School's out!! Almost ...

Well, just three more hours for the big teen, and we are done until January.  The little ones are done.  We had a good week filled with fun and cooking, but now it is time for me to clean my house and rest.  I also look forward to curling up in a chair with a hot cup of tea and planning our next month of school.  I am going to do something a little different this go around.  I am going to try to homeschool for free the whole month of January.  I will keep paying for my big teen's world history course but otherwise FREE!  I don't think this will be very difficult.  I have been reorganizing our school stuff and toys all week.  I found lots of stuff that I forgot I had.  If it all goes well, I will continue homeschooling for free or with a limited allowance for the rest of the school year.

My big goal for the next year is to be a really good steward of everything that we have: money, belongings, resources and, of course, ourselves.  I have been doing a pretty good job, but there is more that I could do.  I will be talking more about this as I think it out and form a plan.  But the first goal is to homeschool for free in January.  I was raised with the saying, "Live simply so others may simply live".  I would like to get closer to that belief.  This does not mean that I feel we can't have new things or healthy food.  But I want us (my dh and I) to think about and decide if we really need something and if there is an alternative to adding something that I must maintain. 

For example, for the time being, I am no longer checking any books out of the library.  We were getting lots of late charges, and quite honestly, our library system has lost a few books themselves and charged us for them over the last six years.  I am tired of struggling every time something goes missing.  What an energy drain!  We will be going to the library two times a week and we can read while we are there.  Most of the research my big teen does is on the Internet or in the books we already have at home.  If he needs more info, he can copy it at the library.  I have found out that I can order the books from the library and then read them there and leave them there.  No charge for me, but I can still access a particular book for the kiddos.  Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Question ~ Does anyone know how to put a slideshow in my entry?  I have a  new slideshow in the sidebar, but I wanted it in this entry.  I can't figure out how to get it here.  If you know how, would you please leave a comment.

Thanks and have a Very Merry Christmas!

Dawn