The countdown is on!  My little ones have 4 days of school left (2 being half days).  I can't tell you how much this EXCITES me!  We are in for such an adventure.  For those of you who don't know, we will be Homeschooling next year, yes all 3 little ones, Jo, Buckwheat and Peanut she techincally isn't old enough but that doesn't matter at HOME! :)  So why am I doing this crazy thing you ask?  Well, number one reason ~ it's what I feel is BEST for me and my crew!  I think that is the most important thing, you have to do things for you and not because the whole world does or doesn't.  We do a lot of crazy things, like not immunize our kids for very valid reasons. I encapsulate my own herbs (freaky I know ha ha!)  I just made my own dish and laundry detergent (will follow up with that post at a later date!) I recently learned how to make yogurt.  I want to make my own bread, I know how but Hank won't use it to eat sandwiches with because it falls apart so I need a SANDWICH bread.  I am thrilled to keep my kids home with me all day every day, because I will be able to control them  able to spend more quality time with them ;)!  I really can't wait to watch them learn and grow, and not have to wonder what they learned at school, because Buckwheat can't ever remember!  Silly boy!  I am odd, quirky and yes I think I Am THE NORMAL ONE.  To each his own, we are all unique and we all do what we do for valid reasons.  So as I embark down this new "Creek" of life I invite you to follow us, see what we are up to, comment on our learning and let me know why you do what you do!  I love to learn what works for others, and incorporate different aspects in my own life.  You never know if it will work for you until you try it!

As for homeschooling.... I am a bit overwhelmed there are so many choices in curriculum.  I have debated about Washington Online School they use K12 curriculum and others and seem to have a really great program.  I also have put my name on the waiting list at Harmony Ed but can't decide if I want to commit to going to an actual school once a week.  They have incredible classes offered, but do I want to do that or stay home.  Afterall wasn't that why I decided to homeschool, so we didn't have to chase, so we could enjoy life and be together.  Five in a Row curriculum really appeals to me, I love basing all learning on one book and digging DEEP!  These are just the tip of the iceberg, there is so much to go off of, I could go on for days.  But I'll spare you the agony.  Point being this journey is going to be AMAZING, I know it will be hard, I know I will want to quit and I will threaten my kids that they will be put back in school if they don't OBEY he he he he!  Or as my mother use to say to my youngest brother "You can get on that Cheese Wagon tomorrow morning!"  LOL!  No I am not dissing public school, if that's your thing that's GREAT!  That's the beauty of choice!  My dillema's may be answered as I attend the homeschool convention in our area in a few weeks....or perhaps my dillema's haven't begun because I don't know all the OTHER stuff they are going to unfold upon me.  Oh good gravy, this may be bad!  Either way our homeschool adventures are about to begin, and I am sure we will have a few trials by error but that's the joy in the journey.  We will see what works for us, what makes our hearts happy!  So make your heart happy~ do what you do because that's who you are!  And stay tuned for MUCH more HOMESCHOOLING up CHAOS CREEK!



"I believe it would be much better for everyone if children were given their start in education at home.

No one understands a child as well as his mother, and children are so different that they need individual training and study. A teacher with a room full of pupils cannot do this.

At home, too, they are in their mother's care. She can keep them from learning immoral things from other children."

- Quote / Words by Laura Ingalls Wilder

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

So my friend did this cute post about her birthday and her "utter Randomness" and we decided I must do it to... Maybe it'll be some kind of tradition or something ;)  It is My Birthday!... yes I know I can't be 25 til next year and I can't wait, so here I am .... GULP... 30!  GEESH, what the heck happened?  Time flies when you're having fun I guess!  I am pretty sure I remember when my mom was 30, Not so sure I like this moving up to the next chair stage.  Anyway here is my "UTTER RANDOMNESS" for my Birthday!

I am the oldest of 4 children, I have 3 AWESOMELY COOL BROTHERS!  And I wouldn't trade it for the world, they keep me Sane and make me crazy, growing up the only girl ROCKED, I didn't share clothes, makeup, a room.  Okay I take that back I did share clothes, but it was with my mom and she's AMAZING so it was all good!  I love my bro's and my mom and dad, they are my Calm to my Storm and I thank them for raising me, and give them credit for who I am! I grew up in a small town, with 10 acres, room to run and no one could hear you scream! The BEST!  I guess that's where I got my BIG HUGE BUBBLE, as in: I NEED SPACE!  I would LOVE to live in the middle of nowhere and plop my house right in the middle of 100 acres! (Someday, someday!)  I am married to a talented, sexy guy whom I love with ALL MY HEART (Yep, even on those.....days)!  Together we have 5 FABULOUS kiddos.  Yes I refer to them as the FABULOUS FIVE, because they are!  I have 4 FANTASTIC sister in-laws (kinda cool to have sisters now!) and 2 REALLY COOL bro in-laws.  I have GREAT in-laws too!  I also have 7 nieces and 2 Nephews....seriously where did all these girls come from?  (FYI: Me, only girl, My mom Only girl, My grandmother, only girl, my aunt only girl ~ so this GIRL'S taking over the world is a new experience for me)! And I admit there is too much estrogen in the air for me somedays!

Favorite Color: PURPLE, GREEN OR RED depending on the day or what the color is needed for :)

Favorite Number: 37 because that's what channel Nickelodeon was on when I was little!  Yeah I know I'm cool!

Favorite Food: Italian ~ I love lasagna and Olive Garden and anything with PASTA! I love mashed potatoes, and I'm a meat and potatoes kinda girl.  I love me a big ol' steak that's pink in the middle.  No well done beef for me!  I love asparagus and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, peppers.  I do not like things that are really spicy, I use to think ketchup was as spicy as I could go. But I've come A LONG WAY!  But I like to taste my food not have my taste buds SEARED OFF MY TONGUE! 

Favorite Treat

 CHOCOLATE! yes that's an easy one, chocolate anything, dark chocolate, milk chocolate.  Not a huge fan of white chocolate....cause it's really not chocolate, chocolate is BROWN people!  I love things like chocolate cake (the kind with no flour, yeah like the..."wow that's too rich" kind of cake or torte, yep its really not to rich, just ask my middle brother :)  I love nutella, baked anything, cookies, brownies, pies, puddings. I do not like gummies or hard candy.  My favorite shake at the shake place in town is Joyous Almond.  I love Snickers with Almonds.  I love nuts, almost any kind of nut, almonds, walnuts, pecans.  I love coconut and tropical flavored things too. I love love love, berries, banana's, kiwi, pineapple, peaches, mango...most fruits.  I also love anything with cream, or milk.  My mom says I am part cat.... I will drink half and half, or evaporated milk, I love heavy whipping cream in ANYTHING.  And I have been known to drink the coffee creamers at restaurant's (oh snap! did I just admit that out loud!)

My Style

 Well according to my previous post, it is BOHEMIAN CASUAL, yes I am the description but don't google that cause I am NOTHING like the pictures!  I would say I am classic, casual, conservative.  I like black....for many reasons, but I wear it almost daily...okay maybe every day of my life!  I don't like to draw attention to myself and I am not a big loud color person.  I feel all weird and outta place if I have too much color on.  I know ISSUES, I have ISSUES!  

Every piece of jewelry I own is White gold or silver, I do not like yellow gold.  Or better yet I don't like it on me, and it doesn't match my wedding ring so I just can't bring myself to wear it.  I don't have a lot of jewelry, although I have branched out over the years.  I don't do bracelets, they bang on tables when I set my wrist down and it makes me BoNkErS!  

My decorating style is...clean, sophisticated and very.... classic/casual.  I like stripes, plaids, paisley.  Neutral colors, but a lot of red.  I LOVE grapes!  I do not like wild prints, okay I LOVE ZEBRA and LEOPARD though!  Color Freaks me out a bit, except red or purple or green I could do that all day.  I am trying to branch out and even might add some......teal.......to my bedroom soon.  Scary I know!  Color phobic.... I think there is such a disease! ;)

Hobbies

I love to be with my family.  I like to camp in a camp trailer (with a toilet and a shower, yes I know I'm HIGH MAINTENANCE ha ha! actually it's due to the fact that I don't do so well with out indoore plumbing, and yes my girls inherited the gene!)  I like to boat and fish and hunt.  I love to scrapbook and craft and sew.  I love to clean, really I love to clean!  I like to read and read and read.  I like to ride horses although I don't do it enough.  I love calving season, branding cows and hay season.  I like to four wheel.  I like to shoot guns. And yes, I can outshoot my husband :), and he is VERY PROUD of that! (totally got that gene from my dad, he's AMAZING)

Favorite Time of Year

I love Easter and Spring.  I love Christmas and Christmas music, I would listen to it ALL YEAR LONG!  Fall is my favorite season.  I love the leaves and the crisp autumn air.  I love knowing it's the hunts and starting fires in our fireplace.  I love knowing the scorching sun is going to give it a rest for a little bit ;).  

Odd Things

I do not like the heat, I do melt.  I don't like opening presents in front of people.  Rocks in the ground give me the heeby geebies!  I despise puke.  I feel more comfortable around guys than girls (think the brothers had something to do with that).  I love the rain.  I love to be cold (because you can get warm, you can't get cool enough).  I am a night owl.  I could sleep all day.  I love brunch especially if it involves french toast.  I was born with hip displaysia. I like to color with sharp crayons.  I love to write.  I love babies and kids! I do many jobs, like babysit, clean homes, cashier at a gas station, do book keeping.  I attend school and am working on my degree in elementary education.  I am going to home school my three little ones next year. Yes, those two statements sound contradictory, but they will work out hand in hand!  I hate yard work with a passion.  I hate crowds, audiences, I will hyperventilate and pass out I'm sure of it.  I pass out at the sight, mention or talk of, blood, needles, surgery or pain. I had 3 c-sections (yep, me) I passed out several times before they even got the IV in me.  Did I mention I HATE NEEDLES! 

Favorite Disney Princess

Belle, because she wants to help the Beast even when he isn't nice to her.  She is always finding the good in others.  I like that characteristic.

Favorite Flower

I love lilies especially Tiger Lilies!  But any lily is my favorite.

Fears

Audiences, spiders, snakes, bugs, scary movies, attention, mice, bats, birds (to some degree, it freaks me out when they flap their wings), blood, needles, hospitals (yeah that's why I'm not a nurse), water (I can't swim, well unless I have a nose plug and life jacket if it's over 4 and half feet deep).

Love Language

My love language is SERVICE, don't tell me you love me, do something for me :)  I feel loved when the floors are vacuumed, swept and the house is in order.  I also love that way, I will clean your counters even if you didn't want me too, I try my hardest to refrain, really I do.  So please don't be offended if I start washing, wiping or picking up, it's just who I am, and means I want you to know I care.  I also love words of affirmation. I love to write notes and tell people how grateful I am or how much I love them.  My words work best when I write them, then my emotions don't get in the way, because I cry at puppy dog commercials!

Dreams

I dream of going to Europe or Australia, or Pennsylvania or Oregon or Maine.  I just wanna go!  I dream of shooting a HUGE moose and hanging it in my house (okay maybe I'd have to get a bigger house).  I dream of building the house plan that Trevor and I have stashed away in a book.  I would love to live in Alaska, darkness and all.  I dream of helping others, financially or with food or shelter.  

Favorite Music

Country, Classic rock, some Christian and whatever kind Wilson Phillips sings because I LOVE THEM!

Most of all I love being me!  I love that I am 30, yes I do! It means I 've learned so much, grown so much and been able to spend these years with amazing people.  Creating my paddles and steering down this beautifu, crazy, chaos creek of life!  I love my family, My Father in Heaven, my home, my Husband, my Fabulous Five, our farm life, my friends and all that I am surrounded with.  My Cup Runneth Over!! So although it's the big THREE O this year I wouldn't have it anyother way, because this is me, this is where I want to be, still growing still learning and still steering through rapids, and calm waters! Happy May 8th EVERYBODY!

no no no NO NO NO NO!!!!

This morning I showered (I know your shocked, ha ha) proceeded to get ready.  I recently got my hair cut into an Aline bob thingy (LOVE IT) so I had to round brush it.  Pulled half the hair up and saw something.......glistening.  I leaned in closer.....closer....AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!! Yes it was my FIRST and ONLY GRAY HAIR! I about had a heart attack, but thought that would only increase the stress level which obviously didn't need increased because I HAD A GRAY HAIR!!!! OH GEESH!  I don't think this turning.....whatever age I am turning (not 30, nope not me, I'm not, I'm Not, I'M NOT!)  On a better note, I beat my mother by 13 years.  Poor woman started to gray at 17!!  By the time she had my littlest brother (she was like 31) people were asking her if they were her grand kids.  (my mother does NOT look old now, let alone when she was 31)!  Anyway I lasted this long I guess it's time to EMBRACE it... or better yet DYE IT!! Yep, that's what I will be doing til about age 70.  DYING MY GRAY HAIR!