Homefront Mom

Momgram Swap - Caroline

2011-12-02T09:15:00.001-08:00

Kelly's Korner is doing a momgram swap.

I have one item that I am interesting in getting rid of.

This cute dress is from Potato Saks. size 6X

Monogrammed in yellow with Caroline.

$20.00, shipping included within the US.

I can send you a paypal receipt.

If interested please leave me a message and I will get back to you. We are headed out of town for a funeral, so my computer options are very limited. Be patient, I will get back to you.

Bonded

2011-06-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

In between crying and smiling...

these two have bonded far deeper than I ever thought possible.

The Pirate Queen

2011-06-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

What a great book that shows that a woman can over look her broken heart to help the ones that she loves. Saphora Warren blossomed into the kind of woman you want to be on your side. She stood up to and for the people in her life while becoming a woman who is better than who she was.

I loved that even with the temptation to point out her husband's fault's, Saphora took the high road and kept those negative thoughts to herself. She showered grace on her family like a true southern lady.

Good Morning Girls

2011-05-31T09:46:00.001-07:00

I am participating in this.
And is it awesome.
You still have a chance to participate.
Click on the picture to visit the Good Morning Girls website.

I want to live intentionally with my kids. I want them to know how much I love and cherish them. I completely blew it as they were walking out the door to school. I need to apologize and ask forgiveness. They should know every moment of the day that I love them. They also should know that holes in their shoes are not important.

Menu Planning

2011-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

I finally feel like I can put my best effort into being a mom and homemaker again. I am doing my best to help myself by planning ahead and trying to stay organized.

Monday: Pork Chops, mashed potatoes

Tuesday: French Toast Casserole, eggs, & fruit

Wednesday: Carne Asade burritos, rice,

Thursday: Daddy's choice

Friday: Grilled chicken, corn on the cob

Visit Organized Junkie to get more ideas.

Big Events

2011-05-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

There are times in my life when I can remember where I was and what I was doing.

Beginning of the 1st Gulf War - eating dinner at church

USS Cole bombing - driving to work in Maryland

Sept 11, 2001 - nursing my 2 week old 1st child in Maryland

Beginning of the war in Iraq - at home in North Carolina, we were the guardians for 3 kids whose mother was in that convoy out of Kuwait into Iraq.

Saddam Hussein is captured - just moved in Florida

Usama Bin Laden is confirmed dead - nursing my 10 week old 3rd child in California.

I know that there are many other significant events out there, but none that hit so close to this military family as these. Its amazing what has shaped our lives and the lives of our children.

I don't rejoice in the fact that there is a person who is dead. I rejoice that his rule over people is over. I hope that the people that were following his lead will see that there is a better life than the one they are leading.

Sweet baby girl!

2011-04-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl is here.

Scarlett

She is already 6 weeks old and opinionated,

but we love her all the same.

The Countdown Has Begun

2011-01-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

Six months from now we will be moving on to our next duty station. The moves are getting harder for us. The emotions are more intense, but there is hope that we will bump into some friends in out next adventure. We hope that the next move will be the last move. From there we can finish our military career. That is scary and exciting all at the same time.

In the time between now and then we will:

welcome a baby girl to our lives

finish basaketball and baseball season

complete 4th grade and Kindergarten

enjoy visits from family

finish our 2nd year of Girl Scouts

and so much more.

While we look forward to being closer to grandparents, we are a bit bittersweet about leaving a place that has become home.

In Action

2011-01-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

He stays on the move.

And

He's getting braver.

And

He won his 1st basketball game today
(not that we were keeping score)

Socks and Dyslexia

2011-01-07T10:41:00.001-08:00

Socks and dyslexia is a combination that I never thought about before. but there is a link. At least in my house there is a link.

This is a face of dyslexia.

Funny, drama, and attitude all rolled into my daughter.
She doesn't quite get what she is struggling with or that others don't struggle the same way that she does. That's ok, we want normal in all aspects of her life.

Socks, lately I have noticed that she never has on matching socks. Maybe I should say that I have not been matching the socks, but simply throwing all of our socks into a big container. Each day we sort through and find matching socks for all those that need socks. It is what it is for now.

Last night, it hit me right in the head. If a dyslexic child cannot unscramble letters or do word searches without stress then why am I expecting her to match socks in a pile that must look enormous and unstructured.

DUH

Today is a new plan and someone is going to sort socks. My sweet girl has even come up with ideas for how we can sort our socks.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

Baby Names

2010-12-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

We are having an incredibly difficult time picking out a name for this sweet baby girl. I am a southern girl through and through and love to give my kids southern names.

So, who wants to give me some ideas?

Here is what we have come up with so far:

Olivia Jillian

Savannah

Julie Anna

Addison

Ainsleigh

Sara Beth

Faith

Lauren

We can mix and match these to create first and middle name combos.

What do you think? Any ideas?

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

Only one of us participated in the Turkey Trot. Look closely at that face, he did not like it at all.

One lap down and I think I will just watch for the others.

My crafty girl made a thanksgiving banner for us.

Making Fall Trees

2010-11-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

The kids are out for the Thanksgiving holidays and I am in a crafty mood. I may get over that quickly depending on how messy things get.

We don't get many fall colors in Southern Cali, but I am doing my part to make sure my southern kids know what fall is all about.

Hopefully this time next year we will be in the Carolinas enjoying Fall in all its glory.

Isn't he cute. Messy hair, SpongeBob shirt and all

30 Days of Giveaways

2010-11-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

I love giveaways. If for no other reason, since I rarely win, we get so see some wonderful ideas for Christmas. Join Ni Hao Y'all for her 30 Days of Giveaways that begins on Thursday.

Surfing Lessons

2010-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Very First Surfing Lesson

Check out other "orange" entries over at iheartfaces.com

Halloween Costumes!

2010-10-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

We are ready for the Halloween festivities, but one is sick

and one is "super excited!"

Busy Fall

2010-10-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am ready for October to be over with. It has been a long, hard, busy month.
I'm 22 weeks pregnant and feel great, but I run out of steam by about 7:00 every night. Compund that with some yucky hours from hubby's work and I am give out.

We have had soccer

Cheerleading

Girl Scouts and the school Fall Festival.

They Really Do Love Each Other

2010-10-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

She came home from a sleepover very tired.

And he just had to be in the same room with her.

My room to be exact.

It doesn't look like she minds to much (and she never got her nap).

Rainy Days

2010-10-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today is a rainy, rainy day. Day #3 of rain in California and I am a bit sick of it.

Yesterday I made:

Sloppy Joe's

and

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

They were both yummy.

I'm on the lookout for something equally delicious today.

Can He Really Be 6?

2010-10-04T14:18:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that my boy is 6 years old.

He is:

compassionate

serious

funny

athletic

smart

and a

ROCK STAR

Family Pictures

2010-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

We had family pictures taken this weekend from a local military wife. They were some absolutely fun shots taken and I loved taking the time to do this with my family. In a few months we will have a new baby in our family and I just wanted a snapshot of what we look like right now. A year from now, photo taking will be a whole other experience.

This is us.

For now.

And I love it!

All Boy

2010-09-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

I really should not be surpised that he busted his head open this weekend. Luckily no stitches, but it was his first busted head in nearly 6 years. He's more cautious than his sister is.

Loving this swing!

They could stay out here for hours twisting, turning, and pushing each other on the swing. After living in a Katrina zone and in new construction and I am so thankful got tress to hang a swing in.

Turning 9

2010-08-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that we have a 9 year old. What a year it has been. She has grown and matured and gotten sassier. She loves being a girl.

At the Corvette Diner in San Diego. They make a big deal about a birthday. This is called straw hair and looks like a crown of straws. Perfect for our princess.

Proof that she can enjoy some time with her brother. They had such a good time today.

Seriously, should 9 yrs old get chocolate covered strawberries for their birthday. Obviously so! My kids are very spoiled by their grandparents.

Play Ball!

2010-08-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) They are strong advocates of veterans health and educational rights. They push hard on Capitol Hill to get help for all veterans. This summer we were able to get 4 tickets to a Padres game with other veterans. It was amazing and I wish that I had more pictures of the day.

Here are my 2 punks enjoying the game, but really they were just looking for the next snack vendor. It was a beautiful day.

Here is the field from our seats. We did get the chance to move down about 6 or 7 rows. I loved it, but I am a sucker for baseball.

Summer Vacation

2010-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Swimming lessons

Visting Papaw's chickens

Getting to know a grumpy hen

Learning to drive

Sightseeing and looking for the Atlanta skyline

Girl Scouts

2010-05-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Someone bridged to Junior Girl Scout yesterday and I was so happy to be a part of that with her.

Some of her patches and her buddy standing right beside her.

Hanging with little brother!

The little man and I waiting.

I won

2010-05-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that I won the Cabbages and Roses book that Rhoda was giving away over on Southern Hospitality.

Rhoda lives in my home state. She is a wonderful decorator who could decorate any room on any budget. Check her out!

I can't wait for the Cabbages and Roses book to come in because I am in need of inspiration and a coffee table to put the book on!

Looking Down the Road

2010-05-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to be on the downhill slide of this duty station. We are looking for orders back to the east coast and as south as we can get. We have stuck our toes in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and we definitely know where we want to call home.

Our next duty station could be our last. We are weighing our options so that when we request our next stop it will be the right place.

We will need a school that will be willing and able to work with us in handling C's dyslexia.

We will want a place to raise our soccer loving son.

We will find a place that will be home for quite a while.

A New Road

2010-05-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

A new face in dyslexia.

A new path for student, teacher, parent.

Finding the new road that will lead to success.

Molly makes $7 Slow Cooker Suppers

2010-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about The Old Schoolhouse is that everything is related to real life. Rarely do I look at something and think that I am not qualified or crafty enough to do that. The same is true for Molly Makes $7 Slow Cooker Suppers. Molly from Econobusters has outdone herself again.

These recipes are generally things that we have in our pantry and perfect timing with the yucky weather we are experiencing. Our family favorites are vegetable soup and potato soup and so I am so excited to try out some of the ones in this e-book. Many of the contributors and testers have added their opinions to this edition and they are so fun to read the changes, likes and dislikes of each recipe.

From TOS; “If you are familiar with Molly's $5 Dinner book, you'll find several improvements in this one—like contributor photos.” The photos are a great addition to get the chance to see how this recipe looked when someone else cooked it. I can tell from a photo whether my son will even taste a dish.

Their 1st Snow Experience

2010-03-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Who would drive through this?

We must be crazy? Right?

But, Look at this face

and this one!

And you know it was worth the climb!

We Love The Putt Putt

2010-02-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

He takes golf serious. Cheats like crazy, but its the most excited seriousness you have ever see.

This girl just loves to play. Hates being rushed and loves pink.

To Serve

2010-02-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, the kids served each other lunch. They made a menu, fixed what the other ordered, and served lunch. They were so good about it. I was hoping that they would learn to appreciate each other and the work that others do for them.

Of course, they are just to cute.

I wish the great attitudes lasted all day.

My Military Kids - Notes from the Homefront

2010-01-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

All kids are different. Their life experiences define who they are. I don't think you can make a kids life easy. There will always be hiccups, how you handle it will echo in how your kids handle it.

My military kids are extraordinary (aren't yours too). They show me time and time again just how resilient they are. So here is a happy list of things that I think define their lives. Some are good and some may not be in your opinion, but it is our life.

Practice counting skills by counting the tanks in a convoy.

Says "Hi Daddy" to all the helicopters that fly over.

My oldest is in her 4th school.

They hardly ever see the same Dr. We move and Dr's deploy.

They struggle with remembering to ask for Dad's help. They are not used to him being home.

My oldest has lived in 6 states, the youngest 4 states. They can tell you which states.

They have new friends at each duty station and can't remember very many from previous stations. I do see that improving as they get older.

They know what a commissary and exchange is.

They know that situations we don't like are temporary - uumm California.

We all stand for the National Anthem before watching a movie.

They know the words to the Navy and Marine Corps songs.

Seeing troops with guns does not surprise them.

There's more. Loads more. Today, I think my kids are amazing and that they are handling so much.

February Issue of Molly's Money Saving Digest

2010-01-13T21:28:00.001-08:00

The times after the holidays have always been a time when funds were scare and we learned with to eat out of the pantry. The February issue of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest is chock full of recipes that will help you stretch that budget, at least it does in this house.

We love to celebrate Valentine’s here at our house; every year has been different because of where we have lived (Mardi Gras in Louisiana) or what is going on (deployments). Some years it’s just me and the kids, some years it’s all 4 of us, and one year we had the flu. Some of the recipes, shipping list included, for meals and desserts in this digest are simply irresistible.

The ideas that Molly has for a flannel shirt will keep you busy for days to come, but there is so much more that you need to see in this digest. Molly never forgets one member of your family, there is always something in her digest that will resonate with your family. I love having ideas of how to show my family some lovin’ without leaving the house or breaking the bank.

i heart faces

2010-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot get the crispness that I want with a pictures. Come on tax return, I already got my next lens picked out. Actually, I have two!

This girl shows me daily, what its like to put your best face forward. She will challenge every situation to find the best of life. She is my furniture arranger, cross country traveler, wear your heart on your sleeve, and love strong girl.

Visit i heart faces to see more.

i heart faces

2010-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Can't wait until I can figure out all those wonderful secrets to making spectacular pictures.

“I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Chalkboard

2010-01-04T11:41:00.001-08:00

I finally got a chalkboard hanging on the wall. C needs to use something besides pencil andpaper all the time to write out answers and ideas. Then she copies the answers, sentences, words, etc.. onto her paper

Hubby bought plywood, the framing and chalkboard paint at Lowe's. The frame made the thin plywood sturdier, but the paint made it all seem like a solid, sturdy piece. I think we put 3 coats of paint on there.

Keep C in your prayers, we have our initial IEP this week and hopefully we can find a way to make learning fun.

Winter Wonders from Download N Go

2009-12-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

From Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse the Winter Wonders Download-N-Go

E-Book has got to be my favorite from this series so far. The cute graphics and detailed lesson plans give you a week’s worth of activities. I easily get our lapbook materials together and do all the cutting; the kids do the coloring while we read. We could spend all day viewing the videos that are linked in the lesson plan.

Winter Wonders has links to videos, vocabulary words, to the Autumn Treasures from Download-N-Go, and links to other activities that can be added to a lapbook. Adding to our day with these lapbooks are the best way that we can add a preK and 3^rd grade together for a lesson. I love all the book recommendations that are listed, even at my small library we can find some of these books.

The Download-N-Go series will be an excellent addition to any homeschool. These lapbooks and lessons will work with just about any homeschool method, need, or age. Our homeschool needs are varied this year, yet I can still see how Winter Wonders and other Download-N-Go lessons and lapbooks will be a benefit to us.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T02:21:00.000-08:00

From the backyard!

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-12-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

My Tackle it Tuesday project turned into a 2 day event. It started yesterday with pulling all the decorations down, boxing them up, and hauling them to the garage.

Then I wanted to move a couple of things. This is normally the dining room, but it was the larger of the rooms and so we swapped. During Christmas the room kept getting smaller and more cluttered. I knew we need to really declutter when I took all the Christmas decorations down.

Here are the after, you can tell that the sun was out today. Please feel for me that we cannot paint the walls. Ignore the blond head, she is my helper. She loves to move things around and decorate. Occasionally, I lose her to the TV.

The sofa and chaired stayed, but we switched the desk and shelves and changed out the end table by the couch. That little table has been around forever, but the chairs broke and we got rid of them.

Muffin Tin Monday

2009-12-28T14:46:00.001-08:00

Muffin Tin Monday is another first for me. Well, it is the first time that I am participating with pictures and all. We do these types of meals for the kids all the time, especially when Daddy is deployed or away training.

I had one muffin tin in the freezer and one in the dishwasher, so I used what we normally use.
We also have a lot of fun dip cups, saucers, and utensils that we use, but none of that was needed for this meal.

On the orange plate we had:

whole wheat tortillas with cheese rolls
a slice of tomato
corn chips
baked peaches on a slice of bread with a dollop of cream cheese

On the blue plate we had:

hot dog rolled in a slice of cheese
tomato slice
corn chips
baked peaches (that he did not eat, no surprise there)
he also ate one of sister's cheese rolls

They also had a left over cookie for dessert and they do not get anything to drink until their meal is half done. That sounds so mean, but they will drink it up and not be hungry.

My daughter is 8 years old and only has few things that she will not eat. However, my 5 year old is a picky eater and he has some texture issues. No bumps in his food.

I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge

2009-12-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

Participating in the i ♥ faces photo challenge for the first time. I got a Canon Rebel a couple of weeks before Christmas and have been snapping away. I don't have a fancy photo editing software, but I tried to clean them up the best that I could.

This is what it looks like when I try to get a picture of J. He is at the age that wants to pose for each picture, but he tries to move while I am taking pictures. The results are these hilarious outtakes and quite a few blurry ones.

We Love Christmas

2009-12-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

This year, since we moved so far away, I offered to do the shopping for the grandparents. We do not open any presents early. That glorious filled look will only last for a little while. I like to have a memory of it.

My sweet boy is developing a personality that is separate from the rest of us,

but a little bit of all of us.

Oh the drama, her heart is great big and she enjoys seeing joy in other people. She is also quick tempered and more emotional that I care for right now.

Naughty or Nice?

2009-12-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

They are trying very hard to stay on the nice list!

Merry Christmas!

Little Man

2009-12-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is how we usually find him. Spread out on the floor, sound asleep, and looking like Linus with that blue blanket. I swear when I put him to bed, he was IN THE BED.

My Girl

2009-12-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

My Girl - she loves to receive, but her heart is in the giving!

Birthday Bonanza

2009-12-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that the Download N Go series from Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse will be a great success. A week’s worth of fun ideas are set for you. You can relax and know that a well respected company has given you an activity that your family will benefit from.

The Birthday Bonanza E-Book from the Download N Go series gives the birthday child a chance to learn all about his special day. The teaching guide that accompanies the lapbook instructions gives the teacher and learner book recommendations, activity instructions, and lesson plans. This fun, easy lapbook will be just the thing for your independent worker or a chance to sit and focus on one child.

If you are new to homeschooling or lapbooking, this is an easy start to adding lapbooking to your homeschooling days. Step by step instructions on how to implement this lapbook will give you the boost you need. Give it a chance!

Only 19 States

2009-12-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

visited 19 states (38%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Seems like I need to broaden my horizon northward.

What's going on!

2009-11-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Our schooling options are varied this year with one in public school but not getting any science or history and struggling with language arts. I use lapbooks to add to her education while waiting for some testing to be completed and then deciding whether to leave her in school or bring her home.

We always knew that C was struggling with reading: she seemed to memorize books, she never sounded out words, and she cannot spell. When we homeschooled last year, the blame for her learning difficulties fell on both of us. Our families felt that I was not cut out to teach C and that she was not trying. So my confidence was lacking when C mentioned that she wanted to attend public school and we decided to give it a try.

The school that C attends is a good school and her teacher is a dream. She has helped me see that C may have a learning disability causing some kind of disconnect in her reading comprehension and her spelling issues. We are in the middle of testing and will figure out what step 2 is after the Christmas holidays.

In the meantime, we are working on homework and supplemental work. Part of C's homework each night is to read for 20 minutes. I try to find a book that we can lapbook or do extra work with. My goal is to find a book that already has a lapbook out there for it, less prepwork for me in this busy time of our lives.

Just a little about what is going on with us right now. Hope yall had a great Thanksgiving.

Two Sided Day

2009-11-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

Veteran's day is my birthday, always has been and always will be. I can remember when the only thing I worried about on Nov 11th was my birthday. As I got older, I had a birthday, parade responsibilities and dinner with my family to think about. You see for 34 years, I have been a military dependent. I went from being the granddaughter, daughter, and niece of men in the military to being the wife of a man in uniform.

My hubby with our two great kids. We drove through San Antonio on our most recent PCS move.

My dad and stepmother with the my kids. They are 100% supportive of us and always try to visit us wherever we are living.

I know that it is late postingthis, but our Interent was all messed up. We got it fixed yesterday and I am just now sitting down long enough to think.

Enrichment - Making Crayon Disks

2009-11-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

It dawned on me recently that C was not getting any art at school. I had not worried about it to much, because there is more going on with her that needs my focus. Art can be a stress release for some and I really feel that this is true for C.

We set the oven to 300 degrees, sprayed the muffin tin with cooking spray, took the paper off the crayons, and divided them up.

After about 10 minutes the crayons were fully melted.

A couple of them broke getting them out of the tin, but no worries here. Now that my mind has realized that C needs a little creative art time, I will give her more opportunities.

3 Days Only Sale

2009-10-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

You can purchase the print addition here and see all the free gifts that you will receive.

Don't forget the promo code: 10GIFTS

You will not be sorry for spending the $7.95 on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Just Spotted, Disneyland Tickets

2009-10-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

I am a finalist for a Disneyland ticket giveaway, but I need your help. Please visit Just Spotted and vote for Amanda. The more votes I get, the better my chances of winning tickets to take my family to Disneyland.

Disneyland is one place that we want to visit before we are transferred away from California. We have done Legoland and we still have tickets for Sea World to use.

There are a total of 17 finalist for Disneyland tickets on Just Spotted and you can read all of their stories.

Enrichment Activity 1

2009-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am still helping with J's preschool class several times a week. I love that he is learning to deal with other kids, listen to other adults, and follow directions better. He may not get a whole lot out of each day, but he has had little tolerance for others, loud noises, or chaotic situations and he needed to be introduced to situations outside of his norm to see how he reacts. Enough of that, it is a situation that we are watching very closely.

So I am working with the preschool schedule and reinforcing letters and colors that they are doing each week. I also like that they are not pushing the kids to write with pencils. At this point they have not even been introduced to a pencil. They are learning everything with crayons.

Adding to J's week will be some type of enrichment that can be done by himself or we can include C, who is at school full time now.

I am working on our first enrichment activity with the kids. They know nothing about what I am cooking up. Thinking about some kids response recently, when asked "what falls from the tree when during Fall?" Half the kids said "Coconuts!" These California kids are missing out on the beauty of fall. It's kind of difficult to argue with the weather here, but I do miss a good fall season.

So here's what cooking:
1) I asked for volunteers on a yahoo group to send me some of their leaves that were changing colors. I want the kids to see and feel the color and texture of the leaves. I am blessed that 5 or 6 people volunteered to send me some leaves from where they live all over the country.
2) I hung our United States map back up. I made tags for where we have lived (8 places in the last 10 years) and I will make tags for where the leaves come from. We will identify and mark our maps.
3) We will identify and research our leaves. We just want to know where they come from, the name of the tree, and maybe a quick fact. That may differ based on my 8 yr old and 5 yr old interest. I also found these identification cards (on the right hand side, under to print).
4) Craft with the leaves. Make some crayon rubbings, maybe make a wreath, and do some drawings
5) C will learn a bit more about photosynthesis.

That's about all I have come up with. I will take some pictures (with my camera phone - we've lost the camera) of our ABC reinforcement activities and other enrichment times. I hope this help create an interest in learning in J, without overwhelming him or C (my 3rd grader). We will definitely take our time with this, none of it has to be done in one week.

Our Pets

2009-10-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Dainey the lab. She's one and still very hyper.

Sammie the beagle. She's 9 years old. I call her the grunpy old lady.

Homeschool Goodness

2009-10-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

"Are you ready to learn, have fun, and go for adventure? Your wait is over--your FREE download of Autumn Treasures is now available! The Old Schoolhouse® and Amanda Bennett have been working hard to create a new and innovative homeschooling product--one that seamlessly blends the unit study concept and lapbooking fun into one great adventure.

Spice up your homeschool with sweet apple cider, pop some corn, and decorate with colorful autumn finds! Embark on a wonderful learning adventure about this season and all that it holds. Your child will examine how seasons change, find out what autumn is all about, discover the life cycle of pumpkins and apples, see how candy corn is made, and much more.

Where Unit Studies and Lapbooks Come TogetherEasy . . . Innovative . . . Effective . . ."

'>Autumn Treasures

Building a plan

2009-10-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

As you may can tell from some previous posts that I have been trying to figure out what to do with myself since the kids started school. Their hours vary, so I spend a lot of time at the school and a lot of time traveling to and from the school. Not really on the traveling because it is 2 miles from the house, but it feels that way 'kay!

My problem, was that I wanted to teach my kids. I wanted to be in charge, dangit! Well we all know that when we start making plans and thinking we are in charge, we end up getting a swift kick in the pants. I promise, I have been trying to avoid that.

Patiently (haha) I have been waiting on a plan for my time, my children's time, and what we can do with our downtime away from school.

My thoughts were, what enrichment can I give my kids that they will not be getting in the classroom. Did you see that key word - enrichment! Our time with the kids does not have to be ALL about their school, but about what we can bring into their lives. Aha moment, if you may!

So I am looking at a few resources that will work for my kids (and that will include plain old fun time). You see, I do not want to tie my kids down to more work after being at school and after my oldest had finished her homework. Afterschool homeschooling is not going to work for us.

I am going to build some Bible Study back into their week! I love 1+1+1=1 Rock Stars idea, but I need to modify it a little bit for a 3rd grader, but a lot of the activites my 5 yr old and I can do together.

We also have some gardening plans, camping plans, and many more outings to enjoy. Plus lots of reading, playing games, cooking, and enjoying life. I will let you know how it is going.

An Amazon Sweepstakes!

2009-10-07T13:44:00.001-07:00

Amazon.com is celebrating 10 years of the wish list and you get all the prizes. How fun is that!

"Amazon.com customers will be wishing big this fall as we celebrate the 10th anniversary

of the much-loved Amazon Wish List with 10 lavish sweepstakes. "

Week 1 (Oct. 5-11): The Twilight Saga: New Moon Premiere Wish List -- A trip for two to Los Angeles to see the premiere

Each week I will post and link to the sweepstakes that Amazon will be hosting. You don't want to miss all the goodies, maybe even a trip, a makeover, or appliances. There is bound to be something you want to win.

What do you do with a sick boy!

2009-10-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Why you color, of course, and watch lots of "toons" and snuggle with mom.
Hope you are having a grand day!

Finding Steady Ground

2009-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

When you stop doing what you have been doing for some time you can loose a sense of who you are. That happened to me after my kids went back to school, after over a year of homeschooling. We have all been trying to find steady ground again.
Luckily, we are at a school that encourages parent involvement and I love helping. I spent 3 morning a week helping is my little man's preK class and than always stop in and see if I can help in my girl's 3rd grade class. I know that it will be a matter of time before she does not want me around so I will help all I can right now.
Since we move so much, my policy still stands - If we are in a school district that is not good or healthy for my kids, the we homeschool. No questions asked, we are not afraid of the schools or scared to homeschool . We will always do what is best for our kids.
BUT, I miss it. I miss the day to day interaction. I miss teaching, explaining, and see them learn. I am ok with where they are, but I still crave homeschooling in my soul. We may be back there someday with one or both of the kids. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the time at the school helping all the kids and the teachers.

2009-09-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I did any menu planning. We are in a very busy time in our lives and I think that having a menu planned will help us. f course, R likes to cook and sometimes he changes my menu plans because he has a craving, but whom am I to complain when someone else is doing the cooking.

Monday - Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans
Tuesday - hopefully left over chicken with fresh squash
Wednesday - BBQ pork
Thursday - busy night, some great sandwiches and homemade chips would be good
Friday - homemade pizza, salad

This week is also count down to a double birthday party next weekend. Oh my, I decided to have both of the kids birthday's on the same day about half way between the two actual birthdays. This year we have a pirate theme, since Sat. Sept, 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Visit Organized Junkie for many more great menu and recipe ideas.

A New Adjustment

2009-09-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have posted anything on this blog. Not only was my last post in August, but the last year has been less personal on the blog. So I had to make a decision on which way I wanted to look at my blog. Could it be a personal space that reflected my family or a space that was more beneficial for the reader or both?

Our military life has made our personal lives stressful for that last 6 months or so, but thankfully things have settled some. In my continued quest to find my spot in our new home, new neighborhood, new state, and new command, I heard God whispering to me "just make a home" and so that is what I have been working on.

My daughter C did go back to school and she is flourishing. She is eager to learn and is making friends and they act all kinds of girly goofy on a daily basis. Her teacher is fabulously organized and is teaching self responsibility. Our goal is to always do what is best for her in regards to school. If we ever feel the need to pull her out of school and homeschool again, there will be no hesitation.

My little boy, J, was very upset that he would be home alone with C gone and his best buddy across the street away at Kindergarten. So we found out about a Pre K program that is at the same school. I have been worried about him going and it has not been an easy transition, but he wanted to try and so we are letting that happen. He is fine during school, but being left there has been difficult, and he is very tired and grumpy at the end of the day. We have just completed our 2nd week and I want him to try for a while longer, but if it does not work then we will move on.

So with 2 in school nearly all day, I can volunteer at the school which I love. I love helping all children and these children are nearly all military kids and so I understand a little of what they are going through. J's class is lively and entertaining, my favorite part is where they read a story and then act out some of the scenes. Imagine 15 four and five years olds acting out scenes to books. To funny.

So I hope that you stick with us as we see where this road leads us. It has been an adjustment and we are hoping for good, positive results all around.

Still Summer

2009-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

It is still summer time to me and we are finally enjoying some down time. Once we got moved in military housing just before 4th of July, we began to feel a bit more settled and ready to enjoy some time of nothing. And we have. The house is set and friends have been made. we get daily use out of the closest playground

We are making some decisions about school. C would like to attend public school this year, I don't blame her one bit. This past year has been difficult on her. We began homeschooling to pull her out of a school situation that she was in. Two moves later, she misses the friendship that she had at school prior to our move from AL to MS. So it has been quite a while since she has had some good girlfriends.

Homeschool is still in our line of sight though. J will be doing a modified preschool/kindergarten program. Basically we are going to beef up the prek stuff, add in things he enjoys, and run off on every bunny trail he would like to study.

We never know what the future holds, so we are mentally preparing for every possibility. C could stay in school or come home, if R deploys we may not stay here at all (we are across country from our family), and J could go into Kinder next year, test into 1st, or stay home and continue homeschooling. Right now, we are living in the summer and not worry about the what ifs.

Hope you are having a fabulous summer. Keep enjoying it.

August 2009 from Econobusters

2009-07-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

If you have never read one of the monthly e-books from Molly at Econobusters, then this is the month to try it. The August e-book is full of ideas to get you, your family, and your home organized just in time for that new school year. We will not start school until September, but with the month of August covered up with visits from our family, we want to be organized and ready for anything. There is so much information and simple ideas here; you will be motivated to tackle those jobs that have been on your to-do list all year. “Practical and tactical” is my husband’s motto for cleaning and I have some ideas to give him or maybe I can just get him to read the e-book.

Maybe you have already started back to school or maybe the year is approaching at warp speed, Molly has many ideas for the kitchen in this issue. There are recipes that are going to give you peace of mind when your school year starts. Using mixes to prep in bulk will save you time and money. For soups, cookies, muffins, and rice you can have them prepped and waiting for you. Just think you can have simple mixes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all ready and in your pantry for the coming months. If your children help you measure and prepare these mixes, then that counts as summer school. Keep those recipe ideas coming, I love many of the ideas that I see here.

Finally, at the end of the August e-book is a list of links to all the information that Molly has used. I find it so helpful to put all the links and websites in one place. I hope you will be encouraged to use this information to make your home and life as organized and relaxed as possible.

A Quick Update

2009-07-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

We had a complete change of plans. Thank you Uncle Sam and US Navy. We moved a little bit further north, on base, and into a bigger house. Not much to complain about there. So between unpacking, spending time at the pool and beach, and getting all that lovely paper work done, there has not been much time for blogland.

This has been our summer. Yay for us! We have family coming during the month of July, so we will get well acquainted with the airport and enjoy parts of sunny California that we have yet to see.

Our school plans are changing a bit and it looks like I could have one homeschooler and one public schooler. We will see, I am not pushing the issue, but I am being pushed by some family member. So my hubby and I made the decision to not let their opinions influence our family. That has already helped with the stress of that decision. I will let you know where the good Lord leads us.

I did find a website that I love and will use with my 4(almost 5) year old this year. if you get a chance, go check out all the cuteness. The Crafty Crow. This links to the ABC section, but there is so much more.

Doula Mama

2009-07-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

One of my real life friends has started a blog about pregnancy and delivery. Amy is a doula in Korea, while her husband is stationed there. She is very passionate about women being educated about their options during pregnancy and delivery. Click here to see.

Just what we needed!

2009-06-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

" I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:13

If life is crazy, then military life is crazier! Y'all pray for us, everything is a little bit chaotic here.

Embracing the E-Book

2009-06-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

I believe that the homeschool world has been revolutionized by the e-book. It has become very easy to manufacture, publish, and read e-books. Personally, we have been able to gleam tons of info for our homeschool days through e-books.

E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution is a new e-book from The Old Schoolhouse. In this small e-book, several writers have combined to give us a little more insight into how the e-book world has affected them. There is Amanda Bennett’s view of adding to the homeschool experience to Isabelle Lussier’s view on storage.

Most people have a problem with e-books because they have a difficult time overcoming the desire to hold a book in their hand. E-Homeschooling: Embracing the E-Book Revolution is a free e-book from TOS that may help you change your mind toward having and using e-books in your homeschool. Go get this e-book and see if one of these contributors has an idea that will encourage you.

An Idea For Dad's

2009-06-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

This year, we are much farther from our Dad's than we have been in previous years. We can't send a card with a promise of a gift when we see them and we can't plan to see one or the other. This morning, I got an email from Amazon promoting gift cards for Father's day. Don't know why that did not dawn on me earlier, but there is still time.

You can click on this link to purchase a gift card for the Dads in your life.

Tomorrow we work on homemade cards so that they can get in the mail late tomorrow afternoon.

Have a great week.
Amanda

Book Basket of Continents

2009-06-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from the Book Basket over at The Happy Housewife, so I got to play some catch up. Been a bit busy and there is no chance of it slowing down. Schoolwork has slowed down, but our lives have gone through a change and it is not over yet. AHHH! The military way of things.

In our book basket for the last 2 weeks has been continents. I printed out a "My Book of Continents" booklet over at CurrClick during the Mother's day giveaway and went to the library to pick up a simple book on each continent. This is really very simple, both my kids can do this, and I can leave C to do it on her own. I purposefully got books by different authors so that I could see how we liked them. You could do this with a set of books on continents by the same author.

Africa by Allan Fowler. Simple wording, good pictures.
Hooray for Antartica by April Pulley Sayre. Much more in depth, great pictures
Asia by A.R. Achaefer. Still a small book, but more details. Has maps.
Welcome to Australia by Peter North and Susan McKay. Bigger book, to many details for small kids, but a good book, good pictures.
Europe by Karen Bush Gibson (same company,Bridgestone Books, as Asia book) I like these best.
South America by Michael and Jane Pelusey. Lots of details, we loved the pictures.
Atlas of North America by Karen Foster. Not good for small kids, to much. I should have gotten something that did not have atlas in the title.

So all of these books were in our Juvenile Reference section. There were many more, I just picked and chose according to what looked good. if you visit CurrClick and get the booklet, there is a reference and idea section in the back. There are websites listed for craft and recipe ideas, if you want to take it that far. We are just looking for map awareness at this time.

Workbox Updates

2009-06-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

I got some updated pictures of our workboxes. I got all this together in about a weekend and then we got spring fever. There is so much going on for us right now, that we are not filling all the boxes. C loves the boxes, not that she loves her schoolwork all of a sudden, she likes to see what is next. The one on the left is J's and the one on the right is C's.

We use my breakfast room. We moved into this house with a large table and it would only fit in the dining room. We use that to eat all our meals, except for those that we eat on the back porch. I got that small table and stools from IKEA. It is not a good idea to move me this close to that store.

This is what it looks like from my back porch, which is screened in. I actually have a dry erase/chalkboard easel, another small kids table, and J's little workbench out here as well. Maybe I will take some pictures of that to show you.

Good news is that I got my new computer and hopefully soon y'all will can stop looking at pictures taken with my phone. Won't that be good?

Wanna Be A Chef

2009-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wanna Be A Chef

The newest series from The Old Schoolhouse is the “Wanna Be Series.” Periodically we will be able to purchase units that pertain to career paths that your children may want to explore. This looks to be a great idea for exploring options, careers, and neat on-the-job experiences.
“When I Grow Up, I Want to be a Chef” is the first e-book in this series that I was able to look at. There will be other titles available soon, but with the Chef e-book there is plenty to keep you busy.
The e-book by itself would be great for older students to work independently on. There is math, vocabulary, grammar, copy work in print and cursive. There are coloring pages, word search, and handwriting practice for younger kids. What a way to get the whole family involved in mealtime!
My favorite part of the “I Want to be a Chef” E-book is the real life testimony from chefs. They spell out different elements of being a chef while explaining how their careers fit into their family. Take a look and take the quiz to see how much you know because I thought the brigade system would be a military term.

2009 Planner

2009-06-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Homeschool Planner from The Old Schoolhouse for 2009 is out and almost ready for purchase and download. I love getting the planner as an e-book so that I can weed out the pages that I do not need. Some pages will be great for printing and some for storing info on the computer.

Each month contains a learning spotlight from planets to college to the miracles of Jesus. You also will get those great recipes just like last years' planner, but there is so much more.

This year our friends at The Old Schoolhouse revised the school and home planner pages to the extreme. The planner pages are more detailed. Some of my favorites are:

Daily and weekly planner pages from 1 to 5 kids.
Preschool activity pages, if you have a preschooler you will want to see these pages!
Nature and journal pages
Inventory lists for homeschool materials
Chore charts for non readers
Household inventory pages (we used these when we moved this year) Fabulous!

So, so many more! I don't want to give away all the secret goodies. You will like this planner! Mostly though, you will use this planner. You may not use every page, but you can get organized and stay that way with this planner. Everything for your home and school all in one place.

Check out the Schoolhouse Store when planning for your upcoming school year. Remember, shipping is always free

We are still here...

2009-05-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Where have the days gone? We are busy and stressed here, everything seems to be coming fast. Could someone turn off the fire hose, because we are drowning in the decision making going on.

For now, we are doing what we set out to do, keeping life for our kids as stable as possible. That is one of our main priorities in homeschooling our children. We may move a lot, but they do not have to constantly face a new classroom. Our school time has relaxed, and C is doing a happy dance over that.

Today both kids had to have a sports physical done in order to participate in MWR activities on base. The nurse practitioner asked, J (4 yrs old) if he liked school and he said "NO" very matter of factly. That kid! Good news is that J is more willing to write, color, and be read to and we can see improvements. He's a good kid and still loves to snuggle with his Mama, so we will keep him.

The Navy seems to be out of money and so they will not pay tuition assistance for R to take classes toward his degree since he is at a training command. That makes no sense, I know! If he were not at a training command he would not take classes because he would be deploying or getting ready to deploy. This just came about this week. What a bummer! You can guess it, another change of plans.

Until later, say a sweet prayer and enjoy the weekend.

Workbox

2009-05-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

We have climbed aboard the Sue Patrick Workbox Sytstem and enjoying the ride. I loved to organize and this seemed right up my ally. This is what ours looked like at the end of the day. A complete mess, yes, but it was quickly righted and set for the next day.

This is my breakfast room in this small house. It will be getting a little overhaul this weekend and I will post some pictures next week. I feel a trip to IKEA coming.

C has 12 boxes and we roughly fill about 9 of them a day. This week we are stressing reading, so I have laid off some other subjects. We are not done with our year by any standards, we are just laying a little low.

J has 6 boxes at 4 yrs old. We do 3 and take a break and then do 3 more. He is adamantly against all schoolwork and so everything has to be a tricky. If it looks like schoolwork he is headed out of the door.

I keep some of the boxes prefilled. For example, we have a play dough box, a sorting game with colored pom poms, tweezers, and a egg carton, dot markers, colors, etc. i just pull out the box that I want to add, mostly to J's day, and add the number.

You can order the book as an e-book, which I highly recommend and see what all the hoopla is about. You can also see a list of other bloggers that use the workbox system over at Cheeky Monkey. Enjoy.

Nature and My Boy

2009-05-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

J is not really all about the outdoors. He loves to play with his friends outside and he loves a good playground, but nature hikes and nature study he could do without. So C and I have intentionally made an effort to comment about beautiful things outside. That way J notices them, but we are not asking him to participate. We are sneaking education on him.

Today while walking from the park J said "Mama those are pretty sticks."
When I looked over, I had to laugh. He was pointing to a pile of dead limbs that had been gathered by the lawn maintenance people, but I will take any type of participation I can get.

Memoria Press

2009-05-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

I waited somewhat impatiently for the Memoria Press books to arrive and I have not been disappointed. Memoria Press books and curriculum is based on a classical education. The lessons lasted longer than C would have liked, but I think part of that was due to her teacher. I was so interested in every part of these books.

The Introduction to Latin books and the Famous Men of Rome books are unbelievably well put together. With these two sets of books, Memoria Press has combined history (which I love) with Latin (which I am dying to know more of). My head swims with all the knew information that I am soaking up. I hope that my excitement is wearing off on the kids.

The Latina Christiana I: Introduction to Latin books are easy to navigate and teach. There are vocabulary words, grammar, and a Latin saying. I love how the vocabulary words start simple. The words are easily applied to English words that kids can associate with. I am not sure how much C is retaining but I am enjoying teaching her.

The Famous Men of Rome books are fabulous. What an exceptionally great period of history to be looking further into. Being a product of public schools, I can assure you that this information was not taught. To be honest, C has a hard time focusing on the stories. I think that she just cannot imagine it all. So I am looking for ways to make her feel the story. You will not be sorry with the Famous Men of Rome books.

Math Tutor DVD

2009-05-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Math Tutor DVD has come up with a way to make math a little less stressful. Their math DVD's offer many hours of instruction in math lessons that can become a bit dry and confusing. One method and one way is the best way to teach math, in my opinion. Using the Math Tutor DVD's, your child is taught through example problems and repetition.

The Basic Math and Algebra 2 DVD's are just two of the many DVD's available from Math Tutor. You will easily find the right DVD for your student.

This program works great for the independent worker, but I easily found my daughter staring into space or drawing on her paper. That could be linked to 2 things, 1) she was bored and already knew what she was learning since she is pretty decent math student or 2) it did not interest. I really did not push to hard because I think that she has basic math down pretty well and Algebra 2 will be in a few years. Interesting though, the 2nd day that C watched a part of the video, I found my son staring at the TV, soaking every bit of it up. So I am excited to return to this video in the next couple of year with J. Now if I can just get him to write his numbers we will be moving in the right direction.

Homeschool Helps & A Favorite

2009-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Happy Housewife has this great idea to post about the books that we are reading, books the kids are reading, and books we use in our homeschool day. So for our 3rd week of the book basket I thought I would tell you about some of the books that I have read in my homeschool journey.

The Joyful Home Schooler by Mary Hood, PH.D. Full of good advice for getting started and scripture to keep you focused.

The Simplicity of Homeschooling by Vicky Goodchild A little bit of everything

Homeschooling 101 by Mark and Christine Field The whole book was not for me, but some of the chapters may speak to you. I liked the life skills and preschooler chapters.

Carschooling by Diane Flynn Keith Lots and Lots of good idea whether you are in the car or not.

Mary Pride's Big Book of Homeschoooling Preschool and Elementary Everything you can imagine in one bulky book, I bought it on clearance and have used it when trying to find or decide on homeschool materials.

One of our all time favorite books is:

The Way I Feel by Janan Cain

What a treasure trove it has been for us. The kids have been on emotional rollercoasters for the last couple of years. There was moving, then deployment, and then moving again. Some days they do not know whether they are coming or going. We read the book and I let them talk if they want. I don't push or ask a lot of questions, I don't want to pull an emotion out of them that they are not experiencing. Usually I will hear something that is on their mind though.

Have a great day and visit The Happy Housewife to see what other books are made the lists.

Math Mammoth

2009-04-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Math has been one of those subjects that has confused me. Not the math actually, but all the available sources for good math programs. Also, C is pretty good at math, not genius but she catches on without much hesitation.

Prior to receiving Math Mammoth, we had been working with an old workbook and real life scenarios. Not a bad way to keep up with math skills, but I was unsure of how to introduce new math problems.

Can I say right now that I am not looking forward to multiplication tables in 3rd grade. Shivers!

We received Math Mammoth addition and subtraction, fractions, place value, and measuring. She has been introduced to all of these subjects and we easily moved from page to page alternating days between each subject. I liked it and when I was motivated I remembered to pull out the manipulatives that I came up with to make things more tangible for C. Some of our favorites are:

counting bears
marbles
pom poms
pennies

Math Mammoth is great for those who like to do worksheets. C is not one of those kids, so I spruced things up with hands on ideas for her.

My favorite part of the Math Mammoth is that you can but what you want. You can buy an entire grade level curriculum or you can break things up if your child has different needs. Whether you buy the downloadable form, CD form, or printed text you can afford Math Mammoth and then use what you have on hand to make it tangible if you need to. I print off the page we need, stick it in C's workbox, and she calls me if she has a problem or to explain what she needs to do. There is nothing scary about that kind of math.

Check out Math Mammoth.

What I Needed to Hear

2009-04-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

I was reading my daily devotional from Elisabeth Elliot this morning and this little paragraph reached out and grabbed me.

"We read that our Heavenly Father actually looks for people who will worship him in spirit and in reality. Imagine! God is looking for worshippers. Will he always have to go to a church to find them, or might there be one here and there in an ordinary house, kneeling alone by a chair, simply adoring him?"

Elisabeth Elliot

What an amazing woman she is. Some days I feel like she is speaking straight to my heart.

The stress around here has risen with R's school. The test are multiple times per week covering multiple chapters each time. We knew it would be difficult, but it is difficult to see him struggle and not be able to help much.

WiteShop Primary Book A

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

WriteShop Primary Book A came at just the right time for us. We were in need of something a little bit different from what we had been doing, but we needed more writing in our day. Although I should be requiring more of C these days, I liked this book because she liked how simple it was. I would think that any child that knows how to write could use WriteShop. I think that this book or any of their other books would be a great summer practice book.

Book A begins with writing a small story with the teacher's help and encouraging children to speak and write in complete sentences and slowly works up to more specific instructions with more detailed answers. All the while, your children are improving their reading, writing, and comprehension skills.

The first book, Primary Book A is $26.95 for the print version, plus shipping and handling or e-book version for $24.95 and no shipping and handling. Personally, I was happy with the e-book version, I printed nearly every page, but we have and will use it all.

Tapestry of Grace Year 2 unit 4

2009-04-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Tapestry of Grace has a huge reputation to uphold. Those that use TOG in their homeschooling have nothing but great things to say about it The most common compliment for TOG that I have heard is that it is clearly usable to teach multiple ages at the same time. We were able to review Year 2 Unit 4-Age of Revolutions which picks up near the end of colonial times. We learned about Benjamin Franklin as a young man and just who Silence Dogood was. We also received the Unit 4 lapbook. We have not done it yet, but I can't wait to get into it, now that I have better access to books

Tapestry of Grace has made it easier for you by developing a Digital Edition of their infamous curriculum. The download process does take some time, but once you have the whole year or unit within the year you will have access to a wealth of information with instructions. I don't know about you but I need all the help and guidance I can get.

Like many other popular curricula, TOG is mostly literature based. If you live near a large library system that has no problems with inter-library loan then getting the books will not be a problem. I started this program living in Slidell, LA which is still recovering from Katrina and moved to California and there are many more books available. So I will be able to pick TOG back up this fall.

One you download the Year or a Unit in the year, then it is yours. Make as many copies as you need for you and your family, but not for others or to sell. If your computer crashes or you get another computer, the tech guys will get you set up with one phone call.

TOG is classical in nature and does take a bit of time to prepare. Take your time and waddle through, I think that you will be happy in the end. What I love is that you only have to buy one set and it comes with everything for multiple grades. For instance, I will have a Kindergartner and a 3rd grader this fall. Not at all on the same level, but they can easily listen or read the same stories.

TOG is one of the more expensive curricula and it is just for history. Although I think that something as good as TOG is worth it, one of the advantages to the digital edition is the lower cost and lack of shipping and handling. You may have to print out many pages yourself, but you do not need to print everything.

Curious, you can take a look at the Tapestry of Grace website and answer many questions.

Molly's Money-Saving Digest May 2009

2009-04-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Molly from Econobusters, has another issue of the Money Saving Digest coming out soon. The May issue is full of info, articles, and ideas you will not want to miss out. This is a great issue to get. All previous issues are just $4.95 and still available.

There are great ideas for all those delicious strawberries out there. I love strawberry picking time. Of course being in California, our strawberries have been blooming for a while and I have no idea how long that will last.

Other ideas from the May issue is decorating, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day ideas. Molly does a great job of including links to other websites that are full of ideas for school, home, and play. Maybe you have an idea that you would like to share with Molly.

I hope you take the time to get and read this issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest. So many ideas to keep you fueled as you start to plan your next year of homeschooling. What a blessing Molly is!

Book Basket Day

2009-04-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Back for another week of what is in your Book Basket over at The Happy Housewife. I have not had a chance to go look through the list that other people have linked, but I look forward to settling down soon.

Today has been a fun, but long day. We went to a wild animal show on base and stayed to watch "Race to Witch Mountain." We also visited the library, the post office, a quick run by the grocery store, and then the kids went kind of wild when we got home.

All the running and screaming. I certainly hope that they are tired.

I had to drop off some books and pick up some books we requested and needed. We haven't read these, but look forward to getting into them soon.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein What a sweet story, this is the first time I have read the story to my little boy, that kind of surprised me.

No Jumping on the Bed by Tedd Arnold

Be Gentle with the Dog, Dear! by Matthew J. Baek I grabbed this one quickly thinking that it my help us with J's rough actions around our new dog. We'll see.

Mishka: An Adoption Tale by Adrienne Ehlet Bashita C picked this one out and we have not read it yet.

The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar by Nataloe Kiney-Warnock. This one is from FIAR, and we will start it on Monday

Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride No 2 by Kate Dicamillo C read Mercy Watson No 1 last week

Mercy Watson Fights Crime No 3 by Kate Dicamillo

Lottie's New Beach Towel by Petra Mathers

Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell. I like Jamie Lee Curtis but have not read this one.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. We have read and read this book. I don't know why we don't own it.

Where's Waldo by Martin Handford. J say this book for the first time today and had to have it. Let's see if he can find Waldo.

Now head over to the Happy Housewife and see what is on everyone's book lists.

Free Ice Cream

2009-04-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

We went down to Seaport Village today to get our free ice cream scoop from Ben and Jerry's. Thanks you Ben and Jerry's for the ice cream, even the one that C dropped on the ground.

Here is C enjoying my Peanut Butter cookie dough. I got maybe 2 licks off of it before hers hit the ground. She probably could have gotten another one because we had just walked away from the window, but I figured maybe someone was telling me I did not need ice cream. C did let me eat the cone, which is delicious all by itself.

Here is my little man taking a bite out of his Chunky Monkey ice cream. Once he heard the word Monkey, no other ice cream existed for him. He ate every last bite, well except for the drops that ran down his arm, or dripped on the table, or stuck to his face.

Good time was had by all.

The phone takes pretty good pictures.

Granola

2009-04-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

In honor of our trip to Balboa Park for the Earth Day Fair, I made some granola. Just so you know, we did not learn one thing at the Earth Day Fair but what a hippie looks like. We also had to leave because A LOT of information being distributed and yelled was not appropriate for kids. We did enjoy a walk through the Botanical Gardens. It was a nice refreshing break from the chaos.

So this is my recipe for granola. We love it with yogurt or by the hand full.

Granola

Mix together:
3 cups oats (I used steel cut this time and I likes the bigger chunks it made)
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt (depends on your liking)

In a separate bowl:
2 tablespoons melted butter (you can use canola oil)
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon of molasses (any dark syrup, I use Alaga, made in AL)

Mix the wet ingredients and pour over the mixed up dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a pan. Cook at 325 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

When the granola is golden brown it is done, remove from oven, break up large chunks, and add any dried fruits that you like. We love dried cranberries. When completely cool you can store for a couple weeks, if it last that long.

Really and truly you can substitute any of the nuts that you like just as long as they are raw going in. I broke up some walnuts one time and that was very good.

Can I just say that I love Trader Joe's, this is the first time we have lived by one and that may spell trouble. The cost of the raw nuts was actually pretty good. There was a better selection per price than the commissary. We will be back and we just won't talk about how good their chocolate peanut butter cups are

Books Galore

2009-04-15T20:32:00.001-07:00

I love going to the library. Visiting the library is always one of our first adventures when we move to a new town. Now, I have my gal C on the bandwagon with me, she loves to get her library card as much as I do. She takes having her own library card very seriously. At the library that we live closest to now, they have self check out. How awesome it is! There are 2 self check out centers side by side and we check out books at the same time.

Here is where we keep our library books. Separate from all the books that we own and confined so that they (hopefully) will not end up under beds or dressers or who knows where. That pink and brown bag is from The Old Schoolhouse. It is good and sturdy and will hold a good amount of books. C has her own bag from GA's and we fill them both up. The basket is metal and to heavy to carry.

The Happy Housewife has the idea to share what library books are working for you. She will have a linky up on her website once a month. You can participate by adding your list of books or doing a book review.

So now, a list of what is in our basket this month. Now please know that I don't force books on the kids. I do try to steer them away from some books and encourage them toward books that will challenge them. Some books they get just because it looks fun. Some of the books that C picked out she reads while spending some quiet time in her room. She has struggled with reading and has improved a lot this year. So some books are below her reading level and some above it and some of the books are for our 4 yr old little boy.

The Aurora County All Stars by Deborah Wiles. She also wrote another favorite of ours. Love, Ruby Lavendar is based in Mississippi, which is where we used to live.
Breakfast for Jack by Pat Shories No words, just pictures and I encourage the kids to make up a story to go along.
Animal Babies in the Rain Forest Cute baby animals
Belinda the Ballerina by Amy Young
Bertie at Bedtime by Marcus Pfister I got this because it is written by the same guy that worte Rainbow Fish
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
My Freight Train by Michael Rex
The Big Bug Book by Margery Facklam great pictures, guess who that is for?
What Do Parents Do (when you're not home) by Jeanie Franz Ranson what children think their parents are doing at home without them.
Rainbow Fish to the Rescue by Marcus Pfister Same great fish that helps another fish avoid a shark
Spicy Hot Colors by Sherry Shahan names of colors in English and Spanish
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
The Library by Sarah Stewart
Daddy All Day Long by Franseca Rusackas
Tippy Toe Chick, Go by George Shannon
Mercy Watson to the Rescue book 1 by Kate DiCamillo from the author of Because of Winn Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, small chapter book, pretty easy reader, fun and quirky. 12 easy chapters.
Fairies, Trolls, & Goblins Galore Poems

School books - most of these we use just for pictures and some things to talk through while doing the lessons. We are just now getting to this in our lessons because I was able to do some reviews of other curriculum this year and we are back to our books.

Thanksgiving on Plymouth by Diane Stanley

Pilgrims in America by L.L. Owens

The Plymouth Colony by Pamela Dell

Squanto and the first Thanksgiving by Joyce K. Kessel

Eating the Plate: A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner my favorite, good realistic pictures

The Mayflower Pilgrims by Brenda Colloms

I also read:

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah
Homeschooling the Child with ADD I have no idea if C has ADD, but she cannot CONCENTRATE

You can probably find everyone of these books on Amazon. I linked a few so that you can read more about them.

How sweet it is!

2009-04-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Great big California lemons in Great Grannie Grimes bowl.

Mama's Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.

My slice of pie on Grandmother's dishes.

4 Generations of homemaking.

New Goal

2009-04-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

I got a new goal for myself. I cannot tell you how long it has been since I did something for myself. I will take a sewing class this summer. I have had a sewing machine for years and cannot really get it working. So my goal will be to take a class at a local community college this summer. The class will last about 6 weeks, one day a week, in the evening, for a 2 or 3 hours. i can do that.

One day, I hope that I can teach my children how to sew. I know my grandmother tried to teach me and I can remember a few things, but I want to get started while my grandmother is still with us so that I can ask questions.

I am sure that it will not belong before my daughter will be to cool to wear anything handmade.

Apologia - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day

2009-04-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

I loved that we got the chance to review Apologia science. The kids and I have drooled over the pictures in Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. A Zoology textbook with a basis in creation science that is focused on the homeschooling families.

This Apologia book that we were able to review was a great textbook with activities and experiments built into the lessons. I cannot sit and read to C very much, her mind wonders, and so I was worried about how to incorporate this textbook to our day. We looked at the book and focused on the vocabulary words that are in bold. Once we started talking about the vocabulary words she wanted to know more. She also knew that we had to get through the pages before she was allowed to do the activities or experiments. Having a little goal, kept her more focused.

I think every Christian parent looks for a science curriculum that is based in Creation instead of evolution type science that we learned in the public schools. Apologia has had their priorities on homeschoolers since 1994 when homeschool parents went looking for an alternative. Apologia was born then and the Apologia family has grown every since and has plans to add to their product list.

Who am I?

2009-04-10T20:23:00.001-07:00

At times I find it very difficult to be more than one person at a time, but how do you not do it. I chose the decisions that I did because I felt that was were the Lord was leading me. It is hard enough being a military wife or a homeschooling mama without mixing the two. These days I feel so overwhelmed.
I have always felt blessed by my life. Even considering all the downs mixed with the ups. I knew I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do. There is something that I have loved about every duty station and there are people all over the country that I miss dearly.
Now we are surviving a year away much farther from family, in a house that needs some work, with a schedule that is stressful, and we are homeschooling.
Except homeschooling is not going so well. We are both unhappy with each other and I awake every day dreading the fight that lays before us to get the work done. Of course, you can say that it is the move or spring fever, but this has been going on since the get go and I am worn out. I have changed everything more than once, had a rigid schedule and a relaxed schedule, took away privileges, and just ignored that lack of work she was doing, but now I am out of steam and tired of it all. The unfortunate thing is that she is behind in so many things because we relaxed so much to let her reading improve. Her reading has improved freatly although she will ask you every time what a word is before she sounds it out.
C would rather do what she wants to do all day long and the moment that something, anything, happens to upset her then we all pay for it the rest of the day. She cannot sit still and do an assignment and she will not do an assignment at all unless someone is standing over her. Poor little brother gets yelled at making a noise and disturbing her. All those actions are ridiculous in my book. There is not a day that goes by that one of us is not in tears. Usually her, multiple times, with screaming and shouting mixed in.
I wish there was a magic formula, but what I want more than anything is cooperation from all involved to get that formula figured out. I am sure that there is a way to make school fun for her. I just wish someone would tell me what it is.
I got the book Homeschooling the Child with ADD (and other Special Needs). I have no idea if that is C's problem but I thought that the book might give me some ideas.
Now my ranting is over. Thank you for listening. I feel better now.

Make new friends, but keep the old

2009-04-06T18:08:00.003-07:00

I need a better camera, but you get the point. The extra kids here playing with my kids are some old friends of ours. They lived across the street from us when we were all stationed in FL together. Until we moved to CA, the kids had not seen each other since summer of 2007. A couple years is not a big deal for adults, but kids take it differently. My little man was so young that he did not have memories of playing with H & J.

So we had a sleepover last night and everyone had a blast. This morning we had breakfast, some TV, sprinkler fun, Wii action, and a trip to the park. How awesome is it that we have built in friends that we already love and cherish?

Want to know something awesome, me and my next door neighbor were the first people to ever invite these kids and their mama to church. They eventually came and their mom, K, invited Jesus into her heart. Thank you GOD! Now these kids have had the opportunity to go to church, hear the word, and become apart of Awanas. All because God planted us across the street from each other.

Critical Thinking Math grade 2

2009-04-04T16:30:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to give the Critical Thinking Co. a try for a long time. I was hoping that they lived up to their reputation of making kids think through their schoolwork. C would much rather me tell her how and why to do everything than for her to take the time to think things out. So I sat and waited for the possibility to get to review anything from Critical Thinking Co.

I did get the chance to review the Mathematics Reasoning Book 2 ($32.99)and I am so glad that I did. C loves this workbook. It is bright and engaging and just what we needed. A little break from the rigors of math was well deserved. C loves Math, but had gotten bogged down in the routine of computing math and not able to see around the problems to trust the answers in her head.

We are back to homeschooling after our move and adding Critical Thinking Math to our day has put us off on the right foot. I hope to look at other Critical Thinking books and add them to our homeschool in the future.

Alphabet Alley Magnetic Set

2009-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

Alphabet Alley is quickly becoming one of my favorite companies for kids toys. The toys that I reviewed and the kids were able to play with are some of the toys that we continue to go back to. We were excited to review the Our New Baby Magnetic Play set.

This magnetic set made it across country with us on our recent move helping to keep my little man busy and occupied. My daughter loved the play set because she loves decorating and thought it was "cool" to be the one to decorate the baby's room.

I can see how the Our New Baby Magnetic Play set could be a bonus to a family that is about to welcome a new baby to their home. Alphabet Alley has a great selection of stickers, building bocks, and matching games that your kids will love.

These great magnetic playsets are no longer available from Alphabet Alley. This is a company that is dedicated to provided products of the highest quality and standards; and, because of that, they have pulled these magnetic playsets from their product line to determine whether or not they meet the new standards set by the U.S. government. In the meantime, please visit their website and see what they DO have available - you won't be disappointed!

Schleich Action Figures

2009-04-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

I am sad to admit that I had never heard of Schleich Action Figures prior to receiving them in the mail. I just love these figures. They are cute, realistic, and sturdy. I have secret plans to order more of these for one little boys birthday this year. These figures made themselves at home very quickly in my son's toys.

That pig is the cutest thing. Our nickname for C is pig and she quickly added this one to her collections.

One of the things that I love about Schleich action figures are all the categories of figures that they have with more coming out this year. Categories include Farm Life, Wild Life, Humans, Smurfs, Dinosaurs (another favorite of 4 yr old boys), Elves, Knights, and many more.

I have already looked up the Schleich dealer in our new area and plan to make a trip there soon. Of course in this new town, I have to use the GPS and a lot of prayer. :)

Kinda sweet

2009-04-03T14:03:00.004-07:00

Please ignore this haircut, this is after he had cut it himeslf. Every kid does that once, right?

This morning my sweet boy got up a little bit earlier and crawled in bed with me. I loved the little bit of time that I got to spend with him before sister woke up. We didn't even get out of bed. We giggled and tickled and snuggled. I was reminded how fast he is growing and one day he will not want to giggle, tickle, and snuggle.

Once he and sister were up and at em, I was left behind. I was back to being the mom that tells them what to do. I am trying to teach J to put up his own clothes, the folded ones at least. When I handed him the clothes that I had folded he asked me to come help him put them in the drawers. Not, I don't want to do it or you do it, but he asked for help in doing it himself. Hooray!

Kind of bitter sweet. Not wanting him to grow up but celebrating in the growing and learning that he is doing.

Right now I am a distant memory as he plays with the little boy that lives on out street. They are all boy and can get a little rough at times. What amazes me is that with one extra kid in the house I can get more done.

Homefront Mom

Momgram Swap - Caroline

Bonded

The Pirate Queen

Good Morning Girls

Menu Planning

Big Events

Sweet baby girl!

The Countdown Has Begun

In Action

Socks and Dyslexia

Merry Christmas

Baby Names

Thanksgiving Day

Making Fall Trees

30 Days of Giveaways

Surfing Lessons

Halloween Costumes!

Busy Fall

They Really Do Love Each Other

Rainy Days

Can He Really Be 6?

Family Pictures

All Boy

Turning 9

Play Ball!

Summer Vacation

Girl Scouts

I won

Looking Down the Road

A New Road

Molly makes $7 Slow Cooker Suppers

Their 1st Snow Experience

We Love The Putt Putt

To Serve

My Military Kids - Notes from the Homefront

February Issue of Molly's Money Saving Digest

i heart faces

i heart faces

Chalkboard

Blogroll

Winter Wonders from Download N Go

Wordless Wednesday

Tackle it Tuesday

Muffin Tin Monday

I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge

We Love Christmas

Naughty or Nice?

Little Man

My Girl

Birthday Bonanza

Only 19 States

What's going on!

Two Sided Day

Enrichment - Making Crayon Disks

3 Days Only Sale

Just Spotted, Disneyland Tickets

Enrichment Activity 1

Our Pets

Homeschool Goodness

Building a plan

An Amazon Sweepstakes!

What do you do with a sick boy!

Finding Steady Ground

A New Adjustment

Still Summer

August 2009 from Econobusters

A Quick Update

Doula Mama

Just what we needed!

Embracing the E-Book

An Idea For Dad's

Book Basket of Continents

Workbox Updates

Wanna Be A Chef

2009 Planner

We are still here...

Workbox

Nature and My Boy

Memoria Press