Home School Blog Awards

I'm honored, I'm humbled; I'm third.

I just found out today that this blog has been nominated in the 2009 Homeschool Blog Awards(HSBA). It has been nominated in the Best Home School Dad Blog category. While I'm very honored for the nomination, I must say I'm a little cheesed off for not being nominated in the humor category. My Lucyisms alone would make me a shoe-in!


Seriously though I am honored to be nominated and look forward to looking through all the nominations and all the blogs.

The thing is now that I've been nominated, I really want to win! (Currently I'm in third place, thus the six words) That is where you, my readers, come in. You can vote me by clicking here or on the I'm Nominated button.

If you are just in from Six Word Saturday and don't know a lot about my blog, I hope the rest of this post gives you an idea of what kind of fun and frivolity occurs at regular intervals here.

Art Fans

All my kids are fantastics and prolific artists. Charlie and Lucy often draw 2 excellent pictures on opposite sides of the paper. This has made displaying them a bit problematic.

That is, until yesterday, when I created the Izola Becker Revolving Art Gallery. This week, Charlie is Displaying his exhibit: "Hijinks on the High Seas". Lucy is already working on the portfolio for her showing.

Interactive Reading

For the past few weeks I have been reading the children a chapter a day from Marguerite de Angeli's fine book, "The Door in the Wall."

I was reading today's installment, while the kids worked on their sewing and are projects. Since they were multitasking, I decided to as well by reading and filming at the same time. Here is what happened . . .

My new camera has a lot of cool features. I was playing with the self portrait setting yesterday. This shot captures my feelings of my HSBA nomination. I call it in an homage to Dead Poet's Society, "The Sweaty Toothed Madman."


So I managed to Show my face once more at Six Word Saturday. Head on Down to Show My Face dot com to see what's doing.

Three Things This Thursday

Back to your regularly scheduled blog.

Here are 3 Things for This Thursday.

1. Remembering Keith. Yesterday starting at midnight. I posted memories about my brother Keith every 39 minutes as yesterday he would have turned 39. He died this past April. You can browse through all 37 installmets by clicking here.

2. Fall programming. Hadn't got a chance to watch anything new this week. Here are some videos from our "work" day Tuesday.

3. Next week is already the third Thursday of November. We will be having a themed edition. Think and blog about 3 things you are thankful for and come back next week and link up to 3 Thanks Thursday.

Those are my 3 Things for This Thursday. Please join in!

Life and Death go on

This is the last post of the day. All I can say is whew! What a roller coaster of a day! I was up at midnight launching this and woke up at 5 a.m for a men's group at church. I taught school today and still managed to make sure these posts kept coming every 39 minutes.

It feels a little (even for me) heavy handed to go on about Keith all day. I had friends and relatives having surgeries and tests today. I just heard that a dear friend from high school's father passed away this weekend. (Please pray for the Broten family in this time. ) I also have a 1st cousin once removed who is battling Leukemia. (Pray for Jenna and her family as well.)

Do I really have the right to focus so much energy on my brother when there is so much need elsewhere? I think, yes. Preparing to celebrate Keith in this manner and then celebrating him as helped me appreciate his significance but also to see that there are so many people out there who have lost or are losing someone just as precious as Keith.

I hope by recounting his story, that others are blessed and encouraged. I know I have been in writing and editing these memories. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this collection. I especially thank My wife, Amy, who encouraged me and anchored me in this project.