An Awesome Birthday By: Stella (SIS) Age: 9

I have discovered several ways to have a great birthday! A birthday comes but once a year, and it should be a special occasion. These ways include having a birthday party with friends, spending time with family, and going out with someone you love.

The first way to have an awesome birthday is to enjoy a birthday party with friends. Having a birthday party is a great way to create special memories with friends. You may not get to see some of your friends very often, and this is a perfect opportunity. After all, friends are a blessing! The second way to have a great birthday is to spend time with family. Having this special time helps you to know your siblings or parents more. They also get to know you more. The third way to have a great birthday is to go out with someone you love! Going out with a loved one is not something that you necessarily get to do very often, and a birthday is a wonderful time to do this! On my ninth birthday, I went out with my mom (Mater), and it was really fun!

Finally, these are some of the many ways to have a wonderful birthday party. By spending time with family, friends, and loved ones, you can create the best birthday celebration EVER!

By: Stella (SIS)
Age:9

Happy Birthday, Stella!

Stella celebrated her 9th birthday today! We had such a special weekend. Last night we had our family celebration, and today she got dressed up in a special, new dress made by Grandma P., and we went out on a mother/daughter lunch at the restaurant of her choice (Olive Garden). Everything we ordered was something new and exciting that she had never tried before. Then we "rated" the meal together. I'll never forget this special memory we created today. I love you, Stella!

Homeschool FREEDOM! By: Stella (SIS) Age: Almost 9

We recently went to the Capitol Building, which was really neat! There were lots of flags with regiment numbers on them that stood for which Civil War battles they were in. The House of Representatives was presented with a Bill that would mean we homeschoolers would have to be tested by the teachers in school and present a porfolio of our work. Right now we take our testing at home. If this Bill passes, we would have to be tested in the schools and, if they thought that we did not do well enough, we would have just one more year of homeschooling. If we still didn't improve, then we wouldn't be able to homeschool anymore. We would have to go to school. One thing that we learned is that there are 4000 homeschoolers in NH. Some of it was amusing; the person who was in charge said in the rules that, "There is no applause!" but everyone still applauded. Then she said, "Control yourselves, or I WILL CLEAR THE HALLS!" It was pretty funny! This field trip to the public hearing was a good way to see in person how a Bill is put into place and to demonstrate that we are not in favor.
By: Stella (Sis)
AGE: Almost 9

I YUV living at the Yighthouse Co-Op!

Here is a picture from Baby Boy (Rus') preschool class at the homeschool Co-Op. He is SO proud to be in his own class. We moms take turns teaching it. My week was on the theme of gingerbread, so I brought in crafts, stories (including our favorite, "The Gingerbread Girl") and cookies for the kids to decorate. :)

Sis' (Stella's) Room

Stella is a great sport about sharing her bedroom with a fussy little brother who has only slept through a handful of nights in his young life... We let her help choose a pretty paint color and were delighted when a friend gave us a gorgeous comforter/pillow set that matches PERFECTLY! Aunt Gretchen's rainbow maker added the perfect finishing touch to her chambers. Here's a peek.

Sis' (Stella's) 9th Birthday Party

This February we combined Stella and my niece's birthday celebrations into one elegant Victorian tea and slumber party. It is so neat to see the friendship that has formed between these cousins. When they all lined up for their picture I realized with some sadness that this is the last year they will all be under 13 together. Tomorrow, my sweet niece "L" paves the way for the rest as she crosses over into her teen years.

When Mom drove the girls to our home, she said that the backseat chatter reminded her of a bunch of girls headed to the prom. They were going on and on about their outfit choices, their hair styles and everything else girly.

When they arrived, I had the table set and decorated for the festivities. We played some tea party games (including a word scramble, tea party bingo and a "language of flowers" guessing game). We made a rather sticky and disappointing attempt at homemade maple candy (I need a thermometer next time) but enjoyed the Maple snow "Slushies" nonetheless. Then Mom and Gretchen helped the girls with making lace fans. They feasted on dozens of finger sandwiches, dainty tea cookies and cakes, homemade ice cream and hot tea punch (a recipe from Stella's American Girl cookbook).

My sisters surprised her with a rainbow maker for her bedroom and a sweet bag of gifts themed "Things We Love About You." Stella's cousins presented her with beautiful artwork and loving cards.

After the tea, Krista picked up the young ladies for a slumber party at her house. They watched "Chrissa," the lastest American Girl movie and played with Polly Pockets and tea party cootie catchers we sent home with them. I know that Stella will treasure the memories she made for years to come.

Hearts, Hearts and MORE Hearts

We found ourselves buried in homemade Valentines this weekend. Our Co-Op held a Valentine's party for the kids today, and I had the brilliant idea of making customized, homemade Valentines for each of the kids. I thought that this would be a fun art project and an economical way to produce 60 Valentine's! Let's just say that, after the kids fizzled out, I inherited the project. I invited my brother over to amuse me while I glue-gunned, cut and colored yesterday. The kids did help quite a bit and were delighted to exchange their artwork today. I'm really thankful for this Co-Op and all of the fun the kids have there.

Just a Few Quotes...

Baby Boy (Rus) comes out with most of the winning comments these days. It's so hard to capture all of his cuteness in these quotes, but I'll try...

After his preschool class he announced, "I LOVE living at the Lighthouse Co-Op."

When he spotted the mole on Mommy's knee he asked soberly, "Did God make you like that? Did God put that on your yeg?!"

"Stella and Leo are my hungry children."

"Daddy's ladder is kind of wiggly like my baby brother!"

When he is trying to keep his baby brother awake in the car, he bellows at the top of his lungs, "Bermuda, Bahama, come on Pitty Mama..." He picked up this song from a Muppet preview (sung by Kermit the Frog). His older brother patiently explained to him that it's a song about someone who is calling his mother and trying to invite her (and his baby brother) to these islands. Ah, sweet innocence.

"Mommy, will you marry me in a church?"

"Mommy, I love "Cheaper by the Doesn't!"

"Mom, I'm NOT out of control!!!"

"Can I go see my friends (Sis and Buddy)?"

"Mom, I'm tired. I want to go to bed until the sun comes up."

"Mom, I'm saving my toast for Valentine's Day."

And one quote from Buddy (Leo)...

"Mom, I love having little brothers and how they're amazed when I do things that aren't that complicated..."

Sweet Baby Tert

I feel badly that I have so few pictures of our littlest guy. In just two more days he will have reached his 10 month mark! He is a delight to our family. You'd think it was Christmas morning each new day when the kids hear him calling from his crib and rush in to greet him and smother him with kisses. He has mastered crawling and pulling himself up to a standing position. His newest tricks are waving and clapping. His "formal" vocabulary consists of "Mama, Dadda and Hi," but his expressions and babbles communicate much, much more. How can these milestones be just as thrilling with the fourth as they were with our firstborn?

Persistent Potty Training...

Baby Boy (Rus) is digging in his heels with this potty training thing. You'd think that we'd have the system down by now, but we're scratching our heads with this young lad. This scene of Daddy on the bathroom floor reading "The Very Worried Sparrow" was too cute not to share. I will file it away as some serious blackmail someday... ;)

Reasons Why Homeschoolers Should Go To A Co-Op By: Stella Age: 8

I think that every homeschooler should take part in a Co-Op that allows him or her to participate in fun group classes. Co-Ops are very enjoyable and educational. They also give you a chance to spend time with friends. The day I spend at our Co-Op is one of the most fun parts of my week, and I think other homeschoolers would find the same to be true.

The first benefit of joining a homeschool group program is that students can get classes they wouldn't get at home or in school. There are many classes that I would have missed out on if I had not been participating in the Lighthouse Co-Op, such as Destination Imagination and cooking! The second benefit of going to a homeschool group program is that homeschoolers get to spend time with their friends! Some people say that homeschoolers don't spend enough time with other students their own ages, and a Co-Op is one way for them to do this. The third benefit of participating in a Co-Op is that the small classes allow teachers to spend more time with each student than they would in regular school. For example, if a student is have trouble understanding something, teachers and parents can work together to help them.

In conclusion, every homeschooler should try to participate in a Co-Op. By giving you a nice time with friends and an excellent setting for learning, a Co-Op is a wonderful support for students and parents.


By: Stella

Age: 8