Weekend Wednesdays

With the romance of ice skating in Rockefeller Center in mind, we have our own smaller version right here in downtown Greenville. For a romantic rendevous, or fun outing with the kids, this nostalgic ice skating adventure is sure to delight people of all ages. So take a stroll down memory lane with a pair of ice skates on. Greenville Tech is sponsoring the event in the Marriott courtyard off Main Street downtown. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $8 for kids. To learn more information, go to their website at:  http://www.iceonmain.com/

Moms Minute Mondays

We all have times when it feels like we haven't talked to another adult for weeks. Every stay at home mom goes through this whether she is a fellow home schooler, or just staying home for a few months with her newborn baby before re-acculating to the work force. Those days can be lonely and scary. Imagine, you may not have showered for two days, and you're making your wardrobe choices by what things you think you can afford to have spit up on.  Even with older kids, you start to feel invisible, and you don't think you can ask them one more time to take out the trash....

But there is one thing you can do to feel better, and that is to take time out for yourself. Sure, a devotional is great for the soul, but I mean something a bit beyond that. Take time to connect with other home schooling moms. A great place to start is to find a local support group with similar values to your own. This is easily found using Google or a Yahoo groups search page. In the Upstate of SC, I found a Christian principled support group called FCHome on Yahoo Groups. Go ahead, be bold. All you have to lose is a few minutes in front of the computer, and you have the potential of gaining some new friends.

To access FCHome click the following link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FCHome/

Weekend Wednesdays

Since the middle of the week we are looking for relief from the mundane and every day stresses, I am launching this new column to focus on what is happening this weekend in the Upstate of SC, or in the surrounding areas. I hope you will join me for some ideas of things to do with your family this weekend.

Usage of this picture has the expressed consent of the Carolina Ballet Theatre

This weekend the Carolina Ballet Theatre will recreate the holiday tradition of the Nutcracker at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville, SC. The company is celebrating it's fortieth season, and this production is appropriate for all ages. Tickets sell for $40 per person and are available at the Peace Center Box Office.

You may buy tickets by calling the Peace Center Box Office at (864) 467-3000 or by logging into their website at:

http://www.peacecenter.org/shows/2013/nutc

Showtimes are as follows:

Friday, November 30, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, December , 2012

Shows at 2:00 PM & at 7:30 PM

Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 2:00 PM

We hope you will bring your family to enjoy this rich holiday tradition. Please bear in mind if you are planning on going to the Saturday performances the Poinsett Christmas Parade will begin at 6:00 PM just outside the venue doors to make your holidays kick off in grand style.

Photo Compliments of Carolina Ballet Theatre

Field Trip Fridays

Anderson Arts Center, Anderson, SC

The Anderson Arts Center offers a homeschool school class to area residents. If you are wanting to do a field trip, they can create a make and take program for you and your students. It is a two hour program that allows kids of all ages come to the Arts Center and work with one of ourwonderful teachers to make a project and be able to take it home at the endof the two hours.  You would have to be able to provide your owntransportation here to the Arts Center.  The cost is $10.00 a kid.  Thatcovers supplies and the teacher fee. 

To arrange your own private homeschool event contact: 

Brittany Poore at brittanyp@andersonarts.org 

Or call: (864) 222-2787

For more information you can also visit their website at:

http://www.andersonarts.org/

The Anderson Arts Center was gracious enough to let us use their space for our Degasesque themed portraits of my daughter.

Moral Compass

The thing that is lacking in our society is a moral compass. Kids don't know right from wrong, and they look to television and their technology for answers. Biblically we know the only true authority of right from wrong is God, and to not acknowledge that would lead to eternal damnation. As homeschoolers we have chosen a different and more non-secular path for our youth. We know that we know and love our children more than anyone else possibly could. Our faith in God will guide our footsteps and we will intrinsically know what our children need. So I just want to say, keep up the good work! Don't grow discouraged while doing well.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
~ Proverbs 22:6

A Walk Back in Time for Field Trip Fridays

In a recent trip to the Walnut Lane Inn, we embarked on a walk back in history. This historical home is nestled in the little town of Lyman, SC. Whether just visiting for lunch at the Cookie Jar Cafe, or if you'd like to bring a homeschool group for a tour, the pristine grounds are great for pictures. To understand where we are, and where we are going, we must first understand where we've been. A visit to the Walnut Lane Inn will both tantalize the senses and give your kids a sense of time past.

To schedule a tour, or make reservations call David Ades at (864) 949-7230.

http://www.walnutlaneinn.com/

Mystery at Walnut Lane Inn

            Imagine this old majestic house sitting proudly on a hill waiting like an eternal hostess ready to greet you.  The lawn is perfectly manicured with topiaries, and bushes surround the house that are original too the grounds.  The yard has been leveled off to accommodate large parties or a wedding on the lawn.  As you ascend into the house by the wrap around porch, a guest will walk into the parlor, which still has a seam in the middle of it showing where it was once divided. When your host or hostess greets you, you look around this pristine home that looks like a painting of Victorian Tea Party You are seated at one of the round tables, and it is a feast for your eyes, and a delight of your senses. The rooms are filled with classic china patterns, and the pattern that catches my eye is the Royal Albert, Old Country Roses.
            When sitting at the round tables covered in linen, you order your lunch of overstuffed sandwiches or chicken salad with fruit. In the background piano music plays, and you definitely get a sense of history of another time.  The proprietors are both delightful and accommodating. They will answer any question you might have without any pause; welcome you to tour the grounds, and to invite you to take pictures. Whether you are here for lunch at the Cookie Jar, staying at the Bed and Breakfast, or having your wedding here you can count on serene surroundings and southern hospitality. 

            Being such an old home, you can’t help but wonder and marvel at the sense of history that is all around you. It is like another hostess that welcomes you to the property. If you can tour the home, and I recommend that you do, you will find a hallway full of pictures of the prior residents, and pictures of the house throughout the years. In a way, the whole town of Lyman, South Carolina sprang up around this one home.

            Augustus Belton Groce was born in Greenville, South Carolina back in 1852. He married into money in 1878. Because of his union with her he was able to build you are here for lunch at the Cookie Jar, staying at the Bed and Breakfast, or having your wedding here you can count on serene surroundings and southern hospitality. 

            Being such an old home, you can’t help but wonder and marvel at the sense of history that is all around you. It is like another hostess that welcomes you to the property. If you can tour the home, and I recommend that you do, you will find a hallway full of pictures of the prior residents, and pictures of the house throughout the years. In a way, the whole town of Lyman, South Carolina sprang up around this one home.

            Augustus Belton Groce was born in Greenville, South Carolina back in 1852. He married into money in 1878. Because of his union with her he was able to build even the electric company. They used to flicker the lights in town at ten minutes before ten to let the town know it was going to go to bed for the night. Together, the Groce’s had five children: three boys, and two girls.[i]             As conscience parents, the Groce’s set up their children very well when it came to their inheritance. All three of the Groce sons were set up with their own residences that were ever bit as big as the house that A.B. Groce resided in and were on the same block.  His daughters inherited the main house, but neither one was willing to sell their half of the house to the other, so the house was divided by a wall. The sisters agreed to “accommodate each other” with each sister resided in her half the house. Along with the wall an extra staircase was put in place, so there are two staircases on every floor. Tragically, one of the sisters died just one year after the renovations were completed. That explains the seam on the floor in the front parlor. The inhabitant that followed the two sisters was the granddaughter of A.B. Groce and her husband that lived in the home till 1995.[i] Mary Ella Hammond Machen and her husband only left this gracious inn because they decided to move into a retirement home.[ii]

            There are many who would speculate that the Groce’s never left. Ades has felt like someone is watching him, and his partner Hoyt Dottry thinks he saw A.B. Groce out of the corner of his eye one night in the kitchen. The outfit he is wearing in the photo matches the one in the hall. Most of the time Ades doesn’t want to talk about the unpaid guests. But the paid guests still tell their stories, and one stated that there is an old maid in the kitchen. No matter how much denial we can give, the stories don’t stop. Many of the guests report two ladies gossiping in the front parlor. Guests speculate that they could be Groce’s two daughters, still chatting the evenings away.[iii]

            Paranormal investigators have been out to the site, and done investigations out there. Their findings suggest that the attic, the kitchen, the Mallard Room, the Orchard Room, and the basement all show signs of activity. However, the activity doesn’t seem to bother the current owners one bit.  They feel that the spirits are happy there, and that they definitely enjoy the music in the house. When they were asked if they wanted the house cleaned of the spirits, Ades said no. But even as our skeptic, he has had his moment of belief too. 

            Ades had been working up in the attic doing some electrical work, and there was nothing up there. Even the bed they found when they moved in already was in a new location. The attic was empty, and had recently been cleaned. The paranormal crew came through and all seemed quiet and well. They came back to find a strip of picture film, a photo, and a really old spinning top on a beam in the attic. The top even had carved grooves in it that you could tell were recently made, and you could also tell the top itself was very old. The room was vacant and clean. Question is, who or what put them there?

These are the clues left during a paranormal investigation

Works Cited

---

[i] Ades, David. An Abbreviated brief history that is available to guests at the Walnut

 Lane Inn. A special thanks to David Ades for opening his Inn, his notes, and

sharing the afternoon with me.

[ii] Sondov, Lori. Historic Lyman Home Will Become an Inn, the Greer Citizen,

 Wednesday, January 4, 1995. Print.

[iii] Boyanoski, John. Ghosts of Upstate South Carolina. Print.

---

[i] History of Lyman, South Carolina Notes from the Public Library at 170 Groce Road,

Lyman, SC 29365. Special thanks to the Spartanburg County Library System.

Why I Homeschool

I still remember one of my first days of homeschooling. My daughter was in the beginnings of the fourth grade. We were studying Science together. So I asked her, "What do you think it means?"

My daughter was silent for a very long time. Then I stopped and looked up at her. Her dark eyes were wide open like she was a dear in the headlines. In a panic, "What's wrong dear?"

 Thoughtfully, my daughter glanced at her hands and she replied, " No one has ever asked me what I thought before...." And that, my friends, is why I homeschool. I want to have a kid who thinks for herself.

Mom's Minute Mondays: A Note from the Author

Dear Readers,

It has come to my attention that some question the relevance of this blog. This blog's purpose is to be uplifting and encouraging to other home school moms. When out in the marketplace, we all encounter those skeptics who will ask us "why aren't our kids in school". They sneer at us and don't understand what we are all about, and others persecute what they do not understand. Whatever the reason, we need to connect as a unifying subculture.  As mom's we want what is best for our children. Most of us home school because of this mission. Statistically, we have more home school moms that are christian than any other religious sect, and many home school their children to incorporate our religious ideology into our curriculum. With that being said, I think a devotional would be completely appropriate, advertisements for mom's night out, or an endorsement of an uplifting book also would be appropriate.


Let me know what you think! We all need encouragement, and I simply hope to give us a place to look for it.

Sincerely,
Laurie Epps

The Sleeping Beauty will offer an outreach performance on Friday, October 26, 2012
Tickets are just $10.

Sleeping Beauty is a timeless ballet, and transports the classic fairy tale of Princess Aurora. This is not your Disney Aurora, but instead the traditional ballet that is brought to life through dance. These familiar characters will delight you with suspense, wonder, and awe. This enchanting production will fill your school age children, and their parents hearts with song, excitement, and grace.

Sleeping Beauty provides an excellent teaching opportunity in English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, Music,  Visual Arts, Physical Education, as well as, Character Education (drama). To reserve your seats, for this special 10:30 a.m.  performance you may contact Carolina Ballet Theatre by email at: outreach@carolinaballet.org or by calling (864) 421-0940. Groups and family tickets are available.

http://www.carolinaballet.org

As a former educator, I can tell you that children benefits greatly from the arts. They learn to look at things in a new way, and it helps them express their creativity. For proper development, it is so good for all of us to stimulate that part of the brain.  I know that it has helped me throughout my own life, and I can create almost anything if I have a model or manipulative. 

As Carolina Ballet Theatre celebrates it's 40th Anniversary Season there are an increased amount of outreach performances scheduled. Let the stage take you!

Two Homeschoolers Playing Cards

Mom's Minute Mondays

We all have moment where we feel overwhelmed by our lives, and we get caught up in the busyness of it. Take time with the word, or at least to spend some quality time that is just for you.



The Write Conversation : Weekend Worship—Peaceful Paths for Troubling Thoug...: Every word of God is true. He guards those who come to him for safety. Proverbs 30:5 I love being outside, but I’m no...

Field Trip Fridays

My favorite way to watch my children learn is to watch them interact with things. They all respond to the hands on approach to learning. I know that even personally, if you show me something, let me touch it, I will remember it forever.

One of my daughters is a ballerina. I also studied ballet when I was young. I can tell you that as a former dancer, you remember the dance not just with your mind, but with your feet. The same is true when you knit. You don't just remember the stitches arbitrarily, your hands remember how it feels.  Intrinsicly I know how it feels to do the stitches correctly. Usually, it just feels wrong when you make a mistake.

With schoolwork, we often make the fatal mistake of forgetting the most basic way of learning. If you experience it, you will know it. That is why I encourage you to get out there with your kids and experience nature, a museum, or a historical site. You will be amazed at all the wonderful things you will learn together.

 

 

Our First Field Trip

 

It was a rainy day, and my youngest was getting quite antsy. Since her big sister had rehearsals all day, I decided to take her to the Upstate Children's Museum. For hours she was entertained with her own sense of discovery. Even the youngest tykes, have an inexhaustible list of things to play with and explore. Best of all, it was just about the same cost as a movie.

 

 



My youngest daughter playing in the Toddler Lily Pond

 

There is even going to be a Homeschool BOO!seum Day on Wednesday, October 24, 2012.

For more information contact The Children's Museum of the Upstate at: http://www.TCMUpstate.org  or call (864) 233-7755.





Life Imitates Art

~I encourage you to write about what you see

Tacky Tuesdays

Tuesdays column is dedicated loosely to the arts and crafts. It is part of what makes homeschooling fun.  In our homeschools, do we cut art first from our curriculum? No, never. This has been such a joy through my years of homeschooling.  Next week, you'll find the crafts we're doing as a family and I hope that eventually we can add your posts as well. They can be seasonal, or just art to do on a rainy day. Have a favorite cookie recipe? We'd love to hear from you, because edible art is so fun since you get to gleefully eat your mistakes.

This is my daughter creating a puppet at the Upstate Children's Museum. 

Mom's Minute Mondays

Hi. My name is Laurie Epps. I have been homeschooling my daughter since 2005. In the past seven years I can say I've had good days and bad days. But we all do, but we can't let discouragement get the upper hand. We are trying to cultivate what is best for our children, and we shouldn't abandon our own needs to achieve that goal.  There are days where the discouragement and lonliness are overwhelming. But that is where this blog comes in. I'd love for you to share your aneqdotes, words of encouragement, and ideas with us. Together we can do this. It is all about how you approach it sometimes, or perhaps you need some "mommy" time. Users are welcome to advertise their mom's night out functions and support groups on my blog. Together we can do this.

Bible verse of the week: So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. —1 Thessalonians 5:11

Looking for Ideas

I am so excited about my new blogspot. This is designed for homeschool moms and dads to feed off each others ideas.  Let's talk about what is great about homeschooling. For my family, I have loved the flexibility of homeschooling.  We can submerge ourselves in a unit study, or take a fun day as long as it is educational. The ideas are endless. So let's start the conversation!

Topics will include:  Mom's Minute Mondays, Tacky Tuesdays (Arts and Crafts), Wordless Wednesdays, and Field Trip Fridays.

If you have anything else you think would be FUN please email me through my blog, and we'll try out some of your ideas. This is your blog too, so let's start the conversation!

My official first blog should kick off on Monday, October 8, 2012.