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I have always had curly hair. Lauren used to call them "tangles" when she was little. Yesterday when we were combing her hair she said I was lucky because I didn't have to come my curls. So, I told her that after her bath that night, we would put her hair up in "rag curlers" - the old fashioned way - that way when she woke up in the morning she would have curls. So, yesterday I cut up an old pair of flannel pajamas so I could make the "rags" for the curlers. Here are a few pictures of how it all turned out last night. Now, keep in mind that I've never done this before, so I'm pretty sure I can do better the next time.
You should have seen how sassy she was last night after her curlers were in her hair. She was swaying and swinging her hips...very feminine...not sure where that all came from, though! And, in the morning, this is what it turned out to look like:
Last night, with curlers in her hair, Lauren sits up in bed & says: "I'll look just like you, Mom!" Well...I think she does! |
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I've been reading through my new digital subscription to TOS magazine and I love it!!! If you haven't had a chance to try the digital version, when your subscription renews, you should give it a whirl. I really like that I can have instant access to the magazine. It doesn't get bent and torn up (and sometimes mutilated) like the print version I have. I flip through the TOS magazine many times (not only when I first get it), but through the years I have gone back looking for specific articles or unit studies in old editions. Now, it'll stay "crisp and clean" for years to come. I can print what I want to and click on the advertisers that interest me. With the print edition (which I still love), I would have little sticky notes sticking out all over the magazine with products that I wanted to go back and check out their websites later. Now, I just click on the advertiser and there it is! It's pretty cool. When TOS says that it's just like flipping through the magazine, they're absolutely right. It's the same format and layout, but a click of the button turns the page. Also, I have saved the TOS digital version under a separate folder in my "favorites" so it's easy to find everytime I want to go back to it. If I'm going to be away from the house and want to take it with me, I can print out the articles I haven't read and take them with me (and my "original" magazine doesn't get ruined). It's a great buy (at a much cheaper price than the regular print edition). I highly recommend it for future subscribers! Here's a link for additional information: TOS Digital Magazine |
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Do you currently have the new Schoolhouse Planner? I've had the opportunity to review it and let me tell you, it's an awesome accomplishment!! I've used many planners and calendars over the years (even creating a few of my own) and this by far, is the best planner I've seen. It encompasses the every day "homelife" as well as the homeschool activities. The planner is divided out by month (starting with July - so you can use one calendar for an entire school year!!) and then each month has topics that relate specifically to topics of interest for that month (i.e. summer activities for the months of July and August) and recipes, homeschooling tips, etc. The monthly calendar has spaces that are large enough to write in and easy to see (you don't have to write in teeny tiny spaces). It also contains pages for grocery lists, weekly menu planning and even a food inventory log. The latter portion of the planner is homeschooling related - pages that can be printed for each student for curriculum lists, test scores, schoolyear planning pages, goals, etc. You name it and it's there. I absolutely love the idea that you can type directly into the planner and save it! That's a very unique and awesome feature of this planner. Or, you can print the pages as you need them and fill them in by hand. I like the option of doing either. The only downside to the planner (and this is in my ever so humble opinion) is that if your printer doesn't print front to back, then you'll end up printing 247 pages - that's a lot of paper! It might not be so bad if you could print front to back or take it to a printer (i.e. Kinko's) to print. My only suggestion would be to add a choice when purchasing to either buy the e-book or a print version. But, all in all, I absolutely love the planner and have already started using it! I can't wait until school starts to really put it into use! |
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As you know, I live here in Texas - the grandest state in the nation. However, as a homeschooling parent, I'm ever watchful of the wolves that may come to the door to invade my homeschool doing what they think is best for my family (state laws, Child Protective Services, truancy officers, etc.). We live in a state that requires very little of homeschooling families - just so long as the basics are being covered, we don't have portfolios to turn in, or state assessments to meet, or even home visits. We are truly free and independent to teach our children what we think is best for them. I received a TOS Partner email this morning regarding Texas Tech University's Outreach and Distance Education program (they're calling it Texas Tech University Independent School District). After reading the email and going over their website (TTUISD), it's pretty clear to me that the Texas Education Agency (who is overseeing this program) is trying an alternate route to reach homeschooling families in Texas. My guess (and it's only an educated guess) is that if this program takes off, they may try to make it mandatory to do "public school" in our homeschools. This is nothing more than the public school education packaged for homeschoolers. It's governed by the Texas Education Agency, has certified Texas teachers available to answer questions and is sent out through Texas Tech (which in all honesty is a great university). However, isn't the point of homeschooling so that our children don't have to go through public school like we did? That they can learn about what interests them in a fashion that best suits their learning styles - not public education in a box? This is just a thought but I think this is also a way for the public schools to get "federal funding" for homeschoolers (in a sense). They charge an incredibly high amount per class ($95 per course for kindergarten) - which probably offets the federal funding they don't receive since our children are at home, not in public school. I think it's a little scary when the TEA is doing this. They may try to casually start infiltrate our homes (okay - infiltrate may be a little strong, but I couldn't think of a better word) that we don't notice that our homeschooling freedoms in Texas are slowly eroding. As I said, now's the time to watch for the wolves in sheep's clothing...they're coming faster than you think. |
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We live in Texas. What do we need to keep for homeschooling records? I know that in high school we'll need to keep better records of what the kids have done for college, etc. But, what about elementary school? Middle school? How are other Texas families keeping up with their children's school work? Each child gets a box for the year (like a storage box). If we keep this up, we'll have 24 boxes in the shed just for school work!!! Any ideas? What can we purge? We should we keep? Last year I started using home homeschool tracker and it's been a big help in what we do on a daily basis with lots of great reports you can print (including report cards). But, I just need to know what we should keep!!! |
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We woke up early this morning to the sound of rain beating on the roof, lightning flashing across the sky, thunder booming and hail pounding above our heads. I kept saying prayers that God would watch over the plants in the garden, keeping them safe in the hail. It's too dark still to determine if any damage was done. I think the worst of it has moved on. I can hear the soft rain now. We all got up, watched Alvin & the Chipmunks and the kids and hubby are now upstairs playing. It's just now 7:04 a.m. It's going to be a LONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG day. Today is our normal "day off" for school work. I'd promised the kids that if they did good this week they would get a surprise today. So, we're off to see the first showing of "Nim's Island" a little later. It looks like a pretty good movie. Again, we shall see... I noticed yesterday that some of the green beans were sprouting in the garden, along with one of the sunflowers. Yeah! With 75+ green bean plants, I'm hoping that most of them grow!!! Here are some of the flowers we picked yesterday on our walk. Aren't they pretty?
And, here are a few pictures of the kids at Easter.
Hope y'all have a blessed day! |
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My goal for my children is to have a foreign language for every year they are in school (with the exception of Kindergarten). James is finishing up 3 years of Greek. Next year I want to start him and Lauren both on Latin. I think Latin is crucial to grammar, vocabulary, spelling and is the basis for many languages. So, I found this program through Memoria Press: Prima Latina (for K-3) and Latina Christiana (4th grade+). In this curriculum they also have a section on 12 Famous Men of Rome with maps, etc. Has anyone ever used this curriculum before? If so, is it a good program? They also have another book you can buy called Famous Men of Rome that outlines the lives of 30 Roman men with stories, maps, European geography, etc. I'm considering purchasing both the Latin sets and the Famous Men of Rome book for next year. I figure that would be history, geography and foreign language all rolled into one. I was just curious if anyone had ever heard of it or used it before.
I hope y'all all have a splendid and blessed day! |
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It's been quite awhile since I posted on here. I've been keeping up-to-date on my other blog (Humble Beginnings) over at homesteadblogger.com. Sometimes I just have a hard time keeping both updated. I've considered closing this one but haven't done so yet.
Anyway, over the past week we've been down to the tank (pond) so the kids can catch minnows, tadpoles, etc. Their grandparents purchased butterfly nets for them and they've turned into great minnow nets. So the kids can better watch all the minnow activity (without going down to the tank every day), we found our old fish tank and set up a new home for the fish.
This has probably been one of the best little experiments we've done. They are watching the minnows, tadpoles and now a crawdad who now reside in the fish tank. One of the tadpoles had two hind legs when we caught it. Now, it has it's first front leg. They've been watching it for when the 4th leg emerges. Talk about a great science lesson! I'm going to see what kind of lesson plans I can find on-line that correspond with the lifecycle of a tadpole.
James and Hubby caught 2 crawdads last weekend. One of them was HUGE! Anyway, the larger one died but the younger one is about to start shedding its skin. It is a beautiful reddish/green (which I've never seen before). So, maybe I'll see what I can find out about crawdads as well for next week.
Anyway, I thought I would share ... they absolutely love this fish tank. Hubby and I never thought something so simple could be so entertaining for so long!!
Hope y'all have a blessed day! |
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My hubby just saw an article on CNN about how homeschooling in California could be illegal - criminalizing homeschoolers. It looks like the article was written by Time, but was posted on CNN. Anyway, basically, the article is saying that according to a law from the 1950s, children have to be enrolled in a public or private school or may be homeschooled IF the parents are certified as teachers. You'll need to read the article for the full details, but this could be devastating to those who homeschool in California. We'll need to lift them up in prayer until this situation is decided. California Homeschooling Article |
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We were at Target the other day and I came across a few computer programs that I think we're going to try in the fall. One of them is guitar lessons and the other is typing lessons. Both are aimed at teaching children. I'm always looking for ways for my munchkins to learn music. I had tons of music exposure growing up as I played handbells at church, or sang for the church youth choir, etc. Both children are in the youth choir at church this year but we'll see if we continue that next year. Hubby likes it when we're all together on the weekend since he works long hours during the week and doesn't get to see us much. James has been wanting to take guitar lessons but I just can't see spending $50+ a month. It seems like quite a bit of money, at least right now. But, this software program may be a way for him to still learn the guitar. Anyway, we shall see!
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I noticed that the Homeschool Minute has posted their "daily happenings" in their homeschool worlds, so I thought I would post a typical day for us as well.
I work between 30-35 hours a week from the house for an insurance company. I do marketing, programming, projects, power point presentations, etc. So, I get up at 6 a.m. or earlier (sometimes) and try to get in some time before the rest of the house gets up. I then get hubby up at 7:30 so he can get ready for work. And, when he gets up, so do the kids. I'll work for another hour or so while the kids finish waking up and enjoying some time with Dad before he leaves for work. I'll make breakfast and while the kids are eating, I'll do the breakfast dishes. After breakfast, we'll play for a little bit (like the tickle game or Balto - a game Lauren made up).
We'll start school around 10 a.m. and work through language arts, math, Greek, reading, copywork, for art they draw some pictures using Draw Write Now. Maybe we'll hit science sometime during the week (it's not my strongpoint and no, I'm not proud of it). I plan on doing more science activities but just don't seem to get to them (I know, shame on me). As for music, they are part of the choir at church, so I qualify that as music.
We'll usually quit schoolwork around lunchtime and after lunch the kids will watch a movie while I do a little more work (about an hour). If there's anything left to do after lunch (typically reading), they'll do that. Lauren and I work from the McGuffey Reader (first grade level) while James does his own quiet reading.
Then, we'll head outside and play army or swing on the rope swing or take a nature walk or just a plain ol' walk. After that, I start preparing dinner, we all clean up before Dad gets home and then I'll finish getting my time in once Dad gets home. Then, the kids are in bed by 9 p.m. and Dad and I spend some time together.
That's a typical day. However, when we run errands, it cuts into the schedule so I try to do those on Friday when we don't do school work at all. We only do school 4 days a week. It works so well for us!! |
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We have had a few days to think about, pray and pray some more of the situation with the little boy in James' choir. We've spoken with the Director, the boy's father and we've prayed even more. My husband poured through Scripture to find an answer that would please the Lord and this is what we've decided:
Johnny called the father yesterday and left him a message that we're going to handle this the way the Lord would want. We're going to pray for the little boy and hope that things will change for him. Johnny also told me that James can return but it's up to James and I how we handle it. James would like me to sit in the class with him and I told him I'd be glad to if that would make him feel better. I've communicated this to the Director and she's glad that James will be returning and I think that James is pretty happy with the outcome as well.
So, thank you for listening to my motherly concerns and we'll continue to pray that nothing else happens. |
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Please bear with me while I relieve some confusion and frustration from my heart this morning. I mentioned a few weeks ago that James and Lauren had joined the children's choir at our new church (which we joined two weeks ago). They are in different choir groups as Lauren is in the pre-school choir and James is in the older group. Both children have really enjoyed going and have a lot of fun when they go.
However, although James loves it, he's been picked on by the same little boy both choir practices. Last Sunday (a week ago), James was kicked (unprovoked) by this little boy because James was sitting in the spot where this little boy wanted to sit. He'd never met this kid before and did not even know who he was. When I went to check on James during practice, he told me what happened. I asked the teacher (who also happens to be a friend) to talk to the little boy to make sure it doesn't happen again. After choir, the teacher/friend explained she'd talked to the boy and his mother. Apparently this little boy has "problems". No one can tell me what the problems are, other than he has anger issues and typically does a lot of yelling or being mad, but really on at himself and has never hit someone else. When I told my husband, he called the father when we got home and explained that this should not be happening. The father pretty much told my husband that he teaches all week and is around other children all week and does not do much with the kids on the weekends (meaning his own kids). He also said that he thinks the teachers can handle it and had heard nothing about it until my husband called him. I guess his wife didn't explain anything to him. My husband is a very direct person and there's no mincing words with him and he also protects his family. If you think a mama bear is fierce, you haven't seen my husband when his children have been hurt. He was very nice to the other father, but also told him he didn't want it to happen again.
Well, we didn't think much of it, thinking that it would be handled and taken care of and not happen again. Well, last night I check on James again during practice and he comes out and tells me that this little boy did it again. About this time the teacher/friend I spoke with last week explained that she had kept the boys separated during the singing session and while they were working on a few other items later, she didn't have a chance to separate them before this little boy threw a pencil at James and then pulled his shirt so hard that James almost fell out of his seat. What provoked the incident? The little boy said something funny that made James and a little girl laugh. They thought he was joking and he flew off the handle. We pulled both boys out and sat down with the teacher, myself and the Director of the Music Department. The director told the other little boy that if he touches anyone again, then he'll be pulled from the class for the day. The little boy apologized to James and James told us all that he's afraid of this little boy.
The problem I'm having is this: It shouldn't have happened again. I've heard all kinds of excuses for this little boy: He's much better than he used to be. He's never hit anyone before. He's never acted out before. This is a first. He has something close to "autism" but he's never been diagnosed as autistic. However, he's acted out and kicked, pulled and thrown pencils at my son (and my son only) for the last two weeks.
Well, needless to say my hubby called this other father again. This other father is a public school teacher and said that his son does not have any problems at school, only at church. Okay, so if he's not having problems at school, then why at church? Can he get away with this behavior? This father also said that others have told him of this behavior but it's continued. He said that they are working "through a process". What does that mean? If he's having problems, then it seems to me that the problems would be consistent in all areas, not just in one area. The father also told Johnny that this boy sees something he wants and he'll go take it, even if it doesn't belong to him. My husband told the father that it sounds like he's a bully and needs a whipping. And, if he's such a disruption, then he needs to be pulled out of the choir completely so that others can enjoy their time in choir and actually be able to pay attention. The father's not going to do any of these things but he's said that it won't happen again. How can he promise that when he won't even go up to the choir room and make his son behave?
My husband has informed James that if this boy harms him again, then he has every right to defend himself. I'm beside myself. James really enjoys choir. He's meeting some really nice kids and having lots of fun. He wants to go back (which says a lot), but he's afraid of this boy. And, it's not like this boy is huge. He's a small little boy and James is huge compared to him. However, James is still afraid of him because of the way this kid treats him. My husband has decided that he's not going back unless I sit in the room the entire time and he doesn't really even want James to go back then. He thinks that James should be pulled out. He's concerned that if this continues then the boy may do something worse, like stab James with the pencil next time (and the father agreed that this could happen). Can you imagine?
My frustration is very high this morning. My son is being punished (i.e. not being able to do something he enjoys doing) because one little boy has ruined it for him and his parents don't seem to be doing anything at all to stop it. It just seems unfair to me. Church, choir and all that should be enjoyed and welcomed. The kids should have a great time and as parents we shouldn't have to worry that our children are being bullied when they're at church.
Thanks for listening... |
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I'm considering turning to unit studies next year instead of going the route of school books. Lauren and James are both doing really well, but I think it might be nice for a change. I see so many different unit studies out there that revolve around the holidays or special occasions, or even topics like the Civil War or animals, etc. I think that next year we may take a break from "regular" school work and turn to unit studies to see how that works for us. It would be nice for all of us to be on the same topic rather than from jumping from Lauren to James and then back again on different subjects. It might make a better flow for us for the day.
If anyone has any experience in unit studies, please let me know.
Also, I went to the website for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (our state) and found some WONDERFUL, FREE books about Texas Indians, Texas Birds, Texas Dinosaurs. They can be downloaded for free and they're each about 60 pages. They have different activities and lots of coloring, etc. I think I'm going to incorporate one of these into our lessons next year. They also have some other great activities for kids. I'm starting to gather material in preparation for next year. The next step is to find a better library than the one we have in our little town.
I'd also like to spend less money on school materials next year. With the downturn in the economy and money becoming tighter for us, this will be part of my "frugal" spending and saving.
I hope y'all are each doing well and any pointers on how to plan a year of unit studies would be great. |
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It's been a long time since I've blogged. That's pretty bad! We're doing well, just very busy (like all homeschooling families). School is going pretty good. A co-worker of mine forwarded me a link to an art project / competition hosted by Google. It's called Doodle 4 Google. All private (including homeschools) and public schools are allowed to enter. Basically, Google is asking that students come up with a "doodle" for the google website. It'll be seen by millions of people around the world. You can click on the link for more details and to register. It's all free and the winning "doodle" will be posted on the google website in May 2008. The deadline for entry if 3/28 and the materials are due in early April. If you're interested, check it out. We're going to enter a few entries and see what happens! Good luck! |
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We had a wonderful Sunday. We joined a new church today. Up until a few months ago, we had been attending another Baptist church in our area. However, many of the boys on James' baseball team this past spring went to another Baptist church. So, we decided we would try it. And, we just love it. The preaching is phenomenal. You can feel the Lord's presence in every service. We did not get that with the other church we had been attending. The pastor as this new church has a background in church / Bible history. At one time he had been a college professor. So, in addition to speaking to Scripture he gives the background and the historical context of the passage we're reading / studying. It's just wonderful. At any rate, we joined the church this morning and are transferring our membership from our previous church to this one. And, we tried something new. We attended Bible study this evening and the children joined children's choirs. James is in the older children's choir and they're preparing for a musical later this spring. He didn't want to go but eventually changed his mind. And guess what? He just loved it. They're not only singing but also doing dance routines with the songs. He really enjoyed it and wants to go back!!! He even taught me a few of their dance moves when we got home. How cool is that?!!! And Lauren really liked her class. I sat in on Lauren's class (as I don't know the women who are teaching the youngsters). They did a great job and Lauren had a wonderful time. I'm so glad that they did. This time will count towards their music lessons (that I have not been able to get to) for homeschooling purposes. I'm really excited about this. I hope that they continue to enjoy their choir time and that they develop friendships while in these programs. Anyway, I just wanted to share the good news. I hope y'all are each doing well! |
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Our family is always looking for ways to make a little extra money. We have often turned to ebay for supplementing our income by selling things we don't use anymore. For example, James sells his old games and then with his net profits, he puts some in savings and then saves money to buy a new game. Johnny and I will sell items we no longer use around the house or even some of the children's old clothes. Well, Lauren has been wanting to make her own money for sometime but her toys don't sell on ebay. Apparently, stuffed animals are a dime a dozen and they just don't sell. So, she decided that she would paint some pictures to put on ebay. And guess what?!! She has bids on two of her paintings. Can you believe it? Does that make her a professional artist? Now, the money isn't much but it's the point of the matter that someone actually placed a bid on them. One of them is a picture of a cat and the other is a picture of our home. She put her name on the back and even numbered them (isn't that funny)? I think that's just awesome and she's so proud! I just wanted to share about my little artist. God's blessings to each of you! |
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I came across this recipe for homemade deodorant on the website tipnut.com Mix equal parts baking soda, petroleum jelly and talcum powder. Melt over low heat until it's completely smooth and well mixed. Stir constantly while the ingredients are heating. Pour into a container and seal. Cool at room temperature then use as needed. Suggestions: Try 2 or 3 TBSP at first to see if you like it. I changed the recipe slightly by using my own "non-petrolem jelly". The recipe is below. I put mine in a small jelly jar and use a cotton ball to apply. However, if it works well and I like it, then I'll probably buy some deodorant containers on ebay so that it's easier to apply. We'll see...I just made it today so I'm going to try it for a few days to see if I like it or not. Non-Petrolem Jelly ¼ c. melted beeswax 1 c. light olive oil (although I used grapeseed oil) Melt beeswax at low temperature. Add 1 cup oil. Stir. Pour into a jar to cool. I use this "non petroleum jelly" for my hands at night. I have extremely dry hands and this really helps them. By morning, they feel much better and aren't quite as red. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy! Let me know how it turns out for you if you try it. |
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Well, now that the holidays have ended and the new year has begun, we're hittin' the books bright and early tomorrow morning! The kids are just thrilled (hee hee). I'm really looking forward to getting back to school. I look forward to the break, but I love the return. I guess I figure it's a new year and a new attitude and I just get the "gusto" to dive back into it. We have one Christmas activity left and that is lunch with my mom tomorrow. We always do something with her around Christmas but never on Christmas. Anyway, after lunch tomorrow the Christmas season will be behind us for another year (it's kinda sad). I still feel like I have so much to do. Aside from school, we try to homestead as much as possible, so between processing the deer that Johnny and James provide for us, I'm constantly looking for ways to feed my family without costing us much $$. It sounds weird. But, for example, this is pecan season around here. So, Sunday afternoon, my Dad spent about an hour and a half with us picking pecans. We now have a 5 gallon bucket of pecans that need to be cracked and shelled and packaged for the freezer. It's free and we all love pecans. Or, like this summer (for example), a family down the way from us has a pear tree. I asked if we could pick some pears from her tree in exchange for some pear jam. She gave us permission and didn't want any jam or money or anything else. So, it's things like this that I try to do so that we can reduce our food bill. This was my first year canning and I really enjoy it. So, I canned 7 quarts of shredded chicken today (with Johnny and Lauren's help). And Johnny got another deer tonight so I'll be making more venison stock and shredded rib meat for canning. Plus, we'll be processing it this week for breakfast sausage. I love providing for my family and helping to find ways to feed us that are both economical and healthy. Anyway, along with homeschooling, this is another thing we are working on and it takes a lot of time!!! Anyway, enough moaning...I've got work to do! |
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I can't believe I haven't blogged in so long. We have been very busy around here between the holidays, Christmas parties, wrapping presents, etc. We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Johnny's parent's home eating pizza, opening presents and watching the "kids" (Johnny, his older brother Danny and James and Lauren) playing tag with Nerf dart guns. They had a blast and really worked up a sweat (I'm not kidding). Then, Christmas Day we spent a carefree and relaxing day at my Daddy's house. I love my Daddy. My sister and her family were also there and we enjoyed catching up with each other. I haven't seen her in a few weeks since my uncle's funeral. Anyway, we had a great time. The munchkins also had fun (but of course!). The good news is that we have one payment left on the Tahoe which should happen in the next few weeks. Johnny has a closing and part of that closing should pay off the Tahoe. 2007 was a year of paying off debt. 2008 will be a year of saving as we hope to buy land and build our own home. We're considering a cordwood home. Actually, the kids would love to move to Alaska but I just don't want to be cold all the time...I love wearing shorts and having a hot sun beating on my back while I hang laundry or work in the garden. Anyway, we're still considering moving to Missouri (Johnny keeps coming back to this). It'll mean starting over with jobs, etc. but land is so much cheaper in Missouri than in Texas. We cannot afford anything around us. An acre in our area is about $40K (that's not including a well, septic, etc.). So, we're really considering moving out of the state so that we can afford actual acreage. If anyone lives in Missouri, what are good areas? We don't really know, although we've visited St. Jo, Kearney and a few other little communities in that area. Anyway, I hope that y'all had a blessed Christmas and have a very blessed 2008! |