Learners Permits, Homeschooling, and Snow Days...for lack of a better title.

I am foregoing my Gratitude post this Monday.

I will double up next Monday.

This Monday I have some things I don't want to forget.


It has been brutally cold here in Tennessee the past two months.

Not to mention the fact that the Lord must have stamped some heavenly document declaring the Volunteer State an official snow state.

I can only pray that this means he also decided to take us off of the official tornado alley list.

With all the bitter cold and white stuff falling we have spent the majority of our days inside in our pj's where it is warm.

It is too cold to even want to leave the house.

So when I have to, I thank the Lord for a teenager that is in love with the idea of getting to start the car for me.

Can't remember the last time I had to get into a cold car thanks to this kid.

Speaking of teenagers and cars...



Looky what now sits atop my son's desk.

Hmmm, wonder if he realizes I have no plans of ever letting him get behind the wheel of a car as long as I draw breath?

Unless it is to heat it for me of course.

Seriously could somebody just shoot me now please?

Or send a bottle of little blue happy pills?

Lord have mercy I have no idea how to navigate these teenage years we are entering.

They scare me.

To death.

Jesus take the wheel.

Did I really just say that?

Yes I did which is a good indicator that it is after 9pm.

The great dork within cannot be caged past this hour.

Remember Teen Wolf?

Well it's kinda like that...except I snort at myself till I nearly pee my pants instead of growing hair on my face.

On the bright side, I'm thinking it will be kinda super when the kid can run to Publix for some milk.

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"There's only one bad thing about homeschooling mom. We don't get snow days." -Maggie

The kids are no longer enamored with snow or even reports of snow in the forecast.

The Snow Bird report doesn't mean that much to a Homeschooler.

Most kids get to go out and play in the snow.

My poor homeschooled children put black construction paper in the freezer then head outside with a magnifying glass to see if it is true that no two snowflakes are alike.



They loved it.

Shhhh! Don't tell them they are learning ok?

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This kid made all A's his first Semester of High School.

We offered to reward him for his efforts and achievement.

He is now the proud shamless owner of a Pillow Pet.

I kid you not.



**If you have an iPad you must check our Mathboard (which Tyler is trying to solve a problem on here) and Spellboard. I HIGHLY recommend for homeschoolers.

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Maggie and Aidan signed up this year to write a book for Celebrate Literacy.

This is a program offered on a County wide level to encourage students to write.

They make the books.

They write, edit, and illustrate the story.

All by themselves with no help allowed from parents.



Maggie and Aidan both used my iPad to search words in the Dictionary and Thesaurus.



Maggie's story was about a mouse that could not find a home and made friends with the least likely of characters. A cat.



This was her "About the Author" page.



And her finished product last week as we headed in to Tutorials to turn them in.





Aidan decided to write about a starfish that loved to take adventures...he loses his sticky things on his belly and a sea turtle helps him find them and they become best friends.

So darn cute.







It was early and cold in these pictures and they were not happy with the lady behind the camera.

It was hard not to want to correct mistakes I saw but in the end they were creative and genuinely enjoyed each step in the process of making these books.

That's all that matters to me.

If they love the process they will want to do it again and again.

Which in turn will only improve Spelling and Grammar.

They will get these back on family awards night and will be presented with an award for participating.

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A couple of weeks ago Adam and I we were blessed with a little grown up time (Holla!) as we helped a friend and former neighbor celebrate the big 40 by having dinner at Maggiano's in downtown Nashville.

Fantastic food.

Fantastic friends.

Fantastic food.

Did I say that already?





"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"