Educating for Life

What I am praying...

2012-02-08T05:53:00.000-06:00

I have several prayer partners that I pray for and who pray for me. Plus I pray regularly for my family and my church family.

This is what I'm praying for each of them (and me!) from Ephesians this month:

I pray for you constantly,

· asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

I pray that

· your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

I also pray that

· you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.

Isn't praying God's word amazing?! If you read this page, I encourage you to pray this prayer too.

Things To Do:

2012-02-07T08:37:00.000-06:00

I'm making a list of things to do in my "spare time" to keep from mindless munching and/or computer usage. You all know what I'm talking about right?

Here's my list:

Manicure (trimming/filing/painting nails)
Pedicure (trimming/painting nails)
Take care of feet (moisturize dry heels)

Plan lessons for our homeschool
Research projects for our homeschool
Read ahead for our homeschool

Pre-prep food
chop
cook
freeze
roast
etc.

Sewing -
cut out project
do 1 step of a project

Plan for our puppet team and children's ministry
plan lessons
work on a song
design a puppet
work on a skit
etc.

What have we been up to?

2012-01-25T07:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I haven't been blogging much. I need to get back into The Homeschool Mother's Journal on Fridays. I'll try to do that this week.

But right now we are in transition waiting for new math to arrive and trying to find our way around biology. We haven't gotten very far. My son doesn't have a good memory (unless it has to do with Star Wars) and so I'm backing up a bit and trying out some hands on activities to help cement these concepts in his brain.

Biology begins with the smallest organisms so I found some projects to build atoms, molecules and cells.

Here is what we are using:

I downloaded them from Currclick. They have several titles and I downloaded many of them when they were on sale.

Now, for an atom model I got instructions here.

For marshamallow molecules I found a post here.

I would love to buy these, but the above are more accessible.

For cell models I found this and this.

I found more middle/high school ideas here.

Disclaimer: All these photos are from the original sites, they are not mine.
But when we make ours I will post pictures!

Spiritual Warfare

2012-01-19T06:19:00.001-06:00

I don't often post about spiritual matters, I'm not sure why that is...hmmmm
But I really just needed to write down what God showed me this morning. I have this Bible reading schedule that a friend and I do. We read the scripture, write our thoughts or what God revealed, then we pray. I've been doing this sort of quiet time for well over a year now. So as you go through the Bible you LEARN no matter what your reading schedule. My Sunday school teacher calls it "the as you go principle". It's so true! I've been so amazed at what God has revealed to me in some very unusual or obscure passages!
Right now we are reading 2 Samuel and we were on chapter 21 today. (This is copied from a NLT version of the Bible. I know some people don't like this version, but I have been enjoying reading it because it's worded different and it allows me to have less preconceived ideas. You know?)
Anyway here is the passage:

Battles against Philistine Giants

¹⁵ Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. ¹⁶ Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. ¹⁷ But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”

¹⁸ After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.

¹⁹ During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

²⁰ In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. ²¹ But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

²² These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

I found it interesting the enemy was kin to Goliath in a way, and David is still battling and conquering them, although he almost got killed himself. It makes me think of spiritual parallels. The way we go into a "battle" but we are worn out and not refreshed and ready to handle it, but praise God for prayer partners who swoop in and save us! Sometimes we need rest and renewal and we DEFINITELY need each other! And I also noticed that the same enemy cropped up again and again in David's life. Sound familiar? It is to me. This was so amazing to me that I decided to share it. I love God's word and I love to learn from Him every day.

Working routines...where are they?

2012-01-16T17:34:00.000-06:00

Remember flylady?

Some folks may have never heard of her at all. I met her years ago and she quickly changed my life, but I outgrew her. All those e-mails! All those reminders! I just didn't need them anymore. But I still revert back to her basic cleaning lists and the routine lists I created back then when I get overwhelmed.

Well, my weekly schedules and demands have changed and I finally realized that those old lists just don't fit anymore! It's time to rethink my week and what I need to get done on each day of the week.

I was talking with a friend the other day and she said something similar about her routines too, or actually lack thereof. She realized that certain routines saved her so much time, that she needed to establish some other routines in the day to save time as well.

There are certain days that we are home, and certain days we are not and I'm still not used to it after a year of this schedule! It's time to do some serious thinking and planning and get some *working* routines in order!

So the problems are:

having the school week planned out
having all books/supplies ready
we need lunches ready ahead of time
I need a healthy quick breakfast ready ahead of time for those days we are running late
I am getting behind on household chores
I need time for my creative outlets too
Wednesday nights are so late and Thursday comes so early ;)
fitting in exercise time
having the exercise equipment, clothes, music etc ready to go
meals planned
grocery list done
chores more evenly distributed between the family
there is probably more but that's enough to start!

I'm going to work on this tonight! I'm actually excited to get some things written down and put into use.
For instance I need to plan ahead and make Wednesday and Thursday as easy as possible.

I'll be back with my plan when I get it done!

Baby Shower Gift Idea

2012-01-07T10:22:00.001-06:00

I was invited to a baby shower for a baby boy. I wanted to do something different so I made this:

I made this out of a pack of diapers and a couple of different ribbons. It's a baby bassinette!

Of course I should have taken pictures along the way to show how I made it but I didn't! Sorry!

Looking back at 2011

2012-01-03T18:32:00.001-06:00

I've never done a post like this before, but for some reason I just got inspired to recap my year and celebrate the wonderful things that happened this year.

January Grandson's birthday and he had a fun 7th birthday party. We had a family member make his cake. Lots of fun! (I wanted to put a picture of it but I can't find one! It was a Despicable Me cake.)

February brought some ice to the north Texas area and we were kind of at a standstill for about a week! That's what happens in Texas. We're not used to it. ;)
We also had a birthday at the end of February ds turned 13!!! Yes, a teenager. My last child at home is now a teen. :D

March ahhh Soccer season! We are pretty busy each week going to practice and having games on Saturdays. His team was #1!! We also had a lot of doctor appointments in March for some reason???

I attended a WE Conference at Prestonwood in Dallas and it was a wonderful weekend! That is such a HUGE church! Finally a pic!

April Soccer continues and I've been asked to teach a VBS training seminar and I was very nervous but excited! I did it! Whew. I still like teaching kids better than adults. ;)
My mom moved this month into assisted living, her choice not mine. But it will be alright.

May One of my favorite months! The homeschool bookfair is in May and I had one of the best times yet with friends and all the speakers. Love it! It's also DH's birthday. We also did a simple unit study with other homeschoolers during April/March studying "Around the World in 80 Days". It was a lot of fun!

June I think was the least eventful month for me, except for my birthday nothing really went on. Just hot. More doctor appointments. We had a PIT Crew training day for the puppet team I direct at church. It's always fun. Well, I almost forgot. There was one event in June that was so much fun! Our church helped another church in the area put on a "Backyard Bible Club". We had such a blast with this guy...

July The best month this year! Madeleine Noelle was born! Yay! We won't get to see her until next month though. :(

We also had VBS this week at church. One of my favorite things on the planet!

One hazard of VBS, while Grammy is getting ready for her class...someone was running and ran smack into another running kid. :( It looks really bad, but was better by the end of the night.

August Going to Indiana!!! And DS's first plane trip! (Can't find those pics either! Ack!) But here he is holding his niece for the first time.

And in August my mom turns 76 years!

September Back home, more family doctor appointments, my brother has major surgery, my mom moves again (MUCH better place) we start fall soccer, DS is an 8th grader and DH and I have been married now 25 years!!! Whew!

October the BIG and BUSY month for me. We do an annual blacklight show at church with the PIT Crew at the end of October. Here's a peek at one scene...

And if I wasn't busy enough, we agreed to do a second show for my grandson's school carnival 2 days before our show! We had a lot of fun though!

November More birthdays, youngest DD is now 21 (no, I can't believe it!), Thanksgiving and FAMILY TIME! DD is in a show "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" at college, DS and DIL and new baby come to visit. It was the best!!!

December Was nice and quiet actually. A friend had extra tickets to the Dallas Museums so we went and had a good time. It was nice to do something different.

Grandson spent a week with us while school was out. The kids put the Christmas decorations up for me since I had to work extra this month. It was nice. We had some family over on the 23rd had dinner, visited and played "Just Dance 3" So fun! Then Christmas Eve candlelight service and Sunday morning service. Nice and quiet.

I left out so much but I just can't fit all in. No wonder I'm tired! LOL
Thank you Lord for a blessed year!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-11-19T12:14:00.021-06:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week…
It's thanksgiving week! At my house that means my son, dil and new grandbaby from out of state are here, my daughter, sil and grandson were here some too, my next daughter's birthday (she's 21 gasp!) and her college theatre play ALL this week!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I came across this in a really old cookbook.

"We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends; we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."
-Owen Meredith

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-11-11T06:59:00.001-06:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week…
Well, I totally missed posting last week, so today's journal may include some of last week's happenings. Although I don't really remember what went on! I'm getting old and if I don't write things down right away, they just get by me. I do know we performed our black light show on the 31st and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it. :) This week, it was time to put everything away and start focusing back on school and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I have a lot of planning to do. My kids are coming from out of state and will be staying a week. YAY! I get to see my new granddaughter!!

In our homeschool this week…
Surprisingly we got almost everything done this week. We are still dragging our feet in biology. I really just need to take a day and go over it and get those lesson plans done! But enough about what we didn't do, what we did do was DS finished his math program! Now, I don't have the money to get the next level right away, so we are going to spend some time on drills. He really needs that anyway. I think I will make some powerpoints too for him. I like making powerpoints, they are just so time consuming.

I am inspired by…
Prayer. Isn't prayer just the most amazing thing? At our church we are going to have a churchwide prayer and fast in December but people are praying fervently NOW. We are posting prayers for each other on facebook and just really lifting each other up to the Lord. AWESOME!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We saw a lot of people come to our show last week, this week, this morning in fact we are going to see the orthodontist! We'll find out if DS needs braces.

My favorite thing this week was…
NOT the time change. I mean I know this is the "real" time, but I feel like I'm sleepy at night, sleepy in the morning, sleepy all the time!

What’s working/not working for us…
We are still doing the schedule where we do a chore, do an assignment, take a short break. Kind of a rotation. It's just helping us stay on track where we would rather be sleeping. :)

I’m cooking…
I'm going to be doing some freezer cooking for the upcoming holiday season. Not so much the holiday food but the daily meals so I can stay sane!

I’m grateful for…I’m praying for…
(These go together for me this week.)
My husband. He has been sick a lot and without getting too personal, I am so grateful that he is still here and tries to be a good father and husband when he does feel good. We've been together 25 years and I still love him.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
"Living He loved me
Dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away"

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-10-29T04:50:00.001-05:00

In my life this week…
I had soooo much to do this week. Our puppet team performances are Saturday and Monday.
Almost there!
I got new glasses this week. Yay! I had gotten my contacts earlier but I needed new back up glasses badly, not to mention the new prescription change. Yep. Bifocals. They've arrived.
But the neat thing I want to share is the place that I got my glasses. I ordered them from http://www.zennioptical.com/. I got frames #717121. I got the progressive lenses, anti-glare and all the trimmings. Total cost with shipping under $45!!! Amazing! I would recommend this site to anyone except maybe if it were your very first pair of glasses. But having worn glasses since the 4th grade myself, I know what styles and sizes work for me. I will order from them again. So many cute glasses and the prices just can NOT be beat!
I brought home groceries this week and we put everything away and went about our business. Only the next morning I noticed a bag in the corner of the kitchen, by the desk. Hmmm..what is this doing here? When I opened it... TWO GALLONS OF MILK!!! I was so upset! That's a fortune you know? Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. But boy was I really mad at myself for not noticing that!

In our homeschool this week…
It was so overwhelming trying to get everything done this week. We took a little different approach to our schedule. So we made up a list each day of what needed to be done for our home and outside projects (like the puppet team stuff) and divided it up school assignment, chore, assignment, chore, school assignment. etc. throughout the day with a few Skip-bo games thrown in for good measure. ;) It certainly helped! Many times when DS had an independent assignment I could do an extra chore or even just a short break to clear my mind and check the list. I prioritized them throughout the week and we really got so much done! Even some mopping and the sheets got washed and changed! Anyone that knows me knows the three chores I hate are cleaning the tub, changing the sheets and mopping. I don't know why but I'd rather clean a thousand toilets than clean one tub. LOL. I'm weird maybe but that's the way it is. So if those chores get done, well it's an awesome week in my book. The one thing that did not get done was biology. I'm working on some more planning. This is one subject that takes a bit more planning on my part and I'm the one who's fallen a bit "behind" on it. I'm getting ready to incorporate some Simple School units I downloaded from Currclick. I'll report on those as we go.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
My advice is if you're overwhelmed with life, just break it into bite sized pieces and spread things out through the day like I did this week. It really works wonders for your state of mind.

My favorite thing this week was…
Dark chocolate. Need I say more?

Questions/thoughts I have…
Anyone else doing something different than the usual texts in upper sciences? I'd like to learn about some plans with low budget and less texts.

I’m reading…
I didn't read much of anything this week except 1 Samuel. I'm reading through this in my quiet time.

I’m cooking…
Enchiladas for the Lord's Supper. At our church we "sup" together as the disciples did (although I doubt they ate enchiladas ;)). I love doing it this way. It's so personal and such a loving, and family oriented atmosphere.

I’m praying for…
A friend. There is a history of breast cancer in her family and she is having some issues there. So far good news, mammogram was clear! Praise the Lord.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-10-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~
Week 6.5 C.J.'s 8th grade

In our homeschool this week…
I'm calling this week "6.5" because we used it as a catch up week. It is our 7th week of school, but we didn't do week 7's work. Make sense? Not that we got so much caught up, but it helped!

In my life this week…
I have a hard time with this one because my weeks seem to run together, so I thought I'd break it down day by day and find out what it actually is that we do each week.

Sunday
Go to church early for dd to practice for praise band and I join the prayer group in Pastor's office.
Sunday school - I love my class!
Church - this week I had to teach in Children's church even though it wasn't my month. The teachers were out of town so I taught for them. I am the Children's Church director, so it was no burden for me to teach. I love it! We are on a "Winners" unit and this week we learned about "paying attention" to God. We learned about the boy Samuel and how he heard God calling him and giving him instruction. It was a good lesson.
After church - PIT Crew practice for the Black Light Show!!! This lasted until 7pm!!! I'm exhausted by now.

Monday
I think we slept in on Monday I can't remember anything specific about Monday. It was Monday. I had some paper work/planning/organizing to do and I did that all day. DH took DS to soccer practice that evening. Storms rolled in later that evening. We need the rain so badly here in Texas, it was wonderful!

Tuesday
Again, I can't remember anything special about Tuesday. We did some school work and some housework. Got caught up on laundry. Whoo Hoo!

Wednesday
My day to work at church. Get up, rush around trying to get lunch and all necessities gathered up and out the door. Spill Diet Dr Pepper all over myself in the car, turn around to change clothes. Arrive at 8:05am. Just 5 minutes late. A long list of tasks and projects to get done. Lots of e-mails, copies, questions to answer, orders to make. Somewhere in there DS got some schoolwork done.
Ordered the pizzas for dinner at church. Made the tea, served pizza, cleaned up. Got ready for our children's department program. I do a skit every week with the children's pastor. Finished the skit. SAT DOWN FOR 15 minutes!!! Church is over at 7:30pm. Ran an errand for hubby. Go home. Get a snack. Fall asleep on the couch.

Thursday
My second work day at the church. This morning's fiasco was the carnation instant breakfast my son made for me leaking out all over the car and into the lunch bag. What a mess!! Got that cleaned up. We have a little girl coming in to record a skit for us for our Black Light Show. That takes a couple of hours. Now I'm behind on my tasks, but somehow I get it all done. Ate lunch with my friend who cleans the church and her daughter and granddaughter. Back to work. Now DS isn't feeling well. He ends up sleeping on the couch in Pastor's office the rest of the afternoon. Text the coach. He's not making it for soccer practice. I had to wake him up at 5:00pm to leave. Had to run an errand for my mom. Had to get gas in my van. Drive home. Walk in the door and throw a very quick dinner in the oven. I didn't have anything thawed! Why?? Sat down at the computer and have a little down time where I decide to write this post.

Friday (at the time of this writing, this is the tentative plan)
Get up. Meet a friend who is the treasurer of our church to get her to sign a check so I can pick up banners our pastor ordered for a parade in our town Saturday. Go to the city to pick up my contacts and while I'm there pick up the banners too. Come back to town. Get the parade float ready. Also work on some last minute props for the Black Light show (sense a theme here?). At home maybe do some light housework and laundry. Fix dinner, clean up and go to bed.

Saturday
7:00am, arrive at church to finish last minute touches on the parade float. Meet at the parade starting point at 8:00am. Ride in the parade. Hope to get back to my van in time to get DS to a 12:30 soccer game in a neighboring town. Go HOME!!!

Then start it all over again!
I'm going to bed now. ;)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-10-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~ Week 6 C.J.'s 8th grade

In my life this week…

We planned on going to see the movie Courageous, but it didn't happen. I'm disappointed, but am trusting in God's timing. I've heard such great things about this movie, I hope we get to see it eventually. It seems like every week brings challenges and I am just working through them one day at a time.

In our homeschool this week…

We took a nice break Monday. It was much needed. sigh.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… emphasis on seeing!

I had another eye appointment Friday. 3 weeks in a row. But it's worth it. I can see again! I've had some trouble with contacts/glasses the last couple of years and this set is the best yet. It's nice to go from reading, to computer to TV, to driving and not have to take glasses off or put them on. I'm so happy!
DS had a dentist appointment Monday. Happy to report, no cavities! But we have a consultation with the orthodontist next month. Braces are on the horizon I'm sure. :(

My favorite thing this week was…

We hosted a prayer meeting at our church Wed morning. I work there two days a week as the pastor's admin asst. My friend and I prepared some brunch type foods to serve. What a blessing to know that our pastor and other leaders around the community are gathering with the local school superintendent and praying for the schools, and the community!
Another fav, please don't judge but Psych!, one of my fav TV shows, came back this week and I have yet to get to watch it!!! But when I do, I know it'll be a fav spot in my week. ;)

Questions/thoughts I have…

Does anyone else still homeschool and yet have to be out of the house regularly to work or to care for others? I know that God only allowed this in my life now that I only have one and he is older. I seriously don't think I could have handled it when my kids were younger.

Things I’m working on…

I finally took a break from puppets and made this for my new granddaughter. I had to mail it to her and wasn't able to try it on her, so I hope it fits. Fitting babies can be tricky! Especially when I wasn't really using a pattern.

I’m cooking…

Actually I'm chopping. You know, all those fruits and veggies that no one else will eat unless you chop and slice and package them up in the fridge? At least that's how it is in my house. Celery in a bag? Will just sit and sit until I end up throwing it away. Celery de-stringed (is that a word?) and sliced into sticks? Will get eaten with salsa or dip. And by the way, I made a HUGE container of salsa too. I like to make my own. We love eating fresh salsa, and I had a recipe or two in the next couple of weeks that calls for salsa, so I just made a bunch all at once.

I’m grateful for…

My fridge and freezer full of food ready to go this week! :)

I’m praying for…

My husband and children one by one. I have two books called "The Power of a Praying Parent" and "The Power of a Praying Wife" both by Stormie Omartian. I learned soooo much from these books about how to pray specifically for my kids and husband.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-10-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

In our homeschool this week…

We are in our 5th week of school this year. We haven't been doing anything really "exciting" in our homeschool. Just clicking along in our books. This made me realize I haven't been writing too much about it, but it occurred to me that lots of days and weeks of homeschool are like this and maybe others want to know that. So I'll share in a little more detail, what ds is actually doing.
First off he has some learning difficulties and he is all over the place in "level". I say level in quotes because we quit caring about that long ago.
He begins his day with breakfast, usually cereal, and completes a few chores.
Then he reads his Bible. He is still struggling to read well so I let him choose his own passage. He's been reading a Psalm every day.
Then he works on a memory verse. This week's is -
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. " Ephesians 4:29.
He does some drills in reading and digit span.
He reads a poem. Currently he is reading Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Then he does math. We are using Teaching Textbooks. He's finishing up Book 6 and I think we are going to skip 7 and go to Pre-Algebra. He is developing at a fast pace this year and it's exciting!
We do grammar and word roots study alternately.
In history we are always slow! I don't know why but it always happens! We are studying some ancient world history and I found a plan online somewhere (I'll post about it sometime when I find it) , I can't remember where, and I adapted it for us. It's going well except where I planned to use library books, we keep skipping those days because I haven't made it to the library yet this year! Just keepin' it real.
He reads a book on his own every day. He is reading Pinocchio in the Great Illustrated Classics version. We've read many books unabridged in the past so he is reading them now on his own, and it has been very good practice for him.
Last but not least. Biology. I ordered Biology: A Self Teaching Guide. It was recommended in the old The Well Trained Mind. I chose it because we used Apologia for my daughter, and it is a really good program. But, for my son it is way too much reading. So I decided to give this a try. It is definitely more condensed but at this stage it seems like it is going to work out. I've been trying to make booklets and notebook pages for him, but have gotten behind. That is another advantage of Apologia, there seem to be plenty ready made lapbooks and notebooking sets to go with it.
There are a few other things we do but I'll talk about them another day.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

I went to see a play my dd was working on, Agnes of God, she wasn't in the play, but did the costuming and some staging. It's a very interesting story. A bit perverted religiously, but interesting nonetheless. And the actresses did a very good job.
DS went to our churches D-Now this past weekend. He had a blast! D-Now stands for Disciple Now and it's a weekend set aside for youth to be discipled in Christ and they get to know each other and the adults better in the process.

Things I’m working on…

I'm still working on planning and preparing for our puppet team's performances.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

"Peeling potatoes carelessly, cutting thick peels, became one of my daydreams of the high life."
-The Endless Steppe

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-10-01T11:42:00.002-05:00

In my life this week…
The weeks of fall go so fast they all seem to blur together. Every time I sit down to write this journal, it makes me stop and think. What did go on in my life this week besides just "busy-ness"? I worked an extra day outside of the home and that always makes life a little more hectic. But one thing I've been procrastinating about all year I finally got around to doing. I got my eyes examined and got new contacts. YAY! I can see again!

In our homeschool this week…
DS was on his own a lot this week. Good and bad. Good because he needs to be more independent, bad because a few things slid by the way side. But all in all we are doing well on our 4th week into schooling. I don't have anything really special to report. Except that he got a new Bible from a friend and I hope he will be able to read it easier than the version he has been using.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Plan, plan, plan and then organize, organize, organize. When I have everything set for the week, all print outs, supplies, books etc. all lined up, things go so much more smoothly and we don't waste time looking for things, or saying , "Oh well, we'll just get to that later". This week wasn't like that! LOL So next week I really need to get myself in gear!

My favorite thing this week was…
Wednesday night children's ministry. I usually do a skit and I did that this week, but I also took the 1st & 2nd grade group because the usual leader was out this week. Those kids really blessed me. They were so "into" the lesson.

Things I’m working on…
This is going to sound like a broken record, but I am working on our annual black light show for the puppet team I direct. I will be working on it non-stop until the end of the month. Not to mention we threw in a parade float and a school carnival this month too!!!

I’m reading…
The Endless Steppe. I've never read it. It's always on the reading lists for school, so I decided to read it myself. It's an easy read that I pick up at night for about 5 min before I fall to sleep.
I'm also reading 1 Samuel in my quiet time.

I’m cooking…
Meals from my freezer and anything fast and easy!

I’m praying for…
Children at my church. I was convicted this week to pray for the kids in our children's ministry. Many of them come on the church van and I'm pretty sure they don't have praying parents. I have been so distracted by other things, I've neglected praying for them. This week I'm standing in the gap for them.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed. -G.K. Chesterson

Thoughts on blogging

2011-09-29T16:22:00.000-05:00

It seems I have only been posting the Homeschool Mother's Journal, and even that is hit and miss! I'm struggling a bit with whether to keep blogging or not. I'm not a natural born writer but I do love to talk! But I need someone to talk to. I need give and take. Do any of you struggle with the "faceless" nature of blogging?

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-09-19T06:26:00.000-05:00

In my life this week…
My oldest brother had open heart surgery this week, so we went to see him. He’s doing well and was already home this weekend! Praise the Lord! Other than that this week really seems like a blur. I’m sure we accomplished something????

In our homeschool this week…
We started biology this week. It wasn’t too bad. Yet. :)

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We had a soccer game in a town about 30 miles away, that we never go to, so it was an interesting drive. And a really LONG walk to our field! We won the game in spite of no practice. Our local fields are closed because of the huge cracks in the ground!

My favorite thing this week was…
The thunderstorm that rolled in last night! Thank you Lord for the rain!!!!

Things I’m working on…
I’m still working on black light puppets and props. I hope to have some pictures to share soon. I’ll share them on my puppet blog and then link to them here.

I’m reading…
I’m always reading several books but for an “easy” read I’ve been reading the “Love Comes Softly” series. I just finished book 4.

I’m cooking…
Not much. Did some freezer cooking last week so haven’t had to cook much this week. Yay!

I’m grateful for…
My husband. We have been married 25 years today. It’s been very rough lately with some illnesses and financial struggles but with all that I am so grateful that he has put up with me and all my ideas and projects over the years! I love you R!

2011-09-10T08:49:00.001-05:00

I picked up this cookbook at the grocery store check out counter.

I'm trying out a few recipes and thought I would review them here as I go along.

The first one I made was the Southwestern Casserole. It made 2 casseroles. There was plenty! I cooked one and froze the other. The ingredients are familiar but I made a few substitutions. I always seem to make substitutions. I only had one can of tomatoes, and we don't like kidney beans so I added Ranch Style Beans. If you can't get these where you live I'm sorry :(. But I guess "chili beans" would do. I didn't rinse them as they recipe stated for the kidney beans. Since I didn't have that extra can of tomatoes, I figured it needed the moisture. I ended up adding just a little water. Overall it was a great taste! We liked it. I'm thinking you could even add corn if you like it. I like corn but my hubby's not keen on it, so I probably will never add it.

We also made this spaghetti casserole. Oh my! It was soooo yummy! I will definitely be making this one again! 4 stars! Even the hubby had seconds and he's not a spaghetti guy.

I liked the enchilada lasagna. Again I made some substitutions. I used chicken, next time I will use beef. I think the chicken just didn't give it enough oompf.

That's all we've tried so far. I hope to try several more recipes. There are some really good ones in there!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-09-09T18:53:00.002-05:00

In my life this week…It was hard getting back into the swing of things after being gone for three weeks. I loved spending time with my son, my daughter-in-law and sweet new granddaughter!!! Also the weather was 20 degrees cooler there. I did some freezer meals the other day, and boy am I glad I did. They came in so handy this week. I am really determined to keep the meal-planning/shopping/cooking/cleaning up part of my life as stress-free as possible.

In our homeschool this week…Our first day was a little disjointed and I was so disorganized. But by Friday we felt really accomplished. We didn’t do any science this first week. I hope to start it next week. I’m still tweaking and gathering.

My favorite thing this week was…My new hours at work. I’m only working two full days, not two halves and one full. It is soooo much better to have that extra day at home.

Questions/thoughts I have…Math, isn’t it always math? DS is finishing up Teaching Textbooks 6. Yes 6. I admit it. He’s in “8th” grade and doing a level 6 math program. But it is very redundant for him so I’m going to let him take the quizzes and if he passes, we’re moving on. In fact, I am thinking of moving on to pre-algebra. I really think he’s ready. He’s struggled with some learning “differences” but it seems like he’s moving into that logic stage now and things are coming easier for him. If any of my close friends are reading this then they know the happy dance I’m doing right now for him!

Things I’m working on…Every year about this time, our puppet team’s black light show is what I spend all my free time on. I love it but it is a lot of work!!! I have scripts to work out, recording to do, puppets and props to make, painting and choreography. Whew! Pray for me!

I’m praying for…My church. We are experiencing some tough times and I want to know God’s will for us. I pray for all churches that are part of the body of Christ and that He will raise them up for His glory. AMEN.

Biology Links

2011-09-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

We're studying biology this year. I'm in the last leg of planning. But I found some links that might be useful and I'm adding them here so I can find them again! Things get lost in my bookmarks folders. ;)

http://biology-animations.blogspot.com/

http://www.brainpop.com/science/

http://www.biology4kids.com/index.html

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/

http://biology.about.com/od/onlinedissections/Online_Dissections.htm

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073031208/student_view0/virtual_labs.html

http://mlhsscience.com/biovlab.aspx

http://virtualbiologylab.org/index.htm

https://www.msu.edu/~macart13/class/stuwork/cellmodels/cellmodels.htm

New Grand-baby!

2011-08-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize I hadn't posted about my new grand-baby. She was born July 24th. Beautiful. Perfect.

Here she is at 4-weeks old.

Love you M!!!

R&R

2011-08-23T12:38:00.003-05:00

We haven't actually started school*, since we are still out of state helping with the new grand-baby but it makes my heart happy to see my VERY reluctant reader actually enjoying a book!!!

*Homeschooling is a lifestyle, not a particular date on the calendar. ;)

Looking back, looking ahead

2011-07-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a homeschool year that just seemed like a blur? This was that year for me. I know that my son did some work, and I also know that we didn't finish everything we set out to do. We had so many distractions this year and I hate to make excuses but stress got the better of me. As I'm looking ahead for next year, I have to take a look back to see where we've come from. It's a bit discouraging if I'm being honest, but then again, so many good things were learned this year that I just can't put down on a report card or grade book. Know what I mean? In fact when I really think about it we really did so much this year!

My dh has been ill with an undiagnosed illness. So far they have said "Fibromyalgia" but aren't sure. All we know is that he is in pain almost constantly and for seemingly no reason. He has been off work a lot with no pay and had test after test. Thus I got a part time job, it was a Jesus deal and now I work 2-half days and 1-whole day at church as my pastor's administrative assistant. My son can go with me and work in the office with me on school work. It works fine as long as there are no interruptions but believe me there are always interruptions!

One day he said to me, "I never realized there was so much that goes on at church. I always thought we just showed up." Ha ha! He's learned a lot about this and I hope it's been a good experience.

I also make puppets for our church and to sell (sometimes) this is also time consuming.

There are so many, many other things going on that don't need to be aired out here, but just writing this post has helped me to feel better. It's my report card of sorts, a record to help me remember what we went through this year.

Thanks for listening. ;)

Ack!

2011-07-29T15:32:00.001-05:00

July is practically over, I'll be gone most of August. Where has the summer gone? I haven't posted in over a month!

I am working on some school plans but there are so many family things going on too. My SIL has been living with us for a year and a half and she is moving this weekend. For me that means moving furniture (mostly mine) vacuuming, rearranging, organizing, dusting, sneezing and doing it all over again until we get things situated.

I hope to get to Wal-Mart before the weekend's over and pick up some things that we need.

I also had a new granddaughter come into the world last weekend and am preparing for the trip to see her in August. Can't wait!

So much to do so little time!

Maybe I'll post some pics and plans soon.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~12

2011-06-17T07:17:00.001-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week…
Well, it's kind of two weeks. I skipped last week. :(

In our homeschool this week…
Just did a little math and reading, nothing exciting.

I am inspired by…
My friends. Several of my friends and I are going through the same thing, husbands who are sick (different issues). God is very real to me as I go through each day, and knowing there are others who understand is comforting.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We have been going to church mostly. I don't think we even went anywhere else!

My favorite thing this week was…
Painting the hallways at church. They are looking so bright and colorful!!! (Hopefully next time I'll have a picture.)

Things I’m working on…
Still working on baby bedding, puppets, Mission project, VBS...

I’m reading…
Pagan Christianity
The Spark
Roni's Weigh (she's not a Christian Blogger, but I still like reading it. I started at the beginning and am working my way through)

I’m cooking…
Not much!!!

I’m grateful for…
My husband, my job and my church family!

I’m praying for…
My husband, and my kids.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~11

2011-06-03T19:14:00.029-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week...
I did some more sewing, I have too many projects going! I need to get some finished before I start others. I have also been really wrapped in a lot of summer planning for missions, VBS, Wednesday night church and children's church. Along with making a few puppets this week. Whew!

In our homeschool this week...
DS has continued with his math (at a pretty good clip!) and done some small amounts of other work.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
DS had company this week and saw a movie. I did the usual stuff. Friday we picked up my grandson for the week! We're so excited to see him!

My favorite thing this week was...
Two favs this week, making a monster puppet (see pic below) and seeing my grandson!!!! :D

What's working/not working for us...
This week was pretty smooth. Nothing to brag or complain about. ;)

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I have no questions this week, but I have a thought. This is what homeschool is about to me...life. Living a life of learning, discovery, service and growth. Constantly moving forward. There is room for book work sure, but as I look back at my homeschool journey I worried waaaaay too much about "curriculum" and "credits" and finishing this or that book. My focus should have been on LIFE and what the Lord has for us. He is great and worthy to be praised and honored. I hope you are honoring the Lord and His will for your life in your homeschool.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Another puppet ;)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~10

2011-05-27T05:01:00.000-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~
This week was rather uneventful. I rather like it. ;)

In my life this week...
I have so many projects on my to do list! The first is making baby bedding for my new granddaughter on the way. I want to have it finished and shipped before her shower on June 25th. She's due to arrive at the end of July.

I also have so many puppet and children's ministry projects to do, not to mention continuing some school through the summer and just housekeeping and life in general! Lord, help me to prioritize!

In our homeschool this week...
We got back to the grindstone this week. I still have some organizing to do. Does it ever end?

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
Just going to church and shopping, nothing much exciting this week.

My favorite thing this week was...
Getting some decluttering and spring cleaning done! Yes sometimes I actually like to clean. ;) And sometimes it's my favorite thing. ;)

Another favorite thing, although kinda silly was a giant jar of peanut butter I made for a display at church. I should have taken a picture of it for my photo to share but I forgot. It was just fun to do. Nothing more, nothing less.

What's working/not working for us...
Last week I said our schedule wasn't working. This week it is. ;)

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I just downloaded Spelling Wisdom. I have looked at this off and on for a while. I have tried every spelling program under the sun just about and have even used dictation before. My son actually did pretty well with dictation in the past, but I just got away from it for a while because of trying to find suitable passages. No excuse, just procrastination. :( Anyway, as we go forward with it, I'll review whether it's "working/not working" for us. Anyone else used it?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

My most recent puppet

Around the World in 80 Days

2011-05-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

We did it!

We finished our reading and study of Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be anything like the Disney version, but still. I actually thought it was going to be boring and dry and I couldn't have been more wrong! (Where do we get these ideas anyway?) We couldn't wait to see what happened in the next chapter and it had us laughing many times. I also was afraid it would be too "adult" but again I was wrong. It was a very appropriate book and actually led us into some really good character assessment discussions as well as discussion on drugs and alcohol. These topics were brought to the surface in this book in a way that showed the consequences of this lifestyle. I remember some time ago another homeschool mom warned me that there was a lot of deceit in this book. Maybe that's where I got the idea that it was inappropriate?? Anyway, yes there was deception, again part of that character assessment! In no way were any of the "sins" of the parties glorified. Instead ingenuity, resourcefulness, loyalty, compassion and "stick-to-it-tiveness" were displayed. Overall we really enjoyed this book.

We followed up by watching this 1956 version of the movie.

Academy Award Winning Around the World in 80 Days

While of course it didn't follow the book exactly it was spectacular!

It even held my 13yo son's attention. In this day of x-box and computers that's saying a lot.

At the end of the study the unit book asked, "Are you interested in reading other books by Jules Verne?"

We say, "Yes"!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~9

2011-05-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week...
I got the yard sale done! Yay! They are such hard work and this one really was. My mom pretty much put out everything she owned. She asked my daughter, "Isn't this easier than doing it after I'm gone?" Not sure what to think about that question. I took my SIL to the dentist, had to drive for her since she was on medication. I worked out of the home 3 days.
Besides all of this, God is really working in me to understand sometimes that if he shows me something that a person does that isn't "right" He's calling me to pray for them, not just surface, but real intercessory prayer. This is hard, cause my first instinct is to just gripe about it not to take it to the Lord and lift them up and encourage them.

In our homeschool this week...
Only one more week of our group study of Around the World in 80 Days. We've enjoyed it, the other families have been great but I am ready for a break in our schedule.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We're not going many places this week, but we are seeing my daughter for a change! Now that college classes are over she's home everyday and we actually get to talk and work together!

My favorite thing this week was...
... at one moment in time, my bed was made, my bathroom was clean, my laundry was done.

What's working/not working for us...
What's not working is our schedule lately. Things are calming down (I hope) and we can get into a new routine for summer. Summer is always busy, but ds needs to do math and reading through the summer every time he gets a chance.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I'm thinking about science lately. We just don't get much of it done lately. I need some time to make a plan that we can actually stick to.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
I came across this a few weeks ago and I just absolutely love it! I so would love to be a part of something like this! You really should take the time to watch.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~8

2011-05-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

*Note: I had filled in all these answers earlier and now they are gone! I don't have as much time now, so I'll do the best I can remembering what I wrote! Ugh!

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week...
This week was jam packed by Monday! We've fed a puppy with a bottle, visited with family, went fishing, saw our relatives' name on the Vietnam memorial as well as the WWII memorial, went to my dd showcase at college, had my mom spend a few days with us, work, school, getting ready for a yard sale next weekend. All by Monday! The rest of the week was spent getting ready for the yard sale, working, school, cooking, thunderstorms, yard sale (did I mention that already?).

In our homeschool this week...
It was back to basics this week. Plugging along trying to catch up a bit from the days we've missed. It was a good week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
You know how you can live near a monument or some attraction but you never stop because you're always on your way to somewhere else? Well this week we stopped. We have a war memorial in town so ds and I stopped. We have some family members names on the memorial wall. WWII and Vietnam. I didn't take a picture of the memorial, but I did take one of ds in front of a tank.

My favorite thing this week was...
Visiting at my brother's house and seeing family and this-

The mother and other pups died from a snake bite but this little guy survived. My brother calls him "Killer Joe".

What's working/not working for us...
*I had written something here, but I honestly don't remember it now! I'm in the middle of the yard sale now and brain power is at a minimum.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
*I had written something here... see above.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Photos of some costumes and sets my daughter worked on at her college. I believe it was "Plaza Suite".

This started as an ugly straw hat!

Very pretty!

Malachi

2011-05-12T07:14:00.000-05:00

Malachi 2:1-9 (Taken from HCSB @ Biblegateway.com)

Warning to the Priests
1 "Therefore, this decree is for you priests: 2 If you don't listen, and if you don't take it to heart to honor My name," says the LORD of Hosts, "I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart.
3 "Look, I am going to rebuke your descendants, and I will spread animal waste over your faces, the waste from your festival sacrifices, and you will be taken away with it. 4 Then you will know that I sent you this decree so My covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD of Hosts. 5 "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and fairness and turned many from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
8 "You, on the other hand, have turned from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of Hosts. 9 "So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in [your] instruction."

Hmmmm “life and peace” or “despised and humiliated”.

Which one would you choose? (cue game show music)

I choose life and peace, Alex!

And what do you have to do to get this?

Revere and stand in awe of HIS name!

And what could you do to deserve the other?

Turn from the way, and cause others to stumble.

NO thanks!

I choose to revere God and I stand in awe of Him!

Immediately I am reminded of the chorus (and this is my prayer this morning),

I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

I can't believe I did this...

2011-05-07T06:20:00.001-05:00

I went to the bookfair yesterday, had a "10+" sticker on my name tag. Whoo Hoo!!!

And after 10+ years of going I can't believe that I bought....

a planner!!!!

All these years I've always made my own charts, lists and planners. No one else's "pre-made planner" has EVER had everything I needed. But well, life has changed for me. I have more outside responsibilities and time is of short supply lately. I also have been forgetting things because my church job requires me to keep up with everybody's plans, and at home I have to keep up with everybody's plans, and I have my own plans too and well, this old brain ain't what she used to be! I do use google calendar and all that e-stuff but sometimes you just need PAPER!

I'm really so excited about this planner/binder. I can take it with me everywhere! I will have a grocery list, menus, calendar, school plans, budget (if I choose to write that down) and more in this binder!

I already have visions of the days I forget to put something in the crock pot and it's too late, because I remember this about lunch time. But now I will be able to look in my binder and see what else we have at home to eat, or have that list of a few groceries that I need to pick up between big shopping days and not waste brain power, energy and time!

So many other things too. I'm sure I'll be talking more about this as I actually use it.

I got the planner book yesterday but have to wait a week or so for the binder to come. It's sooooo pretty!

P.S. I know my dil will like this! ;)

Have I mentioned...

2011-05-05T19:56:00.000-05:00

that I'm getting a new granddaughter at the end of July? Well I am! And we are soooooo excited about it!

Her name is still under wraps, but her loyalties are already set.

(sorry this one's blurry - camera phone)

These are the first things I bought. I was on the phone with my son as he was telling me she was a girl... I went directly to the baby section and got these! So fun and exciting!

Time flies (The HS Mother's Journal 3-7!)

2011-05-05T19:43:00.005-05:00

Wow it's been a month since I last posted? I really thought I could keep up with the weekly posts! Well I'll lump the last few weeks into one, since that's how it feels anyway!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal ~3,4,5,6 & 7 ;-)

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~

In my life this week(s)...
A lot of hard things have come my way through people lately. Praise God I can count on Him! I had been reading Zephaniah, and one of my favorite scriptures is in Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

In our homeschool this week(s)...
I guess we took an extended spring break, but not much "school" is getting done. But ds is working really hard on a book. I guess it's a comic book, but it's serious. He draws pictures and captions for them in a spiral and it's getting better and better. It's some kind of alien/war type adventure. I'm not sure. Maybe I'll get some pics of it and post it here next week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We've.been.gone.every.single.day. So I'm sure we've gone somewhere and saw someone??? Mostly I'm excited because tomorrow is homeschool bookfair day! Yay!

My favorite thing this week was...
Sleeping.

What's working/not working for us...
Our schedule right now is NOT working for us. I need some margin! Soon soccer will be over and our group literature study will be over. Then I can breathe again. Sigh.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I'm in "science mode" right now. I will be looking at all the science curriculum at the fair tomorrow. Is it bad that I don't want to look at Apologia?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Okay, this video has nothing to do with homeschooling per say, but it's another passion of mine... puppets! This video gave me a chuckle.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~2

2011-04-01T13:48:00.002-05:00

My second Homeschool Mother's Journal :)

In my life this week...
We had something on the calendar every day this week! And this weekend we are moving my mom to a new place. Busy, busy, busy! I'm reading a book right now called "The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School" I'm taking notes and feeling refreshed. I love teaching kids!

In our homeschool this week...
We had our first group session doing an Around the World in 80 Days unit study. Met some new friends. Played Whist! We had a lot of fun. I reinstated studied dictation in C's daily schedule. Why did I stop doing that???

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We went to a new dentist this week. Trying a new dentist is very scary. I mean, what if they just aren't good you know? But my worries were unfounded. It was great! C had no cavities and got all the cleaning and treatments done and we were out in 30 minutes!!! Amen!

My favorite thing this week was...
The taco soup I made in the crock pot Wednesday. And had again Thursday. It's better the second time right?

What's working/not working for us...
Homeschool Tracker is working for us. It's flexible enough for me to plan ahead, add something on the fly or reschedule if need be.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I found out that as we progress through Teaching Textbooks, the program changes. I'm very bummed about this. I really thought we would use this all the way through. I'm not jumping the gun and abandoning it just yet, but am disappointed to hear this. Anybody have any insight here?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

A picture that C made in paintbrush about a year or so ago??? Can you tell what he's obsessed with? ;)

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~1

2011-03-27T20:38:00.003-05:00

This is my first time to post "The Homeschool Mother's Journal". I hope to do this every week.

In my life this week...

It's been very hectic but I see an end in sight! I took C to soccer practice a couple of times, walked several miles this week. Attended a women's conference this weekend. Whoo Hoo!

In our homeschool this week...
We have had a hard time fitting everything in this week. So many interruptions! I hope to get more done next week.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We started soccer, so C has met a few new boys. Tomorrow we will meet two new homeschooling families that we are doing a unit study with. It'll be fun.

My favorite thing this week was...
WE Weekend at Prestonwood Baptist Church. What an awesome time in the Lord! I learned so much and I hope to post about it soon.

What's working/not working for us...
Daylight savings time. Need I say more?

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Lately I haven't even had time to *think* about anything else! I really would like to have some quiet time to go over the bookfair schedule and decide what I want to look at and what seminars to attend.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

Just keep swimming...

Sunday

2011-03-21T11:42:00.001-05:00

I didn't go to church today, sick kids etc. But I did have to go in to finish up some things for children's church and on the way home I was listening to Dr. Robert Jeffreys of FBC Dallas. His sermon was right along the lines of some things I have been reading about. God is cool like that!

I want to record my notes from his sermon here.
Base text - Nehemiah mostly chapter 3

In order to complete a large project
I. Organize and delegate-
II. Assign responsibility wisely-

according to interest "in front of his house" Neh. 3:10
according to giftedness. Phil. 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Praise those who work hard (didn't catch reference here)
Ignore those who decline to work. Neh. 3:5

III. Begin to do the work -

Prov 26:13-14
A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

The sluggard knows the saying that it's harder to begin something than to keep it going, so he never begins anything. Just BEGIN doing something and the motivation will follow.

Neh 2:18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

The "good work" is actually a holy work. Work is of God, he created us to work, he worked to create us. When we work we are in the image of God. But the work is to be by Him and through Him, not futile.

We should be doing what He created us to do 80% of the time. In our giftedness and interests that He put in us.

Fitness Update

2011-03-11T15:53:00.004-06:00

So I went to Wal-Mart today to spend my "fitness money" and I got...

a jump rope

5lb medicine ball

Bob Harper DVD

2 new t-shirts

1 new pair of jeans. (which were a size smaller and NOT tight!:))

Fun new things to help me meet my goals.

Success!!!!

2011-03-05T18:06:00.000-06:00

I have never tried to cook Baby Back Ribs before. I bought some a while back on sale at Brookshire's a local grocery store. They sat in the freezer... did I mention they were LONG and I have a side by side refrigerator/freezer and they just kept getting in the way, sometimes even falling out - dangerous! So yesterday I took my bi-weekly trip to Aldi a not so local grocery store and bought so much I had to take the ribs out, so I thawed them and cooked them today. The hubby LOVED them. Better than what he gets at Chili's he says. And that's saying something because he loves Chili's Ribs ;)

Here's the recipe I used. The only adjustment I made was after I coated and "rubbed" them I put them back in the fridge for a couple of hours. And he totally didn't want any sauce on it! They were that good!!!

Fractions

2011-03-05T15:01:00.001-06:00

***This post was originally written back in November, just found it, not sure why I didn't post it before***

We aren't using Math-U-See (MUS) right now for math, we are using a free program found here.

BUT we are using the MUS blocks, namely the fraction overlays.
These things are ingenious. My dd learned fractions with them and ds is flying through it right now because of these.
They make the fraction world tangible and are easier to work with than a pizza, although not as tasty. ;)

They make increasing and reducing fractions easier to grasp for example:

One-half or 1/2

is the same as:

two-fourths or 2/4

is the same as:

three- sixths or 3/6

is the same as:

fifty-one hundredths or 50/100

We could "see" that the larger the number, the smaller the pieces. I think fractions can be confusing to kids because the larger numbers are actually smaller quantities (on the denominator), but with these fraction overlays, you "see" it right away. That's probably why they call the program Math-U-SEE. ;)

Playing around with the overlays:

What's been going on???

2011-03-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

Wow, I haven't posted much at all. I read a lot of blogs every day, but never seem to post on my own. I'm going to try to make a habit of writing more often.

I am working part time now so our schedule is a bit different now. I work 4 hours Tue and Wed, and 8 hours on Thursday. Best part is I can take my son "C" with me. YAY! I am the admin assistant for my pastor at church. He's real relaxed about things so we do school when we are there. I just can't devote a lot of one on one teaching time when we are there so C has to do independent work, but that is actually a good thing!

Our computer went out last week and we thought we needed to buy a new one. Didn't really want to do that, but dh took it apart and put it back together. Nothing. He took it apart again and tested the power box thingy and it showed that it was getting no power, so we ordered one on e-bay, it came, he put it in and it worked! So happy about that!

I ordered Teaching Textbooks for C and it is working VERY well for us. It's just what we needed with the change in schedule and teaching time. I'm excited to stay with this program for the rest of his home school career. I highly recommend it. Even though to *me* it's expensive. ;) I was using a FREE program.

Another exciting thing recently, C turned 13!!! I realized I now have only teen/adult children. How's that for making you feel old????

Soccer season just began and C is on a new team. Well sort of... some of the same kids, new coach new uniforms. I don't know what his team name is yet, but the colors will be black and silver. He's ready!

Next weekend he will be gone to a youth retreat so I may have some quiet time since dh has to work that weekend too. Oops, I didn't think about soccer, we don't have the schedules yet. I wonder if he has a game????

Okay, that's it for now.

Plugging along

2010-11-13T09:10:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much to blog about lately. We are just plugging along in our school and family. We finished our big black light show with our puppet team. Whew! That takes a lot of my time in October. I am about to start a part time job so I'm going through our schedule to rearrange things a bit.

DS is getting more independent but as usual, his school books (history, science, literature) are way beyond his reading level and I need to read them to him. This is tiring for me, so I'm trying to find some alternatives and audio books. They are so expensive!

We're almost finished with our first term. Here's what we've done so far this year:

Daily Bible reading and journaling
Math (mostly fractions!)
Spelling
Poetry of Robert Frost. DS memorized "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
Artist Albrecht Durer. DS made a powerpoint for this
Music of Beethoven. We listened, read and watched documentaries
Science - earth science, astronomy & space, a little chemistry
History - from the civil war to now (DS Loves, loves, loves this and would do this all day long!) We got these DVD's for free from the History channel. They are his fav. He would watch them every day!
Writing - we are using Writing Strands for a little creative writing practice. He's working on a simple story right now. We may type it up and post it sometime.
Shakespeare - we read Hamlet earlier in the year
Greek Myths - reading once a week
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry - DS is enjoying this book. I'm happy to know that my 12 yo child cannot fathom why people treat one another different just because of their skin.
The Hobbit - reading this for the 100th time.
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - always fascinating

That's about it I think. It's been a successful year so far!

Carving a pumpkin...

2010-10-18T20:49:00.001-05:00

Well, as it turns out ds age 12 has never carved a pumpkin. We quit "doing Halloween" a long time ago. I guess it's been about 12 years! Anyway, this year I decided to get him a pumpkin to carve. He decided to do some sort of video game helmet and here is his result. Can you guess what it is?

The carving...

This is it illuminated. Cool!

I think he did a good job! He drew the pattern and then applied it to the pumpkin. I helped him do some of the scraping and a little of the carving - just the larger areas, but mostly he did it himself.

View from my desk

2010-10-09T11:11:00.001-05:00

Kitchen Before

This is what my kitchen looked like last night. Because I have been so busy working on another project. It looks a lot worse through a camera lens! LOL That's how I realized how bad it looked. Not one clear surface!!!

Kitchen after - ahhh

Much better!

24 Years

2010-09-19T18:13:00.000-05:00

Today my dh and I have been married for 24 years.

Week 4

2010-09-19T18:10:00.000-05:00

So, our fourth week of 7th grade was not quite as smooth as the others. It was bound to happen. Life interuptus came and wreaked havoc on us.

We will survive.

We will pick up where we left off and be thankful that I added in those extra days to keep us on track.

Week 3 7th grade

2010-09-11T11:33:00.001-05:00

Three good weeks in a row! It wasn't without it's bumps in the road, but all in all a good week.
We are sort of reviewing a time period in history - WWII - that we studied a little over a year ago, but I didn't want to skip it. DS remembers A LOT of course he loves war, history, bad guys and guns. ;)

We are also getting a lot out of our science right now, ds also loves rockets, and outer space.

These topics might be the reason we are having such an easy time. I can't wait to start over in our history next term and begin our study of the Ancients! I know it will be interesting for him too!

This week we did:
Daily Bible reading
4 lessons in math (including all kinds of fractions! He caught on pretty quick thanks to the MUS fraction overlays. I am going to post about these soon. I know I said that last week.)
Spelling
Poetry of Robert Frost
Art Study
Composer Study
Nature Study
Timeline Book (I may show this someday soon too.)
Science, Natural History, Albert Einstein bio
History - Stock Market Crash, Depression, Hitler, Spain
Geography - North America
Writing - how to write a paragraph
Shakespeare - Finished Hamlet
Greek Myths
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Hobbit
Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

Impromtu Nature Study

2010-09-07T16:20:00.002-05:00

On our porch today.

Praying Mantis
(Mantis religiosa)
Yes, that's really the Latin name! I thought it was funny.

Black and Yellow Garden Spider
(Argiope aurantia)

Hamlet - Drawn Narration

2010-09-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

"When Hamlet saw his end draw near, there being yet some venom left upon the sword, he suddenly turned upon his false uncle, and thrust the point of it into his heart, fulfilling the promise which he had made to his father's spirit..." Tales from Shakespeare

What can I say? He's 12. This is what impressed him the most out of the story. ;)

Another one down!

2010-09-02T18:41:00.000-05:00

We completed our second week of 7th grade. Don't worry, I won't report every single week (maybe). But things are going so well I just can't help but share!

We focused a little this week on the Space Race since ds loves rocketry and things of that nature. We are reading about it in science. I realized there were a couple of our favorite movies that would go well with this unit and that ds was really too young when we watched them last to get much out of them. So we watched them both today!

October Sky is one of my favorite movies of all time. I always get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye a couple of times in this movie. We laugh a lot through it too. If you have never seen it, SEE IT!

Apollo 13 is another one that gives an insight to what astronauts go through.

I can't believe we got so much done in our 4-day week!

We did daily:
Bible
Drills
Math
Spelling
Poetry
History (backed up a little and read more about WW1)
Science (Exploring Space)
Writing assignment (Eye-witness report)
Geography

We did weekly:
Art study
Music study
Nature study
Timeline notebook
Science biography
Natural History
Shakespeare (Hamlet)
Greek Myths
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Story of My Life by Helen Keller

We had some fun in math today too. I'll post about that later!

First Week of 7th Grade!

2010-08-29T20:22:00.002-05:00

Whew! We made it through our first week of seventh grade. We did have a bumpy ride but all in all it went well and ds has grown so much academically and physically. He's getting tall, his hair is dark and his voice is starting to change! I don't know if I can take it.

Most of our books & schedule comes from Ambleside Online Year 6 (the years aren't necessarily grades)

Here's what we are doing right now:

He's reading the Bible (NLT) on his own and writing (Yes WRITING!) something (short and sweet) in a small notebook.
We do some reading drills, math drills and Digit Span cards. (He's moved up a digit this year!)
Math - so far so good. It was taking waaaayyy tooooo long, so I cut the lessons in half. No problems now.
All About Spelling - ds has dyslexia (in fact he hasn't been tested but if he were to be, this would be at least one of the diagnoses) We have started at the beginning and it's going very quickly, we will probably do 2 or 3 levels this year.
Poetry - Robert Frost, and writing some simple poems of our own. (Yes WRITING!)
Music Appreciation - Beethoven
Art Appreciation - Albrecht Durer. DS is making a PowerPoint about Albrecht Durer and his works. (This covers art and PowerPoint in one lesson)
Nature Study - trees
Timeline - we add things into our timeline notebook every week.
Science - Finishing up "Observing God's World" by A Beka. We chose this text because it's interesting and short! Only 2 days a week needed to get through it. It's also inexpensive used.;) We will continue with "Order and Reality" in a few weeks.We don't do all the tests, quizzes, worksheets etc. We narrate and sometimes make lapbooks or notebook pages, or drawings. DS is reading an Albert Einstein Biography a friend got for me. It's a "reader" type book, not really a "living" book but he's able to read it on his own. Also reading School of the Woods.
History - SOTW 4 and The Story of My Life: Helen Keller
Geography - Trail Guide to World Geography
Writing/Grammar - Writing Strands (Yes WRITING!)
Literature - Shakespeare Tales - Hamlet, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, The Hobbit, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

Wow, is that everything?

Here's how it looks in a week.

Day 1
Bible reading & Journal
Drills
Math lesson
Spelling lesson
Poem
Artist Study
Science - Observing God's Creation
History -SOTW
Trail Guide
Writing Strands
Shakespeare

Day 2

Bible reading & Journal

Drills

Math lesson

Spelling lesson

Poem

Composer Study

Science - Observing God's Creation

History -SOTW

Trail Guide

Writing Strands

Greek Myths

Day 3

Bible reading & Journal

Drills

Math lesson

Spelling lesson

Poem

Nature Study

Science - School of the Woods

History -SOTW

Trail Guide

Writing Strands

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Day 4

Bible reading & Journal
Drills
Math lesson
Spelling lesson
Writing Poetry
Timeline
Science - Biography: Albert Einstein
History -SOTW
Trail Guide
Writing Strands
The Hobbit
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

We are going to try this 4-day schedule this year. We need a day to shop and do errands. We also take my Mom shopping and to the doctor, things like that. Every week we have somewhere to go, so I thought why not just make a day for that? It might mean we move a little slower through the math, but that's really the only thing. And that may not be a bad thing for us. I have also scheduled one week off every 6-weeks to catch up or work on other things besides academics. I'm already looking forward to the break! :-D

I hope to post in one month and say how it is going for us. We've had such a rough time with school these past few years for various reasons, this one looks to be the best yet!

I got industrious...

2010-08-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

yesterday and cleaned out and reorganized my fridge. And I'm going to show you pictures. How sad is that when you take pictures of your fridge and THEN post it on the internet??? LOL

Too bad I didn't think of doing a before shot. I never think about it until after!

I took out the upper drawer that was broken and duct taped and moved the meats/cheeses to the bottom.

Another idea I thought was ingenious (I didn't think it up, I got it here) was putting my salad stuff all in one bin, and another one for sandwich stuff like mustard, pickles, miracle whip etc. It was all together in the door but we had to dig to find all the bottles etc and then put them all back. This way, you just take out the bin and put the bin back!

My dd made labels for everything and it all fit well.

Now to make sure the family actually reads the labels and puts things where they belong. sigh.

Duct Tape Prom Contest

2010-08-10T11:59:00.001-05:00

The creativity just astounds me!

http://www.duckbrand.com/promotions/stuck-at-prom/vote-now.aspx

Check out the top 10 for 2010

Composer Study Term 1 2010-11

2010-08-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Beethoven!

Listening selections:
Piano Sonata 8 (Pathetique) Opus 13
Piano Sonata 14 (Moonlight) Op 27
Symphony No. 3 (Erocia-meaning 'heroic') Opus 55
String Quartets opus 59, no.1-3 (Razumovsky Quartets)
Piano Concerto 5 (Emporer) Op 73
Symphony No. 9 (the one with Ode to Joy at the end) Opus 125

We have some of these on CD's but for those we don't:

http://www.dsokids.com/listen/ComposerDetail.aspx?composerID=13

www.pandora.com

http://www.classicalconnect.com/#/browse/composer/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

Art Study Term 1 2010-11

2010-08-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

We will be studying the art of Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Italian Renaissance

Picture 1
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1498, woodcut.

Picture 2
Self-Portrait in a Fur Coat, 1500, lime panel, Pinakothek, Munich

Picture 3
A Young Hare, 1502. Watercolour and gouache on paper. Vienna, Austria

Picture 4
Altarpiece of the Rose Garlands, or here, 1506, oil on panel, Národní Galerie, Prague

Picture 5
Praying Hands, 1508, brush and ink, Vienna

Picture 6
The Knight, Death, and The Devil, 1513-14, engraving

Information:

http://www.albrecht-durer.org/

http://www.squidoo.com/durer

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/durer/

Aprons

2010-07-23T21:23:00.001-05:00

I just found this pic of an apron I made earlier in the spring for my daughter's friend who was getting married.

We didn't use a pattern but it came out pretty cute!

My younger daughter is modeling it.

This apron is for my oldest daughter's b-day. I haven't given it to her yet, I'm giving it to her tomorrow.

The picture really doesn't do it justice. It's really pretty. I hope she likes it.

Oh, and this is the fabric I used for my Nook cover. She gave me the Nook for *my* birthday and I'm using the fabric from *her* birthday gift to make a cover! LOL!

New Purse

2010-07-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

I'm not really a cloth purse person, and I'm really not a hobo bag person, having said that today I made myself a new purse and it's a hobo bag.

I wanted a new purse just for a change but didn't have it in the budget to buy a new one, so I rummaged through my fabric stash (which is pretty shabby right now) and found something to make a purse out of and a while later, I had a new purse.

Here it is; mistakes and all! LOL

I used this pattern with some modifications. If I like it I will actually invest in some fabric I love and make another.

Next time, I will remember to sew the closure on before I put it together, I will add the zippered pocket and I will make the bag just a little shorter, it's a little deep for me.

However I did add a pocket on front and some pockets inside for pens, cell phone, keys etc.

It was fun and easy to make.

I might become a cloth purse carrier after all!

Something new I love...

2010-07-22T20:49:00.001-05:00

I got a Nook for my birthday this year and I just LOVE it! I sort of admired these things from afar, but now I have one and get to use it every day.

I decided to make a cover for it to protect it and keep it clean. I was looking online and they started at $30 up!! No way! And really, I didn't like any of them all that much. I just wanted something to keep it in so I could carry it in my purse or bag. So I decided to make my own.

Here is the awesome Nook.

Here it is, tucked away safely.

Here it is with the cover closed. I put a little strap on it so I could carry it easier.

It's so cute! And it was free because I used scraps left over from another project. (I'll post that one soon.)

And did I mention that I really love the Nook?

This is where I'm at today...

2010-07-17T06:28:00.000-05:00

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Swimming with a broken wrist??

2010-07-15T05:59:00.000-05:00

We had a family get together back on June 26 at a nearby State Park. It was hot, but not too bad. It could have been worse.

But dgs has broken his wrist this summer and has a cast up past his elbow but his mom found out about a waterproof cover that you can get to go over it for swimming and bathing. Genius!

Here are Uncle and Nephew enjoying the cool lake on a hot summer day. If you look closely you can see the blue arm dgs has. At first he was concerned and didn't want to wear it, but as soon as he hit that water he forgot all about it.

We had a fun day enjoying family.

Happenings

2010-07-11T14:27:00.001-05:00

I've been busy lately. It's been good though. Mostly just getting ready for things like Puppet Shows, Mission Trips, and VBS. We've had a lot of doctor appointments lately and I'm pretty much responsible for taking whomever it is that needs to go. I have two more weeks before VBS and I'm in charge of the crafts. I chose simple ones so maybe it won't take too much time to get them all together.

DS has been tutoring twice a week with a lady from our church who's a teacher so we've been doing that too. We had DGS this week. Just took him home today as a matter of fact. He'll be back in two weeks to go to VBS with us.

We've also had a lot of babies due around us lately. I went to shower #2 yesterday and there is another one at the end of this month. Babies everywhere! Not in our home though thank goodness!

I wanted to do some school with DS this summer and we did at the beginning and we'll pick it back up soon. This is why we basically school year round because there are times when other things come up so we put the books aside, then pick them back up when things settle down.

I have some more things I'd like to blog about. Hopefully this week will afford me some time to sit down and get my thoughts together!

Menus

2010-07-01T18:53:00.002-05:00

I'm working on some new healthier menus. I'm trying to get an 8 week set. I'll post them here when I am done. Along with as many of the recipes as I can. I don't remember where I got them all, so I will do the best I can!

Check back later.

2010-06-04T17:27:00.003-05:00

So things have been really busy lately. I can't really recall what we have been doing that is keeping us busy, but it is something I tell you.

We are going to continue some school work during the summer. But will be taking a break here and there.

For the first time in YEARS I will have no kids for ONE WEEK! What will I do? Everything without interruption!!!! ;D

I have my dgs for this week so I have extra kids now, but then come the 14th (my birthday) they all leave. YAY!

I need the break. I've been really stressed.

Can you tell?

How sleeping dogs lie...

2010-05-23T22:52:00.004-05:00

DD was taking a nap on the couch. Goliath was taking one too (yes he's really asleep, not climbing!). I guess he's so long, he doesn't give much attention to his hind end! LOL

Composer Study April-May-June 2010

2010-04-17T17:43:00.002-05:00

Edvard Grieg (1890) & Jean Sibelius (nationalists)

Listening selections for this term:
Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no 1

Grieg - Piano Concerto in A

Grieg - Norwegian Dance no 2

Sibelius - Finlandia

Sibelius - Symphony 1 (4 weeks)

1st movement

2nd movement

3rd movement

4th movement

Artist Study April-May-June 2010

2010-04-17T17:40:00.001-05:00

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) American (Biography)

1. Oyster Gatherers of Cancale, 1878, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC
2. The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
3. (Violet Sargent at) The Breakfast Table, 1884, Fogg Museum of Art (Harvard, Cambridge, MA). Violet was Sargent's younger sister; he himself never married or had children.
4. Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1885-6, Tate Gallery, London, England (see also here")
5. An Artist in his Studio, 1904, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
6. Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892-3, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Singer Sargent also painted Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, The White House, Washington, D.C.
and Robert Louis Stevenson and his Wife, 1885, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AK

Aldi

2010-03-30T17:14:00.001-05:00

They have just opened some Aldi stores near us. (If you consider 30 miles near, we do.)

We'll be checking it out this Friday. I've never been to one. If it's really worth it we'll work it into our shopping routine at least monthly.

New Personalized Blanket

2010-03-30T16:33:00.004-05:00

I recently had an idea for a blanket and made one with my 6yo grand son. He loved it!

I laid him down on a piece of white fabric (I used a white sheet) and traced the outline of his whole body with a sharpie.

Then I let him color himself in with permanent crayons.

I had him pick out fabric for the back. He chose this...

Then I sewed it all up with batting in between and tacked it in a few places.

This is the result.

It looks like he has the measles or chicken pox in this picture, he doesn't. I just had a phone camera in a dark room. LOL. It isn't really showing by the look on his face, but he loved his new blanket.

I was fun and easy to make.

I'm going to make another one with a 5yo friend for his birthday.

They are definitely one-of-a-kind!

Trying New Things

2010-03-26T07:45:00.003-05:00

I've voluntarily taken myself off of sugar. Meaning white sugar. I haven't been one single day completely without sugar yet (I keep forgetting about those peppermints lying around my house) but I have drastically reduced the intake.

I decided not to use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes. I really didn't want to deal with all the issues they bring and I wanted something natural. The only thing I really need a sweetener for is my cereals.

Today I tried something new called Agave Nectar. I have seen it around but I really didn't know what it was or why I should use it. I used it in my oatmeal this morning and I really liked how it tasted. I don't know what else I will use it in, maybe a smoothie now and then? I was using honey, but I heard that GI in Agave Nectar is lower than honey, so why not give it a try? So I did and I will use it again.

Thumbs up for Agave Nectar!

Praying for your kids

2010-03-26T06:56:00.003-05:00

I have a book that I've had for a long time. Called Power of a Praying Parent. If there's one person to whom God gave the gift of intercessory prayer, it's Stormie O'Martian. God has really used her in my life over the years, even though I've never met her in person. I believe that "where two or three are gathered together, God is in the midst of them". I sense that presence when I'm praying one of Stormie's prayers.

I've recently gotten this book back out and started using it again. It's amazing to remember some of the times I prayed for my kids in the past and now that two of them are married I have added a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law to the list. Also I pray for my grandson. God is so faithful!

I have a family picture and I look at each face and name each name as I'm praying. Oh, I pray that it touches their life, but wow does it ever touch mine!

First off, God sticks a mirror right in my face to humble me and cause me to examine whether I am being a good model of these things as I am praying for my children. Many times (okay, all the time) I have to stop and confess and repent before I can continue. He is so amazing.

I love it. I love Him. I love my children!!!!

If you aren't praying for your children in a consistent manner, I highly suggest you begin today. The rewards and blessings are indescribable. You don't have to have a book to pray. I started out praying for the four "P"'s for my children -

Partner (future or present)

Path

Protection

Purity

These seemed to cover just about everything in general that they may experience in their lives. I also choose a "life" scripture or two for each child according to their personality or needs. I would personalize the pronouns to fit the child.

For one daughter it's Psalm 30:11-12 "Turn her wailing into dancing; remove her sackcloth and clothe her with joy, that her heart may sing to YOU and not be silent. O, Lord my God, her God, may she give you thanks forever."

Another one for a son was Psalm 5:11-12 "Let him take refuge in YOU and be glad, let him sing for joy. Spread Your protection over him that he would love your name and rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord You bless the righteous; you surround him with your favor as with a shield."

About 12 years ago I typed up some of these things on a page for each child and as I prayed I wrote new requests and praises along the way. It's amazing p look back and see how God has worked in their lives as they've grown. My youngest son has had one of these pages since before he was born!

God has really grown my family over the years. I can't thank Him enough for that. I'm making a fresh commitment today to pray for my kids and their families everyday not just "God bless them" prayers, but truly seeking God for what He wants to do in their lives and joining Him in it.

Spring Break is Over, Time to get back to work

2010-03-22T09:09:00.005-05:00

We've had a lot of time off it seems lately and a few things left out of our schooling.

Here are the things we'll be studying the next 6 weeks or so.

We still use the workbox system but mostly just to organize our daily work. I don't use all the cards and strips.

Right now in our workboxes we have:

1. Bible - reading through Ephesians

2. Math flash cards

3. Math lesson

4. Literature - Audio Book "Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass" unabridged.

5. Reading Lesson

6. Spelling Lesson

7. M/W/F=Biblioplan Modern History; T/TH Science "Observing God's World"

8. M/W/F= History page/timeline/map/project; T/TH Science page or experiment

9. M-Poetry; Tu-Shakespeare; W-Artist Study; Th- Composer Study

10. Copywork

11. open

12. open

Poetry: Rudyard Kipling

Shakespeare: A Winter's Tale

Artist Study : John Singer Sargent

Biography

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

Here, most of the work is done for me!

Composer Study: Edvard Grieg & Jean Sibelius

She's done it again!

Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no 1
Grieg - Piano Concerto in A
Grieg - Norwegian Dance no 2

http://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/showview.asp?ID=30

http://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/showdesc.asp?id=30

http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/bio.asp?id=25

Sibelius - Finlandia
Sibelius - Symphony 1 OR 2 (4 weeks)

http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/bio.asp?id=52

It will help that dd has played some of these songs for years on piano! LOL

DS is really coming along in his reading and academic work. We still have our days but things are definitely better. I'm really proud of him.

Menu for March 18-24

2010-03-21T16:48:00.001-05:00

Birthday Tee Pee

2010-01-22T21:59:00.002-06:00

I made my grandson this Tee Pee for his birthday. I hope he enjoys it.

Birthday Cake!

2010-01-22T21:46:00.004-06:00

My 19 yo dd made this cake for my grandson's birthday party tomorrow.

I can't wait to see how he likes it!

Cauliflower Fritters Recipe

2010-01-21T13:27:00.004-06:00

I made a few new recipes this week and this one was a hit!

They tasted just like potato patties. Yummy comfort food!

Check it out and try it soon!

Gina's Recipes Cauliflower Fritters

Menu for Jan 15-21

2010-01-15T08:40:00.002-06:00

* Updated image 1-18-10

Menu for Jan 8-14

2010-01-10T19:57:00.001-06:00

January School Plans

2010-01-02T16:08:00.006-06:00

I sat down today and laid out a plan for the month of January.

We will be using 12 workboxes each day now. It should go rather quickly, since some of the boxes don't take long at all, but I don't like putting more than 1 thing in each box. It causes ds to get overwhelmed and discouraged. And really, 12 things a day is PLENTY along with our other projects and activities we have going each week.

Here is what's in our workboxes for January:

#1 Digit Span & Exercises

#2 Bible reading and discussion

#3 History -Abraham Lincoln's World

#4 Written Narration

#5 Spelling

#6 Poetry M/W/F; U.S. Animal Flashcards T/TH

#7 Math Lesson

#8 Reading Lesson

#9 Math Game (Facts, review etc.)

#10 Grammar Game M/T; Lapbook W/Th; Presidents F

#11 Science - Observing God's World (This is new for us!)

#12 Literature - Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Wow it looks like a lot when I type it up. But even after I worked it out I noticed the lack of Fine Arts. I will add them back in February, maybe mixed in boxes 9 & 10 or box 1.

But it should be a good month.

I'm ready to get back to a routine!

Happy Homeschooling!!!

Menu for Dec 24-30

2009-12-25T09:37:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas Eve Menu

2009-12-24T08:12:00.005-06:00

Appetizers:

Deviled eggs

Jalapeño Poppers*

Veggie tray (broccoli, celery, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, petite carrots)*

Pizza Dip*

Chips

Main Course:

Honey Baked Ham (yum!)

Broccoli-cheese-rice casserole*

Crescent rolls

Mashed Potatoes*

Baked Beans (my oldest dd is bringing this)

Corn Casserole (my mom is bringing this)

Desserts:

Pumpkin spice cheesecake*

Chess pie

Red Velvet Cake (my mom is bringing this)

Hello Dollies (dd is bringing this)

* Healthier versions. I specifically added these foods or re-vamped the recipes to reduce the empty calories.

Cooking ahead

2009-12-18T10:19:00.009-06:00

Sometimes called freezer cooking or batch cooking, whatever it's called I enjoy doing it! If you are trying to eat healthy, save money by not buying convenience foods and stop eating out it's the only way to go.

These are all in my freezer ready to go:

WW Friendly apple cinnamon Pancakes
Healthier French toast(I used egg whites and some flax seed mixed with water, only a little yolk, cooked on the griddle with butter flavor cooking spray)
Crispy chicken strips (I make strips instead of drumsticks)
Grilled chicken
Pigs in a blanket (diced up turkey smoked sausage and WW 2-point biscuit recipe)
Breadcrumbs for recipes
Chopped up onion, celery, red bell pepper, green bell pepper
Vegetable Broth for using in recipes
Black Beans (made in my crock pot)
Chick Peas (made in my crock pot)
Browned ground turkey w/onions

I may make some pinto beans and black-eyed peas in my crock pots today and add them to the freezer as well.

Actually as I was looking in my freezer just now, there really isn't anything in there that I didn't make, except for some purchased frozen vegetables. That's a good feeling!

Having these foods ready to go in case something comes up and I can't make dinner saves us from eating out, keeps us on budget and keeps us from making bad food choices.

Planning is the key!

Menu for Dec 17-23

2009-12-18T10:17:00.003-06:00

The numbers after indicate weight watchers points per serving.

Menu for Dec 10-16

2009-12-12T14:04:00.004-06:00

Finished!

2009-12-04T15:30:00.003-06:00

We finally finished Oliver Twist!!!

It seemed like forever reading this book. But in reality, we read it in just under two months.

It was a great story, full of twists and connections.

New Menu

2009-11-28T09:56:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:35:00.006-06:00

(I found this post in drafts and never posted it! So I'm posting it now.)

I was so blessed yesterday.

We celebrated our family Thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday.

All my family was there and I felt so overwhelmed with JOY to have all my kids together again for a day.

I have been blessed with wonderful children and their families now.

God is so good to me.

This Week's Menu

2009-11-14T12:19:00.006-06:00

Note: These are all "healthier" versions, except for maybe the Potato cheese soup!

What's in our workboxes lately

2009-11-13T15:58:00.004-06:00

#1 Digit span and chore cards

#2 Bible reading and questions (Currently studying the life of David)

#3 History (Currently reading Abraham Lincoln's World)

#4 Daily writing - written narration and drawing from history

#5 All About Spelling Homophones

#6 Reading practice or phonics review

#7 Math drill or game

#8 Math lesson

#9 Poetry or Science Reading

#10 Copywork/Lapbooking

#11 Oliver Twist - listening and oral narration

#12 empty

We aren't really doing any in-depth science. I hope to get to that after the first of the year.

All in all we are getting a lot done and ds is getting TONS of reading and writing practice which he needs!!!!

Making Hummus today

2009-11-13T10:56:00.005-06:00

Today I'm making a BIG batch of hummus. I'm making it all from scratch!

I used a one pound bag of chickpeas and cooked them in the crock pot with water, onion powder, garlic powder and some salt I think.

I drained them and reserved some juice for the blender.

I mixed in a large bowl:

the chickpeas

3 or 4 T of tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

cumin (I didn't measure!)

red pepper - a few shakes

red pepper flakes - a few sprinkles

salt

about 7 cloves of garlic

Then I took about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture at a time with 1/2 cup of the liquid and put it all in the blender and pureed it.

It made a HUGE amount of hummus about 6 cups or more.

I'm sharing w/my friend who was the one that talked me into trying hummus.

I admit the name sounded weird, then after I tried making it I realized it was just Mediterranean Bean Dip! LOL

Whatever it is, I love it!

My kids don't like it so much but that's okay. More for me. ;)

It's a great source of protein and low fat if you don't use too much tahini which I didn't.

The first recipe I tried called for 3T for one can of beans. I just used 3T for the whole batch this time. It's just right in my opinion.

I found a way to make spaghetti that my husband likes!

2009-11-06T08:05:00.005-06:00

I started with this recipe from the Biggest Loser.

Turkey Goulash

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef)

1 can no-salt added kidney beans with liquid

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into bite-size chunks

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt-free extra spicy seasoning mix, or more to taste

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

Brown onions and garlic in cooking spray.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Brown ground meat.

Add the beans, squash, tomatoes, chili powder, seasoning mix, salt cayenne and the reserved onion mixture.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 35-40 min or until veggies are tender.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oops! As I began cooking this dish I realized I didn't have squash or beans so I put in spaghetti noodles. DH loved it! He ate seconds and took it to work.

HE NEVER TAKES PASTA TO WORK!!!!

I didn't think of it as spaghetti when I made it. I really thought he would think it was slop. LOL

But he said, "This is the best spaghetti you've ever made!"

Maybe he isn't fond of Italian spices in regular spaghetti? hmmm

My new recipe:

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef)

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt-free extra spicy seasoning mix, or more to taste

3/4 tsp salt

(I don't add the cayenne it's TOO spicy for the kids)

I basically followed the above directions adding in the noodles and some water. I'm not sure how much, sorry!

But the verdict is we all liked it. We love it actually!

Soccer Disappointment

2009-10-24T18:14:00.006-05:00

Today ds had a soccer game scheduled at 3:00 at our local field. Last night his coach called and said there was a make-up game also at 1:00 in a town about 30-40 min away. Two games back to back wow! So we drove FORTY minutes away for game #1. When we arrived ds jumped out to go join his team, and came back and told me the other team forfeited. Great. The coach came over to talk to us and said, "No, they are saying WE forfeited. The time of the game was changed and we didn't show up. There's a huge miscommunication going on here."

No kidding.

He continued, "That's not all. Our 3:00 game is cancelled because of scheduling conflict. Only one field is playable and we can't play on the other one. So just go on back home."

Ds was really disappointed, not to mention that we made an hour and a-half round trip for nothing!

Oh well, at least we had ice-cream on the way home!

Yard Sale Jackpot

2009-10-18T07:34:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we went with my sister-in-law to

http://www.easttexasguide.com/US80Sale.php

I think I spent $8.00 and got some red fake fur - for puppet making of course! A set of really sharp kitchen knives, 2 games for kids, 3 pair of nerd glasses, a jump rope, some clothes. I can't remember what else!

In Clothing I got:

2 blouses

4 pair of capris

1 pair of pants

DS got:

11 shirts

1 pair of pants

1 pair of shorts

1 pair of PJ pants

DD got:

1 skirt

4-5 shirts

1 pair of shorts

It was lot's of fun.

Okay, so I got carried away with the tickers...

2009-10-13T14:38:00.002-05:00

We decided to put a ticker to count down when L&L would be coming to TX. Then we thought, well DD's birthday is the same day, so we'll count that down too, of course then DS wanted his birthday one as well, then I thought about Christmas. So for now I have a lot of countdowns at the top of my blog. They won't stay there forever. Just for now. Just for fun.

Enchiladas

2009-10-10T18:54:00.006-05:00

Tonight I'm using Lentil Taco mixture, some shredded cheese, corn tortillas and this enchilada sauce recipe to make enchiladas.

The interesting thing is, none of the enchiladas I make ever use the red sauce so this is new for us.

I'll check back and let you know the details of how I put them together and how they tasted.

***********UPDATE**********

They tasted okay. We all ate them, but dh didn't finish his. He gave me no comment either so I don't know if it was the filling or the difference in sauce that we aren't used to. DD and I thought they were actually a little bland so we added sour cream and salsa and that helped.

So all in all, I don't know if I will make this particular recipe again

American Bald Eagle

2009-10-10T00:37:00.008-05:00

The other day ds was looking out the front window, and announced, "Mom! I just saw a bald eagle!"

"Yeah, sure. I don't think so."

I went to the window and looked in the direction he pointed but saw nothing, however I did hear that screeching sound that I've heard on TV before. Maybe it was just a really big hawk and the sun shone on it's head and he *thought* it looked white, I reasoned.

But we got the binoculars out just the same and by that time whatever it was, was flying over our house.

It flew higher and higher and higher! Hmmmm, no birds around here can fly that high.

Trying to get those dad-gum binoculars focused.... wait, that bird is HUGE and well, he has a white head!

WOW, ds was right!

It really WAS a Bald Eagle!

It was so exciting!

I don't know what he was doing here, must've been just passing through.

I've never seen an eagle in our area, except in the zoo so that was an exciting moment for us.

Idea: Theme Fridays

2009-10-09T21:26:00.002-05:00

I was checking out another homeschool blog and she mentioned "Theme Friday".

I think that's a great idea!

It gives you a day to take a break from the usual and fit in all those little things you never seem to have time for.

I think we'll try it!

What a blessing!

2009-10-08T18:30:00.006-05:00

Today I purchased a lap book from A Journey Through Learning. Only when I opened it, I thought it didn't look right. I took a second look and I had accidentally downloaded the Unit Study by mistake. So I decided to go ahead and e-mail them and tell them what happened. They were so nice! I got an e-mail back with a link to the lapbook and the blessings to go ahead and use the Unit Study too! Thank you Lord!

I highly recommend this company on customer service alone.

I'll let you know how the lap booking goes.

BTW I bought the 19th Century lap book in case you're interested.

Lentil Tacos

2009-10-06T08:06:00.004-05:00

http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Inexpensive-Lentil-Tacos-304604

Okay, we made this yesterday.

It was great! Even dh ate 3 of them!!!!

We will have this each time we have taco/tostada/burrito night.

I recommend you try it.

What I did:

I made mine in the crock pot on low for about 5 hours, I think I'll add a bit more water next time because it was all soaked up in 5 hours but some lentils were still a little crunchy, so six hours would be better, but in my crock pot it would have been burned by then.

I used beef bouillon cubes to give that beefy flavor. I may try vegetable some time and see if it still tastes good.

This isn't a meat substitute for sure, I mean I wouldn't try to trick anybody but as a different filling for tacos it's a great alternative.

Healthy Dinner - Layered Salad

2009-08-11T09:04:00.005-05:00

I wanted to make a salad for supper the other night, but didn't just want the regular tossed salad. I searched for some recipes but many were not really healthy or I didn't have the ingredients so here's what I came up with:

Dressing: Whisk together

½ cup miracle whip type salad dressing -----16 pts

½ cup fat free plain nonfat yogurt-------------- 1 pt

¼ cup 2% milk ------------------------------------- .5 pt

Sub-total points 17.5

Salad Layers:

Green leaf lettuce ------------------------------------0

(1/2 dressing drizzled on)

Mushrooms chopped---------------------------------0

Red onion chopped-----------------------------------0

Broccoli & cauliflower chopped--------------------0

Fresh Spinach------------------------------------------0

3 slices turkey bacon chopped -------------------1.5 pts

Grilled chicken breast chopped--------------------5 pts

(Second 1/2 dressing drizzled on)

chopped garden tomatoes--------------------------0

Layer in 9x13 pan. Cover with clear wrap and put in fridge for a few hours. Serve

Weight Watchers Points:

Total dish – 19.5 points

Divided by 6 servings = 3 points per serving

And guess what? It was good! Even dh liked it! No one knew I had added healthy stuff to the dressing and they liked it. We will make this again. I've thought of a few different ways to make it, you could add ranch dressing, or taco seasoning. Add some beans or corn. Just about anything! I wish I'd taken a picture of it. It was really pretty. ;)

Being a "House Wife"

2009-07-28T18:36:00.004-05:00

I love being a housewife. Yes I said ,"love". And I said "housewife".

I love getting the house neat and tidy so that when my dh comes home he can relax.

He works in the heat all day and I love being able to say when he comes home, "Go take your bath. Dinner will be ready when you get out."

I love getting our room cleaned up and the bed made so he can get right in it after supper and relax, watch T.V. or even go to sleep, as he did today.

He works very hard for us and I love working hard for him.

Now if you know me and you are reading this, it may sound a bit different than what I usually say.

But this is how I feel right now.

God is working in me - to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Great Stress Relieving Ideas

2009-07-25T11:53:00.001-05:00

Wisebread - 15 Low Dost Ways to Beat Stress