Home School High School Transcripts

The dreaded transcript. 
Talk about breathing fear and dread into the soul of a home school mom.
They make or break the college admission process for these kids.
Or so they seem.
All in all, the idea is not really complicated. 
The process in creating them, can be daunting.
The whole process started somewhere around seventh grade. 
Planning out course of study, dotting i's and crossing t's.
Then life happened and I started the stress all over again between sophomore and junior year. 
This past fall, I needed transcripts.  We were doing dual enrollment.
Once I discovered to shelve my anxiety, the process wasn't so daunting.  Especially, now that we have the internet.
Donna Young's website of free reproducibles has this awesome template available.
I just entered the information and did the math for GPA and voila all done.
Fast forward to November and College Applications and my life changed.
You see, now I need to record all these dual credit classes and the classes intended for next semester.
How do I fit in College name next to course study?
How do I explain GPA calculations?
Insert 3-4 hours of work on a Sunday afternoon.
I started with the intent to recreate my document.  Meaning no TEMPLATE.
Never having created a Word Document with tables before, I tried to follow the instructions in Transcriptions Made Easy, by Janice Campbell.  The whole process ended up with a grouchy momma.  I took a break, got something to eat and the light bulb went off.  I had made enough progress in creating a document from the blank new page, to discover I just needed to add some details to the comment section of the transcripts I already filled out earlier in the year.
At the bottom of my transcripts, along with GPA calculations and grade values, I noted abbreviations.  I did have to become a bit creative here, as my daughter is attending Friends University.  Just using initials did not look too appropriate next to course of study.  I indicated credits represented high school credit only, not college credit. 
All that I have left now is to buy the pretty paper in which I need for printing the transcripts. 

Thieves from Young Living

I am loving this Essential Oil for Young Living ~ Thieves!

Thanks to my diffuser, yesterday, my basement smelled like Thanksgiving, autumn, pumpkin pie.  Take your pick, everyone in the family has their own description of how Thieves smells.  Dad's Bud says it smells like Snickerdoodles and pasta. 

Little Brothers are Super Clever

I open my front door to see this....

 

What are you doing?

 

"Dad said we can't be outside with the IPad."

 

By all accounts, they are sitting in the doorway!!!

I gave them five more minutes and shut the door.

 

The creative problem solving in this house exceeds my creativity and expectations.  5 years ago, I might have been 3 steps ahead.  Not anymore, I am about 3 steps behind. 

 

Gotta love these boys.

When homeschooling gets to the youngest child....

The answers you get to questions are quite humorous. They have so many more varied experiences the older siblings didn't have, just because they get dragged around following the older siblings. :)
For instance the following questions in his Explode the Code workbooks:
Can a stitch be made in a dish? yes.  Really?  "But Mom it is plausible!" "If you want to use a dish when you knit you can stitch in a dish."   What really killed me, is he used plausible in a sentence and used it correctly!!  Probably from watching all those Myth Buster episodes!

Will you get rich if you sell trash?  yes.  Really?  Well if the trash has gold in it, you can....  He has been to way too many garage sales.  He, also, has a grandpa that likes to junk and strip items down to elements to be taken to the recycling center where he is paid by the weight.  If you are a kid, any money in the pocket amounts to being rich! 

Counting my birthday blessings

A little late, i have had to snag seconds here and there to compose this post. 

Getting older doesn't bother me, though the fact I can't remember my age half the time may be the reason. I do have children who are more than willing to remind me at any given memory lapse. They are so lovingly helpful.
To mark this milestone, I wanted to list 40 blessings.
1. My husband and children
2. A birthday card from my parents, with my Mom's signature..Mom isn't able to really talk anymore with me, and the last time I saw her attempt to write it was scribbles. So to see her signature on a card....well I did the ugly cry.
3. Late night chats with the kids.
4. Homeschooling, I love the random memories I have with my kids because they are with me all day... In spite of all the times, I think I am losing my mind or send them outside to run. :)
5. Slowly and steadily getting my brain back and being involved with my kids
6. Autumn colors and country drives, time to marvel at God's creation and chat with Him.
7. The ability to learn and explore new passions with my children as we discover the paths He has for each one.
8. Comfy and CUTE shoes. My feet hurt a lot, finding comfy shoes that are cute...BoNuS!
9. Facebook...in this season of busy children and being their Mom, I can still connect and get sneak peeks into the lives of the people I care about on a regular basis.
10. Texting!! It allows me to disconnect mentally and take mini brain vacations during the day and still be available. It also keeps this crazy family connected across the miles in noisy gyms, arenas and when we are out in the middle of no where!
11. Fresh garden tomatoes, still getting a few!
12. Friends near and far.
13. Unexpected times when God allows "Mom moments" for this Mom... Those random conversations in unexpected places, a laugh, smile.
14. Kitty snuggles
15. My dog herding and tripping me cause he can't get close enough to me as I try and enter the door, all because he missed me.
16. Late afternoons in the yard playing ball with the kids.
17. Trips to the lake just to look at the stars.
18. Swim meets, hockey and soccer games, volleyball matches, scouts and camping
19. Random conversations that reveal information about an interest a child has, answer to prayer. Conversation isn't so random as it is God orchestrated.
20. Pictures! They capture memories, otherwise easily forgotten, especially now with post-concussion syndrome.
21. Life lessons, in all that we experience. The good and bad. Embrace the lessons and grow, learning to not protect my children from them, but teaching them to embrace all of them, even the hard ones.
22. Sunday comics!!
23. Libraries and all the many many many books, I don't have to acquire bookshelves for in my home.
24. Quirky grandmothers and the memories they leave behind
25. Essential oils and the healing they can bring about in our lives, physically and emotionally. 

 26. Hope I have, all because of Jesus and being adopted by my Heavenly Father
27. "Hugs" from God, those moments He provides just as you discover the need.
28. Garage sales--they are just so much fun!!
29. Kiddos that love vegetables and fruit! Their favorite section in the grocery store: the produce department!
30. Chocolate!!!
31. Four seasons...I love them all for what each has to offer.
32. Rewards cards and coupons and Dillons fundraiser cards!! Creativity it takes to make the dollars work for our family!
33. Childhood memories to share with the nest generation!
34. My MeSSy home...it drives me nuts, but I wouldn't trade the messiness, my life would be so empty without the ones who make the messes.
35. Church-- a place to learn, grow and serve. And hopefully a place of acceptance, accountability and encouragement.
36. Children willing to serve and pitch in
37.  Yummy smells from the kitchen as 4 of 5 kids are now able to cook something. 

38.  Piano practice.  I love the sound!

39.  Church and the ability to worship wih so many other believers. 

40. Hugs, they are amazing! 

And one to grow on:

41.  Having a ten year spread between my children.  As one prepares to soar into adulthood and a couple in the teen years, snapping apron strings left and right, I still have a couple of younger ones that help keep me young doing things with them.  

A word well spoken

I love home schooling.  I love the mornings and listening to the various exchanges between my children as the day begins.  I never know what I will wake to, a hungry cat, a dog digging in the trash, a ball crashing through the house, the beep beep of a video game, or the serenades of my youngest favorite song of the morning.  Sometimes, I wake to find lots of school work being done.  However, I often wake up to some kind of ruckus, a skirmish of sorts filled with laughter or run and hide I have antagonized a sleepy bear like brother and he is going to get me kind of skirmish. 

This past week, I have been left pondering the exchange between two of my children.  Left in awe of the maturity and wisdom in the response of one child.  Pondering how do I respond and where did this child of mine learn a response such as this?  I am realizing my children are growing up and my role is changing.
You ask what did my child say?

As I was peeking out from the covers debating whether I wanted to leave their warmth, I hear pounding on a bathroom door.  "You have been in there 20-25 minutes, I need the shower."  I am prepared for bathroom drama.  Muffled noises, I can only imagine the response as I know the name of the child on the other side of the door.  And then the response, "The past doesn't matter (as when I showered last), I need to take a shower and I would appreciate you respecting that."  Not said with attitude.  Not said with sass or anger.  Said matter of fact and respectfully.

At that moment I was so proud of this child and relayed that information.  No arguing.  No hurt feelings.  Just to the point. 

Shortly after the door opened.  No bickering, drama, door slamming or hatefulness.  Just stepping aside and offering the respect and bathroom as requested.  A word well spoken, a soft word and where wrath could of reigned it was turned away.  Without knowing it, these 2 children have left their Momma pondering and reflecting on the choices they have made.  I am humbled by the maturity and growth they are both demonstrating.  As I remember the impatience and frustration I often exhibit, I am grateful to see they don't always follow their Momma's example. 

Reading Joys!!

One of the things I don't enjoy is teaching the kids to read! 
I homeschool.  What is wrong with me?  I hear moms say how wonderous the task is to cuddle up to their child and listen to them discover the mystery of the printed word.  Nope not here. 
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT 
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT
Cat already!!! let's move onto the next word please and it starts all over again. 
5 minutes to read one sentence.  Bring me the super glue and toothpicks to hold my eyes open.  We have read this mommy to sleep more than one afternoon and sometimes morning as we labor through the process. 
It is miraculous. It is wonderful when they learn to read.  But this miracle doesn't happen with the immediate task of sit down and open a book.  It is a process.  A long one in the midst of life. 

Much to my JOY my younger two have been really quick to take off. 
YEs!!! Smiley face does a happy dance.
The next hurdle to tackle is reading one's Bible and Awana workbooks, not to mention all the instructions on one's school work. 
The Man is hard at work.  Today he has discovered he can read the names of the Books of the Old Testament.  You see to finish last years book, one of the things he must do is recite all books of the Old Testament.  A fact I find humorous, some of the names can be difficult for an adult to say.  Take a tooth losing, lisping, & whistling first grader and have him say all the books of the Old Testament.  Absolutely adorable.  I must say, I have had a few chuckles over my kids mis-pronunciations over the years.  The Man had half of them memorized last spring.

 

 

You know what that means, he has to review and re-learn all of them this fall. 
Since he has to wait for me to sit down and work on his mom-led lessons today, I asked him to work on his memory work, handwriting and math. 
I had no idea he had crossed over and could read/recognize the incredibly long and difficult names of the Old Testament books.  But he has!!!!
He has followed me around EVERYWHERE reciting/reading the Books of the Bible. 
EVERYWHERE.  ALL DAY LONG. 
While I tried to teach Middle School Science, he was across the room, "Did you hear me?" 
"Did I get them right?" 
When we were discussing Romeo and Juliet there were murmurs of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus...
When we left the house, I was captive.
Joshua Judges Ruth.....Nahum, Obadiah 
When I go to the bathroom, there is a closed door, but I am still captive, until I flush and wash my hands. First and Second Chronicles
Then the sound of running waters drowns out all other noises.
All through lunch, all through Thursday activities, while I walk into the house, while I put things away, I hear...
First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings.......Isaiah, Jeremiah....Zephaniah, Malachi. 
"How do you say this name again?"  Genesis.
"First and Second Psalms"  He knows it is not Psalms but for some reason Samuel and Psalms, well they go together like ham and cheese.
Don't forget Judges...
"I will start over;  Joshua, Ruth..."
"Can I borrow your phone so I can time myself?"  34.8 seconds later he has read/recited all the books.
He tries again.  30 seconds!  Best time yet. 
I asked for 3 minutes so I could type this, just 3 minutes of not being talked to and he humbled me so quickly.  In spite of all the humor and truth I kept reminding myself all day, he is the last one.  There are no more kids to follow you around like this.  This will pass all quickly.  This is awesome.  There was the me, that just wanted to not be talked to for just 10 minutes.  I have been juggling 5 conversations and sometimes more and half a million different tasks all day.  1o minutes of brain rest.
In his most endearing way, "Thank you Mom for listening me say the Books of the Bible"

The war of insanity inside me that just wanted a quiet closet for a minute, melted away. 

And now he is back, asking me, "Are the 3 minutes up?"  Sure are.
"Where is my book?"  Where you last put it. (LOL)
And it begins again....Genesis Exodus....