The Cast Chronicles- Week 4

Posted on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 03:27 by connie - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

With week four behind us and ten days to go we got back to our homeschool classes at Mystic Aquarium.  I usually don't sit in the classroom but with Parker's injury I did this week.  I got to see what the kids do in class and I HIGHLY recommend any CT homeschoolers to sign up for the classes.  They are fabulous.  Blake's Pr- K, K class learned about how the different animals in the ocean move through a puppet show.  I even learned something new about octopus.  After the puppet show they got to go to the touch tank and get upclose and personal with some sea creatures.

Blake holding a sea urchin, while blinking....nice timing on my part...LOL!

Kaleigh and Parker are in the Grade 1-3 class and they learned about Reptiles.  Here Kaleigh is reading a card and getting ready to match the reptile to the right habitat.  After they learned about reptiles they got to pet a bearded dragon.  I missed my photo opportunity because I was asked to escort one of the little girls to the bathroom.  It was nice to see Parker engaged and raising his hand to answer questions.  He has certainly come a long way. 

Also this week Parker has a visit form his girl gal Alley.

Here they are playing Break The Ice.

17 days to go!

Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 10:20 by connie - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link

We have completed 3 weeks of being in the cast and are now in the home stretch with 17 days left to go!  He is very eager for the 17th to come and is VERY aware of the date.  In fact he just about wiggled out of his chair when he realized that tomorrow is Feb 1st.  He knows that Feb 17th he will be a free boy, or at least that is what we are praying for.  Here is our pics for Our Cast Chronicles- Week 3...........

He did a craft most everyday this week after he buzzed through his school work.  Most days he was done with school by 11:30.  Here he is painting a car that he made out of clay and a mold.....gotta love those kit crafts where everything is included.  Thank you to whomever donated!

My DH's boss sent him some moon sand.

Magnet making...that is me and him holding hands....awwww.

Practicing spelling words with shaving cream.

Making a sun catcher

Reading a 3-D book he got from someone at church.

His buddy Caleb came over to visit.  They played blocks and cars on the floor for a while.

His buddy Jacob came over for a visit this week too.  They played Star Wars and a bit of Wii.

The Cast Chronicles 2

Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 11:11 by connie - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

Parker has now been in his cast two full weeks.  He had lots of visitors again this week and a doctor's appointment as well.  This week he went back to youth group and also back to church.  His class is made up of all girls, except Parker and his buddy Chad.  The girls all doted on him and I think he liked it.

The doctor finally gave us a date for him to get his cast off, if he keeps healing.  February 17th.  3 weeks and 2 days from today.  I am praying that it does in fact come off that day.  If we go and they take x-rays again and tell him he's go to be in it another week or so he is going to be crushed.  He was hoping to have it off by valentines day because he wants to have a party.  He was bummed that it won't be off by then.  Well here are some of his visitor's from this week....

Parker just loves doing this book with my mom cause he can beat her every time.  It's like an I spy book.

Pepere came over one night with a new game that they all played together....Boobytrap.

Katrina, Krissy, Emma and Great Grammie came over and Krissya nd Katrina taught Parker how to play chess.

A Day to Remember

Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 10:50 by connie - 3 Comments - Post Comment - Link

This past Friday, my husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage.  Although  the original plans we had for this special anniversary (a trip to Hawaii)  didn't work out, it was the best day of my life.  He woke me with breakfast and coffee and then gave me my schedule for the day.  He had planned my whole day out.  His mother was coming at 8:30 that morning for me to get out of the house for a day off.  He had addresses that I was to plug into the GPS and drive to.  I didn't know where I was going until I reached my destination. 

My first stop that day was to a day spa where I was treated to a back massage.  Then it was off to the mall to purchase an outfit for the night.  He had only one request.  That it be something that I wouldn't normally wear.  Something a bit sexy.  I had to be home by 12pm to take Parker to the DR's and arrived back at home by 3pm, just in time for my next appointment, which happened to be at his hair dresser.  They waxed my eyebrows and cut and styled my hair.  Then it was home to get dressed and be ready when he arrived home from work to take me to my next appointment.

Our final destination was a beautiful resturant where I had the most delicious steak ever.  Right before dessert, the waiter presented me with this scroll of paper, tied with ribbon.  It was a letter my husband had written to me about what I meant to him.  Let's just say I ended up crying like a baby at our table.

That day/night meant so much to me because of all the thought he put into it.  I have never felt so loved as I did this day.  Eric and I have been through some difficult times and I just thank God we were faithful to see things through.  God has blessed us and our marriage immensly for it. 

The Cast Chronicles-1

Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 12:22 by connie - 4 Comments - Post Comment - Link

Well we are on day 9 of Parker being in his cast.  The pain has subsided and he is no longer taking any pain meds.  We are slowly figuring out how to deal and beat the constipation issues that happen as a result of being immoble.  My darling husband and I have worked out a schedule to give me a couple nights of being able to sleep in my own bed and get some much needed rest.  And we have gone back to doing school this week.  Yeah!

We have had loads of help and Jenni, from church, brought over a HUGE box filled with goodies to keep Parker's mind and hands busy.  I am grateful to all those who have donated or helped out in one way or another.  In fact my friend, Sharlene, is coming over tomorrow so I can leave the house and go grocery shopping.  I get to see the real world again....hooray!  We have had lots of visitors, which Parker loves!  Here are a few things we have been doing to try to keep him busy.

This was the day after he came home from the hospital (WED)...playing a board game with his buddies Mitchell and Vanessa and his brother.

Friday Jenni and her 5 kids came over to deliver the big box of stuff.  They played Disney Yatzee which was in the box and he was so happy to see his friend Lily ( in the hot pink).

In between visitors his electronics keep him busy...Wii, the computer, and a new Nintendo DS courtesy of his great grandmother who just couldn't help herself!

 In fact I am so tired of the electronics we made a paper chain of non electronic activities for him to do to stimulate his brain.  He pulls off at least one link every day.  It is our hope that he will be out of the cast by the time the link is gone.

Here he is decorating some pants I am making him for when he gets to break out of the house.  I am going to cut them and velro them so they will work with the bar between his thighs.

One day at a time

Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 05:00 by connie - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link

Trying to catch up on my daily devotionals from all this weeks crazyness, the Lord laid this at my feet.  I have been thinking about all the schooling I am behind on with my children and how I'm so tired and busy caring for my son.  How am I ever going to get back on track?????  Thank you Lord for this gentle reminder..........................................

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew 6:34).

The best advice I received when I first started homeschooling was, "Take one day at a time!" These words were easy to say, but very hard to do. Borrowing tomorrow's trouble is a learned family trait, and many times I had to come before the Lord in repentance. Many people like to think they are organized and prepared for the unknowns in life, but homeschooling four children has a way of changing that mindset. Each day I needed to erase the failures from yesterday, and realize that God was providing His strength and creativity-one day at a time.

Seeking God daily for strength is a lesson the people of Israel had difficulty learning as well. Each day for forty years, God rained manna from heaven to feed the Israelites (Exodus 16:4). The "organizers" in the group thought they could run ahead of the Lord and gather extra, possibly planning ahead for those unknowns. However, any amount the people gathered that was more than they needed for that day, spoiled. God's provision of manna was not only for nourishment but also a test. God wanted to see if the people would obey his commandments and trust that He would provide for their daily needs. God had commanded them to collect only enough manna to last for one day's needs-no more. Only on the day before the Sabbath had God commanded the people to gather twice the amount.

One other motivating factor also played a part in the gathering of this "daily bread"-the people had to gather the manna before the heat of the day (vs. 20-21). In this way, God showed them that they needed strength before the day's problems began.

Do you miss the joy of homeschooling your children today because you've run ahead to tomorrow? If you continue to look only at the "forest" of your child's academic goals, you will miss the many wonderful moments of the "trees" today. Perhaps that is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).

Jesus, you are the bread of life, and without You I can do nothing. Teach me to wait on Your daily provision of strength and help me to find the blessings in homeschooling every day. In Your name, Amen.

Sled meetsTree

Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 05:09 by connie - 7 Comments - Post Comment - Link

What started out as a fun day of sledding with the kids this past Sunday ended up in the ER. 

My kids and I were having a wonderful time sledding.  We were the only ones there for a while and had the whole hill to ourselves.  Soon, we were joined by this couple and their kids, funny part was it was the older brother of a guy I grew up and went to school with.  I had just gone down the hill with Blake and was just climbing off when I heard Kaleigh scream..."Mom Parker hit a tree.  I ran up the to find that guy kneeling over Parker asking him questions and immediately assessing the damage.  You see it turned out he was a paramedic for American Ambulance and knew exactly what to do and say.  He kept Parker calm and told me to call 911.

Parker was a real trooper and endured the pain from which we found out was a broken femur.  In an effort to stop himself from hitting the tree he had apparently stuck his feet out.  The force of that impact cracked his bone like a tree branch and sent him flying about 9 feet down the hill.  I thank God it wan't his head or back or neck that was injured.  Alltough a femur break can be life threatning due to bleeding, this one was not..  God again shows me his loving mercy and grace, his protective hand and how he manages the details of our lives.

As I sit her in the hospital, listening to my son sleep peacefully, I know we will have a tough and long road to recovery.  Parker is in a full body cast and is unable to move with two metal rods that run from his knee to his hip.  But I also know God will sustain and provide just as He did on that hill when sled met tree.

Positive Feedback finally

Posted on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 05:11 by connie - 3 Comments - Post Comment - Link

I sometimes get this look from people when I say I homeschool.  It's a look as if I have five heads, sometimes they just stay away acting as if we have some kind of disease they might catch.   On occasion, I hear..."Wow, that's really great.  I wish I could do that.  OR  " I wish homeschooling was around when my kids were younger."  The fact is it's been around since the nation began and although has taken a back seat for decades, it is now growing in popularity and more and more research is out there proving it doesn't produce freaks who can't communicate with the social world.  Here is the most recent article that my homeschool group posted.  I thought I'd share to encourage all those homeschoolers out there and to say to those on the fence.... hop on board!

A homeschooling movement is sweeping the nation – with 1.5 million children now learning at home, an increase of 75 percent since 1999.
The Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics reported homeschooling has risen by 36 percent in just the last five years.
"There's no reason to believe it would not keep going up," NCES statistician Gail Mulligan told USA Today.
A 2007 survey asked parents why they choose to homeschool and allowed them to provide several reasons. The following are the most popular responses:

• Concern about the school environment, including reasons such as safety, drugs or negative peer pressure – 88 percent

• A desire to provide religious or moral instruction – 83 percent

• A dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools – 73 percent

• Nontraditional approach to children's education – or "unschoolers" who consider typical curriculums and standardized testing as counterproductive to quality education – 65 percent

• Other reasons, such as family time, finances, travel and distance – 32 percent

• Child has special needs (other than physical or mental health problems) that schools cannot or will not meet – 21 percent

• Child has a physical or mental health problem – 11 percent

Parents who report that they homeschool to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent from 2003 to 2007.
Above all other responses, parents cited providing religious and moral instruction as the most important factor in the decision to teach their children at home (36 percent). The second most important issue was concern about the school environment (21 percent), while the third reason was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (17 percent).
Research has shown the positive effects of homeschooling through the years. While some critics say teaching children at home may stunt their social growth, Dr. Brian D. Ray, president of National Home Education Research Institute, reveals homeschooled students fare well or better than public and private school students in terms of social, emotional and psychological development.
Additionally, homeschoolers earn higher marks than peers who attend public schools. In Academic Leadership, and online journal, Dr. Ray and Bruce K. Eagleson also cite findings from at least three nationwide studies across the United States and two nationwide studies in Canada.
"The home educated in grades K to 12 have scored, on average, at the 65th to 80th percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in the United States and Canada, compared to the public school average of the 50th percentile," the report states.
Three studies also show that demographics, income and education level of homeschooling parents are generally irrelevant with regard to quality of education in a home setting. On average, homeschoolers in low-income families with less formal education still score higher than state-school averages.

Christmas

Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 04:32 by connie - 2 Comments - Post Comment - Link

What a wonderful Christmas it was this year with my brother and sister in law making their trek from West Virginia and my grandmother having her annual sleepover.  My children got spoiled again with lots of things they really wanted including a Wii from my mom and aunt.  Now comes the task of managing their time.  I have designed a way for them to earn tickets. Each ticket is good for 10 minutes.  They have lots of opportunities to earn them as well as ways to loose them.  We will see how it goes.  They definately move when I threaten to take away Wii privlages. 

Their great grandmother opening her gift.

Kaleigh on her prized possesion.

Parker got the electric guitar he wanted, we start lessons in February.

Blake with his prized possession...a Star Wars light saber.

We had a surprise visit from Santa in the afternoon (my brother in-law).  It was funny to see the kids faces.  After he left the kids did not buy it for numerous reasons...1.  He wasn't fat (Blake's reasoning)  and 2.  The presents he left said from Uncle John and Aunt Lee Ann....lol ! (didn't take Kaleigh long to pick up on that one)  We spent many years debating over the whole Santa thing, reading lots of Christian articles on whether to or not.  After reading about some prominent Christan figures and how they did do Santa and how their kids are not lacking in faith in any way, I decided it was ok to let them believe for the short time they will.  We don't really push him, in fact Kaleigh thinks at 9 he is not real, but we have asked her to let her brothers believe for a little longer.    She's growing up......

Parker is helping Daddy peel carrots for our Christmas dinner.

Us and the in-laws at their house on Sunday for the extended Sharp Christmas.

Let It Snow!

Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 12:40 by connie - 3 Comments - Post Comment - Link

We have been enjoying the snow here at the Sharp homestead. The kids could not wait for it to come and were outside the minute the first flake was spotted.  It came down quick and within the first hour they had about two inches.  We probably stayed out for 2 hours at the start and then another two hours after dinner.  They had a blast and were great little helpers shoveling. 

Today we were at it again with about four hours outside this am shoveling our drive and the drive of our elderly neighbor.  Then it was off to basketball.  After basketball we went sledding for about two hours.  I'm pooped but we must keep going as we have the Christmas Cantata at church tonight that both my daughter and I are performing in.  My hubby is running sound so I will need to find someone for my boys to sit with. 

Well hopefully we will have some pics of our 12 inches of snow, along with the 4-8 that is supposed to come along tomorrow.  With all this snow I think I might have to build myself an igloo.