Week 10: Field Trips and more!

Who says homeschoolers can't have fun?!  We had an awesome field trip to the Dixie Corn Maze in Shreveport on Tuesday.  We met several other families there and enjoyed zip lining,  the corn maze, pig races, water races, barn swing and so much more.  We really enjoyed it and will go back next year!  Here are some of the pics:

 A little competitive fun!  Edison won :)

So brave to go first!

He was SO scared!

I am 36 years old and decided to have a little fun even though they almost had to PUSH me off!

This fireman is a pro.  All too easy for him.  He RAN and jumped off!  Crazy sucker :)

Barn swing!!  Had to go back for round 2 on this one.

Just a little friendly war between friends!

 First corn maze experience was a BLAST!

Edison also had a great week at ELO; however, Jamison had to stay home with 104 temp :(  That was his only symptom but the poor little fellow felt horrible.  Edison was selected to do the ELO experiment on mechanical advantage and I think he liked it!

Then to end the week, I had my Scentsy booth at the famous Western Days in Hallsville, TX.  I setup for Friday and Saturday with the boys help.

We had a great turnout and sale even though we froze our tooshes off on Saturday!  My mom even came out to help on Saturday.  She is such a trooper and the boys were WONDERFUL to help me.  Saturday morning while I was at Western Days with Edison, Jamison had his first flag football game with our homeschool group and he made the ONE and ONLY touchdown for his team.  He was ecstatic and I think that is all he talked about all weekend :)

We had a wonderful but tiring week with all that was on our calendars.  We got all of our school work done plus one extra chapter on our read aloud, made a little money and had a LOT of fun!  Homeschool has so many wonderful perks!  I hope we were a blessing to all that we came in contact with this week.  Can't wait to see what next week has in store for the Sutton's!

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. (Matthew 15:11)

Week 9: Why I Love Homeschooling

The day after day monotony of the same ole’ , same ole’ gets SO OLD!  We sure don’t have that problem around here!  Each day this week was totally different with something  new and exciting each day.  Well, some of the school work was the same and the boys pretty much know the routine, but it is all the other wonderful things that we get to customize into our plan.  The possibilities are endless!

Monday we doubled up some work so the boys could finish early Tuesday and squirrel hunt with their daddy.  I don’t think I have ever seen them read and write so fast!  They knew when they finished their work what was in store.  We had positive attitudes and good work for both of them.  They killed two squirrels and also missed A LOT!  They had so much fun though.  Wednesday was ELO but then we added in a picnic at Lois Jackson park with the ripsticks and great friends.  What a BLAST!  They hated to leave and go to violin practice.  Then we rushed to get them a quick haircut before we went home.

You just never know who you will see in the Barber Shop :)  We just happened to see a friend that still works in the public school system.  Of course he wanted to know how school was going and my husband proudly said, “We are homeschooling!”  I wish you could have seen the look on his face.  It was priceless.  Then people started asking questions and saying why it might be good and why it might not be good.  I just silently sat there, listened, and smiled waiting for a chance to talk and then...wait for it...I got to tell them how WONDERFUL homeschooling is.  I didn’t even mind that they thought I was crazy.  It felt great to brag on my kids and feel proud of our decision, with my husband right by my side to support me.  So glad the boys needed a haircut :) 

Then Wednesday evening after dropping the boys at church we got to have a great visit with our friends.  I didn’t even worry about it being late because we didn’t have to wake the kids up at the booty crack of dawn to get them ready to fight school traffic.  Nope, they got to sleep til’ eight o’clock and then start their school work.  It was a GREAT day, even though we had to do some extra work for ELO and so that we could be off on Friday to set up for my Western Days Scentsy booth.  So excited that they boys get to help me with my business.  They get to see first hand what it takes to run a successful business and also how to handle money!  Wonderful life lessons that they would not be getting if we did not homeschool. 

Jamison made his first 100 on his spelling test and for those of you who know Jamison, know how much of an accomplishment that is.  Edison really enjoyed getting to work on the computer to customize a book report he is doing for me on a “Wrinkle In Time”. PE was the best on Thursday.  I LOVE watching them do PE.  They never complain and it is always so fun and sometimes funny.  The program we are using is great.  It is Family Time Fitness and they have us doing something different everyday with items we have at home.  Pretty creative.  Loved watching the boys give a high five as they shuffled past each other on the way to the finish line.  Loved watching them giggle at each other and themselves as they “walked like monsters” or tried to jump like their skiing.  So MUCH FUN!

Those are just some of the reasons I love homeschooling.  However, I do have a top pick for the week.  I sit and read books aloud each day with Sonlight(our history curriculum) to the boys on the couch or outside in the swing.  This week as I was reading, Jamison sat there quietly and started running his fingers through my hair, petting me and then just leaned his little head over on my shoulder and put his arm through mine.  My heart melted!  And then when I thought it could not get any better, Edison leaned his little head over on my other shoulder.  I could have read for hours!!!  This is why I love homeschooling.

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.  Isaiah 54:13

Week 8: Sink or Swim

WOW!  What an awesome, tiring, fun, exhausting, exciting, overwhelming week.  God is SO good!  Last week has been our busiest week yet, but so much fun at the same time.  It would probably have been much more relaxed if I was not so OCD!!!!  We had several things going on last week, but I was not going to get behind schedule with our school work, by golly!!  I was determined to read every chapter, dot every i and cross every t even if it killed me.  Guess what...WE MADE IT!

Our week started out with the normal, “Do I have to write ALL the words and do I really have to read EVERY page?”  Kids!! SHEESH!  I never complained about My schoolwork...YEAH RIGHT!  After a quick kick, uh, I mean reminder, everything was great :)  The kids knew we had a tight schedule with our schoolwork to be able to get everything done and they were real troopers(Uncle Brandon would be proud, lol).  We doubled up school work on Monday and Thursday so that we could enjoy our field trip to Perfect Catering, ELO and go to band.

Tuesday we took a field trip to Perfect Catering and the kids got to see a commercial kitchen in action, make cookies that are distributed at the coffee shops in the hospital, get the inside scoop at the coffee shop and enjoy a picnic lunch outside the hospital.  It was a lot of fun and the kids learned a lot about how to run a successful business and what goes into making food for SO many people.

Wednesday was filled with our ELO classes, friends, a picnic at Lois Jackson park and violin lessons.  ELO is going great and the boys love going to class with all of their friends.  Jamison got to study a live bird in his science class and Edison got to test gravity in his class.  I got to hold and love babies in the nursery since we had some moms gone.  Wouldn’t you know that I would get the poopy diaper!!!

Thursday was a very busy day with extra schoolwork and I had a ton of Scentsy to work on plus go to the store.  So daddy got to sub for part of the day and he did awesome!  He got to read a chapter of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and do their Bible lesson with them.  He really enjoyed it and so did the boys.  So glad he is willing to step in when I need him!

Friday was best of all and busiest of all.  I had a TON of Scentsy deliveries to make and the boys were so good to run all over town with me.  My mom met us at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and then we headed to the Akin’s garage sale.  We found some great treasures and then I was off to take Edison to band practice.  Jamison stayed and helped with the sale and waited on us to return.  After practice we made it back to the sale and helped clean up.  It was exhausting but SO MUCH FUN being with our wonderful friends.

All in all it was a fabulous week and we even got all of our school work done!  I was so stressed out on Monday just thinking about everything we had to do.  God pulled us through it and the week was better than I could have ever hoped for.  I even made a new friend!  What a blessing.  When things seem to overwhelm you or you are feeling bombarded, remember Who is in charge.  Step back and let Him take the wheel and the ride will be so much smoother.

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10