I Need to get Organized

Argh!  So many things in so many different places!!!  I really need to get more organized so since it is snowing again (yes, it is the middle of April) now is a good as time as any.  I have been looking into work boxes.  I will not go into it here of how it is supposed to work, you will have to research that for yourself for now.  But I think it would really improve our day and keep the kids busy on their work, and stop wasting so much time looking for stuff.  And also free up my time as well.  As all mom's know, if the kids can't find something, what happens..?
"Mom, I can't find it!!!!"
Then I have to leave what I'm doing and go help them search.  So this is the beginning of getting it together!  Stay tuned, to see how it turns out!

Some stuff here



and here




and more here



and spread out here.

I do have a few things sort of together, but it really could be so much better.  this would also free up some more space for our growing number of games.

So here is the very start of the organization:

Chicken Puddles

The start of the GIANT puddle out in the pasture.



If you look close you can see the dog on the far right.

 Even chickens like playing in the mud!



A bad reading Day :(

  Well, my youngest son, Evan, had a very bad morning.  I did too.  We were doing some reading, and he just wasn't getting it.  He couldn't seem to remember any letter sounds, or blend sounds or anything.  It was almost like starting over from the beginning again.  Needless to say, he got very upset.  I am sad to report that I also got upset.  By the time we were finished, we were both crying.  Not good at all.
  Since we started home school, I have been reluctant to push too hard with reading.  I have read everything I could on it and talked to many people.  They all say to just give it time, and he will ready when he is ready.  I was fine with that for a long time.  But this past year I have started to feel the pressure.  From family members, friends, and even from other kids he plays with. 
  " You can't read yet?  Wow, you must be stupid."  That is what another child said to him.
  We also get questions like,
  "How's your reading coming?  Want to read me a story?  Why don't you work harder on it?"  These only cause more frustration on both our parts. 
  I know this my fault, since I reached out to people to get some advice on what to do to help him learn.  But looking back now, that was a mistake.  For those people only have experience with the traditional school system.  All the books and advice that tell me the opposite seem very far away when one of your friends or family members is forming a judgement in their mind right in front of you.  The sad thing is that it is not only a judgement about me, but about him and all homeschooling.  I feel like I am letting down a lot of people. 
  So the question now is, do we keep struggling along?  Slowly and painfully?  Do we just leave it completely for a while, or just do a little bit?  Sigh.  There is a home school convention coming up here in Alberta this weekend, April 15 &16th, and I am going to be talking to a lot a people to find out how they have come through this struggle.  I know in the back of my mind I should just leave it, and it will come, but the rest of my mind won't seem to let me.  The struggle continues...

Remembering the Camera

I have always been one of those moms that takes a lot of pictures.  I mean A LOT!  There are many others out there just like me.  You know who you are!!  I am also an avid scrapbooker, so I think that's where it started. Anyway, now that I have started this blog, I seem to have miss-placed the camera.   Today the kids were cleaning out the chicken pen in the barn, and picking bottles and cans in the ditch, but the camera was in hiding.  I also did a bit of sewing, some pillow case dresses for my neices, and again...no camera!  Well I found it finally, but of course at the end of the day.  I think I am going to get some bright ribbion to tie on that pesky thing!.