F.O.G. Files

Monday, Monday

2011-08-29T13:46:00.005-05:00

Monday, Monday
So good to me.
Monday, Monday
It was all I hoped it would be. ~ Mama's & Papa's

Making Volcano's

Micah helping Isaac with science experiments

Xavier showing Isaac static electricity

Painting w/water

Building Puzzles

Making Bouncy Balls & Flubber

Sabrina Performing Magic Tricks

Analyzing water collected from a local stream.

Not to mention watching TV, playing with Phillipe & Buddy, cooking, cleaning, drawing, singing, surfing the web, video games all before 3:00. Now what are we gonna do the rest of the day?

Holy Rattlesnake!

2011-08-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

Holy Rattlesnake! I didn't appreciate Joel finding this in our yard as he mowed Saturday morning.

I tried to convince him to kill the thing, as I DO NOT like snakes. However, he said we cannot hurt nature and took it over to the woods so he could be free. Joel tried to convince me that they are a vital part of the ecosystem - they eat rodents & since I hate rodents... I tried to convince him that I hate snakes more than mice. It didn't work. Lucky snake...

Windbags, Tadpoles, Cookies & More

2011-08-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

Today started out rough. Kids fighting, yelling, throwing tantrums, and me loosing my cool and yelling at kids. Ugh - I hate it when days go like this. The only conciliation I have is that after we all talked out a few problems we were able to get along the rest of the day and start having some fun.

First up windbags. No matter how often I pull these out, the kids never get tired of seeing how many breaths it takes to blow one up completely. So we blew up the entire stash and decided to make shapes and things out of them.

Dragonfly

Hat

Pyramid

Sammy the Elephant

After an hour or so we decided to go for a walk. Isaac and I have been reading about tadpoles and Micah knows a place near the house. We headed to the secret place that Micah was taking us to, although only Micah saw the tadpoles we did find a frog in hiding and see some water striders. On the way Isaac had to impress me with adding 2+2, 2+3, and asking his brothers how much 5x5 is. Then we had to count mailboxes along the way

On the way back we stopped by the playground.

After lunch...
Isaac played with the windbags some more, watched more Thomas on YouTube -can you tell this is a daily occurrence and played with his trains.
Sabrina was suppose to go down for a nap, but decided it was more fun to stay away and climb in and out of her crib. Then she decided it was naked time.
Xavier watched another episode of Pysch (his fave show) and ditched us to go to the pool with friends.
Micah made Peanut Butter Cookies, practicde using the wood burning kit, and ditched us for the movies.

In the end it turned out to be a pretty good day. Think I will curl up with a book and eat cookies after we tuck the little ones into bed.

Sewing Day

2011-08-25T12:53:00.008-05:00

Micah has been asking me to teach him to sew for a few years. I figured today would be a great day to pull out the machines. I have a pile of "mom/honi can you fix this growing" and Micah is itching to make a cover for Buddy's cage.

After rummaging through the craft box Micah settled on some leftover denim material. After he cut and pinned the fabric I showed him how to thread the machine. Then I was quickly dismissed. Seems he has this - don't need momma at all. Wow! Considering how easy this was I should have "taught" him to sew years ago when he first asked.

Here is the completed project. Not to shabby for a first timer.

Atoms & Turkeys

2011-08-25T08:58:00.001-05:00

Tuesday morning atoms were the rage at our house. Joel gave each of the boys a question concerning atoms. Micah spent the morning researching, building both out of Magnetix and having a huge discussion with Joel. I paid attention for the most part. I was right there with them as the talked about atoms and water molecules, but they lost me when they started discussing DNA, RNA, and genetic coding.

Xavier did some research on his IPod. Then decided he was going to write a song about atoms. He is almost done with it (so he says). He gave me a small taste of it, but I am still waiting to hear the final result.

While Sabrina napped Micah, Isaac and I headed back up to the library. Micah wanted to get some books on drawing. Isaac wanted to get whatever he could grab and I already had a handful to turn in and a list to pick up. I have been reading a lot of nutrition/GMO Foods/back to the land type books lately. So I picked up a few more of those along with a handful of Chemistry books for myself. Currently I am working on the "if I read it & talk about it - they may get interested and read it too" idea. It's not working out that great, but then the main topic of discussion over the last week has been about turkey sex or lack of it and having the job of being the "turkey sperm wrangler" (you need to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to get it). The boys are not to thrilled with the idea of reading about sex as it is, much less turkey sex. Oh well, maybe Chemistry will be different. Besides I never took it in High School so I might as well learn about it now. Maybe then when Micah decides to have these "chemistry" discussions with his dad I won't be out in left field.

The rest of our Tuesday consisted of video games, swimming at the pool, more talk about turkeys (specifically how we won't be eating one for Thanksgiving if I cannot find one which does NOT have the name Butterball on it, as I won't be eating a Broad White Breasted Turkey) and having a jail in our living room. Only the warden responsible for shutting off the living room decided to hide under the table.

Wednesday was not nearly as exciting and plain out sucked for me. I was not in a good mood. I woke up late & missed a meeting I was suppose to be at :-( Maintenance didn't show up to paint - must of mixed up the date on my calendar. Signed the older 2 up for Edge classes. Guess who agreed to be a taxicab every day for a month :-o Not sure what I was thinking there, but they both wanted drawing, skateboard design, and theater arts. Isaac went to gymnastics & I was suppose to meet someone afterwards only for them to not be there. Okay so I was 4 minutes late.... but seriously??

The boys spent the day reading, playing video games, talking about technology, and the Amish (thanks to another book I just finished reading). We also learned how Xavier will live in Maine on a farm and make his children wax the toilet for punishment if he doesn't make it into the Air Force and how women everywhere should be safe if he is around because he now knows how to deliver a baby in a cab (and pick a lock and kick down a door - thanks to a book he is reading).

For dinner we ditched all forms of good nutrition and had breakfast burritos, talked about Thanksgiving some more (yep we talked more turkey) then ended the day watching a show and goofing off. What turned out to be a crappy day had a wonderful ending. Well, except for the evil face we kept being given - don't be fooled, no matter how cute she looks right now - that is NOT the cute face...

"Not School" Learning

2011-08-25T08:56:00.000-05:00

As all the kids in our neighborhood walked to school or hitched a ride on the big yellow bus today I sat on the porch thinking about how thankful I am to be at home with my children. I am thankful that I do not have to wake them up early during the dog days of summer to rush them out the door so they can sit in a classroom with 20-30 other kids learning from a prescribed curriculum. I am thankful I do not have to worry about whether they are bored to death, being challenged enough, or being held back because their interest is not something which does not correspond to their age. I am thankful we can go as fast or as slow as we want when it comes to different subjects. Most of all I am thankful that I/we do not have to look at the middle of August as the end of summer and the beginning of fall (which officially starts September 23rd).

So while hundreds of thousands of children across America watch their summer come to an end today. We enjoyed every moment of of our summer day and even did some "NOT SCHOOL" learning along the way. To many it may look like we spent the day playing (we did), but learning happens all the time.

So here's a look at our "Not School" Learning day...

Our morning consisted of watching "Secrets of the Dead: China's Terracotta Warriors". A trip to the library where a miracle happened and we only came home with 1 bag full of books & played puppets:

Our afternoon/evening was spent reading, drawing, napping (Sabrina & I), playing video games, watching Thomas videos, building tracks, swimming at the pool, and more reading. While it was a fun-filled day for us, plenty of learning was taking place. Objectives covered today: social skills, research techniques, history, the judicial system, science, religious beliefs, creativity/art, physical education, money skills, strategy, nutrition, our body/GMO foods, air streams, and more. It was a pretty awesome "No School" Learning day :-)

2011-07-19T14:46:00.001-05:00

Nature Study

2010-10-19T14:00:00.005-05:00

So we are finally taking the Outdoor Hour Challenge. I have been planning on doing it for some time, but never get around to it.

We took a short walk down to the stream by our house. It was nice to get outside and go for a walk and Isaac really enjoyed looking at everything and listening to the sounds. Micah & Xavier saw a rabbit we couldn't get a picture of it but Isaac found piles of rabbit scat.

A flower Micah brought home to look up.

Xavier finding a flower to bring home.

"Princess"

A not so friendly grasshopper (I think he was challenging us, lol).

Cacti

Then Reality Sets In

2010-10-15T11:32:00.002-05:00

Continuing on from my last post... That was short lived. My dear children informed me that they need to graduate from high school by the time they are 16/17 years old. They have both come up with a plan to finish high school and start college (and one wants to graduate college and go in the military). So my fun, creative learning has been tossed aside by them for an action packed plan to graduate. Oh Lord, help me now.

fresh start

2010-10-09T07:49:00.003-05:00

"I hate school" - is the motto at our house and to be honest I am singing it with the boys. When we started homeschooling I saw visions of grandeur. School would consist of projects, outings, learning on the go, yes we would do the 3 R's but creativity was going to be key. Somewhere we got lost along the way and school has become about textbooks, completing curriculum and pure drudgery. The result: my children and myself are suffering.

In my heart I am an unschooler. In reality I am stuck on a curriculum, keeping up with the Jones', and preparation for life nightmare. I have been reflecting a lot on what I remember from my days in school and realized a lot of stuff that I was suppose "to learn" is nowhere in my recollection. Instead I remember the research I did on numerous things when my mom decided that if I was going to be "a truant" I might as well be truant at home. So the rest of that school year I walked all over town, researched vampires, witches, global warming, PETA, and a million other things. It was a great few months and summer! The only thing Mom asked is that I do a little math and write a paper for her once in awhile.

So here I am years later wishing my kids could have a school life like the one I had those months. Why can't they? Because their mom started "doing school". They don't understand that you can learn without the textbooks, curriculum, and that learning can be fun (and considered "school" for record keeping purposes). Hmmm, how do you help your children love to learn when you killed that love to begin with?

Unfortunately, my kids need & want a To-Do List each day. So maybe I will give them a new one. One filled with creative, fun, "learning" activities and eventually their love of learning will re-emerge. So this week is a fresh start and hopefully it is not to late...

Waterway Cleanup

2010-06-26T13:02:00.003-05:00

I took a group of 6 kids to participate in a community service project this morning. The kids (including 2 of my own) are members of a service club that myself and a friend are heading up for our homeschool group.

Today's project - join Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful in a waterway cleanup at a local city park. We logged in 2 service hours each and had a lot of fun (to the surprise of a couple of the kids).

Along with trash, Micah found a tiny frog and a couple of the kids found crawdads. I am looking forward to next months service project already.

For Mel :)

2010-04-15T17:47:00.003-05:00

Epiphany - Jan. 6th

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

Luke 2:21-38
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,[e] His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”),[f] 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[g]

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And Joseph and His mother[h] marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,[i] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,[j] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Matthew 2: 1-11
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Today is the Epiphany, which means appearance, manifestation or revelation. It is a Christian feast day that celebrates Christ being revealed as King through the Magi (3 wise men). It is also known as Three Kings Day. Some churches recognize this time also as the day of Jesus’ baptism and the marriage supper in Canaan. Epiphany is a Season of the Church Year and lasts from the end of the Christmas season (Epiphany) until Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins.

Although Jesus came first to Israel, from the beginning the plan of salvation was for all mankind: the Jew and the Gentile. We see this through the truth spoken by Simeon in Jerusalem and also the prophetess. The Magi who came in search of Jesus, the king also are a testament of his salvation for the gentiles. The Magi were not of Jewish descent. Yet, they brought gifts and bore witness of his kingdom to all.
Today we celebrate Epiphany; the day that was made known to us that Jesus came to save all people. We praise him and thank Him, for it is His blood that will be shed so that we may have salvation.

**Our Celebration
1. A nice dinner (oriental flair), followed by dessert of “3 King’s Cake”.
2. Blessing the house as a family, that the Holy Spirit may guide us, just as the star guided the Magi.
3. Mark our front door with chalk 20 C M B 10 (C M B, are the initials of the Magi, but also refers to "Christus Mansionem Benedicat," meaning "May Christ bless this dwelling.")

12th Day of Christmas - Jan. 5th

2010-01-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

“On the 12th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 12 Drummers Drumming”

The Apostle’s Creed (Do not read the numbers)
1.I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell.
5. The third day he rose again from the dead;
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
7. From there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
10. The forgiveness of sins,
11. The resurrection of the body,
12. And the life everlasting. Amen

The Apostle’s Creed has 12 points that all Christians must believe.

The first thing we must believe is God and that he created everything. Regardless of our belief in how long a day was, he made heaven and earth in 6 days. He created everything in the world. Therefore, we must remember that everything belongs to Him.

The second and third thing we must believe is that Jesus is God’s son and that he was born from Mary and that she was a virgin. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.
Fourth, he was crucified, meaning hung on a cross where he died. They took his body to a tomb and buried him. When Jesus died he went to Hell where he broke the chains of death.

Fifth he rose again, he came back to earth, he was not dead.
Sixth and seventh belief we must have is that he ascended into heaven and will judge everyone. Jesus, body and all went up to heaven. There he sits beside God and will judge all of mankind.

Eighth belief is to believe in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to live according to God’s word and guides us through everyday life. We must learn to hear the Holy Spirit when it speaks to us.

Ninth we believe in the holy catholic church, which means in the body of Christian believers, and the saints.

Tenth we believe that because of Jesus, our sins can be forgiven.
Eleventh and twelfth belief is that we to will be resurrected and will live forever with God.

11th Day of Christmas - Jan. 4th

2010-01-04T08:15:00.000-06:00

“On the 11th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 11 Pipers Piping”

Luke 6:12-16
12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

Although there are 12 disciples mentioned in the verses we only count 11 of them because Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. What is a disciple? These men who Jesus called had to learn not only about Jesus and God but also about themselves. They were going to have obstacles in their way and they needed to believe in Jesus and everything he taught. Jesus taught them and instructed them to demonstrate and proclaim God’s kingdom in all that they did. They put Jesus, his teachings, and God’s kingdom in front of everything in their lives. They were willing to leave their family and friends to follow him and some would even die for their belief in Jesus. The 11 disciples Jesus called are an example of what our lives should look like as a follower of Christ. Are we willing to give everything away to follow Jesus, even if it includes our life?

10th Day of Christmas - Jan. 3rd

2010-01-03T08:15:00.002-06:00

“On the 10th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 10 Lords-A-Leaping”

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The 10 Lords-A-Leaping refer to the 10 Commandments. Our goal is to obey the commandments, but first we must know what each one means. For the most part the 10 commandments are pretty self explanatory so we will be focusing on the first and second commandment. We read earlier which 2 commandments Jesus said were the greatest. Do you remember them?
The first commandment is probably one of the hardest ones to keep. Granted back when Moses was given the commandments it was common for people to worship other gods. Although we still have people worshipping other gods today it is not exactly the same. My opinion is that while it referred to Baal and other gods in earlier times. The gods we tend to worship today are TV, money and anything we put before God, which ties into the second commandment. It is so easy to put other things before God, we call them idols. For example we know we should read our Bible, but instead we spend hours watching TV and putting off God’s word until we forget about it. Think of the things you put before God. Make a commitment that you will begin to put Him first. Decide that you won’t do one of those things unless you read your Bible, pray, or do something putting Him first. Slowly you will begin keeping your eyes more on Him than on other things.

9th Day of Christmas - Jan. 2nd

2010-01-02T08:15:00.000-06:00

“On the 9th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 9 Ladies Dancing”

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

A fruit seed needs 3 things to grow: water, light, and warmth. If it receives these three things it will begin to grow a root, which turns into a plant and then it will bear fruit.

When we become Christians we are like the fruit seed. The Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us as we hear God’s word, seek His will and begin applying it to our lives. As time goes by the fruits of our labor will be seen; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

8th Day of Christmas - Jan. 1st

2010-01-01T08:15:00.000-06:00

“On the 8th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 8 Maids-A-Milking”

Matthew 5:3-10
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The 8 Beatitudes are virtues that we should have. Virtue is the practice of moral goodness, abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law (1828 Dictionary, Webster).

The first virtue is to be poor in spirit. Poor in spirit is to be humble. We humble ourselves when we put others first and ourselves last. We also humble ourselves by putting God first, knowing that we have sinned and fall short of His glory. We are not worthy of anything.

The second virtue is to mourn. Once we have humbled ourselves in front of God, we mourn over our actions which have caused us to sin. This leads us to repent and ask forgiveness.

The third virtue is to be meek. Meek also means humble. We know that whatever we have is from God, whatever we accomplish is because of God. We are gentle, mild mannered and praise God for all He has given (or taken away) from us.

The fourth virtue is to hunger and thirst for righteousness. We must long for His word. We are nothing but an empty vessel and only He can fill it.

The fifth virtue is to be merciful. Just as God shows us compassion and forgives us, we to must show compassion and forgive others.

The sixth virtue is to be pure in heart. The Bible instructs us to think on the things that are good and true. By focusing on these things are heart becomes pure because we are no longer thinking or dwelling on things which do not uplift God.

The seventh virtue is to be a peacemaker. By putting others first and not trying to get our way we can stop an argument from occurring. Look for a peaceful solution in all things.

The eighth virtue is to be persecuted for righteousness sake. No one wants to be persecuted but as a follower of Christ you will be hated. You will be looked down upon, but you must keep walking with God. Do not let it get you down; remember we owe Him everything because of what he has done for us.

It is a new year, memorize the Beatitudes and remember what each one means. Try to live up to each virtue and be blessed.

7th Day of Christmas - Dec. 31st

2009-12-31T08:15:00.001-06:00

“On the 7th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 7 Swans-A-Swimming”

Romans 12:6-8
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

How many times have you said “I don’t know what my gift is?” or “I don’t have any gifts”? Seven gifts are listed in Romans; they are Prophecy, Ministry, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, and Mercy. When we look at these 7 gifts we may not know exactly which one we have been given, but through prayer and action we can find the answer. How will you know that teaching is not your gift, if you never try to teach? Maybe mercy is your calling, but you need to show mercy to others to find out? Can you minister to others? Do you have time to give? Are you a leader? Prophesize? Exhort?

We must look for ways to serve others on a daily basis and pray for God to reveal our gifts to us. The 7th Day of Christmas falls on New Year’s Eve. This year make a New Year’s Resolution to diligently seek out your gifts. Set a goal to spend each day in prayer about your gift and act on the opportunities God places in front of you. Begin exploring and using the 7 gifts listed in Romans. Give it your all, you may find that it is the very thing God has called you to do.

6th Day of Christmas - Dec. 30th

2009-12-30T08:15:00.000-06:00

“On the 6th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 6 Geese-A-Laying”

Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Six Geese-A-Laying represents the Six days of Creation. Look around you and marvel at His creation. As we go through life we must change our mindset from “me” to “His”. Everything is His, we own nothing: money, power, material things, our accomplishments and even our thoughts belong to God. Yet, we go through life forgetting who has given us what we have. We must always put Him first and acknowledge His ownership of all things, even ourselves for we were bought for a price. I owe Him everything, do you?

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Psalm 24:1-2

5th Day of Christmas - Dec. 29th

2009-12-29T08:15:00.001-06:00

“On the 5th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 5 Golden Rings”

Galatians 3: 19-25
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Moses recorded God’s instructions for the Hebrew/Jewish people in the first 5 books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
These 5 books are known as the Torah or Law. They explained how to live on a daily basis, religious instructions, and the laws they should live under. Jesus came to earth so that we all may be forgiven and no longer be condemned by the law. However, Jesus did not come to destroy the law. Jesus says:
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17 – 20

Jesus instructs us to obey the commandments and teach them to others. This can be difficult at times. Especially when you consider the fact that if you break just 1 commandment, you have broken them all. So, how do we obey the commandments and teach others? We can share the commandments with others, but if we do not obey them ourselves then we are no better than those who try to live according to the law without Jesus. We must make a conscious effort every minute of every day to live according to God’s Word and His commandments. Jesus does make it a little easier though, in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells us what the two most important commandments are. If we strive to obey these two at all times we will keep the commandments and be living according to God’s word.

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37 – 40

4th Day of Christmas - Dec. 28th

2009-12-28T08:15:00.001-06:00

"On the 4th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me 4 Calling Birds"

Galatians 1: 6 – 11
Only One Gospel
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Call to Apostleship
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

4 books, but only 1 gospel. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all reveal who Jesus is. They are a testimony of his life, works, death, and resurrection. Saul was not able to read the “gospel” as we know it; the gospel was revealed to him by Jesus while on the road to Damascus. That meeting changed Saul’s life forever. Soon he would be preaching to the gentiles and would be known as Paul, an apostle of Jesus. Paul was called by God for a specific reason, to further the gospel.

Like Paul we have been called by God. Our lives changed once we heard the gospel and became a follower of Christ. No longer should we listen to “other gospels” or look at the world and listen to what it has to say. We should look to the Bible; by reading God’s word we can hear Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and learn what He has called us to do.

3rd Day of Christmas - December 27th

2009-12-27T08:15:00.001-06:00

“On the 3rd Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to me 3 French Hens”

1 Corinthians 13
The Greatest Gift
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith, Hope, and Love.

It is only through our faith in Jesus Christ that we can hope for all of the blessings the Lord promises. It is because of His love for us that we are able to have faith and hope. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

We are given many paths to walk down in life, some easy, some hard. Regardless of the difficulty we must choose which way we will go. Faith and hope will get us through the most difficult times and at different points along the way it will be the only thing we can hold onto. We need to love Him as much as He loved us. How does one do this though? We must choose to do His will over our own. By walking with the Lord we can share His love to others and show how much we love Him.

2nd Day of Christmas – December 26th

2009-12-26T08:15:00.001-06:00

“On the 2nd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to me Two Turtle Doves”

John 1: 1 - 18
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John’s Witness: The True Light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,[c] and His own[d] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word Becomes Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. The Old Testament tells of the coming Savior. The New Testament testifies that He has come, died and will come again. Together they reveal God’s plan for our salvation from the beginning.

In the Old Testament the Nazirite would sacrifice 2 turtledoves, one as a sin offering, and the other as an offering for atonement. The New Testament bears witness of the dove that has come to save us, Jesus. He has covered our sin with his blood and reconciled us with the Lord. Through his death we have been given a new life, what will we do with it?

1st Day of Christmas - Dec. 25th

2009-12-25T20:05:00.007-06:00

On the 1st Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to me a Partridge in a Pear Tree”

Luke 2:6-20
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[c]

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

It was time; Mary gave birth to a child and laid him in a manger. This baby was from a poor family, but the Lord had blessed them with the birth of a son. This was not just any birth though; this was the birth of Jesus, the King. His birth was so important that the heavenly hosts (angels) sang and praised God.

Over 2000 years ago the world was waiting for the Savior who was prophesied about. An angel announced the arrival of the Savior to a group of shepherds who were tending their sheep. The shepherds went to visit the baby lying in a manger and afterward they spread the word of the Savior’s birth and all that was said about him.
Just like the world was waiting for the Savior 2000+ years ago, we also wait for our Savior. His return is imminent, are we ready? It was through Jesus’ death that we have eternal life. The partridge in a pear tree feigns an injury to keep her young safe, Jesus was injured so we would not know death and only he can keep us safe.

Like the shepherds, we have heard the Good News. We celebrate his birth, and now it is our job to tell others all that has been said about him.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Oh by the way...

2009-12-07T22:40:00.001-06:00

the schedule below was thrown out the window.

National Geography Bee

2009-12-07T22:28:00.002-06:00

The boys participated in the National Geography Bee today. Although they did not "win", the experience was well worth it.

Schedules - Weekly Review

2009-08-27T09:20:00.001-05:00

Starting off a new morning routine has been pretty easy so far. Xavier and Isaac are totally into it and things are definitely improving. We do not eat breakfast together as I had hoped for, but Xavier is up way earlier than Isaac and I and eats almost as soon as he wakes up.

Monday and Tuesday we got up, relaxed for about 30 minutes, had breakfast then went upstairs to clean bedrooms and complete the upstairs chores. Everything went real smooth and Xavier even practiced his guitar in the morning. We were done by 10 (which is good since we didn't get upstairs until around 9ish).

Things went a little different Wednesday though. I had to go for another Dr. appointment so when we got up we started off okay. Except we were having to leave the house early so the upstairs chores were going to have to wait until we got home. Isaac didn't quite understand why things were not going like the past two days. As I stood in the kitchen putting stuff into my purse he struts into the kitchen doorway, puts his hand on the wall, looks at me and says "Have you cleaned your room?" and started heading up the stairs. It was so funny. Who knew that in only 2 days my little one would be wanting to go upstairs to clean.

Today is another off day. Isaac and I woke up late (I really need to start setting my alarm clock). However, Xavier has completed all of his chores and is now playing his PSP. Which is an amazing thing and I better get moving if I plan to accomplish any of my goals for today.

Schedules - Week 1

2009-08-24T00:42:00.003-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with schedules. I love making them but am horrible at implementing them. The bad part is we work better when we have a schedule in place whether it is for school or just general home life. However, we have not been sticking to any kind of schedule for the past couple of months. It has really become a free for all here and the chaos is taking over (along with attitudes and misbehavior). So what do I do?

I decided that I needed to start somewhere... but where? With me having to check my blood sugar I have really become aware of the time. Not sure that if that is good or bad but it is a beginning.

I am not writing out a strict schedule and trying to implement it all at once. Instead we are going to slowly work into a schedule that way I can make adjustments to it as needed. So with my "handy dandy notebook" in hand we are starting each day this week with a goal in mind. I am hoping to add a goal to each day and slowly work our way into a complete schedule over the next month or two. This way we make a habit of some things before we start school up.

Week 1
Monday - wake up and eat breakfast together as a family

Tuesday - complete Monday's goal and then complete our chores

Wednesday - complete Monday & Tuesday's goals

Thursday - complete Monday & Tuesday's goals then take a walk

Friday - complete Monday, Tuesday and Thursday's goal then ? (Friday is going to be co-op day so on the days we don't have co-op I would like to do something fun)

Quick Update

2009-08-24T00:27:00.005-05:00

Yep, I have gestational diabetes - Nope, my platelets are good after all (although they will recheck them when I go into labor)- So far, acupuncture has not worked on turning "baby girl" around.

I went for acupuncture twice this week and although she moved a little each time. She then went right back to where she was to begin with. So they sent me home with moxa cones to help (it hasn't done anything, lol).

I also had to go to a nutrition class and get my glucose meter Thursday. That took all morning long. Friday we were back at the hospital visiting the pharmacy to pick up more strips/lancelets for the meter.

The diabetes thing is not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be (Praise God). The biggest problem I have with the whole thing is having to be on a strict schedule of eating and testing my blood. I don't mind schedules per se... I just don't normally look at a clock through out the day so I have to set an alarm to remind me to check my levels every time.

To top it off we all ended up with a cold this weekend. Not the best end to a hectic week, but what can you do?

Oh well... I need to get to bed so I can start the new week a fresh.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2009-08-17T08:48:00.001-05:00

Xavier has been begging to make pancakes. Not just any pancakes though, he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. This morning he decided to hit the kitchen and make breakfast for us. They were awesome!

Play-Doh Fun

2009-08-17T08:12:00.003-05:00

Isaac had a blast playing Play-Doh last weekend. We bought it for him a few weeks ago, but never got around to pulling it out and actually letting him play. Now it is one of his favorite things to do.

Only 7 More Weeks

2009-08-17T07:59:00.002-05:00

to go.. and hopefully it will be less. I love being pregnant but I hate some of the things that come with it. The sleepless nights, backaches, and currently the exhaustion. I also am not to thrilled with the fact that my midwife informed me I was "old". Therefore not matter how hard I tried I had to take the glucose test again. Of course it came back BAD. So I got to spend Friday morning taking the "3 hour" test (which actually takes 4 hours). Plus having my blood rechecked again (we spent Wed. morning in the lab also) because my platelets are low. Good grief!! I am still waiting for results but am praying everything is normal and it was just a fluke. Tuesday I get to go back to the doctor to see an acupuncturist. The hope is that an acupuncturist will help get "baby girl" to turn her little behind around and get her head out of my ribcage. One can pray!

Though Troubles Assail Us

2009-08-06T00:11:00.002-05:00

Though Troubles Assail Us by John Newton

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet, one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us, "The Lord will provide."

The birds without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne'er be denied.
So long as 'tis written, "The Lord will provide."

When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart cheering promise, "The Lord will provide."

No strength of our own an no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior's great name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide:
The Lord is our power, "The Lord will provide."

Praise the Lord!!

2009-08-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Shooting Hoops

2009-07-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a family who is moving we inherited their old basketball hoop this past weekend. This was truly a blessing, for we have wanted one for the boys. Isaac had a blast refilling it with water and arguing with his brother about it being "his ball". However, Xavier managed to shoot a few hoops while Isaac rode his bike.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-07-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

For Today...

Outside my window...
the sun is shining (it is going to be another hot one) and a crow is meandering its way across the lawn

I am thinking...
about what to cook for dinner

From the learning rooms...
Xavier is continuing his math, science and history studies
some painting and art is on the menu for today

I am thankful for...
my family
for the Lord hitting me upside the head at times

From the kitchen...
dirty dishes call my name

I am wearing...
pajamas still

I am reading...
not much at the moment.

I am hoping...
I can catch some flies today (to feed my son's geckos)

I am creating...
a few dresses for the baby.

I am praying...
for my children & hubby (of course)
for personal things

Around the house...
a cleaning is in store

One of my favorite things...
listening to my children laugh

A few plans for the rest of the week...
guitar lessons, start working on the baby's room, grocery shopping at the end of the week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

What is the fascination...

2009-07-26T19:31:00.003-05:00

with sticking stuff up one's nose?

Eight years after our last emergency room visit with a child because he stuck a bead (twice) and a rock in his nose (yes that is 3 er visits) Joel had to take our youngest to the er for the same reason. Only this time it was a bright blue BB from a pellet gun (not sure where he found the BB, but obviously he thought it belonged in his left nostril, lol). Although we tried to get him to blow it out before heading up to the local hospital, the trip took place. Luckily, he never had to be seen by the doctor, because he thought it was quite fun to sit in the waiting room and try to blow boogers into his daddy's hand.

Unfortunately, when asked "do we stick things in our nose?" hoping he had learned his lesson. His answer was "yes". Oh Lord, I do pray that we do not have more object in nose er visits from our son (or daughter to be).

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T15:28:00.002-05:00

Our New School Room

2009-07-21T14:50:00.003-05:00

We rearranged furniture and fixed up the school room area. I have a few more things to do: hang posters and the alphabet line. I also want to set up a workbox station for Isaac for the upcoming year. We have decided to start a preschool/tot school program with him. It is not anything fancy... coloring, cutting, drawing lines and play. I want to utilize the workboxes though so he has things he can do each day while I am working with the older boys.

Here are a couple of pictures of our school area.

Tuesday's Catch Up

2009-07-21T14:18:00.003-05:00

This past week has been a busy one. Monday I went to my OB appointment. Everything looks good except little girl has not turned around yet. Theoretically she still has time, but I know it is getting cramped in there and all my other babies were head down by this time.

Wednesday was the FRG meeting. Joel ended up going to that because I needed to run a few errands. One being ordering a new part for our car. The cam shaft sensor was shot so everytime we drove anywhere in the heat the car would stall if we idled or not start if we turn it back on. The solution was pouring water over the cam shaft sensor. Praise God the part came in Friday morning. So Joel was able to fix it this weekend.

We had a wonderful visit with my parents this weekend. It was neat having them here. We checked out the Cav Museum and took them out to the hangar. Sunday they went to the Alamo and Xavier went with them. While Joel and I stayed home with Micah & Isaac washing clothes and packing Micah's stuff. Micah decided he was going on vacation this summer and Monday when my parents left to head back to Florida - Micah went with them.

Oh - Duchess (our great dane) has found a new home. She was beginning to be way to much for us to handle. She was great with Joel when he took her to work, but was a major problem at home. Gordo is now a little lost and needs lots of attention. But that is normal considering his playmate is now gone.

Baking Bread

2009-07-10T15:15:00.003-05:00

I love the smell of bread baking. Today I pulled out the bread machine and made a loaf of french bread to go with tonight's dinner. Actually I am making an appetizer with the bread using cheese, butter and green onions. It is so yummy and it will go nicely with hot wings and cocktail sausages. Now to figure out what else we will be having for dinner...

** As you can see I don't exactly follow the menu but it is mainly just me switching days around.

Monthly Menu Planning

2009-06-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

I have started shopping once a month for groceries, except for the perishables and things which require re-stocking (milk, bread, etc.). Doing this has cut our grocery bill in half, because I spend less money on junk and actually have enough food in the fridge/pantry for every night of the week. We still have been eating out more than we should especially since we trying to save money for another vehicle. So I thought I would share my menu for the month. Micah and Xavier cook on Monday nights so I even get 1 night off a week. That doesn't include the nights that Joel wants to cook out or make something new which is a couple of times a month. I am truly blessed!

1 - Stuffed Peppers
2 - Chef Salad
3 - Wings/Appetizer Night
4 - *4th July Cook Out
5 - Pork Chops
6 - M: Beef Stroganoff
7 - Shake/Bake Chicken
8 - Tacos
9 - French Dip Sandwiches
10 - BBQ Chicken
11 - Meatloaf
12 - Pork roast
13 - X: Beef Tips and Gravy
14 - Chicken Alfredo
15 - Subs
16 - Spaghetti
17 - Breakfast Burrito's
18 - Roast (beef)
19 - Stir Fry
20 - M: Sausage Pasta and Veggie Skillet
21 - BBQ Sandwiches
22 - Swedish Meatballs
23 - Kabasa
24 - Rotisserie Chicken
25 - Pork Chops
26 - Bacon Burgers
27 - X: still undecided
28 - Breakfast
29 - Pizza
30 - Chicken Salad
31 - Stuffed Shells

Now I need to figure out a breakfast menu in time to go grocery shopping this afternoon.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-06-29T08:31:00.002-05:00

FOR TODAY June 29, 2009...

Outside my window...
the sun is shining, the birds are singing and unfortunately the flies are already buzzing around.

I am thinking...
of what I hope to accomplish today.

I am thankful for...
my family.

From the learning rooms...
math and science are on the agenda, along with some reading.

From the kitchen...
cupboards to go through and menu's to plan.

I am wearing...
pajamas (my normal outfit for the morning).

I am creating...
nothing at the moment, but have some plans running through my head.

I am reading...
Anne Frank (with the boys), Latin Road to English Grammar, Created To Be His Helpmeet, and my Bible

I am praying...
for family, friends and a new car.

I am hearing...
Xavier in the kitchen, Isaac watching cars and the hum of the AC.

Around the house...
we need to do some cleaning, and a load of laundry calls my name.

One of my favorite things...
seeing a child's smiling face when you first open your eyes.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
A visit to the library, grocery shopping, and buying a new desktop (hopefullly).

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
It is amazing how much children gro and change in a year!!

Indian Music & Storytelling

2009-06-28T12:08:00.001-05:00

2009-06-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

Jesus Freak!

2009-06-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T07:25:00.000-05:00

Haircut!

2009-06-09T11:21:00.001-05:00

Before....

After....

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-06-08T10:56:00.003-05:00

FOR TODAY June 8, 2009...

Outside my window...
the sun is shining and the birds are gathered under the bird feeders.

I am thinking...
of the day ahead and the things I want to accomplish today

I am thankful for...
a wonderful church service yesterday morning & last night (we went to a new church)

From the learning rooms...
the boys have started their summer schedule which includes their summer reading goals, TX state history, spelling & math

From the kitchen...
I need to come up with this week's menu but tonight we will be chowing down on Chicken Alfredo, and I need to finish making the peanut butter cookies

I am wearing...
t-shirt and flowered skirt :-)

I am creating...
nothing at the moment, but I plan to make Isaac a pillow case & matching curtains this week and mend a couple of skirts.

I am going...
to the Dr. on Tuesday for Isaac's appoint (poor things needs a couple of shots, and an FRG coffee Saturday morning. If all goes well we will go to the library Tuesday evening.

I am reading...
The Love Dare (with Joel) and Created to Be His Help Meet.

I am hoping...
praying... for a quiet evening (lol).

I am hearing...
The movie "Cars", Micah in the kitchen, and the washer still going.

Around the house...
I need to finish up the laundry, go through baby clothes and mop the floors.

One of my favorite things...
watching Xavier read (he gets so into the book)

A few plans for the rest of the week:
continue reading and trying to apply what I have learned and possibly going to Wed. night service.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-05-11T08:59:00.001-05:00

Simple Woman Daybook

FOR TODAY Monday May 11, 2009
Outside my window...
Cloudy skies, and the looks of rain

I am thinking...
Should I call the Dr. about Micah's tonsils or give it 1 more day (that is how long his brothers cold lasted this past week)

I am thankful for...
My dear husband, my 3 boys, and for the blessings and love that my Savior has shown me.

From the learning rooms...
We will continue our English & Math studies and hopefully finish up science and geography this week.

From the kitchen...
Oh, how I need to go to the grocery store. I think we will have sausage keish tonight.

I am wearing...
My pajamas ;-)

I am creating...
Well more like planning on creating a few skirts. Hopefully I will get one finished by the end of the week. However, I have some mending that is more of a priority.

I am going...
to keep living one day at a time

I am reading...
The Book of Peter in my Bible, and the Latin Road to English Grammar

I am hoping...
(Praying) for my DH cousin who is having medical problems, my Granny who is in the hospital. That Micah cold heals quickly and for a new vehicle as we have outgrown the little Tracker.

I am hearing...
Noises from the boys cleaning their rooms upstairs, dogs playing, Isaac driving his cars.

Around the house...
A cleaning is in order, laundry to be done, and a household manual to be worked on.

One of my favorite things...
A child's laughter!! What a joy to hear each day!!

A few plans for the rest of the week:
We will be at home the first part of the week, then things get a little bit busy. At some point I have to go get my 1st glucose test done this week.
Tuesday the pest control comes by for their preventive maintenance.
Thursday we need to our grocery shopping.
Friday is Field Day (being put on by a club in our local homeschool group).
Saturday I am taking some finger foods up to the church where our homeschool group's graduation and reception will be held.
Sunday - church of course

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The Boat Has Been Rocked!

2009-05-09T07:55:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I went for my ultrasound. I had a wonderful tech, we laughed, joked and yapped while she snapped the pics she was suppose to take of the baby. The boys were so upset they could not be there for the ultrasound (they went with me when I was prego with Isaac). The wanted to know the sex of the baby so bad. So I did a nice thing and had the tech write it in a piece of paper. I asked for her to just write it down so we could open it together. Forgetting that I was getting pics... She took a pic of the sex and stapled it into a piece of paper. I even looked away so I did not know.

Joel has been working midnight to noon shift. So he was asleep when I got home, and we waited, and waited. When he woke up we found out. I was in shock!! She wrote below the picture "3 bright white lines. A girl!!" and on the pic it was typed "Think Pink".

A GIRL!!!

Of course I was excited, but I was also in shock. I have 3 boys - this one definitely is gonna be different. The boat has been rocked for sure!! Last night I was scared. Girls have girly issues and DRAMA. Boys are easy. BUT by this morning I am already planning Mother - Daughter teas and Girl Scouts. Whoo Hoo! A girl!!

Who would have thought I would have ever had a girl.... only my Lord!! Praise his name! While I may have doubts of being a mom to a girl odviously He thought I could handle it ;-)

I guess it is time to change the name of my blog, lol
In Christ~
Tanya

Update on "us"

2009-05-07T11:08:00.003-05:00

I know I have been pretty bad at posting (sorry). Things here are going well. We are still chugging away at school and slowly finishing up this year's curriculum. I have figured out almost all of my lesson plans for next school year. We are going to continue a few studies through the summer months. Which will help the boys not forget things they have learned over the year and give us the ability to take a little time off when the baby is born.

We are still using the workboxes (oh what a wonderful idea). It is not a miracle worker... Xavier still wanders off, but Micah gets done with most of his school work by lunchtime.

Friday I go for my ultrasound - yay!!! Hopefully baby will cooperate and we will be able to see if it's a boy or a girl.

Anyways, I will try to post some pics soon.
Love you all!!

Week 1 - A Look Inside

2009-04-07T09:36:00.004-05:00

We do use texts in our homeschool. Which is one reason why I thought the workboxes would be great to add in more fun and more hands on learning. Here is a list of what we I have put/will be putting in the boys boxes this week. It is our first week of using the boxes and the items listed below are not necessarily in that order (it was just easier for me to list them with numbers).

Monday:
1) Lang. Arts
2) Math (with mom)
3) Science (with mom)
4) Spelling
5) History Reading
6) Free Reading
7) Computer Time
8) Connect 4
9) Joke book in Xavier's box & Backyard Ballistics in Micah's box
10) Bible & Prayer Journal
11) Geography Fact Cards

Tuesday:
1) Lang Arts
2) Math (w/mom)
3) Science Reading
4) Free Reading
5) Othello
6) Computer Lesson: Webpage Authoring #2
7) Geography worksheet
8) Bible & Journal
9) Spelling
10) Computer Time
11) Brownie Mix

Wednesday:
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Math (w/mom)
3) Science (w/mom)
4) Computer Time
5) Free Reading
6) Bible & Journal
7) Spelling
8) Unit Study (History)
9) Game
10) ?? (still deciding)
11) Art

Thursday:
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Math Review/Game
3) Spelling
4) Science Reading
5) Computer Time
6) Bible & Journal
7) Unit Study (History)
8) Free Reading
9) Game
10) Play Outside w/Isaac
11) Family Work

Friday: (normally we have co-op on Friday, but this week we have off for Good Friday)
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Play Hullabaloo w/Isaac
3) Math Review
4) Computer Time
5) Spelling Test
6) Game
7) Unit Study (History)
8) Make Peanut Butter Cookies
9) Bible & Journal
10) Nature Study & Walk

Workboxes

2009-04-07T09:01:00.004-05:00

Ok, so the shoe rack idea flopped. I went to the store to buy them but they didn't have any. Meanwhile my dear hubby is asking if there is some way we can be more economical about this. Personally I think he believes this is another one of my attempts of organization that will quickly be tossed aside. So... being economical I found some things I have around the house: boxes and folders (of course now I have to find a new home for the science stuff that was in the boxes). Using the template from the Sue Patrick's Workbox System and schedule cards from Walking by the Way, I now have Xavier & Micah's boxes!

Xavier's Box

Micah's Box

Micah and Xavier have been great about moving through their folders. We even started school an hour earlier than usual today (it is only our 2nd day using the workbox system).

Science Reading - more than I need to know about bugs!!

Working on changing fractions to percents

Could It Be

2009-04-04T06:27:00.004-05:00

an answer to prayer? Recently I came across a blog talking about workboxes. I was so intrigued with the system that I had to know more. After visiting other blogs who have started using workboxes and praying about it. I bought Sue Patrick's book and now I can not wait to set up our boxes. I have been printing off the scheduling strips and number strips along with the extra cards. Today I get to go buy my boxes ;)

One of the things that impresses me with the workbox system is the ability to put in those things you want to do in your home school but never get around to. I hope that by starting the worboxes I will take be able to let go of the "school at home" rut we have gotten into lately. The only problem I have though is I can think of a bunch of things I want to do or the boys want to learn but I don't think we still have enough time to do it all ;-)

** The Workbox System is a physical system which allows your child(ren) to move through their work in order. It is visual system that your kids can see: they see what they have to do, they see how much is left to do and they see the fun things coming up in a box ahead.

Sue Patrick is pretty set on using a shoe rack that will hold your shoeboxes (about 12) as the workboxes. At first I was going to try to "scale down" the workboxes because of room, but after reading the book I am going to stick with her shoerack & shoe boxes idea.

Each box is numbered and the child has a schedule strip on their desk telling them what to do (in order). You can have box 1-12 in a row or you can put in extra cards like lunch, group time, break, etc. The child moves in a sequential manner matching the # on their schedule strip to the matching workbox. They continue down the strip completing each activity/workbox. Once the strip is empty they are done for the day.

Science Experiments

2009-04-04T06:15:00.004-05:00

We started using Apologia General Science last week. We are not using it in the traditional way but are working on it together to help Micah and Xavier get use to the format. Which means we are probably going a little slower than normal :-) I also found a really neat Lapbook Journal to use over at Knowledgebox Central. So far the boys are enjoying the "class like" setting for science.

Experiment Time
Writing their observations, summary

Saturday's Photos

2009-03-31T16:35:00.002-05:00

Saturday we hung out around the house and I was able to snap a few photos of the boys in the backyard.
Bang, Bang, Shoot

Me & My Daddy

Having Fun

Gee Mom, Do you have to take my picture?

Me & My Mommy

My Boys

Explorer's Unit Study Day 2

2009-03-24T22:12:00.002-05:00

Tuesday's Photo-Op

Every good sailor/explorer must learn to tie knots

Who wants to be a "Limey"?
Making Old Fashioned Limeade

Explorer's Unit Study Day 1

2009-03-24T22:00:00.004-05:00

We started our Explorer's study this week. This is our first "real" unit study and so far the boys have had a blast! We are using History Through The Ages New World Explorer's by Home School in the Woods. If the rest of the unit goes as well as the first 2 days I will definitely be buying the "Colonial" unit next!

Here are a few photo's from Monday

Working on a lapbook entry

Using Spices of the Orient to bake a carrot cake

Geography Studies

2009-02-18T10:32:00.003-06:00

We decided to continue the boys Geography Studies from the One Room Schoolhouse. The boys have a blast looking up and presenting the information on the state they have picked. This week we are trying something a little new and they are making a power-point presentation. They "present" their state on Monday evening that way Joel can be here. I don't think I am going to have them do a power-point every week but alternate it with an actual report, poster, or some kind of model. I haven't quite worked out all the kinks but it should bring more life to Geography :)

My Jesus - Todd Agnew

2009-02-18T06:13:00.004-06:00

If you haven't heard it - this song is awesome!

The Past 2 Months...

2009-02-17T22:35:00.003-06:00

We are finally settling into our new home. Okay well I am to tired to settle in anymore so the upstairs closet and a corner in my dining room still need attended to. I may get to it eventually but for now I just don't look in those directions ;)

We picked out our new couch almost 2 weeks ago and it was delivered on Valentine's Day - the perfect Anniversary present!! We are still waiting for Micah and Xavier's bedroom sets to get here. Hopefully we will get them next weekend as the headboard for Micah's bed was scheduled to be in the warehouse Feb. 20th and it was the main thing we had to wait on. The boys are definitely excited about having new dressers, a nightstand and a bed for Micah. We are slowly getting new furniture, but we have been truly blessed!! Everything is paid for and we are sticking to not owing anyone anything.

Not a lot has been happening around here. Our days are pretty typical: wake up, eat breakfast, do chores, school, play outside/go to park, eat dinner, hang out, Bible reading, watch TV, go to bed.

Isaac talks more and more each day. We got him an imitation plasma car from Wally-World. He loves it, and spends his mornings riding in a circle around the house going to "work" like Dada. Of course he has 2 jobs: 1 he works on helicopters and 2 he is a police man. If he isn't riding his car, he is yelling at someone to put "choo choo" on TV. Mistake #1 buying Thomas Train video. If Isaac had his way it would be on 24/7 (even when he is not in the room).

I will try to get some pics of the house and boys soon. Love to you all!

Isaac Photo Op

2009-02-17T16:07:00.004-06:00

When I took my camera out to take a few pictures Isaac decided he would be my muse. Here he is in all his glory. (P.S. that is my new couch - YAY)!!

Meet ??

2009-02-17T16:03:00.003-06:00

As far as the vet is concerned his name is Oreo. However, he is normally referred to as CAT. As in "Gordo, leave the CAT alone" or "Isaac, put the CAT down". Regardless of his name (or lack of it) he is pretty cool.

Meet Gordo

2009-02-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

Here is our puppy :) What was I thinking? He is a handful, but puppies normally are.

Change Is In The Air

2009-02-17T14:42:00.004-06:00

Okay so I decided to change the look of the blog again... Well it would all be okay if my pics were not cut 1/2 way off. Only problem is I can either leave them that way or re-enter all the html codes. So for now they are being left alone. (That is just way to much re-entering). I may slowly start to fix them, but for now if you are looking at past pics you are going to have to click on it to see the whole thing.

On another note I know I haven't posted since October. I will try to start posting regularly again (at least pics) so you can see the boys. My next post I will start playing "catch up" over the past month and a half :o)

Tot School

2008-10-10T21:52:00.006-05:00

This is our first Tot School post. You can find out more about Tot School at 1+1+1=1. I am still figuring out things to do with my dear Isaac. He wants to "do" school with his brothers so bad, but then he thinks he should be the teacher more than the student :-)

We spent a lot of time outdoors the first part of the week. It is so nice now that the weather has cooled off a bit. I tried to get Isaac to catch the balls but he preferred to throw them. We also jumped on the trampoline and played "Ring Around the Rosie's" a gazillion times. This week Isaac decided it was a lot of fun to spin in circles. Which is not the best thing to do on concrete so we had to put on his helmet. He does not have to be convinced to wear it as he thinks he should put it on first thing in the morning. His big accomplishments this week: trying to pedal the tricycle (he can only pedal it 1/2 way) and learning to say and sign the letter A.

He stopped spinning so I could take a picture of his toy.

Outdoor Fun

2008-10-09T00:10:00.002-05:00

Skateboarding..

Stealing Isaac's trike!

Loving Chicken Alfredo

2008-10-09T00:07:00.004-05:00

A few nights ago we had Chicken Alfredo for dinner. Isaac loves this meal so I gave him left overs for lunch and decided he could feed himself. Needless to say he had to have a bath before naptime.

Eating grass

2008-10-09T00:04:00.003-05:00

At first he was just playing...

Then he decided to put it all in his mouth...

Playing in the rain

2008-10-08T22:35:00.005-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-08T21:42:00.006-05:00

Photo by: Xavier

Day 2 - 30 Days of Nothing

2008-10-01T22:47:00.004-05:00

I did not do to well today. We had to go buy Xavier a new pair of shoes so I spent $42 at Famous Footwear. Then Xavier needed his book for Awana, he would have gotten the shirt also but they did not have his size. So I only spent $9 at church. The kicker - gas and I spent $35 and no my tank is not full :-( I did manage to find it for only $3.57 compared to the $3.68 a gallon so I saved a few cents.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Tuesday's Tidings

2008-09-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

What a dreary day. I woke up this morning and decided to put together my grocery list and go shopping. Xavier came with me since I was heading to Wal-Mart. He needed a few clothing items. $200 later we got home and I still have half my list to fill. You can see the breakdown of what I spent the money on in the post Day 1 - 30 Days of Nothing. I still need to finish my shopping and take Micah to get some new clothes as well as hit the shoe store for Xavier. That Xavier has decided to grow out of everything he owns at one time.

At lunch time I let Isaac feed himself pudding. What a mess! He had a blast. He normally feeds himself all but the pudding/yogurt. Not that he can't just I normally don't want to tell him no a bunch of times as he tried to feed me and throw it on the floor. Today was not to bad. I did not get out of eating a few bites but he did keep the floor clean. After lunch Isaac went down for a nap and the boys started their homework from the One Room Schoolhouse. Technically we should be doing our school and not working on homework, but since they have taken the initiative to get it done I figured we can work on some of our school work later on today. I don't have a lot planned for the boys to do today but they both need to read some and work in their math books.

I am hoping tomorrow is a nicer day. I have decided to start walking/jogging again. I am hoping to run in the Thanksgiving Day 5K that is held every year here in town. Which means I really need to get back into shape. The plan is for the boys and I to go walking/jogging 3 times a week. Micah loved it when we use to jog before I got pregnant with Isaac, and we all could use the exercise.

Well, I better get back to dong something productive. Hope everyone has a great day!

Day 1 - 30 Days of Nothing

2008-09-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

So I decided to go for it and try the 30 Days of Nothing challenge. So far today I spent a total of $209.22 @ Wal-Mart. How did it break down?
$106.24 - groceries
$44.77 - toiletries/diapers/wipes
$15 - Christmas Present
$5 - Xavier allowance
$38.21 - Xavier clothes

I still have to go to Publix & Winn-Dixie so I will update this post after I get done with my grocery shopping.

One Room Schoolhouse

2008-09-29T21:04:00.002-05:00

I dropped off the boys this morning at the One Room Schoolhouse. They absolutely love going to class there. However, this week I didn't hound them about their homework. I decided they needed to be more responsible and remember to do it. I did remind them a few times but it was not completed until this morning. I woke up to a child looking for his notebook so he could do his homework. When I came out of the bedroom both boys were sitting at the kitchen table trying to finish it all up. Xavier was almost in tears because he couldn't do it all. I was a mean mommy. I told him I was sorry he couldn't finish it, and maybe next time he should try to do it before the day it was due. Micah informed me this evening that he planned on doing his work this week and not at the last minute. I think a poor spelling test helped confirm the fact that he needs to study.

I will remind them a couple of times this week, but completing their homework is going to be left up to them.

He Speaks

2008-09-29T20:52:00.004-05:00

5 days ago I was talking to my momma about Isaac and his lack of speech. For awhile we called him the one word wonder. He would say something once or twice and then never say it again. We would try to get him to say things but he is very hard headed. For example he would rather not have a drink at all than say the word drink even though he has said it before. Well, within the past couple of days he has decided to talk. Not just words that we can make out but some of them he pronounces perfectly. His 2 day word list:
burple (purple)
baby
Booper (Cooper)
meme (milk)
door
light
dirty

I am such a proud momma :-)

Saturday Fun

2008-09-27T20:03:00.002-05:00

We headed to the Dollar Tree today and I picked up some items to make a few lap books for Isaac. He wants to do school with the boys and I have been at a lost on how to incorporate stuff into "school time" with the boys. Then I came across Tot School by 1+1+1=1 blog. I have been inspired :) So while Isaac took a short nap I made a numbers lapbook and started a shapes lapbook for him. The numbers consists of 10 pockets that have number flash cards in it. The shapes one will have Velcro on it so he can put the correct shapes on each page. Nothing fancy, but it is a start.
We played outside most of the day, and this evening Xavier and I threw the football. After dinner all of us played softball. Well, we took turns pitching and hitting. I am so kicking booty! Which I am quite happy about because 2 days ago I could not hit the ball to save my life :) Here are a few pictures of our peanut :)

Look mom I can climb. He thinks it is great fun to stand up with no hands there.

Posing for the camera :)

School & Schedules

2008-09-26T20:21:00.003-05:00

Well, we are still ironing out kinks in the schedule. I am happy to say that we finished The Giver and have completed the tests I had downloaded for the book. Now we can get back to My Side of the Mountain. We should finish it within a few days so I am already planning our next book: The Cay.

We started Writing With The Best by Jill Dixon this week and I am loving it so far. When we lived in Savannah, GA I went to a speaking event she was having at a local church. I have been wanting to get Teaching with Structure and Style but the price... Well, I was surfing online and remembered she taught writing classes and thought I would check out her site. Yep - she had a writing program. I want to get her Diagnostic Test that helps you see what kind of learner your children are. So that is my next buy. Well, along with a few other things on my list :) I have got to stay our of the bookstores!

Friday's Photos

2008-09-26T19:39:00.002-05:00

Isaac had a blast in the dirt Granny was digging up for her new rose bed.

Of course Granny could not dig with a little boy in the way so after a change of clothes he played with his favorite car.

Micah checking out dinner (beef short ribs & wasabi mashed potatoes - YUM)

Xavier waiting for me to play catch.

A deer in the yard starts the day off right

2008-09-24T21:51:00.005-05:00

As I sat on the porch this morning waking up I saw a deer run across the yard and jump the fence. At first I couldn't believe my eyes, but it was so neat. We do not normally have deer in the yard and that is one thing I miss from the little time we were in Michigan. What makes it so much better is this was the 2nd time this week that I saw wildlife that we normally do not see from our yard. Yesterday we had 5 bald eagles flying over the house, in and out of trees and landing on one right by the pond. From what I was told they use to nest there until about 3 years ago when the osprey's chased them away.

Seeing the deer put a good day in motion. I managed to shower and get ready for school before Isaac woke up. We are working on the schedule, but after today I see where I need to switch a few things around. After lunch the boys are pretty much out of school mode except for finishing up work and reading. I also have found that by doing SOW first thing in the morning we are taking to long and not getting to our math and science. Tomorrow I plan on switching the classes around a bit and seeing if it works better. We are also starting our morning devotions back up. We have fallen out of the habit of having them, and we need to make it our first priority in the morning.

This afternoon Xavier taught me how to throw a football. I know I have been shown before, but I did not remember how. This of course thrilled him for a couple of reasons: 1) he taught me and 2) he got to toss the ball around. We tossed it around for a good hour or so. He is now talking about teaching me to play catch. I asked him if he actually thought I was going to catch a baseball. Yes, was his answer, and laughed. Doesn't having a baseball thrown towards you mean you are suppose to duck or run away from it?

Isaac tried to play ball also and he threw a woofle ball to me and I would throw it back. We tried to get Micah to play with us but throwing a football is definitely not his thing. Oh well, maybe next time.

Oh - Xavier finished the starter book for Awana. This is his first year so he had to go through the first 7 steps booklet to be able to get his shirt and actual book. He s quite happy that he finished the last 3 steps tonight and next week we are going to get his shirt and actual book. WAY TO GO Xavier!!

Scheduling

2008-09-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

I pulled out my Managers of Their Homes book this weekend and have been trying to put a new schedule together. We had used it awhile back ago but life changed and our schedule has been out of whack ever since. So after sitting down and trying to put a new one together I am think I have a basic plan to follow. I know it will need some tweaking so I haven't "written it in stone" as of yet. This evening we started following part of the new schedule and managed to give Isaac a bath, a shower for me, the boys through bedtime prep, putting Isaac to bed, and our nightly reading with only 1 problem. The problem - I have our reading scheduled for 1/2 an hour and lights out at 9, but we read for an hour. Instead of being a stickler on that issue I am going to leave it as a buffer. As long as the lights are out at 9:30 we should be okay. Tomorrow we will add a little bit more of the schedule to our day. I decided not to go full force because then it would be total chaos and we would be less likely to stick to it. I am really excited about being on a schedule again because as free spirited as I am work a lot better when I have my day planned out and know what it is I am suppose to be doing and when. Now to figure out where I can get more time into my day :)

First Day of Fall

2008-09-22T20:58:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of fall! Of course down here in FL we don't see the foliage change like you do in the more northern states :(

A New Book

2008-09-20T21:27:00.003-05:00

Steve and Teri Maxwell have a NEW book. I have no idea when it actually came out but I can not wait to order. I loved their Managers of Their Homes & Managers of Their Chores... the new one Managers of Their School. You can check it out at Titus 2.

Money, money

2008-09-20T13:17:00.005-05:00

It started off that Xavier was trying to get his pencil out of the change jar. Of course this meant he had to dump 1/2 of the change out. Isaac had a blast confiscating as much change as he could while Xavier was putting it back in the jar. Xavier being the clever child decided this would make a wonderful photo shoot.

The sign says "I'm leaving w/all the money and I'm not sharing" (courtesy of Xavier)

Jr Rehabbers

2008-09-20T12:20:00.004-05:00

This morning I dropped the boys off at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. We visited there a few years ago and really enjoyed seeing the birds that they house. Micah is still a bird fanatic and when I saw that they were having a JR Rehabber class I signed both of the boys up. According to them "It was awesome" and "We cleaned up the cages and saw rats (dead and alive)." The class was 3 hours long and other than doing a little cleaning and feeding they also watched on in the lab as a hawk got a physical. Unfortunately, you have to be 18 to volunteer or Micah would have jumped at the chance.

While waiting for the boys class to be over Isaac and I walked through the local neighborhood to a small park. We watched a bunch of squirrels and admired the view of the lake.

The Giver

2008-09-19T08:43:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post we are reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. I found a website with online questions (or printed) and activities to go with the chapters. You can check it out Here.

*Cross-posted on Unit Studies (a collection of studies and educational helps we have or are planning on using)

Thursday's Tantrum

2008-09-18T20:59:00.004-05:00

I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday! School has been a bear this week. The boys have not been wanting to cooperate and I thought about pulling my hair out at times. Somehow they are not able to finish 2 assignments in an hour (each should have taken about 1/2 hr each). Why? Because rolling across the living room floor wrestling was more important. We managed to get through spelling, page 2 of book club homework, math homework, reading in the history book, English, Lit. and SOW science. Really when I write that down it seems like it is a lot but considering how much goofing off was done I know we could have done a couple more things.

We took a break from our book club reading so we could work on our homework. However, we could not give up our nightly reading :) We started The Giver by Lois Lowrey (I think I spelled it right but I will double check in a little bit). It has started some really interesting conversations so far and we are only up to Chapter 6. The only downfall of interesting conversation is that it mean stalling bedtime :(

Regardless of the "Do Your Work" attitude I had and the boys "We Don't Want To" attitude. The day actually was pretty good overall. Yesterday I laid down the law:
1) No more TV between 8am-6pm on weekdays
2) No video games Sunday after 6pm until Friday @ 6pm
3) Computer Time is 1 hour a day Monday - Friday
4) Personal hygiene, breakfast, chores, music practice must be done by 9am
5) Quiet Time is starts at 7:30pm
6) Dessert had, pj's on, bed fixed and teeth brushed by 8:30pm

Of course there are consequences also, mainly loosing TV, video games, computer, earlier bedtime and things of that sort. So I woke up and although they were running a little late they were both done with everything by 9:15 this morning. It is a start.

On another note... right before dinner this evening Micah found a painted turtle in the yard. It was quite big and although we have no idea why he was in the middle of the field he was heading in the direction of the lake. We found out the other day that the lake has a 4 foot gator in it (the gator decided to go into our neighbor's yard). So now we are on gator patrol and the boys are no longer allowed to go down towards the lake. The lake was dry until Fay came through so we didn't have to worry about it before.

When dinner was over and the trash taken down to the curb the boys and I headed up to CVS. I broke Isaac's dinner plate tonight so we prayed we could find another one. Praise God, there was only 1 left so he now has his fish plate again (he picked out the only other plate there - an apple). Aren't they cute?

Animal Kingdom

2008-09-18T10:20:00.005-05:00

Tuesday was Homeschool Days at Animal Kingdom. We had a lot of fun but to be honest now that I have been to 3 of Disney's parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom) I would only really want to go back to Epcot. Animal Kingdom was nice but way overpriced in my opinion.

Now back to our trip... there were stationed set up around the park with activities for us "homeschoolers" to learn about certain animals, the environment and the what not. To be honest they were kinda cheesy and geared towards lower elementary but we visited most of them. The best part (and probably most educational) was when Micah started asking one of the researchers that did the "Flight of Wonder" show how she got her job and where she went to school. Micah was very impressed and went away thinking about what he should do. He would like to work with animals but he would also be happy working on cars at this time. Only being 6th grade I am not pressuring him to make up his mind about future careers though, lol.

Here are some photo's of our day :)
Tree of Life

The first activity was about Gibbons.

Micah talking to the researcher.

Xavier is playing a game at one of the activities.

Isaac tried to call "Dada" but got to hear about conservation projects instead.

Drumming...

The end of the day...

30 Days of Nothing

2008-09-15T21:25:00.003-05:00

A blog I read is doing a 30 Days of Nothing "Challenge" which got it off another blog. I am not sure if it is an actual challenge or has just inspired others to join in. Either way it is something I should definitely be joining in on. We spend to much time and money on junk and could live a lot more frugal. Hmmm, does it count if it is a bad time though and we have to spend money?? There is so much going on over the next 2 weeks I know we will not be able to be as frugal as I would like.

As I said the next week or two are going to be hard. Tomorrow we are heading down to Animal Kingdom @ Disney for their Home School Days (like being frugal there is going to work well). Wednesday we are suppose to go to the park & Awana then on Thursday the boys have a science class. Then Saturday the boys have a class at Audubon Center for Birds of Prey and Sunday is church. Ok that is just this week next week is not as bad... Monday - classes at One Room Schoolhouse & Music Lessons, Wednesday we have Awana, Thursday science and Saturday we are suppose to go to Orlando Science Center. Ughh how am I going to be frugal the next 2 weeks. Maybe I should consider starting this now but then again maybe I should wait a couple of weeks, lol.

Weekend Fun

2008-09-14T22:03:00.002-05:00

Saturday Micah and Xavier went with Aunt K and cousin J to the beach. They had fun playing in the waves and hanging out. Only downfall was Micah dove into a big wave and went face first into a jellyfish that was hiding under the water. He got stung right under his nose and on his neck. Luckily it is not to bad although there are marks. Xavier had a blast playing volleyball and really wants someone to play sports with him. So I am going to have to make a point that Micah and I go outside and kick the ball around or something. This is gonna be hard since neither Micah or I are sports oriented at all.

Sunday we did the usual - church & Nana's. The girls (the boys cousins) came over for dinner like normal and the kids had fun playing some tag game they made up. Micah also spent the evening helping down at the shop with Papa J. He loves working down there. After the girls left we studied our spelling words for tomorrow's test and then read some more in our book for book club. While reading is a good thing... its not. We finished the assigned chapters and book club doesn't meet for another week. The boys are anxious to get on with it. The question is should we go ahead and keep reading or stop reading it for the week since we have 3 more weeks to go with this book. Ahhh, what to do, what to do? Micah wants to work on the "homework" and start another book and wait to finish. Hmm. Maybe I will look at the store tomorrow to see what books I can find in the mean time.

A Week In Review

2008-09-12T21:26:00.003-05:00

TGIF! It has been one of those weeks where I am glad to see that it is over. We started the week with a sick baby. So first thing Monday morning I loaded him into the car and we went to the doctor. I probably would have let him just ride this cold out but I was out of albuterol so we had to go. What I did not expect was the ear infection and 6 prescriptions I had to pick up and a return trip on Wednesday. He has officially been diagnosed as asthmatic (which is a good thing) and he is now on a preventative. I just pray that the Lord heals him like he healed Xavier. The doctor appointment had us running a little behind in our Monday routine so the boys did not make it to their math class. However, we did make it to the One Room Schoolhouse in time for lunch/recess, spelling, countries and book club. Of course the boys had a blast (like usual). Afterwards we went and visited my mom & dad for a few minutes until it was time for their music lessons.

Tuesday was unproductive especially since I had a screaming toddler hanging on to my leg for the majority of the day. Unfortunately Wednesday did not fair much better. the screamer was still attached and we got an all expense paid trip back to the doctor's office on Friday. Praise the Lord - Friday's appointment found Isaac with clear lungs (which of the 5 medicine's helped I have no idea, lol) and ears healing. We have to continue to keep an eye on his ears because if he continues with the ear infections we will be getting tubes :( However the flu shot vaccine should be in next week where we get to make another trip to the doctor's office.

The two older boys are well and much to my surprise Xavier has been practicing his violin not only without me hounding him about it but also with great enthusiasm! dare I speak to soon... I do hope it lasts. Micah had to check my tires with his tire gauge and check the oil. He is planning a trip to the auto store to get the supplies to change my oil using his new tools. I don't think he can wait much longer, he is dying to use them, lol.

With a screaming toddler and me searching the internet for information on weaning and transitioning a child of 20 months into their own bed our schooling was not as productive as I had planned. However, we did get our homework accomplished and are halfway through the first part of the book we are reading for book club. Our SOW lessons didn't make it on to the agenda this week and I will have to re-schedule the lesson plan because of activities we have going on over the next few weeks. Oh - school is back in full force! I am so happy that "summer" is over and we can get back to being busy little beavers.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Blog Changes

2008-09-12T13:12:00.004-05:00

I am trying to redo my blog which has turned into quite a task. Hopefully I will have all the kinks worked out by next week. This page will continue to be our family & homeschool blog. A Changing Heart is where I will ramble and journal my thoughts and feelings that the Lord has placed upon me. I am hoping to get my Unit Studies blog back up, I have not posted there in years but have files and plans from various "studies" we have done that I wanted to post.

God Bless

Option 3 - Don't Vote

2008-09-05T23:10:00.009-05:00

It is amazing to me how Christians are so divided over who we should vote for in the upcoming election. A majority of the people I know will probably vote for McCain, they prefer his stand on abortion, the military and other issues but a few have chosen to vote for Obama. I think we should take option number 3 and NOT vote.

I know, it sounds horrible, unpatriotic, it's a dereliction of our civic duty or is it? We must remember that we who have been born again are to look to Christ. His kingdom is the only true kingdom and His governing is the only one worth living for. The kingdom's of the world will pass away. They are not of God, although God alone will appoint those who He wants to lead the world's governments. Will he appoint those who are not Christians - yes, that is obvious. Is it our duty to try and appoint those who we feel will lead us in a Christian direction - debatable. We must remember that the world will become more ungodly according to the Bible. Only at the appointed time when the Lord calls us home will we have a perfect world and kingdom. Until then we will be in a sin filled world and we must be a light in the darkness. But do we compromise our saltiness by voting for either candidate?

I believe we do, Obama obviously has policies that a Christian should not support. McCain while coming across pretty clean for the most part has decided to ask a woman to be VP. We all know that Obama's issues get a way range of publicity from Christians who are against him but why are all the Christians rallying around someone who blatantly is disrupting the order of headship and who has decided to take sides with the feminist movement? Voting for the lesser of 2 evils is still a vote for evil. Are we not to separate ourselves from the world and the evil that it contains?

Oh, how far we have fallen since He first saved us. We can not save a condemned world but we can spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be a light to those in the darkness. We can not vote for the one who everything belongs to, well unless you write in Jesus Christ on the ballot. No one on earth can be without sin, for we all have fallen short of the glory of God but we can choose to either vote according to our own flesh because that is where our opinions come from or we can vote from a Biblical standpoint. For myself the Bible clearly states what we should or should not do and I cannot vote for either Obama or McCain when looking at it from a Biblical worldview.

We must all ask ourselves where we stand when it comes to voting and the upcoming election. I pray that whatever you choose to do you do with much prayer and remember whether you go to the voting booth or not:
We are not of this world...
The world does not know him...
We must pray for our leaders and the nations...
We must shine our light in the world AND stay away from evil.

2008-09-03T07:40:00.003-05:00

I am reading a book called "Married to Television (Restructuring Your Prime Time)" which has been very interesting. It was written in the early 90's so I am sure the facts and figures have changed but even then TV usage in the home and the moral decline of television was present. Chapter 3 discusses family altar (the tele) and starts with a poem that I thought I would share with you.

The TV is my shepherd. My spiritual growth shall want. It maketh me to sit down and do nothing for His name's sake, because it requireth all my spare time. It keepeth me from doing my duty as a CHristian because it presenteth so many good shows that I must see.

It restoreth my knowledge of the things of the world and keepeth me from the study of God's Word. It leadeth me int he paths of failing to attend the evening church services and doing nothing for the kingdom of God. Yet, thought I shall live to be a hundred, I shall keep viewing my TV as long as it will work, for it is my closest friend. It sounds and its pictures they comfort me.

It presenteth entertainment before me and keepeth me from doing important things with my family. It fills my head with ideas which differ from those in the Word of God.

Surely no good thing will come of my life because of so many wasted hours, and I shall dwell in remorse and regrets forever.
~ Author Unknown

TV

2008-09-01T21:44:00.003-05:00

My ramble for the day... Seems the Lord is always putting something new in front of me that needs to be addressed. The current "issue" is the TV. To be honest it is not that new of an issue just one that I have not wanted to deal with and have found excuses to ignore. Last year we gave up TV for a week (minus news). However it has been pressing on my heart that this is something I need to do something about.

My 2 older boys have grown up with TV, and yes I was a "bad" mother and used it to babysit at times. Unfortunately it has turned into an addiction issue I believe. Of course they do not see it that way. They think it is a great way to buy time because they are bored and they do watch shows they shouldn't. They watch cartoons, kids shows and Discovery Channel. Discovery I can live with (we love Dirty Jobs) but the cartoons and kid shows do have a lot of content and ways of opening doors which do not need opened. But even more that that it has become an idol. We put it before God on a daily basis.

So how do we change this? I don't want to get rid of it (plus it won't do much good considering we live with family). But changing to a No or Limited TV lifestyle is not going to be easy.

Leviticus 19:4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

KJV Bible

2008-08-29T01:39:00.003-05:00

Like most people I grew up thinking that the Bible version you read did not matter because they were all the Word of God. I have known a few people who read only the KJV but it was never an issue so I just continued on my way. Until recently when I heard a sermon online about why the KJV is the only true Word of God. Oh WoW! According to the sermon certain translations have not only changed words so the original meaning was also changed but certain words and verses had been totally deleted. After personally going through my Bibles and looking at the differences I decided to further study this issue. After reading both sides of the KJV debate and sorting through what versions come from what texts and manuscripts I have decided to join the ranks of the KJV only crowd. The decision to switch was actually quite simple once I understood where the Bible translations came from and I saw the changes and omissions in my various Bibles. Of course my poor brain does not understand why so many churches have allowed these bibles with deleted verses in their church and even worse why they preach from them. Satan will get his hold on whatever he can I suppose. I just pray the Lord continues to open my eyes to the truth and He leads me on the path I am to go.

Not My Day...

2008-08-27T23:18:00.004-05:00

Where do I even begin? Today has no been one of our best days. Joel has been told to be ready to PCS just in case he is not staying in Korea. Mind you a week ago he was told his extension paperwork went through and he would be there 3 more months. (Hmmm).
I spent 40 minutes waiting for 2 doctor's appointment only to be told Tricare won't pay for them. They charged me $35 per child to look in the mouth with a tongue depressor, listen to them breathe and fill out a piece of paper? You have got to be kidding me! We stopped by Gamestop on the way home because Xavier's PSP's analog stick is not working... oh I have to contact Sony because the stupid product replacement plan i paid for doesn't go into effect until Sony's warranty expires. So I put in a service request only for it to "not be processed". What does that mean?

Luckily the night did get better. Xavier went to Awana tonight (his first time ever) and had a blast. Micah went to Middle school Bible Study and it was and I quote "SWEET". We did not get home until almost 9 and after a little wind down time the boys got tucked into bed and we read a 2 more chapters of "My Brother Sam is Dead". We are really enjoying this book and are 1/2 way through it already. I better start looking for our next book to read as this one will be done in a week at this rate.

In the end I just have to remember that no matter how frustrating I may get at things tomorrow is a new day and Praise God - He is in control and I am blessed!

Monday's News

2008-08-18T13:37:00.003-05:00

I should have known it was going to be an "off" day when I woke up this morning and the boys were jumping around the house. Micah decided to conveniently clean out the car from this past weekend when we were fixing to start school but that is okay because it gave me a few minutes with Xavier do review our math and he was able to take the test and fact test. While Micah worked on his math Xavier did his science and history reading. English was put on hold along with SOW because Micah had started his science while I was putting Isaac down for his nap.

Today for SOW we worked on the topical study "helper". As we discussed our scripture verse my 2 dear sons thought it would be funny to draw pictures of their future wife. Well... draw pictures of their brothers future wife. First they were funny pictures, then Xavier decided to draw a French girl. Now I am not sure what made her French but here is a stick girl with a dress, scarf and sunglasses on her head. He went to draw high heels but Micah piped up that he doesn't like heels so she became barefooted. After his drawing Micah says in a French accent (or at least what he thinks is a French accent) "Me like French girl". Xavier then informed us he wants a Swedish wife. Ok.. this is not where this lesson was suppose to go. But the class clowns just kept rolling along. Thankfully they did understand the lesson, even though they goofed around a bit :-)

Tonight we have music practice and then we are going by my momma's house for a little while. We have to leave a little earlier than planned because my dear son Xavier broke the chin piece off his violin. How he managed that I still don't quite understand.

Oh - the boys birthday party/camping trip was canceled because of Hurricane Faye. The boys were not thrilled at all but what that is how it goes at times. Anyways, hope everyone has a wonderful evening.