What I've been doing lately!

Hi... seems like a lot has been going on lately!

I've been helping my parents get their druthers together with this new modular that they are putting on their property. Red tape, yuck. The foundation was officially poured today! Woohoo! So it needs to cure for a week, then the house can be put on it. But who knows when they'll officially move in... that's up to the mortgage company. But I did get to take the kids out for a *field trip* where they got to watch foundation be poured. I took pictures and mini video with my camera. Josiah said it looked like dog poop (while being poured). That made me laugh! I haven't seen foundation poured before, and was really surprised how long it took 6 guys (that were all working hard) to do it!

Kids are in VBS at our AWANA church this week. A friend that also goes there is taking the kids and I am picking them up. That's actually working out nicely. Josiah and Jedediah both have close friends that go to Awana and Friday school there this week, so they are getting some fun friend time!

The Newsletter for First Class Friday School... Polli handed it over to me this month. So i'm now, cough, cough, the official editor of First Class News. It's a good thing she's gonna help me get it going! But so far it's going pretty well. I think i'll be fine once I finish figuring out the software program for it and after I get a feel as to whats really expected with it. I need to tie up a few loose ends and it'll be ready to send the first of next week!

My *new* computer that I got a couple of months ago has been having some problems. So Dell is making me a new one. Yes, they are replacing a new computer with a newer one. It should be here next week. Can't wait... They haven't actually figured out what's wrong with the one I have... it's a long boring story... and I just really don't enjoy the uncomical details of it all, so i'm going to leave them out. But, the good news is, that they say they'll give me some sort of an upgrade for the hassle.. so i'm looking forward to seeing what that upgrade will be.

Rod and I are gone this upcoming weekend for a business function. Be nice to get away together... in a hotel room... alone...

And in the back of my mind I need to get a couple of birthday parties together... Julia's is August 1st and Josiah's is August 6th and they are approaching quickly. We'll probably have a party at Clear Lake again this year... I almost can't resist... we had such fun last year! Z

On the Board...

About a month ago, Rod and I were asked to consider joining the Board of First Class Homeschool Co-op. We attended our first meeting (which, for a meeting was way too much fun Polli!) this last monday night and got officially voted in. It was very very interesting to be apart of the side of friday school that everyone else wonders about. You know? You find out how much money is in the bank and how the decisions are made and learn a lot more about what Friday school is doing... and you see others that take ownership and people that care about something that up until a year or so ago, I just attended. We've been going to friday school off and on for five years.

Last year, I got to know Polli... she's great! And started talking about how friday school is run and that the people in charge really do need help getting things done. I didn't realize that it was such a big deal. Friday school used to be where I just took my kids for a morning out of the house!

First I got started with the directory. It needed printing... Ok, i'll do it.. how hard could that be? Then they needed help mailing newsletters... so I got my kids involved and we sit at our table and fold newsletters together... that was pretty easy. (Figuring out 11X17 double sided printing, was NOT!) I realized that by "teaching" the nursery and holding babies, that I could get my admin fee waived... so I was Julia's nursery "teacher" and last session I was her toddler "teacher". Then Josiah had mentioned how much he'd like friends to play chess with... So I got Rod involved teaching a Chess class that has been a HUGE hit! (Well, he's tied into that for at least another year because Jed is dying to play!!!) Then time went by, we helped with Registration... A friend told me that they were thinking about cancelling our use of the lunchroom because of how our group was cleaning up afterwards... I love solving problems... A friend and I figured out a system (that works really well) and implemented it. Which took a huge burden off of the leaders of friday school and we get to keep our social hour... woohoo!

Rod knew we were in for it when I got "keyed" (anyone seen the Grey's Anatomy episode about getting keyed?).. yah, too funny. Anyway, it's been a ton of fun... and it's really blessed me to help. It's been great for me to get out of the house with a purpose and to have more friends to laugh with. I can't believe how many friends I've made through friday school. And that has been very good for me... who seems to be a homebody for the last few years.

Over the course of the last couple of years.. Rod and I have been asking ourselves... is Rod a homeschooling Dad or a Dad who has homeschoolers... And this last year, at friday school, since he's taught for 3 sessions, we've noticed that there is only one other Dad teacher. There are a few who come here and there and there are a few more in leadership... but not many that actually participate weekly in Friday School. We've started asking the moms where are the dads? At work, Rod didn't think they'd let him reschedule his fridays.. but he finally asked... and now it's on his permanent record as community service... He's decided that he wants to be a homeschooling Dad... part of the program.... Well, he's at the other computer as I'm typing, writing an article for our newsletter about homeschooling dads... (that now, i'm the editor of)

I know i'm the primary teacherin our kid's education , but there is things that Rod teaches and teaches really well. So we started by thinking that he should be the one to teach those types of subjects... And that whole willingness to get involved and get involved in friday school has lead into something much bigger than we could have ever imagined... in a really cool way.

Right now at Friday School they are working on getting a program set up for the Homeschooling Highschoolers who need something different than the younger kids. I'm really encouraging Rod to get involved where he can, because of his background... he has the skills, the knowledge, and the Youth Ministry background to really do something there. We'll see where it goes. We aren't exactly sure at the moment, but I'm really interested in seeing more homeschooled kids stick with it through highschool. Which seems to be a big problem in the homeschool community here. I hope eventually we can have a Homeschool Youth Group.

Do I think that by being on the board that that's going to impede on my time? Not really. One meeting every few months is a small price to pay to be apart of a great association. Our next meeting is in September...

Now my newsletter? Well, that's another story. I'm working on my first newsletter as we speak.. Hopefully after the first month or two, I'll get things down and it'll go smoothly. And then i'll get a newsletter folding assistant! But really, I love to write, I love my fonts, and I love having ownership in something... so for now, yah, the newsletter will take time, but i'm into it!