Zachary and School

Zachary has finished 2nd grade math. Today he is starting 3rd grade math with Abeka. The beginning will be a review but we are excited about the new workbook. Third grade Abeka math really focues on Multiplication, Division, and Measurements. He already knows his 0's, 1's, most of his 2's, 5's, 10's, and 11's multiplication facts. So, we are really going to focus him memeorizing the rest of 2's, 3's, 4's, 6's, 7,' and 9's. Once Zachary has all of his multiplication facts memeorized I don't believe that we will be in the 3rd grade math book for long. He just picks up math so fast.

Starting next year Zachary will be attending Texas Virtual Academy at Southwest www.k12.com/txva. This is a public school that is virtual. This means that he will be in public school next year but he will be at home. 25% of the curriculum is delivered through the computer the rest is through textbooks at home. So, it is homeschooling and public school all in one. TXVA provides the child with a computer, a stipend for internet service, and all the textbooks and extras that the child will need. The child will be assigned a teacher and she keeps up with with the child is doing. The virtual school doesn't start till 3rd grade and Zachary will be only a 2nd grader next year per his age. But, they have agreed that they will let him enroll into 3rd grade next year. Which I don't believe will be a problem. At the end of the year Zachary will have to take the TEKS test and the CBE's from Texas Tech University and make a 70's average on 3 of the 4 major subjects to past his grade level. By doing this if we ever decide to put Zachary into the public school system here in MP he will just transfer from TXVA to MP. MP school district will have to except the transfer b/c it is from one public school to another. They will also have to accept what every grade Zachary is in.

Update

Ok, there is a lot to update. The biggest update is that my big computer is dead. This is the computer that I downloded all the pictures I take. So, I can't add pictures right now and I have some interesting ones. So, no pictures till the big computer get fixed.

Guest
We had an interesting visitor the other day. Our dog was barking so we went outside to see who was at our house that early 7:00am. We got outside and discovered our dog had ran a racoon up to the roof of our shed. It was really interesting to see a racoon that close up. I took some really neat pictures of this visitor.

Brooke
Brooke has started standing up by herself without holding onto anything. We are thinking that she may be walking in the next 4 weeks.

Business
I have also closed down my company www.AbundantCrosses.com. The company that was hosting the website was charging me $30 a month and I wasn't bringing in enough money to cover that. I may bring the website back up later but with a different hosting company. Right now I am in the process of building a website for Titus County CARES. Once this is finished which I am hoping by tomorrow I will start on an old business of mine. I make flashcards and then sell them as .pdf files. I have partnered with www.CurrClick.com and they will sell my products along with my website. Right now you can preview and purchase at www.DiscountedMontessoriFlashcards.com but coming soon will be www.MontessoriCards.com.

Slow Fade Video

This song is so true.

Weekend in Big D

Saturday we went to Dallas. We got up and packed when we decided to and we left around 11:30 a.m. When we arrived in Dallas we ate at Razzoo's Cajun Cafe. We ate crawfish, french fries, catfish with a jalapeno sauce and rice. While the kidos has popcorn shrimp and fries. Brooke likes crawfish. But, I haven't found to much that that girl will not eat. The kids had milk to drink while Mark and I indulged in a New Orleans treat called a Hurricane. UMMMMM!

After eating we headed up to Frisco. We stayed in a really nice hotel called the Aloft. The Aloft is part of the W hotels. Actually they call it " a baby W". The room was very nice but very modern. The rooms have 10' foot ceilings. As you walk into your room the sink area is open (no walls). There is a sliding door to where the toilet and huge walk-in shower are located. As you go further into the room there was 2 queen size platform bed (no box springs). On the opposite wall was a huge flat screen tv, a long sitting bench and a table that looked at one of the two huge windows. You also had the ability to hook up cameras or any electronically device and it would play on the TV. Down on the first floor was a pool table, a sitting area with a fire place and a bar. All of this was in walking distance to the Frisco Mall and the surrounding shopping center. It was a very nice location for under a hundred dollars.

We attended our old church, Fellowship Church in Grapevine. The message was really good, the music was wonderful. Zachary had a great time in the children's worship service. It is nice to be able to set through a service without correcting a child.

After that it was party time. Long time friends of ours was hosting their annual Christmas/New Years party that was also a housewarming/going away. He had accepted a position through his company that would take him and his family to Sweden for 2 years. Upon arriving to the party we learned they the job transfer and move is on hold b/c of the economy. Zachary stayed mainly upstairs and played PS360 and stayed up till 11:30pm. Brooke finally went to sleep around 9:45pm. She did have a small accident when she slipped and fell on the brick fireplace. A little blood but she is fine. We party hard till 11:30pm. We went back to the hotel and we all asleep by 12:00am.

The kids woke up around 6:30am. So, we got dress and went to Main Street Bread Baking Company in the colony. Nice little place for breakfast. We then went back to our hotel and packed and checked out. We headed to Alison apartment and visited for a while. Then we made the trip to Central Market. This store is a luxury that we partake in every time we go to Dallas. We grab lunch there and shop. We get fresh mozzarella, pancetta, hummus, cous cous, and other items that we can not find in Mt. Podunk.

After shopping and eating we headed home. After such a long and busy weekend we are glad to be back. But, we are always longing to go back to the Big D for the food, shopping and old friends.

Sorry for all of you that want pictures. I did take a few with my phone but will have to figure out how to go from my phone to the web. I will try to remember my camera from now on.

Shelving Unit

I really wanted a shelving unit that you see in preschools for Brooke's room. I got a teachers catalog and they ran from $170-$280+. There was no way I could afford that. So, I told my self that I could build one and it wouldn't cost as much. I went to lowes got the material. Had it cut there but then found out I miss calculated on a measurement. I cut 5/8" off using my father-in-laws table saw.

This morning I screwed it all together. It is not perfect but it works, looks good and I made it for around $40. A lot less than what I would have paid for out of a catalog.

I haven't painted it. I don't know if I want to just stain it or paint it bright colors.

Brooke really does like her new shelves.

In her room before I put everything on it.

Right after I built it.

Another photo of it in her room before the toys and books were on it.

New Header

Todays post is not really a post. I have a new header. This one is for Valentines day that is coming up soon. I actually made this header myself. I have been learning to use Photoshop and how to make blogger headers. The only thing that takes a long time to do is trying to decide what graphics you want to use. There are so many cute graphics out there.

The background is not mind but one that I found. I really like it but I want to try making my own background. So, that will probably be my next project.

I am really having fun learning! Now let me see if I can get that slide show for pictures to work.

Zachary was given an interesting opportunity. It was called Flat Stanley. The child traces a flat Stanley and then colors him and cuts him out. The child then mails the flat stanley to a friend and the friend takes a picture with Flat Stanley in the picture.

So, we sent Zachary's flat stanley to the Beck's who are in Portugal. Yes, he went to a different country. Zachary had to find on the map Portugal so he could see where flat stanley was going. We have received some pictures back so here they are.

I do have more pic's I am trying to figure out how to use the slide show option.