Im in love with my timer

I have only been homeschooling for 3 1/2 months and many of my peers have been homeschooling for years, but I love documenting my successes to share with others.

I LOVE this timer.  Just look on Amazon for "Timer Timer" and there are a variety of sellers and sizes.  This has been a HS life saver for me.  I ask my dyslexic daughter to "work hard" for 20 minutes and then she gets a 5 minute break.  She has a hard time visualizing and understanding the concept of time and this works really well.

I did not get paid to endorse this timer!

-KT

Real Ways To Say Thank You To A Veteran

I wanted to share something I posted on Facebook today due to the veteran's day holiday.  Everyone seems to think just saying "thanks" to a veteran makes a difference.  Not so much.  I decided to compile a REAL list of things you can do to actually help a Veteran.

REAL ways to help a veteran any day: 

           

1. Donate to and/or volunteer at a VA hospital or an Old Soldiers Home (Armed Forces Retirement Home)  www.afrh.gov

2. Combat Veteran homelessness by participating in a Veterans Affairs "Stand Down" which are usually one- to three-day events to provide food, shelter, clothing and health screenings to homeless and unemployed veterans.  http://www.va.gov/homeless/events.asp

3. Contact your local VFW, DAV, American Legion, Military Order of Purple Heart post, MOAA and ask how you can best help Veterans in your area.  (You can give a ride to disabled veterans through the DAV!!) 

4. Making a donation or volunteer your time with Blue Star Families, Homes For Our Troops, Army Emergency Relief or another military connected charity. (Do your homework and see where the $ goes) www.bluestarfam.org  

5. Contact your local Fisher House and see how you can help military families. (Fisher House provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.) You can also donate your airline miles to Fisher House!  www.fisherhouse.org

6. Send a care package to troops through Operation Gratitude www.operationgratitude.com

7. Be an advocate for veterans and military families by contacting your senators and representative for better veterans’ care.

8. Know the signs of PTSD. If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of a Veteran for 24/7 confidential support call: 1-800-273-8255, press 1 or TEXT838255 

www.veteranscrisisline.net

9.  You can even help military dogs through the following organizations: http://www.uswardogs.org/k9-care/
Operation K-9 Care Package
 http://www.supportmilitaryworkingdogs.org/index.html

‪#‎deedsnotwords‬  ‪#‎veteransday‬  ‪#‎greenlightavet‬ ‪#‎MilFam‬

Patriot Day

Today is always a hard day for me.  I am sure it is worse for a lot of others.  I was lucky not to loose a loved one on 9/11.  However, this day created a lot of changes in my life.  This day started the war.
This day started the numerous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and other places that my family and friends, and brothers and sisters in arms have endured for the last 11 years.

A bee in a thunderstorm

So last night we had a big Kansas storm blow through. If you've never lived in Kansas before they are loud, windy and wet. I think during the next storm I will record what the wind sounds like when it whips by my house. The wind was so loud last night and very distracting. Of course, I had just sat down to read for school and the wind picked up and went non stop for an hour. It basically sounds like a freight train whistle outside your window. Lets not forget the continual thunder strikes and threat of power outtage. I am always worried my computer will get fried, I always unplug my Mac when a storm is approaching. Another habit I have gained during a storm is to bring in our flags.

I have 2 flags that wave on our front porch. When the wind picks up, the flags turn into sails and end up ripping the flags away from the post. So, last night when I heard the thunder, I went out and got the flags and put them in the umbrella stand near the front door. I was about to walk away when I heard a very angry and deliberate buzzing sound from the umbrella stand. The flags were draped around the stand and I was hesitant to look inside.

I wasn't sure what all the 'buzz' was about. So I grabbed the fly swatter and hoping the critter was small. I moved the flags back from the umbrella stand and out popped a big bee! It was like 10:00 at night and I was expecting a moth or a fly, but not a bee. It was a big bee too! Somehow I shooed it outside the house and on to the front porch. I thought that was the end of the bee. Well this morning, I was sitting outside with a cup of coffee on the front porch chair. I was about to go in and as I reached for the door, a bee (must be the same one) crawled from the front porch light and flew on to my pants!

I walked over to my flower beds and scraped him off my leg into the petunias. I think the bee liked me.

Just celebrated my neighbors birthday with ice cream cake and beer this evening.  I know that sounds like a funny pairing...but it went really well.  I love me some Boulevard wheat beer.  Its a regional thing and its not something you can find everywhere.

Last night I surprised the babysitter by arriving home very early from school.  When I got home, everything was all "catywhompus" as my friend from South Carolina would say.  It was bedtime and were the kids in bed? Of course not.  Babysitter was on the couch watching tv and stuffing her face.  One kid was still in school clothes and running around the house.  The other, still in school clothes and playing Wii.  It was like 5 minutes until lights out when I arrived home.  Dog was outside digging holes for who knows how long.  It just made me wonder, is it always like this?
Long story short, I am looking for a new sitter now.  Its difficult for me to find someone who I can depend on regularly 1-2 times a week.  Its not that hard, but it is.  I know the rest of my schedule until the end of the year.  But I'm worried if I let this one go, I won't find another dependable sitter that can make that commitment.  Most teenagers that you would trust to care for your children are busy with after school activities.

White chocolate popcorn rules

Hello Blog land.....make this yummy treat.....eat yummy treat....be happy.....that is all....

(i dont like white chocolate either, but this tastes amazing!)

Wednesday in Kansas

Okay, started a new masters class this week.  The instructor said 15-20 hours per week work....YIKES.
Now i'm starting to think I made a big mistake about this extra class.
I start another new class on Tuesday, so that makes 9 graduate hours at one time.
Oh yeah, and J has been acting so foolish lately.  I think he thinks that if he acts badly, his Daddy will come home.
Daddy is currently away with the military for 1 year and he's only been gone for a a month and a half.

The kids have been turning their noses up at the snacks I keep for them lately.  Snack snobs.  I went off the deep end today at the commissary and bought a few 'unhealthy' snacks that I usually don't buy.  I caved.  I had no backbone.  Shame on me.  I did find beer in the pantry that I forgot I bought.  Hurray for Heineken in the fridge.

Speaking on a fridge, I really need to go buy an extra one.  The one in my house is way too small for us.  We hardly go out to eat so our fridge always looks stuffed, but its not.

The dog decided to move his bed.  He has a big pillow and then S's old 'dora couch' that she outgrew and it turned into his bed.  He pulled it all around my bedroom with a few clean towels that somehow got in the way.  I hope it was fun for him.