If that chick in Proverbs 31 had the internet back in her day, my-oh-my what feats she could have accomplished!  In her honor, I've decided to start listing one item per day on ebay.  That is TOTALLY do-able.

Check out my husband's awesome bowl he turned over the weekend.

Silver Maple Hand Turned Prayer Bowl

He calls them prayer bowls because when he makes them as gifts he prays for the recipient, thus "filling the bowl" with prayers.  Nothing spooky or new agey.  Anyway...

Take a look at my bead-work.  I've gone ahead and named my business "Caviar" because of the black seed beads that I love to use so much.  Spread it on a cracka!

Hand-beaded Silver Starfish Freshwater Pearls Necklace

Just a few more items for you to snoop look at:

Victoria Magazine 5 Lot 1996 May June Oct Nov Dec

Shabby Single Switch Wall Plate White Wash Finish

So, the sudden push for additional income is because I just redid the budget for 2008.    Help.  Anyway, I would like to purchase some curriculum items for the 08-09 school year and MAYBE, just maybe even join the homeschool co-op and hang out with other kids and Mommies.  Dare I dream?

Lots more stuff to come.  Stay tuned.

Seems like I lost a week of my life during Thanksgiving.  Maybe more if you factor in the psycological aspect.  My greys are really showing.  I really need to make more of an effort this week to post.  It's good for me!  Anyway, yesterday was a great day with my kids.  During our last run to the library, we had checked out two audio books.  One was By The Shores Of Silver Lake and the other was The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis.  We listened to The Silver Chair in the kitchen while Bailey, Livy and Ella worked on their art.  It freed me up to get the laundry back under control.  The "mountain of shame" was working it's way back up and I needed to wrangle it down to a managable pile.  Done.

I liked the big kids' autonomy so much that I assigned many of their other subjects on computer.  When they get on the computer, I expect them to work as a team taking turns at the "controls."  I set the timer and they work until it beeps.  They did really well yesterday taking turns and cheering each other on.  They practiced their math facts at this website:

Math Game - Multiplication

If you like that one, here's a few more:

Math Game - Addition

Math Game - Subtraction

And they worked on a DK Interactive Spelling CD Rom for awhile.  And then their favorite, USA Explorer.  Oh, and I had them review their verses for AWANA and recite them to each other.  Then they wrote them out.  They liked the computer aspect of their studies so much that it's got me thinking about using Switched On Schoolhouse or something similar next school year.  I just need one of my geese to lay a golden egg or something so I can finance it.

We had to take Ava back to the doctor just to check her ears, now that she's finished her meds.  All is well...I'm so grateful.  All the kids were terrific during the appointment.  Everyone was so quiet that even the doctor commented.  Every once in a while I look like such a great mom. 

By the time we were done with our appointment, it was 3:00.  We needed to be at the church at 6pm for the Christmas Choir Dress Rehearsal.  I decided to head back home but then realized that since we were already out and about we should just run errands, drop off groceries at home, potty, run through drive-thru and then head out to choir.  Which is what we did. 

My hunny met us down there and decided to take the little ones back home while I sat and watched the rehearsal.  Actually, before he left, we made a quick run over to Joann's craft store so I could pick up some blank canvas totes for the kids to decorate today.  We need much bigger bags to fit all their library books.  So today, they will work on those.

Well, that wraps it up.  I'm hearing alot of breakfast noise down there and I need another JAVA so I'm off!

Have a great one!

We don't really do the whole Halloween thing.  I mean, we have a small bucket of candy for the few little goblins, etc. that come by but that's about it.  We don't trickortreat.  Never have.  The kids like to hand out candy.  Bailey is very anti-Halloween.  Like a zealot.  Olivia and Ella would like to trickortreat, just to get the candy.  We already have candy so I'm having trouble understanding what the problem is.  Ava gets sad when she realizes that all the candy is being given to strangers.  So funny to see their different reactions.  Whatever.  We just don't do it, that's all.   Although I have to say that Pottery Barn and Martha Stewart have tempted me plenty with their really cute Halloween stuff.  Too cute.

OK, so the real reason that I'm writing tonite is that I need a recommendation on a fabulous Language Arts curriculum.  (Oh no, here comes the potty-training pant-less wonder to interrupt my stolen blogging moment.  Go away.)  Sorry.

Back to suggestions.  If I were to design a Language Arts curriculum, here's what I would want:

1.  A computer-based spelling & vocab program so I don't have to call out anything.  Activities, games & tests.  Grades itself, tracks itself, etc.

2.  A grammar rules workbook that is clear, concise & self-explanatory.  No cheesy juvenile illustrations, but also not too institutional.  A balance.  Give me an answer key and allow me to assign a real number grade so that I can keep track of progress.

3.  Writing assignments that are clear, concise & "gradable".  I need a number.

4.  If it has some video component to underscore, that would be fab.

That's about all I can think of on my wishlist.  Remember, my school right now is for 3rd & 4th graders.  Anyway, if anyone has anything like that please let me know.  We are in desperate need of a recommendation.

Well, goodnight and happy All-Saints Day tomorrow.  Whatever that is.

Later.