sam-math (7th grade), a unit study of her choice and reading at least three different books.
Caroline-English;  fun math-money, clocks, measure; her state notebook (covers all 50 states) and reading LOTS of books.
Jack-fun math-money, clocks, measure; lapbooks of his choice and 1st grade Rod and Staff Reading with workbooks.
Evan-his letter books, number books and some fun preschool lapbooks.

All of this will go in their Workboxes (I will post more about this once we get them set up).  Hoping to go buy them tomorrow. 

"Happy Jack" turns 7

Jackson Lynn Britt was born Thursday, May 1, 2003. He was our fourth child and second boy. We were so excited to have another boy!!! He like most of the others was induced, a couple days early, I have a hard time waiting and I think that Dr. Link gets tired of me complaining! Jack was a bit hard to get out. Trying to come out with his head sideways didn't quite work well. He had a huge head!!! I watched in a mirror with him and was quite caught off guard by the size of everything. He was our biggest baby 8lbs 8.5 ozs. He was so fat.  He was so big that I had to have surgery 6 weeks after he was born; I'll let you try and figure out why. Hint: I couldn't sit.





He was a really good baby. He loved to snuggle!!! That is one thing that has changed about him. At almost seven he will wipe off just about every kiss I give him. Sometime I will kiss him when he is asleep just to make sure one or two will "stick." He does love me he just isn't the lovey dovey type. I haven't quite figured out his personality yet. I am not too sure who he asks like, but he does look like my uncle. He has the prettiest blue eyes. One day a girl will get lost in those, I did his daddy's. He will be a lady killer.
Right now isn't the best time for Jack. He is a sort of wiener. He doesn't like school much at all and we have to do alot of yelling to get things done. We are working on the one time obedience thing too. Or according to him three or four time obedience.

He is sort of in a hard spot since he has a brother that is 8 years older than him and he wants to do everything like him. He did start basketball this winter and really improved!! By the end of the season he was playing really well. He has just started baseball, machine pitch. He does need some improvement there, but I know he can. He really does like playing. This is what I hear a couple at every game, “Mom how many outs till my game is over?" or "Can I buy some food after the game?" He does have one track mind, food. He will be starting football this summer. We will see how that goes!

I have surely been blessed with wonderful children!!!  This is the simple story of baby #4.

Kentucky Derby Festavil 2010

The Kentucky Derby Festival has been in full swing this week!! We have attended a few events, but not many. It all began two weeks ago with Thunder over Louisville, which is the biggest Air Show and fireworks show in the nation this year. I have a cousin who is learning right now to fly the KC-10. It is the air craft that refuels other air craft over head. He was supposed to be in the KC-10 when it flew in the show, but was bumped. Next year we are hoping that he is the one who flies it over head. We did not go to Thunder this year, Steve was working, but we were able to watch it on TV.





The one event that we always attend is the Mini Marathon/Marathon, we attend it not participate in it. It always runs past our street, so we do down (with Krispy Kreme Donuts) and watch all the runners. This year the start line was only about 1/4 mile from the end of our street. Since we had rain we did leave the donuts at home, but it was fun to watch all the people. The Hot Air Balloon Race usually runs the same morning as the Mini, but because of the rain they didn’t go off till the next day.





We attended the Pegasus Parade Preview. I had mixed emotions about it. I thought it was ok, but not very festive. We went with about 40 other people from our co-op and got to view all of the floats (which are very small) and balloons for the parade. All it cost was the $4 for the Pegasus Pin; I remember when they were a dollar!!! We did have a run in with the "Gay Pride" float, really. They need a float...I am thinking next year we should have a Christian float or Homeschooler float. Anyone want to help???? Steve and I made a trip to the Chow Wagon, not quite the same as when we were young.



The Great Steamboat Race ran Wednesday, which was a beautiful day. The Belle of Louisville races the Belle of Cincinnati up the Ohio River and back. They changed the format this year to include points...what is this NASCAR???

"Utilizing a point system format for determining the winner, the Belle of Cincinnati racked up 99 points to 60 for the Belle of Louisville to win tonight’s Derby Festival Great Steamboat Race presented by Turner Construction Company. Instead of the event winner being determined by the first boat to cross the finish line at the Clark Memorial Bridge, the winner was the vessel which accumulated the most points from performing a series of six tasks assigned to each competitor throughout the day and during the race." From the Kentucky Derby Festival Press Release



Thursday was the Pegasus Parade beautiful day again, about 80 degrees. More than 225,000 people filed downtown to sit along the parade route to watch. We did consider going, but decided better of it!! The kids don't really know what they are missing. We did participate in a Derby Party at Evan's Preschool. So we got to see a parade, a horse race, and a hat contest!!!









Friday is the running of the Oak's, Louisville's day at the Downs. I have never been, but hope to go one day. It is a race for the Fillies, Run for the Lilies.



Then of course tomorrow is The Derby. We will be relaxing at home and watching it on TV. We did take advantage of this tradition and do a Derby Lapbook that was a lot of fun and will help us understand some of the things they do at Derby.  Better go pick my horse.....




Thursday, April 29, 2010

Co-op Spring 2010 has Come to an End

Co-op has finally come to an end!!  We had an awesome session and the kids learned lots of new stuff. 

Evan learned about the Oceans and Solar System, had Playtime and then talked "All About Me."  He really loves co-op.  Here is a look at all the things he made:

Jack learned about Kentucky History, Magic School Bus, Flying Creatures and the Solar System.  He loves to learn about all kinds of new things and hangin' with his friends.


Caroline learned about Kentucky History, Apologia Science-Flying Creatures, Critical Thinking and American Girl-Kirsten.  She really enjoyed all her classes.  Looked forward to everything!!!  She has really enjoyed being with her friends.


Samantha and Tyler had US Geography with cooking, Yearbook, and Literature.  They didn't want to take the Literature, but their mean mommy made them.  They ended up loving it and they each read The Outsiders and Big Red. 


I was the director of the co-op again this session and it went very smoothly.  I do enjoy directing, it is a joy to see all the kids and MOMS get so much out of co-op.  I believe we all start co-op for our children, but continue it for ourselves!!!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tyler's Mission Trip

Last week Tyler went on a Mission trip with the Southeast Christian Middle schooler, CRASH WEEK.  This was their slogan:

bee's are called a swarm

sheep are called a flock
fish are called a school
rhino's are called a crash
WE ARE CALLED TO BE RHINO'S

Tyler came home pumped up....he had such a great time.  I am really proud of all the things he did.  The place they went that meant the most to him was Exceptional Teens and Adults.  The helped mostly teens with autism, he said it was really hard to see kids his age and older, even adults, acting younger then him.  Looking forward to see what God does with him as he grows up!!!

Here is the letter he sent out to everyone who sent money to help sponser him:
Dear Family and Friends,


I had a great time on Crash Week; I met a lot of people, and made even more friends. We went to four different places Edge Outreach, Exceptional Teens and Adults, Necole’s Place, and Wayside. At Edge we carried water four and a half miles MAN THAT WAS HARD, but a good experience. At Exceptional Teens and Adults we played basketball with them on a goal made of a crate. It was really sad to see people older and the same age as me act younger. At Necole’s Place we played games and made crafts with little kids who did not have dads. At Wayside we played with homeless kids, we played kickball and board games. The morning before we went home we went to the abortion clinic to pray I hated that part because little babies were dying. I should be thankful, fourteen girls went in and three came out without getting an abortion.

At Exceptional Teens and Adults I asked the lady that was the director if they were going to get a real basketball goal. She said maybe in the spring. I then asked if we could raise money for a basketball goal for them and she said that would be great. We ended up getting them one before the week was over and everyone participated in Crash Week signed a ball and my team and the team who put it up signed the backboard. I am planning on volunteering at Exceptional Teens and Adults this summer.

I want to thank you for your generosity!!! Had it not been for you and your kindness I a lot of this would not have happened. Because of all the money I received I was able to help others go on this trip. Also, thank you for lifting me and the Crash Team up in prayer last week.

“Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6


Saturday, April 10, 2010

Samantha Rhea

On April 9, 1998 God blessed me with our beautiful baby girl, Samantha Rhea. I tell her she was the easiest to delivery, but the hardest to raise. She was due on the 7th, so was induced on the 9th. We started induction sometime in the morning and she was born at 3:33 pm. She was beautiful a head full of dark hair. She was an easy baby: ate good, slept great, never took a passy, and hardly cried. She was born on Easter weekend, a beautiful Easter I might add.



She went from an easy baby, toddler and preschooler to a very difficult student. We had, well I should say I had a hard time dealing with her. We should have named her ATTITUDE!!! I really struggled to deal with her. I felt she was so disrespectful and frustrating. Everything was an argument. But now she has grown into a sweet, helpful and even sometimes delightful. She is so helpful. I can really count on her to do anything I need: laundry, dishes, watching the little ones, you name it she will and can do it. I give her a really hard time most of the time. I think I figured it out. I forget she is just a kid. She does get attitude now and then, but so did I. I am going to work on how I treat her and make sure I tell her I love her more than I yell at her!!!



We just celebrated her 12 birthday and I can't believe that she is so grown up. We went and bought her makeup the other day and some new clothes (girl after my heart).