A Visit to the County Fair

After an eight year hiatus, my family went to the county fair this weekend.  My daughter had gone the weekend before but was inching to return.  My son had never been at all.  He was really excited.  So we loaded up, met the in-laws, bought our tickets and stepped into the wonder of the Gwinnett County Fair Grounds.  Oh my, what had we done? 

It was definitely bigger than I remember.  Back in the day, McNair Amusements ran the show.  Now it was some company called Amusements of America.  The piece-DE-resistance was the incredible Ferris wheel.  It was a giant!  Each car held up to six people and you could load four cars at one time – swanky in my book.   The light show on the wheel alone would put “Wheel of Fortune” to shame.  How can they afford such a monstrosity – ticket prices!  For my family of four to ride the wheel was $20.  In order to take a spin I had to swallow the cost of the ticket AND overcome my fear of heights AND overcome my fear of being high and swaying back and forth, back and forth.  Well I am typing this right?  That means I lived!  The experience was worth it in the end.  Views from atop the swaying bucket of doom were spectacular.  Once we started going around and around I was fine – it was the sitting at the top during loading.  Yes, I was praying!

My husband and daughter went for a spin on a swing ride – they waited in line for an hour.  While they waited, me, my son and the in-laws cruised the fair.  Spencer had his sights set on playing a few games.  One in particular that caught his attention was a shooting game.  The object was to completely remove the red star from the middle of the paper target.  Here is his paper target – impressive! 

Spencer's target - even though he did not win, he was so excited!

He came SO close to winning.  He wanted the big, ginormous, red bulldog stuffed animal.  This momma is not gonna lie – I am glad the big, ginourmous, red bulldog stuffed animal did not come home.  Later in the evening, he won this little bear for his sissy.  He had been saying for over an hour he wanted to win her a prize – how sweet!

Here are a few other photos from the night.  Not all of the pictures I took came out well.

The in-laws and my boy

Silly as always

The apple does not fall far from the tree.  On the Ferris wheel - I asked him to smile.

Spence on the ferris wheel - this was posed.

 

I had a few bites of the best funnel cake ever – Shan ate the rest.  And I enjoyed spending time with the family.  The biggest lessons I took away from the experience is to make sure we have PLENTY of money to attend and to arrive early in the afternoon to avoid long lines.  Or, stay home and watch the Georgia Bulldogs beat the stuff out of some other college team.  Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me!

Did your family make it to your local fair this year?  Is it a tradition or do you go when you can afford it/have coupons?  What is your favorite fair food?

Blessed with Family and Friends

I belong to a few homeschool groups for buying and selling books and other activities.  On one of these groups, I saw where a mom asked if she could be exempt from jury duty.  Another lady responded “yes” and sent her a link on how to do so.  So now comes a confession – my VERY first thought was, ‘Why does she want to be exempt?  What is her deal?  As citizens of this country, it is our duty to serve when called upon.  Why does she think she is so special that she should be exempt?’  I know.  I know.  I made a presumption, but my curiosity had me, so instead of assuming, I chose to ask her.  She quickly replied that her husband had no vacation time left and they had no family or friends to watch her children.  I told her thanks for letting me know and that I hoped things worked out for her.  Then I sat at my computer and realized that I am spoiled and totally blessed. 

I have family that lives a few miles down the road and was always available in the early years of motherhood when my kids needed to be looked after.  They were there for my two tours of jury duty, many doctors’ appointments, surgeries, and family emergencies.  If they were not available, I had a plethora of friends to choose from.   Thinking back on my adventures of motherhood, I have not missed any government duties, appointments or even a desired fun night out with friends due to the fact that I did not have childcare.  One of the best times was when my husband had the opportunity to go to Missouri on a business trip.  I wanted to go!  But at home was a precious four-year-old girl.  No worries – she split her week with her grandparents, who we lovingly call Grandee and Nona Re; then the second half of the week with her great Aunt Ginger and Uncle Toney.  When we returned from being away for seven days, I hugged her and asked if she missed me.  She said, “No”.  And I believed her!  She was spoiled, loved and the time flew for her.  

Today, this does not apply anymore.  My oldest is more than capable of taking care of herself and my youngest is good on his own for an hour or two.  Yet, he still LOVES going to his grandparents for the weekend.  And I enjoy the down time and extra quiet.  They have also spent time away from the homestead with their grandmother in North Georgia and hopefully with other family members in the near future.

Having family and friends who are close by and available to be in your life is truly a wonderful blessing.  I am so thankful!  I hope I can continue to pour back into their lives as well. 

Our School Day

Recently, on another blog I follow, there was an article on “If You think you can Homeschool?”  It was a quiz on whether or not you were up to the task.  I am not sure if the author meant for it to be satire or not, but parts of it were funny.  Overall, however, it did not ring true for me.  I have been at this for eight years and I can say that only two of the items on the quiz were similar to events that happened in my home.

So what does happen at my house on a typical day?  Well, I will tell you.  Remember, this is my house, my kids, our schedule.  It is not a representation of the home school world at large.  But you will get a good idea of what we do ‘at school’.

We wake up.  This happens more without the aid of an alarm clock than with the sounds of the morning buzzer.  Spencer has a built-in get up and go system.  He arises between 7:30 and 8:30am almost always.  If he is still sleeping at 9am, he was tired!  Shelby gets up when she needs to or when I wake her, depending on her schedule and how well she slept.  Poor girl, she struggles in the sleep department and this is something we take into consideration on a day to day basis – but we aim for getting up by 9am.  In the first year of schooling at home, we tried the ole ‘start each day by 8:00am’ like our friends were doing and we were miserable.  I mean miserable.  I soon learned that if we rested, took our morning easy and I did not get all freaked out by the clock, it all got done and no one got hurt.  This is a good thing.

Also, I cannot, cannot start school with a messy kitchen or den.  Clutter and mess are huge distractions to me.  So I have this routine where I tidy the kitchen, clean up any breakfast mess and start a load of laundry.  Somehow, once this is done (which takes me 10 - 15 minutes) my mind is ready to focus.  This is also helpful as the kitchen, den and office is ‘the school area’.

We study/learn.  Yes – this actually does happen!  The subjects we do together are Bible and history.  Shelby is taking geometry (with a great tutor this year), language arts, French, and chemistry.  For the most part, all of her subjects are self-directed and she comes to me when she needs help.  I am definitely involved for review, giving tests and grading.   In addition to her studies, she baby-sits, has a job and is involved at church.  She has learned how to balance her schedule around her activities.  For example, tomorrow morning she is going to babysit.  She has to be there for three hours.  So today, she did her school work for nine hours.  She might only get in one or two hours of study tomorrow.  She is learning time management well this year.

Spencer has math, grammar, reading (a special program for him), typing, guitar and science.  Several of his subjects are self-directed, but obviously I am more involved with him than his sister. 

The biggest lessons I teach is in regards to relationships and communication.  Conflict is dealt with around here as soon as possible.  If there is a hurting heart, all things stop so we can pray, talk and start the healing process.  Having my kids learn scripture is more important than learning history facts – but yes, it is good to know the date when the Declaration of Independence was signed!  

Home Economics.  We are blessed with our humble home and possessions.  Therefore, we take care of them and learn how to balance school with chores and fun.  Everyone has chores and they get done without much fuss. When you have a small home, two kids and not many toys, it is easier to take care of the house. (It was not always this way, but has been for the last four years.  Sweet!) Spencer is learning how to cook and Shelby is learning how to balance a checkbook.  

Fun Studies:  Currently, I am tutoring at Summit Academy.  The classes are held on Thursday.  This is an alarm clock morning for sure!  The science class I am teaching is on Flying Creatures.  Spencer is in my class so we are doing the study at home as well.  It is great to incorporate science studies with nature studies.  Bird watching is an on-going activity here at the house.  It does not feel like learning, but we are.  This applies to not only bird watching, but other subjects as well. Even while on vacation this year, we are going to go to a museum about the civil war and walk through a battlefield.  I am a big opponent of having fun while you learn.  

Extras:  We go to homeschool events, field trips and get together with other families to hang out and have a good time.  In a few days, we are going to SkyZone for some jumping!  I also help to organize two dances for homeschoolers – one in the fall and one in the spring.  

Flexibility:  When the rest of the world (or at least it seemed that way) went to the beach this summer, we are going in a few weeks.  It is not possible due to my husband’s line of work to have vacation in the summer.  However, the first weeks of fall are the perfect time.  If we were in a traditional school setting, this would not be possible.  The flexibility for us to go with the flow of life, whether it is a trip or helping family has been an incredible opportunity and blessing.

Things we view as perks:  no additional ’homework’; no school uniform or dress code; flexibility in our schedule; able to pursue interests as they occur; study at a customized pace (both of my kids need this; they each have their own learning disability/hurdle); hot lunches – which most of the time, the kids have cooked themselves!

There are days when it is hard.  There are days when it goes great.  And as a woman, I can get a bit lonely at times.  Every now and then, I get surprised with phone calls and visits.  Those days are special.  I started writing about one of those rare days and will post it soon.  For now, I wanted to share what a typical school day at “The Fowler Home School” looked like.  

Do you homeschool or teach?  I would love hear what a typical day is like for you in your learning center. 

ABC's of Me

I borrowed this from another blog, that borrowed from another blog.  It is called a meme.  I thought it was fun and a great way for you to get to know me better.  I hope you enjoy!

A. Age: 4?  - I don’t remember the last digit.   Spencer told me I was 43 so I will go with that.
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: Taking out the trash.  I now have a trained 11-year old to do the job.
D. Dogs:  Two Yorkies when I was first married, a male named Dew and a female named Jessa.  Later, we got a Border Collie named Opal and now we have a Papillion named Trixie. I really like small dogs.
E. Essential start to your day:  Waking up. That is essential. Then a shower.
F. Favorite color: Purple
G. Gold or Silver:  Both. But here lately, I go for more silver.  More of it in my jewelry box …
H. Height: 5’6”
I. Instruments you play: Piano – but just barely.  I can do a shaker and a tambourine with a bit of practice.  On our Guitar Hero, I rock on the guitar.  But don’t give me a real guitar.
J. Job title: Home Maintenance Specialist, Home Educator, Tutor, Organizer, Administrator and Event Planner.   There are other smaller titles under these, but I won’t bore you with them all. 
K. Kids: Two - a 16 year-old-daughter and an 11 year-old son.  They are the joys of my life!
L. Live: Georgia.  Go Dawgs!  Moved here when I was 12 and now this is my home. 
M. Mother’s name: Sue
N. Nicknames: Mom, Shortcake and Swirly.  That last one is new.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Besides giving birth to my kids, this has not happened.  Yeah!
P. Pet peeves: Not knowing how to use a 4-way stop; not using the car seats for a baby/small child properly and/or letting kids ride in the front of the car when they are too small; talking and/or texting during a movie; litterbugs; loud commercials.  I have noise/sound issues so most of my peeves are in this area (tv, radio, talking while the tv/radio is on, certain sounds, etc.)  – it drives me nuts and in the process of  me trying not to going crazy, I drive my family crazy.  It is a daily battle.  There are a few others but we can talk about those later.
Q. Quote from a movie: This one is not fair – there are too many!  But here are a few: “The man, he is the head; but the woman is the neck.  She can turn the head anyway she wants.”  My Big Fat Greek Wedding; “Back then, people did not drive on the road to make good time, they drove to have a good time.” Cars; “Why I’m happier than a tornado in a trailer park!” Cars and lots, lots more from my favorite movies. (I may not have remembered the quotes word for word, ok?)
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: One older brother; one younger sister.  Being in the middle explains so much.
T. Time it takes you to get ready: Depends on where I am going.  If I am staying home for the day and do not need to put on makeup or fix my hair, 20 minutes.  If I need to get “presentable” for public, 45 minutes to an hour.  For a very special occasion, two hours; to quote another movie, “It takes time to be this beautiful.” Steel Magnolias
U. Ultimate Vacation: One where I did not have to cook, do laundry or plan anything.  Preferably in the mountains, with a lake nearby, and in that lake a boat for me to use whenever the mood hits me.  I would have plenty of time to read and watch movies. 
V. Vegetable you hate: Wait – I am supposed to love vegetables?  I only like and eat a few.
W. What makes you run late: My alarm clock not going off; traffic or an accident; my husband being stuck in the bathroom; my teen daughter is not ready yet; something unavoidable happens.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: My teeth; my wrist; my ankle; ultrasounds when I was pregnant; CT scan – two of those.  The one for my head was the scariest. 
Y. Yummy food that you make: Anything sweet – I love to bake.  My family loves my lasagna, chicken casserole (made it tonight), hash brown bake, several other chicken recipes and my father-in-law says I make the best Rice Krispie Treats ever.  My son loves my pancakes. 
Z. Zoo animal: Koalas.  

What about you? Choose a letter and share.  Or get brave and do the entire alphabet as well.