Daily Thoughts

Jun. 26, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - Rodeo

For more show and tell - go here.

The day after the Circus we headed out of town for a rodeo. My brother was riding a saddle Bronc in Enterprise, Oregon so we went to see him ride.

He didn't disappoint us.

He won Second place!! Woo-hoo!!

There was also a field of buffalo. We tried taking a picture of the big bull but...my stupid camera is not working properly.

I am thinking I should also update my Aviator picture, which one do you think?
First

Second

Third

I am thinking the last one.

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Jun. 25, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Circus

Posted in Day to Day Adventures

It is that time again - go hereto see more.

This past Thursday we went to the circus. The kids got to see real bears.

sorry the pictures are blurry

And the kids got to ride on an Elephant.

the 7yo getting on

the 4yo wasn't so sure

They were very excited about getting to ride a real elephant!! There is nothing better than hands-on-learning!!

Of course, the downside is that our kids now think that they are tight rope walkers.

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Jun. 21, 2008

Monday Meanderings - Gardening Part 2

Posted in Day to Day Adventures

Gardening is still the theme around here. We have gotten many more things planted. Tomatillo's, cherry tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, nasturiums, rainbow carrots, watermelon radishes. We planted the sunflower house from Sharon Lovejoys book: Roots, Shoots, Buckets, & Boots. I planted normal cucumbers and a few pumpkins today.

Things are starting to come up.

pole beans

Our field of corn

Moon flower

Cypress Vine - planted along my "Living Fence".

Now we just wait till things start vining up the tepees and fence. Can't wait to see what it is going to look like and see how it all turns out.

Homekeeping - We did get the house cleaned as well. The floors are all moped, the kidz rooms are all organized and put back together once again. The mud room is cleaned up. The only thing left to get done this week is get the bathrooms cleaned. Yeah! Than I am going to start on some scrape booking. It will be most fun with my extra set of helping hands.

Must do list - Get ready to go.

Bible Study/Devotions -

Menu Planning - Monday - hamburgers
                           Tuesday - potato soup/sausages
                            Wednesday - ??
                           Thursday- ??
                             Friday - On the rode

For more Monday Meanderings - go here.

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Jun. 20, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - ARRX Block House

Posted in Day to Day Adventures

It is time for more Show and Tell Friday!!

This is the latest home my husband is building. I thought I would share it because it is built out of Arrx block. Arrx block, to put simply is foam blocks that are stacked on one another, like legos, and than they pour concrete in the middle of them. They are suppose to be more energy efficient.

The Arrx Block

The middle of the block

This is the back wall.

Rolling Trusses

This house is well over 3000 sq. feet. - It's a big house.

For more show and tell friday - go here..

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Jun. 19, 2008

Thankful Thursday - Friends

Posted in Day to Day Adventures

For more Thankful Thursday!!

We are Thankful for friends!!

Who owns power washers which we used to clean our house off before it was painted.

Who helped get our pasture leveled, seeded, sprinkler system in, and get it fenced.

And friends who have 4 wheelers as well.

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Jun. 18, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Helping Hands

Posted in Kids Antics

To see more Wordless Wednesday posts visit Tiany

Getting some helping hands!!

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Jun. 17, 2008

Tightwad Tuesday - Fence for less than 10 dollars

Posted in MoneyMatters

Time again for Tightwad Tuesday with Canadagirl

Again, being inspired by Sharon Lovejoy, I got the crazy idea to take this pile of sticks and turn it into A Living Fence.

Where as most people would just see a pile of garbage needed to be hauled to the dump.

We made posts out of them.

Plotted out an area.

Built a fence

And then I planted it with morning glory's and Hollyhock's. This is what is called A Living Fence. Stay tuned for more pictures later this summer when it has all grown up. It should make a nice hedge as well.

The best part is, is that it cost less than 10 dollars!!

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Jun. 13, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - Look who is riding without training wheels!!

Posted in Kids Antics

And he did it all by himself in one day!! No help from the parents!!
Well, very little help!!

For more Show and Tell Fridays, visit Mary at Canadagirl

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Jun. 11, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Grilled CHEESE anyone?

Posted in Kids Antics

For more Wordless Wednesday Pic's Check out Tiany's blog.

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Jun. 9, 2008

Monday Meanderings - Gardening

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

Over a year ago I came across a book called Sunflower houses by Sharon Lovejoy. I was able to check it out at the Library and found that she had some other books that I liked better:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots - Activities to do in the Garden
This book has many fun garden projects in it to do with children - from constructing tepees, growing giant pumpkins, moon flowers that open up in the light of the moon. Lots of craft projects and many, many other ideas.

Trowel and Error Over 700 tips, remedies and shortcuts for the garden
This book is basically a tightwads guide to gardening. I have found the book to be very useful and full of lots of creative ideas to make gardening cheaper. Like using an old car for a green house, not that people usally have one laying around but if you do - there's an idea!

The first thing that I have done in getting ready for our gardening adventure this year has been ordering many, many, many seed catalogs. There is a wealth of knowledge you can learn just from reading a seed catalog. I am not talking Gruney's or Stark Brothers - One's like Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Co., and there is even one that is run by a Christian family (not sure if they homeschool or not), Heirloom Seeds. I have learned that there are organic seeds, heirloom seeds, and than just seeds. There are Chocolate Tomatoes, Tomatillo's, Pineapple Tomatoes, Lemon Cucumbers, even a Kiwi that can survive done to -30 below - hence the name Hardy Kiwi.

I checked out a LOT of books on gardening from our local Library - preferably with pictures. We also visited several of our local nurseries so the kids could get a visual idea of this plant thing.

We are getting a late start. I have found that a lot of plants I should have started indoors back in February so I will be buying these rather than trying to grow things from seeds. I have also found that some of the plants talked about in Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots are not very popular, like the walking stick Cabbage. It would have to be ordered. Along with trying to get the pasture area leveled, seeded, sprinkler system put in and fenced (pictures later this week) there hasn't been any time to work on the yard. I did finally tackle it though with the help of some church friends, they live within walking distance and looking for something to do, their Mother was wondering if I could put them to work - boy, could I!! So with their help, we started planting this past week.

The first thing we planted was corn.

4 bags full that is!! This was the 4yo idea. His 2 favorite foods right now are corn and watermelon.
We planted them in one big plot. I am thinking I am going to have to transplant some of them, to make the area a little bigger. If you have seen the movie Second Hand Lions you will have an idea of what this is going to look like.

Next we created our tepees. I had saved sticks from last year when we limbed the trees.

This tepee is for the Bird house gourds and there is a wire thing in front (you can't really see it) for the Pole Beans. There will be giant pumpkins planted around it as well.

This tepee is for the Moon flowers. Moon flowers open up at night and they are part of the morning glory family.

"Must Do" list -   Plant, Plant, Plant
                            If I am going to place an azure order, today is the day to do it.

Homekeeping - What's that?

Menu Planning -     Anything that is simple!
                                Monday - Spaghetti
                                Tuesday - Hamburgers
                                Wednesday - Enchilada Casserole
                               Thursday - Something with chicken
                                  Friday - Quesidilla
                                 Saturday - ??
                                  Sunday -

Bible Study/Devotions - We are reading The Building on the Rock series.

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Jun. 6, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - House painted

Posted in Day to Day Adventures

Wow! I haven't been here for a while. We have been extremely busy around here. We had company for 5 weeks, got many projects started and finished around the property, and the 7yo finished his math book - YEAH!!

One of the major projects that got done was getting our house painted!!

The cool thing is, is that he is he is a homeschool Father as well!!

Here is the house somewhat done, still needed a second coat on the trim.

The back of the house before the doors where painted.

After the doors where painted.

Door inside the house.

All done!!

We got the garage lights up as well!!

Boy, I am sure glad that we didn't paint it our selves!!
For more show and tell Friday visit mary at Canadagirl.
(But I think she may be gone for the next couple weeks.)

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Apr. 21, 2008

From the mouth of Babes

Posted in whimsical quips

The other we were looking at Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites - The Foot Book.
The 7yo asked how you can have "sick feet"?
I had to think a minute than reminded him of when he stepped on a nail a little over a month ago. He had a sick foot than.
"But that was just one sick foot. It says feet so it means both. How do you get two sick feet?"

The 4yo piped up, "Step on two nails."

Sounds like the solution to me!!

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Apr. 18, 2008

The Heart of the Matter - The things my child taught me during home school lessons?

Posted in Deep Thoughts

To read other peoples articles who participated in this meme
go here.

I have said it and I have heard it said by other home school Mothers – “I don’t know if my child is learning anything but I sure am!!”

Home schooling, has nothing to do with text books – math, reading, handwriting, science and other forms of so called “formal” learning but it has everything to do with sharpening dull rocks into finely sharpened arrows. The end product is strictly up to us as the parent. This is both scary and challenging as you are working with several different personality types and living in a society that no longer values righteousness.

I can truly say I feel sorry for, and yet at the same time envy, Mother’s who can pat their kids on the head, kiss their sweet cheeks and send them off to some institution for 8 hours or more a day to be trained by other people.

I envy them because their lives will never be “mussed” up. No mustard stains on brand new Moby wraps. No sub-floor adhesive can’s blown open on brand new tile floors that the grout is not sealed yet (someone is going to have fun fixing that one). No finger prints at a constant 3 foot level on all the walls and door jams. Cell phones locked with no idea what code was typed in so you can’t unlock it. No computer screens blurred by little finger always touching it. No extra stress of constantly having children under foot and dealing with the many different personality types – Iron is constantly sharpening iron. Godly Love is constantly being learned and perfected.

I feel sorry for them because what character training is being done in the Mother’s life. They can simple stay in their selfish stupor. There is no “fire” to go through. They will miss a Godly maturity that will never come by allowing someone else to train their children. They will never learn what true Godly Love is. The latest saying of our society is “I saw it, I wanted it, I through a fit, I got it.” We are creating a society that has no responsibilities.

Would God have us trade the souls of our children for the “worlds” perfection or make sure our children are properly “socialized” so that they will be able to meet the world’s standard – I THINK NOT!!

Perfectionism is a very bad thing and it rules our society today. We want perfection – NOW!! The clothes, the car, the house, the money to buy it all – Oh, the debt!! And we don’t want our children embarrassing us or A child for that matter. Americans have sacrificed souls for material possessions.

I found this quote on MamaArcher’s blog “The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we settle for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture.” Doug Phillips founder of Vision Forum.

Children are no longer thought of as valuable but disposable!

A Lady recently told me that she was a “loving” person because she lived during the 60’s “love fest”. Huh? This love bore many illegitimate children, created many incurable diseases (AIDS, STDS), led to the legalization of murdering unborn babies – or we tactfully call it abortion -, and turned children into a burden and money into a god. We now honor and glorify people who have “it all”.

I am learning that God’s love is much different – The Old King James translates it as Charity. Charity is a complete giving up of one’s selfish desires, a laying down of ones own interest to help someone else.

John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Who are our friends, who should our friends be? Our society today treats aquitances as friends and our own children as acquaintances.

True Godly Love is no longer practiced in our society anymore.

Godly Love has been diluted to a happy, happy, huggy, wuggy, think of a purple dinosaur (Barney), humanism kind of love. Home schooling parents, parents with children with learning disabilities or who are struggling financially understand that “love” isn’t always grand. Sometimes Love is tough.

Home schooling comes with no rewards; no recognition, no honor or glory; there is not even a guarantee of a job well done at the end, you won’t win a popularity reward, but instead be branded as socially inept. Our houses will never be featured in Better Homes and Gardens. The sacrifice is great, the enduring hard at times, We can only believe that God’s grace will over shadow our short comings and hope that all of our hard work will someday produce a Godly heritage. As home school parents we have made it our job to not allow our children to be taught the heresies and the evil of our culture but learn and rejoice in truth. Patients is worked out everyday. Kindness is knowing when to push the child the extra mile. Gentleness is making your yes, yes and your no, no.

Our children are our crowns – someday we will lay them at the feet of Jesus - who we allow to write on the pages of our children’s lives will mold that child into who he will be in the future.

Our reward is babies chewing on our hair, sticky kisses on the cheeks, a constant messy “school” house, a constant over flowing of dirty laundry that when cleaned always seems to end up on the floor, never getting enough sleep, no time to ourselves, and constant finger prints on our clothes. “Life” is constantly happening all the time.

No, I don’t think I will be trading my children for all the perfectionism in the world; after all,
Titus 2 makes it clear that if we are not “loving our children, than we are in danger of blaspheming the Word of God” !!

To loose our children to the lusts of this world (money, popularity, fame, drugs, alcohol, premarital sex), the humanistic philosophies taught today and lies, well, would be to loose. I am more than willing to fight the fight for my children’s souls.

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Apr. 18, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - Games

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

For more show and tell Friday visit mary aka canadagirl

Throw out those Text books and pull out the games!! Games can be a great way to learn (maybe even better) and you can have a lot of fun in the process!!

The first game of choice has been Tally HO! We have actually worn this game out and we have only had it for three months. It is a spin off of checkers, created in Germany, it helps work on those critical thinking skills. It is actually for 8 years and up but our 7 yo has gotten the hang of it. He just didn't win very many games but this really wasn't a problem. The tables have turned though. Some of the important pieces of the game are now "marked" which only 7yo's seem to be able to figure out so now the 7yo is whooping the adults.
It has complimented our math program (math-U-See) quit well since it includes skip counting by 2, 3, and 5 and "re grouping" (or carrying).

Tally HO has revived an interest in learning to play checkers and learning to play chess.

Sorry - even the 4yo can play this. It is helping him learn to count and building his attention span.

They greatly enjoy getting the "sorry" cards and sending someone back to start.

No proper horse people can be without the game Pony - oply.
This game requires counting, adding, and subtracting. Along with a little horsing around. The kids love it but, yes, it is a very long, long, long, long, long game. Do start in the middle of the afternoon.

Scrable Junior is the latest game we have been playing. The 7yo has been catching on to this.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - will be coming to another Show and Tell Friday some time in the distant future.

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Apr. 17, 2008

Thankful Thursday - New Shoes

Posted in Kids Antics

For more Thankful Thursday!!

We are Thankful for new shoes!!

Our little pony is Thankful for the box!!

Light up shoes at that!!

Woo - hoo!!

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Apr. 16, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Tirck Rider?

Posted in Kids Antics

More wordless wednesday with tiany

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Apr. 11, 2008

Show and Tell Friday - House Building

Posted in Husband Antics

For more show and tell Friday visit Mary aka canadagirl

This is the latest house that my husband built. The house is 3200 square feet, it has a full basement - the basement is made out of arrax block. More on that later.