Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. ~Robert C. Gallagher
I wish I could say that I am purposely hiding away...more than that I wish I could say that I have been on a wonderful, relaxing vacation. I have been just away from my little corner of the Internet more because I have been doing so much more in my little corner of the real world. Blogging is sometimes an indulgence and other times just one more chore. I have so much to share, so much has changed, there is so much to write and yet...there will be time, there must be, to blog.
My daughter had a birthday! She is now a fairly responsible eleven year old, therefore now also the proud owner of an older laptop computer...and when I write older laptop computer, I mean hers is exactly like mine (and I desperately would like a newer one, but my husband insists it will be a Mac so that is not happening anytime soon). Some years ago, probably five or six now, my husband took advantage of a typo in a sales advertisement and bought three brand new laptops at great price: one for his father, one for himself, and one for me.
I used mine the most and fried it a few years ago; it worked but with crippled RAM. We were given my father-in-law's back when he passed away, so that I could have a good working one again. My husband recently acquired a iPad2 so he decided to give his old laptop to the Princess. We now have an even older desktop computer, which she was using but we do not need--besides she maxed out the hard drive with all the pictures she takes on her digital camera. The laptop has more storage space and we have an external hard drive on our wireless network, so she is going to be learning about how to manage computer files and delete pictures that are not good ones.
Her first agenda was quite important! She just had to pick out her wallpaper scene. She now has several pictures of horses from which to choose. My first agenda was as important to her but not as glamorous. I needed to load a browser and email program. She does quite a bit of emailing...far more than I do! Since this gift has been given, when I cannot find the Princess, she is in her little nook with her laptop--or a book as she still reads a lot!
I have to say that timing of the laptop was perfect, as all things are when God is guiding us. I felt I could use a change, even a break with homeschooling, but not take the entire summer off because with our schedule that is not practical. However, I like to do things differently during the summer so I was looking over some deals through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op and found three online programs that I felt would be very good. I still like learning from books, but these would be a great way for me to have a break and for the Princess to take some personal responsibility for learning on her own also. I am excited and a bit apprehensive to see how it will work.
One is a grammar program called Grammarlogues that is a lifetime kind of thing and seems to be quite comprehensive. Words and Their Stories came with a bargain price for one teacher and one student for the co-op buy for a one year subscription. The one the Princess is most excited about is My Access! were she will write about a subject given and her grammar will be marked for correction; she can do several drafts and then when it is rated proficient she can publish her work as if she is a journalist of a newspaper and send it out to friends. This appeals to her far more than the others and I like that it takes the focus off of me trying to get her to correct her mistakes. She might respond better to another source of mistake finding.
I also decided that I am starting to get lost with her Latin and Greek so I am taking the lessons along with her. Sometimes she quizzes me with the flash cards and even though I know most of the words, I really do need to learn a few and all the endings of the verbs and nouns too. I thought she could use a bit of competition and these subjects are the ones I do not know myself, so we both are truly learning. She is now checking my papers and I check hers. It seems to have added some excitement to these subjects for both of us.
I have not devised our summer schedule yet but I shall be soon because I need time to work in the gardens and to clear the woodsy area in the back yard. Plus our house needs some major work and my husband and I are considering doing some of it ourselves, especially since receiving estimates on how much it would cost to have the entire thing done by someone else.
These are just a few of the things happening behind the screen to explain why I am not blogging as much as as I used to do. I just have so much to do!
~ My Lord, the ability to change and adapt is one of the greatest strengths in human beings. Help me to enjoy each of these seasons in my life as I live them and accept the change of them well. ~
