our grand adventure

May 18 - 24

Thursday: I spent a bit of money to start the day. I had to refill one of Maceo's prescriptions. Then I stopped off at WalMart to get some items upon Herb's request. In the course of documenting expenditures, I have found that either Herb or I have gone to the grocery store every day for the last week. This is not a good thing. Assuredly, we are spending more on groceries doing this. This must change.
While I was at the doctor's office I saw that samples of baby products were being given away. As I have a lot of friends having babies over the next several months I picked some up.

I have continued to sort through my homeschool resources. I was originally going to take the resources I could part with to the homeschool consignment shop but today I saw a notice for the homeschool sale for homeschool resources. I can get a table for $15. I think that I can recoup that. I plan on giving it a try and making that decision has, interestingly, allowed me to part with more items. I guess there are some items that I won't part with if I have to take the reduced price of the consignment shop but will part with if I can get closer to full price. I will continue to plug away.

Herb used the leftover pork and chicken to make caesar salads. He also used bread that was fixing to turn to make croutons. Very good!

I spent the evening working around the house. I made progress in the yard and basement, as well as sorting through the books.
Even after my big talk at the beginning of this entry about needing to reduce spending on food I caved in and bought pizza for Maceo after his rehearsal. I did use a 50% off coupon.
Maceo did get paid for participating in the opera's school tour - Nice!!!

Friday: Bishop worked at the homeschool convention today. He did pottery demonstrations as marketing for his pottery school. Payment hasn't been discussed but in the past he has been paid for doing this. Either way he gets something out of it; it is a great experience for him.
I attended the convention. I paid for admission and did buy a couple of new resources. In return I have been rejuvenated. Fellowshipping with my fellow homeschoolers helps focus and rejuvenate me for the years left with the boys. Listening to the speakers helps give me focus and inspiration for what I am considering doing after our personal homeschool journey has ended - public speaking and writing about homeschooling.
I got some free homeschool resources, including a full high school ecology curriculum from the conservation department.

Herb made a chicken fettucini using chicken that was leftover from Mother's Day and what was at hand. We had it for both lunch and dinner.
Herb spent a huge portion of the day disputing a bill. He is not finished yet but has managed to reduce the bill by about $100.
Maceo was asked to help a friend with some work and was offered very flexible employment. Perfect!
I continued to work on sorting through my homeschool resources while watching some Netflix.

Saturday: Bishop and I returned to the homeschool convention. He worked and I went to a couple of presentations. I managed to fit in two more presentations.
A friend gave me a homeschool convention pass for Herb to use so that he could see Bishop at work.
Herb made us french toast and sausage before we left for the convention and made a roast chicken and kale salad for out lunch and dinner.

Overall, we all had a great day socializing with friends then relaxing at home.
I worked on my organizational project while watching a bit of Netflix.
I worked swagbucks just a little bit.
I found a free issue of The Forensic Teacher magazine and a 450 page illustrated guide to home forensic science experiments which will be useful this next year for science group.

Sunday: Herb made one of the best posole's I have ever had. For the pork he used a pork roast that we had in the freezer.

I signed up to work the boutique at the theatre during the run of The Addams Family production. I will get to watch the show for free when I do work the boutique.
My most favorite frugal thing of the week was attending a free event at a park in a neighboring town. For the price of just a little bit of gas I got to hear the National Cherokee Youth Choir perform and watch the world champion hoop dancer perform, among other things. Loved it!!!

Monday: For lunch, we had leftover posole than we placed the remaining posole in the freezer for future use.

I tried a couple of new recipes; recipes that I am considering using for an upcoming baby shower. We had everything necessary on hand. I made a simple homemade pizza sauce recipe. Bishop made a pizza with a cauliflower crust, successfully using the cauliflower before it turned.

Tuesday: Herb used leftover chicken to make a fettuccine alfredo.
I did some work on the yard and herb did some work on the basement. Doing the work ourselves saves us a tremendous amount of money and we learn new skills as well.
Bishop had some torch time at the glass studio. In the hour that we purchase for $15 he created 15 beads. He has also found himself a mentor of sorts. The owner is so supportive of Bishop. Today he gave Bishop two catalogs in hopes that they will inspire and educate him.
Bishop also went to open studio. He spent about 4 1/2 very productive hours there. He glazed two vessels and trimmed a ton of pots that he had thrown during his demonstrations at the homeschool convention.
I purchased Christian's airline ticket to return home next month. While purchasing I used a promo code that reduced my total by $40. Awesome. I also activated the swagbucks shop and earn feature. I will be getting 250 points for each dollar spent.
Also, did a little work on swagbucks.
I watched some Netflix while relaxing and doing some housework.

Wednesday: I had leftovers for all of my meals - fettuccine alfredo for lunch and posole for dinner. The boys ate frozen pizza for lunch and I made chicken breasts and broccoli for their dinner.
Herb got a beef stew going for tomorrow's meals.
Herb also tried his hand at creme brulee using what we had on hand. We were out of vanilla so he used maple syrup instead. I preferred it this way. It was very good!
Bishop went to open studio again. He is definitely capitalizing on our investment.

The end of another academic year is upon us.

Maceo is soon to enter his senior year of high school and Bishop his junior year.

Lately we have been attending graduation parties and we are gearing up for the Senior Show at the theatre and it all has me thinking.

This season of my life will soon be over. I have been raising children for the past twenty-eight years and have been homeschooling them for the past fifteen.

I have been living and learning side by side with them for more years of my life than not.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

But soon this portion of my life will be over and I have to wonder what is next for me.

You know, it's not that I haven't pursued my own interests all this time and I do have an identity separate from that of mom. But we have learned together. We have adventured together.

And I have so enjoyed sharing that adventure with them.

It has been a reciprocal relationship. They develop an interest and I join them, to some degree, in that pursuit as a way to facilitate their learning. If I have an interest they, in turn, encourage and support me in that endeavor.

Now the time for me to stand on my own is approaching and I have begun to wonder if I will be able to do it.

I sit at ArtFest watching the kiddos perform and wonder if I will still attend and cheer the kiddos on after Maceo has finished troupe and is no longer performing on the showwagon stage.

I go to the homeschool convention that I have been attending for over a decade and wonder how I will fit into the homeschool community in a couple of years.

And, mostly, I wonder if I will have the courage to pursue all the cool and interesting things out there, in the world, when I no longer have my companions by my side.

This past weekend there was a really cool event happening in a neighboring town. The boys were occupied and unable to attend and I had to decide if I would go on my own or not.