Bits and Pieces

• I applied several days ago for the Homeschool crew. The group of moms is associated with The Old Schoolhouse magazine, and they receive homeschool supplies in the mail or online and review the product. Then basically I would become a salesperson for the product and hopefully boost sales for the creator of the product. I have heard nothing back about my application.

• I know it is Valentine's day this Sunday, but lately I haven't felt like celebrating it at all. Maybe cause It's just been so rainy and gloomy, kids have been semi-sick, and/or the wintry blahs. Whatever the reason, I just not too in the mood. That makes me sad.....

• We still have a Halloween pumpkin from last Halloween.... No, we never carved it, we painted it instead so it hasn't gone bad. I have been debating carving it with hearts and using it as the centerpiece for Valentine's day. Don't worry, I have thought about carving it every holiday since Halloween, and yet it still sits there.... I don't think this holiday is going to get a carved pumpkin either.

• I have been thinking about going back to work lately. I even debated renewing my teaching degree, thinking maybe of teaching in the private sector so that my kiddos could get a private school education. The Voluntary Pre-K school where we have Savannah registered for next year, has K-5th grade school on the same campus. It is a small little private school that uses the Abecka curriculum, which is highly popular even amongst homeschoolers. Then we realized if I work, Savannah loses her health care. We can't afford for Savannah to be without health insurance and we can't make more than what we do now and still be covered. We can't even buy health insurance because of pre-existing conditions and the cost of medications. So basically we can't afford for me to work. Unless the system changes, I am a stay at home mom for the next 14 years.... Most days I don't mind.... other days I want something different for a while.

• I have been debating homeschooling for a long time. I find the idea of it to be mind challenging and interesting. Since I can't work outside the home, I can consider homeschooling as a serious option. I don't look forward to the curriculum search or the thought of "being out there on my own" not to mention that the rumor is we loose all special services for vision as soon as we register as a homeschooler. Well I may have found a happy medium. Turns out the state of Florida has a virtual school option called Connections Academy. Through the academy you are registered as a public school student through the district (meaning we can still receive vision services *I think*), all the curriculum is sent directly to the home, the grades are all online, etc. As a virtual student we send in sample work and so forth to the Orlando office, use the computer to do virtual lessons and speak on the phone with the certified teachers on a regular basis. I think it will be a happy medium as we can always bring in extra supplemental work and not have to plan out every subject. Next school year she isn't eligible, but kindergarten year I am seriously considering registering her through virtual school. Even if we find it isn't the right fit for us, it is a nice jumping off place into homeschooling as it runs on a lot of the same basics as homeschooling does.

• I think it is sad that all our kiddos are growing up so fast. This past month both grandma and I no longer have a crib for babies to sleep in. Grandma decided Ella was too big (which she was) and Mike and I converted the crib to the full size bed for both girls to sleep in together. It just makes me sad that there are no more little babes needing cribs down here anymore.

• We found out this past week that one of Savannah's best friends are planing on moving. The dad's job is up in the air and they are thinking that they will be moving back north come the beginning of summer. After they paint this weekend and next, they are putting their house on the market. We will miss them once they move.