well , it has been an exciting couple of days. With school starting last week, it really has been a hustle and bustle of activity around here. We went to our first Durham Home Learners Association function on friday. A Not-back-to- school picninc. It was so much fun. The kids had a great time, and I look forward to doing more activites with them. We are signed up for every friday in the month of september to do a different workshop down at the museum , so that should be fun. I like the kids to have interaction with other homeschoolers. I had my semi annual breakdown last week. I hate when those happen..lol. the ones were I panic and then think I should send my kids to school and then it takes one person to snap me out of insanity. Although this time my snapping out happening over several days and from several people. I think I would feel better if I knew that I am not the only one that goes through this.

Tonight is my first Durham homelearners Association meeting...I am looking forward to it. We were suppose to go to bowling on wednesday with them as well , but I cancelled us from that. I think its going tobe to mch for my fam to be running all over the palce this week, I mean we will see on wednesday how everyone is doing. Nevermind that fact that they have their stuff at the Y that night, so it would amek for a busy day. Things with the children are going well. We are loving and living life. Tyler is writing again, which I am so happy for. He stopped for awhile, but I love his stories. so I am looking forward to reading some of those. Ashleigh is well on her way to reading. THe hooked on phonics program is working for her, and heather has decided that that would be a good thing for her to do as well, so she is using the program to learn her letters and sounds. I find it amazing to watch my children change and grow...to see ashleigh reading is such an amazing thing to me. How did we get here? is something I ask myself ALOT. I have started a new "thing" which is working really weel for our family. I was finding myself getting really overwhelmed by everything and not spending the time that I proably should have been with each child. So now everyday I make a conscious effort to spend one hour with ecah child on their own...just me and them. It is going really well, because not only do we get to spend time alone together and that one on one time is important, but the children are choosing some amazing things for us to do together. Now this hour is above and beyond the normal time we spend together. Some other things that have gone on is that we captured an ontario rat snake

We kept it for about two weeks and watched it shed twice and eat. It was very cool to see how he did things and we learnt alot about snakes and the slugs it eats while having it as our guest. We also saw that when we got it , it was solid in colour, but by the time we let it go back in nature, its belly was red! It was amazing. We also caught a praying mantis and kept it in the same tank for observation. It was very cool. It amazes me how unafraid my children are of all these things. I remeber when I was child, bugs were nto my thing. Actully outside was not my thing. I guess that comes from being locked indoors all day long and not having the time to explore my envrionment. Things to ponder I suppose. The kids signed up for soccer, lasted one time and dont want to go back. They said it was to rough. I actully rally was and I was thinking the same thing, but didnt have to say it. Anyway, I need to get my day started before the kids get up. I wish you all well, and a joyful day.
The Walkers