Spreading Her Wings ....

Over the weekend my daughter, Web-princess, 14 now went on her first away from home trip. It was a weekend trip with venture crew.

They went to BayJammers in the UP of Michigan. Her weekend was spent doing a series of competitions: First Aid, Sawing, Lip Syncing, etc. Honestly, I forget everything she did and signed up for; I know her first night was rough, she had a bit of a hard time, but the crew she was with was nice and helpful.

She came home with a blister on  her hand from the sawing, laughter over sharing some of the silliness that happened, bashful over dancing with a guy for the first time. (Which she described as awkward!)  Oh, what a weekend it was.

She's unsure she will go again, but I'm glad she did it.  She the night before leaving us up crying and scared about going. I know she's 14, but this is hard for her. She is my bashful, shy child. She's reserved, rather be the on looker, not the center of attention.  She is my I rather be home -- child.  She has always been this way -- even the early years when she was in Public School this didn't changed about her -- Heck, I remember the teacher calling me one day because she was bashful -- this was her.

Homeschooling didn't make her this way; homeschooling has allowed her to try things on her terms and when she was ready. Even if it was hard; even if she was doubtful, crying, it was still on her terms.  She is the one that came to us and asked to do venture crew this year. She is the one that came to us and told us she wants to go to BayJammers. As it approached she got scared about going, but I would have gladly told her she didn't have to go if her anxiety tipped over the edge.

Thursday night I spent the night cuddling with her and calming her. Friday morning she was still on edge some, but considerably better. I would have told her she had the option to stay home if she was as bad as she was Thursday  night.  She wasn't - so I just reassured her as needed and when the time came she was okay.  The first night, she told us when she got back, was rough, but over all she had an okay time.

The adults that went made a point to talk to my husband and I after they got back and shared that she did well, she fit in well with the rest of the group, and that if you didn't know any better you wouldn't have known this was her first time away from home and that she had anxiety about going, etc.

See -- letting her do it on her terms, when she was ready, even though she was scared, has helped her over the years.  I'm not sure (public) school or any school for that matter would have been good for her all this time.  She would have done it, but I know that over the years the anxiety would have grown and perhaps manifest itself into some horrid thing.

I'm very proud of my teenager and that she went and had a good weekend.

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Eagle Scout: Civil War

Eagle Project: Civil War Grave Stones

As I mentioned a few weeks back my son, Superstar, has made Life Rank.

Life Rank is one step below Eagle Scout. My son has 5 merit badges and 1 Eagle project to do to make Eagle Rank.

He is still not sure what to do for his Eagle project. We have been looking at the ideas at My Project Finder to try to get the ideas flowing.

He is unsure about his Eagle project at this point, but he does have a clear goal that he wants to be done with everything by his 17th Birthday so he has a shot at earning some Eagle Palms

Even though my son does not have an Eagle project, at this point, the Eagle project process does mean he has had the opportunity to help the older scouts on their Eagle projects.  One of the more recent Eagle scouts in my son's troop Eagle project was researching, finding, and requesting new grave stones for Civil War Vets in our local cemetery.

My son helped on a couple of the days needed to find the graves. The scout ended up submitting over 40 names to to have new grave markers -- markers that were never there to begin with or damage over the years -- and to date 9 of the graves markers have been approved and replaced.

Over the weekend there was a ceremony to mark the occasion.  It was after the ceremony and talking to the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, that were present, that we learned that during the Civil War they estimate that nearly 700 young women  served the military as soldiers.  This in today's time might not seem shocking, but remember in this era of American history women were not allowed to serve in the military and were not allowed to vote. If they were serving it was because they were disguise as men.  If they were voting it was because again they were living as a man and even their closet friends didn't know the truth of their gender.

I knew women did these things but I had no idea the number was as high as the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War shared with us. They also told us the story of some women that even POST war kept on living a man and that how no one knew... for one local woman it really wasn't until she seriously injured in an automobile accident in 1910 that her secret came out.

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Do you have an Eagle Scout? Or almost Eagle Scout? What did you do for an Eagle project? What will you do for an Eagle project? What projects have the scouts in your troop recently do?

Announcment: He is a Life Scout Now

scouting is something that we love 

It seems that scouting has been going on longer in this household then the last 4 years.

4 years ago we joined cub scouts. He did NOT do much with the cub scouts other then go to den meeting because they all were bridging over to the TROOP in a few months from our joining.

We joined Oct 2011 and in Feb 2012 he bridged over to the troop.

Many camping trips, merit badges, and Order of the Arrow have all passed and he is officially a Life Scout!

The only rank left to earn is EAGLE SCOUT!!! He has to earn that BEFORE his 18th birthday.

In order to earn Eagle Scout he has to do an Eagle project and finishing up some Eagle required merit badges. Thankfully he has about 3.5 years until his 18th birthday to finish these things, but our goal is his 17th birthday because he would like the opportunity to earn Eagle Palms. You get Eagle Palms for earning more merit badges after you have become an Eagle Scout.

I'm happy that he has gotten this far and wants to continue his scouting journey even though it hasn't always been easy on us. It takes a lot of time and commitment to earn some of these merit badges not to mention all the camping trips. Sometimes we have had to turn down events and other activities because of a scouting event.



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Are you involved in scouting? Why? Why Not? If you are in scouting how much time until your son becomes a Life Scout? Is he already a Life Scout? Did he become an Eagle scout? What did you do for an Eagle project? What will you do? 

Gift from my son: Mushroom Identification

Yesterday, my son did some volunteer work at the local library. The volunteer work was arranged by his scout troop so going also gave him service hours credit for scouts. This volunteer work was setting up books for the upcoming book sale and as a thank-you the boys were allowed to pick out a book and received a cup of ice cream from the local homemade ice cream parlor next door to the library.

After he was done with setting up books he met me at another part of the library. As he approached I noticed a book in his hand. He has set up for previous book sales before but never came out with a book.  I was excited to see he found something that interested him.

"Cool, you found a book! What's it's about?"

"It's not for me. It's for you and it's about identifying mushrooms"

Well, my mother's heart just skipped a beat! My son actually thought of me and remembered how, I in passing, mentioned about wanting to learn to ID mushrooms; so when he saw the mushroom field guide he knew I should have it.

Teens still care about their parents :)



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Working on those Merit Badges

As I said earlier this week my son got sick right before he was suppose to leave for summer camp. It's really sad to see him miss out on something he was looking forward to doing.

So we have spend a good portion of our week working on some of the merit badges.  One of the merit badges we are working on is Family Life.   Family Life requires that we work on a family project.

We chose a garden, raised bed, to be our family project. So we got the supplies we needed at home depot along with a couple of plants and got to work building the garden. We bought 4x4 raised bed kit and a 16 in x 16 in kit. The kits can be combined and that's what we did. Later if we want to add more we can too.   I also got the book Square Foot Gardening. I'm going to read it over the next several weeks, months, so that by early spring I will be more familiar with gardening using raised beds and will be able to have a good amount of produce of the family.

Gardening is something I have been wanting to do for a long while now, but never did so Superstar needing a family project for the merit badge was a good 'excuse' to get the garden I have been wanting in! Yay, for scouting!

The following links, when you click on the date stamp, will take you the Facebook posts on my Facebook page: Catholic Christian Homeschooling that has pictures of our gardening project.

The family project for family life badge is done.
Posted by Catholic Christian Homeschooling on Monday, July 13, 2015

He still has a slight fever, but feels up to working. We are working on the family project for family life merit badge. Finish picture later today.
Posted by Catholic Christian Homeschooling on Monday, July 13, 2015

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Summer Camp Disappointment

This would have been Superstar's 4th summer at Summer Camp.  Yesterday evening, we brought his things to the troop meeting point and packed the troop trailer with his gear. He chatted some with this fellow scouts and we left. The plan was to get up this morning take him to the troop meeting spot again. Say our good-byes and see him off for a week long Summer Camp.

Last night, while at our neighbor's house, he projectile vomited all over me and my neighbor's hallway. He did get to her bathroom but that became equally messy. We sent him home where he took a shower and rested. I stayed, even though my back side was a mess, and helped my neighbor clean up her hallway, floors and walls, and bathroom (same deal) -- it was everywhere.

I got home; asked him how he felt. Good he said! I took his temp over 100. Now what? Do I call and tell them? Do I wait and see how he is in the morning? Camp is 5 hours away, if I send him and he gets sick in the car, then what?  He has a fever so....

Long story short I texted the scoutmaster and decided to keep him home. Some of the other adults are going up Wednesday so if he feels better then he might go up.  He woke up this morning fever free. So I told him if he stays fever free all of today I will take him up tomorrow (Monday) he would miss the first day of activities but will be there for the rest. Well he did not stay fever free. So I'm not taking him up tomorrow.

I can't replace Summer Camp experience and I'm out the money we paid (several hundreds of dollars), but I can work with him on several of his merit badges this week. So that's what we are doing! He feels a little better knowing we are going to get merit badges done, but he's bummed out about missing Summer Camp and I'm bummed for him.  It was with a very heavy mother's heart that I made the call to keep him home.  It was NOT an easy thing to do.


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Camping, Boys, Race Cars

What a weekend! I spent it sleeping on the ground, in a tent. I did have my body pillow and that did help some along with the air pad. However, I really do need to get a cot.

Over all it was a good weekend. SS planned the weekend's activities and I think he did a very good job. The boys in his troop all seems to have a good time over all, despite the fact that breakfast Saturday Morning was a bit of a disaster.

Pancakes and sausages was the game plan for Saturday morning. The stove did not work. The regulator was broken. One of the adults ran to go get a new regulator while the boys gathered sticks to start a fire to cook breakfast. They were able to get 12 pancakes cooked before the other adult came back with the replacement part.   It ended up putting us 30 minutes behind schedule, but the boys made up for it.

I didn't realized how much walking I did over the weekend until after I got home. I was wearing my iFit Act Activity Tracker.  I didn't think I did that much seeing I spent, I thought, the majority of the day in my chair, but I did have to walk to the port-a-pot a few times and I helped the boys and walked some with one of the other parents.  Seeing my walking count made me want to share it with others. I have decided to share my tracker information more regularly on my facebook page: Catholic Christian Homeschooling.

The image below is from Saturday. Plus I did over 7,000 on Friday and over 5,000 on Sunday. Today I didn't fair as well, but that's okay. Tomorrow is a new day! You are welcomed to like my facebook page and check out my steps...... Keep on walking!

So camping was good. I'm tired and my legs feel like jelly.  I think this is why.....
Posted by Catholic Christian Homeschooling on Sunday, June 28, 2015

So what does this post have to do with race cars you are wondering? Well the camping trip was at a local race track. So we spend the day watching (and hearing) the race cars. Actually, it just became back ground noise to me and I really didn't watch the cars.  Our camp site was in the middle of the track so we really didn't have go anywhere to watch the cars go around and around and around.

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Scouting Fun

Order of the Arrow.  It's hard to believe that my boy is growing up and has been involved in scouting long enough to participate in the Order of the Arrow.

That is what he currently doing right now. A weekend full of silence, physical labor, and minimal food. A night under the stars with nothing more then a sleeping bag and tarp.

I hope this weekend proves to be an good experience for him.  I will wait to here all about tomorrow.

Scouts: Court of Honor

My Scout Today

Another Court of Honor is upon us. SS has been in scouts the last 2 years 6 months or so. It has only been 2 years and 6 months? With all the camp outs, activities, popcorn sales, I swear it has been longer.

For the he most part he is still a quiet and politeful boy young man, but has grown more comfortable around the other boys and has no issues goofing off with them.  It's amazing to see him be the young man that he is really becoming.

Yes he's still filled with a joyful and child like spirit, but he also has a bit of a serious side, a grown-up side. He has a take charge, just do it attitude. Just today the gate we use to keep Puggy, our dog, in the living room/kitchen area and away from the bedroom area of the house broke. I didn't even noticed it broke, but SS did and right away set to try to fix it. He didn't even say anything to me, he just went to work.  Last night I observe him, while helping to run games at a Halloween party with the other scouts, telling the fellow scouts where their help was needed at various stations. He just noticed the need and let others know about it.

My Scout Then

Tonight at Court of Honor SS will receive various merit badges he has earned over the last 6 months or so.  Currently he is First Class Scout, working towards a Star Scout. He just needs a few Eagle required merit badges to make Star Scout. He's working on several of them right now and is almost completed them, but just didn't get them in done for this Court of Honor. Hopefully he will have them done by next Court of Honor in the Spring.

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How the new routine/schedule is working!

Back in January I mention how I was going to reshape our day. So that I 'school' superstar in the morning and web-princess in the afternoon. Well after some trail and error I found a routine that seems to be working for everyone.

This routine allows me to focus on one child at a time. In the morning Superstar does Math, Spelling, and English. I'm there to help him with those subjects, but I also do some house work, or little projects that need to be done, but can be easily put to the side if Superstar needs help.  While Superstar is working on those subjects Web-princess does some reading, wii fit, and piano practice.

After these things are done we do science and history together then break for lunch. After lunch it's Web-princess' turn to do Math, Spelling and English while Superstar does some reading, wii fit, and piano practice. This allows us to be done around 3:00 pm which good because Superstar has made some friends via scouts and they are home by 3:30 pm and at least twice a week are calling here asking if Superstar can play.

After dinner I've put in their time to read their McGuffy Reader lessons with mom. I think this works best, because it does allow us to be done by 3:00 pm and if daddy wants he can read the lessons with them.

It took us a while to figure it out, but so far so good!

What's wrong with being quiet and polite?

It's funny the things people say to you about your own children.  Superstar has joined boy scouts recently. Well, at first he was in cub scouts, but just bridged over this passed weekend to boy scouts at the annual blue and gold banquet.

As preparation for the banquet the boys were invited to go to another scouters house to decorate cupcakes. It was an open house type event -- just show up whenever you can between 5-7.  It was decided I should take him because the host was another homeschooling mom and we thought it would be nice for me to able to meet her. It was nice to meet her!

Anyway, when we showed up and all the boys that were there were already downstairs playing games, because they had already decorated their cupcakes. As soon as we arrived Superstar washed his hands, decorated his cakes, rewashed his hand, and then walked up to me and said "Okay I'm done, we can go". I then said to him "Well, didn't you want to go downstairs and say hi to the other boys?" He looked at me and said "Oh, okay" and then asked our host if it was okay? She said sure go ahead. Clearly Superstar didn't catch the other parents mentioning how the boys were downstairs playing because they already decorated their cupcakes.

Another mother, not our host, said "Superstar is always so quiet and polite. We really need to break him out of his shell?" I really didn't know how to respond to that, other then to give an awkward little chuckle and smile and say "Yes, he can be a bit quiet at times".

I've been thinking about these words from some time and I really don't know why being polite is such a horrible thing! I will admit that when he doesn't know someone or at a new place he can be a bit quiet, but when he gets to know you he opens up more. I think that's normal. I wouldn't have given much thought if this mother only mention the quiet part, but given she mention in being "polite" too, I'm taken back the whole thing.

Are kids 10-11years of age no longer polite? Is it no longer acceptable?