Jackson County declares Local Emergency

Jackson County declares Local Emergency: "The Jackson County Board of Supervisors declared a “Proclamation of Local Emergency” today (Aug. 29) in advance of possible effects from Tropical Storm Gustav. This proclamation allows the County to take several steps in preparation of severe weather.

The Board is closing the Ocean Springs Harbor to all “transient vessels and boats” until the threat of Gustav subsides. All current boat owners with valid “Slip Lease Agreements” can continue to dock their boats at the Harbor."

Governor: Evacuate FEMA Trailers, Cottages, Low-Lying Areas

Governor: Evacuate FEMA Trailers, Cottages, Low-Lying Areas: "Governor Haley Barbour has announced that Katrina victims still living in FEMA trailers, mobile homes and cottages as well as residents in designated flood hazard zones along Mississippi's coast should begin evacuating this weekend as Gustav approaches."

The boys upon hearing that because they aced their spelling quiz on Wednesday there would be no more spelling lessons for the rest of the week.

Happy Birthday

To our princess... and her favored knight (that would be you, Daddy). We love you. Thank you both for bringing the fairy tale to life.

Cave wall art

The first week's art project was "Cave Wall Animal Art" - a project from the Christian Heritage Art Program created by Sr. Marie Vianney Hamilton, O.P. of the St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee.

George

Emily

William

Yvonne

George & William valiantly struggle to appear awake this morning.

So what could be better than having school in the middle of your living room .. surrounded by wild toddlers and wearing dirty socks?

I can't say today went off without a hitch. Not in good conscience anyway. I need to perfect my plan to keep the girls entertained throughout the day or I will lose my mind. I think a good portion of today's chaos was simply first day (or maybe first week) excitement though...

All hitches aside - the day was lovely. I'm impressed with just how much the boys have matured since the beginning of last school year and I hope and pray (and pray and pray) that I don't do anything to dampen their enthusiasm this time around. I have always said that I want this entire experience to be fun and challenging for them - but this time I mean it.

One day into the school year I have already come up with a couple of tweaks to the system:

1) More coffee is absolutely necessary.
2) The schedule needs to flex even more to allow for a little working ahead and finishing early.
3) We need new crayons. Nevermind the enormous basket brimming with 20 years of accumulated crayons and pieces... New crayons are completely and utterly necessary.
4) Current snack planning and preparation methods leave much to be desired. Must. fix. this.

With that I'm off to set the coffee pot to wake me in the morning.

It begins

Twelve noon on our first official day of homeschool for the new year and so far no bloody noses, paper shredder accidents, or irreparably damaged psyches. So far.

I'm not sure how this will all work just yet because we're trying (oh, we're trying) to sort of follow a schedule today... (As much as I'd like to throw schedules out the window I know, deep down, it would be the death of me.) This year I was wise or foolish enough to actually throw plenty of free time into the schedule. As so often happens with things-homeschool... I am sure I will soon learn the hard way just why this is a terrible idea.

Happy first day everybody. :)