Walt Disney World and Sea World

Well, today I am sitting in our hotel suite, typing away. I just got done packing up our stuff for our long trip home. This vacation has been wonderful and I am so very glad that we were able to come. Norman, the boys and I have all said that we will have to come back but there are several things that we would do differently.

First, next time we come, we may skip all the hype and just stay at the beach. Our favorites were Caspersen Beach near Venice and Siesta Beach near Sarasota. I have never been so relaxed in my whole life. Siesta Beach was my favorite....the sand was white, the slope was VERY gradual and the sunset was beautiful. Norman and the older boys spent hours searching for sharks teeth at Caspersen Beach. We have half a juice bottle to bring home!

Second, if we ever do choose to come back to Disney, we will completely skip MGM (Hollywood) Studios and Epcot. We were not impressed at all. We loved Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. So, that will be the plan for next time.

Sea World was fantastic. Our tickets gave us a 2nd day free and we went again today and spent a few hours, but it probably wasn't worth the $15 parking. We got everything done in one day. And it is absolutely worth it to see both Shamu shows (Believe and Shamu Rocks). They are different and NOT to be missed.

We also believe that it would be worth it to pay for a Disney resort hotel if you plan to go to Disney. We didn't realize, but resort guests get to enter an hour early and stay 3 (THREE) hours later. The crowds would be so much smaller!!!!! So that will probably be part of the plan next time.

Universal Studios got skipped this time. A lot of the rides had height restrictions that wouldn't have allowed Greg to ride. Next time, we will probably go there. We also skipped GatorLand....we are just too tired.

The mall at Lake Buena Vista (outlet mall) isn't worth your time. The only thing that redeemed them was that they had an Old Navy.....but I can go to an Old Navy in Terre Haute so........

If you want to see, my pictures are on facebook....sorry, though, close friends only. You know...the privacy thing. When I get home I may try to post a favorite or two here, but it is a pain to upload pictures on blogger and a breeze to get them on facebook....it just doesn't seem worth it to do it here. Sorry!

Also, I have learned that Starbucks is my friend!!!!! My goodness, I am addicted. There is one down the block and I love the Caramel Macchiato. Yummy!!!!!

I will be back up doing product reviews, homeschool posts and housekeeping stuff next week.

I Choose

• to love my Lord and Saviour with my heart, mind and soul
• to conceive, birth and raise any children God blesses me with
• to dress like a woman
• to dress in a modest style
• to submit to my husband, allowing him to lead our family in God's will
• to homeschool (with my husband's blessing) my children, training them in the way that they should go
• to pray for the best and prepare for the worst

Every day that you and I live our lives we have a multitude of choices to make. Some of these choices are trivial and some have eternal value. All of our choices should reflect God's love and our obedience to Him. What do your choices say about you?

A Note from Psalm

Psalm 27 (NAS)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, the stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me.
When Thou didst say, "Seek My face, : my heart said to Thee, "Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek."
Do not hide Thy face from me, Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.
Teach me Thy way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path, Because of my foes.
Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

***I am waiting God. Show me!

Missing Friends

I am wasting time on the internet today. I am moody I guess. I just spent several minutes searching facebook for people that I used to know. How sad is that?

That got me to thinking though.......how do our relationships develop and grow and then die so suddenly? In high school I had good friends. Upon graduation it was like someone flipped a switch and "poof", they were gone. We all went our separate ways. We all grew up and developed into the people that we are today. Most of my classmates I don't miss at all and a few I miss terribly.

I guess that we learn, as we get older, to guard our relationships more carefully. They need to be tended and worked at, rather than dropped when it gets hard or inconvenient. I guess that is part of getting older and wiser :) I am melancholy today, aren't I? Oh well, I suppose I just need to get OFF the internet and get back to packing.

Wait! The packing is done! WooHoo! The cleaning, however, isn't :( So, off I go!
Have a good day!

Facebook

I learn something new everyday. I really do. I set up a facebook account the other day to stay in contact with a friend who is moving. And today, I figured out how to upload pictures to facebook! Let me tell you, it is a LOT easier than doing it here. So, I will probably be doing most of the pictures over there. The photo album is accessible to friends only, so you will need to add me as a friend. You can search for Carie Shinn. If I find you non-threatening :) then you will be allowed to view my pictures! Fun huh?

Training Sons and Training Daughters

I just got my ticket to Cindy Rushton's new online Talk-A-Latte study - Training Sons and Training Daughters. We will be gone, but everything is recording and will downloaded to my IPod at a later date. I can't wait to dig into the great topics that she is covering!!!

Some of the topics include:
Mothering: Step Up to the Call
Training Sons
Training Daughters
Ministering to the Heart of Your Child, Teen and Young Adult

That is just ONE day's worth!

I can't wait to get started! Won't you join us? Feel free to check it out!

What is on Your IPod?

I thought that I would try a new thing every week where we can share what we are listening to. It doesn't have to be on your IPod, that is what I listen to most of the time. Please feel free to share what you are listening to on the radio, CD, TV, mp3...whatever!

I am still listening to the seminars from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo. I am slow....I know! I also added some country music and like to listen to that while playing outside with the boys.
I am also loosely following the news. That is scary stuff!

What are you listening to???

Saturday

It looks like Saturday again :)

We have finished planning for our upcoming trip. We will leave next Thursday morning. I will have my computer with me and will occassionally update about all the fun we are having.

Today, Greg has a soccer game. For some reason Lee's game got rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I don't want to go to a game tomorrow so I will see if a friend can take him. I am going to be doing laundry and start packing. And cleaning. I think that I will begin in our bedroom and bathroom since that will be "grand central" for the packing. Norman and the boys cleaned out the van yesterday and put the 3 person seat in the middle - leaving the other one out. Then Norman took it to town and vaccumed and washed it (3 times). It was dark when he got back but I am sure that it is beautiful!

I decided that I wasn't going to get on the internet this weekend, but habit prevailed and I was here before I realized it. Now, I am getting off here and getting to work! I am probably not getting back on until MONDAY. Have a great weekend!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

As most of you know, I am part of a marketing focus group for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. In case you didn't know, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is a fabulous resource. They provide their magazine in a print and digital format for their subscribers. In fact, I did a review of the digital magazine if you want to check it out. I can't express enough how much this magazine has helped me over the years.

I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall Special.

You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash! It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart totebag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half ofthem are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry!(They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download item.

This is a great value for your homeschool buck! I keep all of my back-issues and reread whenever I need a little "brush up" or encouragment. The articles include product reviews, unit studies, mom encouragment and so much more.

So, if you are interested in checking out this fabulous resource you can go HERE. Act quickly before they run out of these totes.....I hear that they are sooo cute!!!!!

Wednesday in Review

I am going to try, every Wednesday, to post a review of something that I have found helping in my home or homeschool. Sometimes, these will be curriculum reviews that I have been asked to do for TEACH magazine or The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Sometimes, it will be something that I have used independently and found useful. I hope that you enjoy the reviews!

Help Me To Teach
www.helpme2teach.com

I was up way into the night last night checking out this resource. Normally, this is NOT something that I would have bought. Essentially, it is a search engine of web links to pages sorted by topic or subject. First, I searched for American History. I was amazed at the results! There were informational sites, timeline sites, game sites. A search for "math" revealed worksheet making sites, online review game sites and how to teach fractions sites. When I searched for "geography" I found sites on maps, cultures, and more games. Impressive!

I am a "hold something in my hand" type person. I am not sure how much of this I would use in my day-to-day teaching if it isn't something that could be printed out (and there was a lot that could be). However, I am exploring the possibilities of allowing my older son to use this site for RESEARCH. I hate letting him search using Google because of the possibility of questionable content, but these links have all be checked out by the site owner before posting. Fabulous!

Also, through this site I have found enough math review games, geography games and worksheet makers to keep us in math review for a while. Everyone needs math review, right?

I will admit that I came to this site figuring that I was not going to be impressed. Boy was I wrong! Help Me 2 Teach claims that you can find a whole year's worth of study materials using their site alone and I believe that to be absolutely true. The cost for the site subscription is 3 months for $15.95 and 12 months for $29.95. That is an unbelievable deal for 12 months of school! With a subscription you will also receive a monthly newsletter that is filled with more wonderful information (this month was fall and spring equinoxes) and topical links (hurricanes and tornados).

To try the site out, you may purchase a 3 day subscription for $4.94 or a 1 month subscription for $9.95. I am sure that if you give it a try that you will not be disappointed!

If you are interested in reading other reviews of this product, feel free to check out the TOS Crew blog!

Reader Help

If you are in Chattanooga, TN or Atlanta, GA will you please email me? I am curious about the gas shortages in your area. We will be traveling in that area soon and I am worred about getting gas while we are there. My email is carie_shinn@hotmail.com. Please put something in the subject line about gas prices or this blog.
Thank you!

Some Great Articles

Little Bear is teething and sleeping a little more than normal so I have a little time to read some great articles I searched out. They are linked below if you would like to share some encouragment as well.

The New Woman's Movement

How Do We Want Posterity to Remember Us?

If you are looking for modest clothing or patterns:
Common Sense Patterns
Colleen Hammond

That's enough for tonight. I am sleepy and must go to bed.

Chores and Housekeeping Schedules

We have finally hit on a chore system that works for us. We have used it for about 2 years now and I plan to continue it.I made a “chore chart” placed it in a page protector and hung it on a nail in the kitchen. Even my chores are on it. That way there is no excuse for the work not being done.

My older 2 boys are 8 and 11. They will do a set of chores for about 6 months and then they switch. That way there is no arguing about who has the harder chores. Everyone will get them eventually. The baby doesn’t have chores, YET.

Here is the list for this cycle:
8 yr. old
Daily - scoop litter box, feed animals, make bed, pick up bedroom
M and Sat. - vaccum living room
M - wipe down large appliances
M, T, W, Sat. - put away laundry
T - wipe down light switches
W - wipe down bath tub

11 yr. old
Daily - fetch mail, make bed, pick up bedroom, pick up bathroom, pick up living room, kitchen, hallway floors
M, T, W, Sat. put away laundry
M - clean appliances
T - dust
W - wipe down bath tub

Mom
Daily - lunch, clean-up kitchen, supper, clean-up kitchen
M - bathrooms
T dust/vaccum living room
W - focus on kitchen and dining room (clean/mop)
Sat. - organize desk, sort school stuff, garden
M, T, W, Sat - laundry

I don’t do extra chores on Thurs. and Fri because dh is home those days. The boys do their chores 6 days a week, after school and before lunch. It takes them about 30 mins. They are paid 75 cents a day for this. Large lawn/garden jobs are paid extra by my dh.

I work off a to-do list every day. If it is Monday, on my to-do list will be whatever jobs I want to accomplish in the bathrooms (wash floors, scrub shower, clean cabinets, etc.). General pick-up is done every week but the other jobs are done on an “as needed” basis and are added to my to-do list accordingly. Also, larger jobs like washing windows, clean my bedroom, decluttering closets, cleaning the laundry room, etc. are added to my to-do list as I decide they need done. I work them in through out the week. If nothing but the bare bones is done then the house stays in relatively good shape.

This seems to work for us. I love seeing what works for everyone else.

Soccer Saturday

It is Saturday, and the boys played Soccer.

But, I didn't stop by just to tell you that. Why did I stop by? Hmmmm......

We finished up canning for the week yesterday. We still have some stuff to do. When we are completely done I will post a list of what we did. So far I am counting 186 jars (not counting stuff that went into the freezer). That's a lot. We ran out of jars and had to borrow some from my mother-in-law.

Today, AFTER soccer, I did some cleaning up. Canning makes a huge mess and also makes me very tired so I am not as diligent about cleaning up my mess :) So, now it is mostly cleaned-up; except for the floor, but we are ignoring that for a few days (I never said I was the BEST housekeeper on the planet). LOL

I am going to get off here and post a reply to a question on Cindy Rusthon's blog about chore/housekeeping schedules. If you would like to read ALL the replies, not just mine, you can go HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Tomato Soup

First off, I hate tomato soup. So, why, oh why, was I making it yesterday? Norman likes it. He will take it to work in his lunches and eat in as a "midnight" snack. So I prepared and canned 13 pints of tomato soup. Norman said that it didn't taste the same as store-bought, but he thought it might be better! Fabulous :)

Today we are canning tomato puree, beef stew, apple pie filling and freezing some okra.

I will try to post later, some homeschool stuff.
Blessings to all!

TOS Crew

I am pleased to announce that I have been selected to be a part of The Old Schoolhouse's Crew! Over the next year or so, myself and 99 other selected people will be doing reviews of new and exciting products for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

I am thrilled to be part of this group. AND, all of my reviews will be posted here first for all my readers to see. So, you will be benefiting by my participation in this program as well.

I understand that our first assignment will be in October, so keep your eyes open for some great products!

Just When I Thought I Was Done.....

My loving husband brought me home 5 buckets of apples!

I grumbled a little when he and the older boys brought them in, but then I remembered that this is God's provision for us. I was afraid that I wouldn't get ANY apples at all this year, and we have been blessed with 5 buckets! for FREE! Praise God!!!!

So Thursday I will be canning any beans that are living outside (I have been afraid to look), making and canning tomato soup and canning apple pie filling and apple juice. And freezing okra (I keep forgetting about that!). My wonderful husband and fabulous children will be helping me and we will make short work of it I am sure.

In other news..........
***Baby Norman learned how to clap
***Gregory has a mohawk and temporarily dyed his hair red and blue
***Leland is NORMAL - and 11 - enough said

As is typical for me, I am working through some things. I have been worried about whether or not my children are drawing closer to God in our study time of a morning. I really struggle with not wanting this to be a "chore" but a learning and loving time spent with God. Norman wants the kids and myself to use KJV, which works great for me, but after all these years I just wonder if the boys need a simpler version for their private reading time. I am going to broach the subject with Norman and see what he thinks. I want my children to LOVE God and spending time with him.

I have a review that needs done and I need to finish some sewing for my mother-in-law. Those 2 things should be done by tomorrow evening. Then I need to clear off the kitchen cabinets to prepare for Thursday's doings. I am thankful for all of our harvest and God's bountiful provision, but I will be very glad when it is all put away in the cabinets and freezer :)

Have a wonderful evening!

Beans and Salsa

Not together, 'cause I think that would be gross. I canned 7 quarts of beans, 5 quarts of tomato puree and 10 pints of salsa today. So that's what I have been doing!

Sorry the postings have been short lately. I have been very busy. It seems that when I get a second away from canning something, I am drowning in laundry or housework, or sick. It has been non-stop the last few weeks. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though! My husband has requested that I make and can him some tomato soup. When I get that done, I will probably can another batch of tomato puree and then I am DONE with tomatoes. WooHoo!!!!!! The beans are still trickling in, but as long as I can keep the boys picking and breaking then that isn't too bad. We are wanting to can some beef stew, veggie soup and chili but that can wait until later. I am beginning to feel relieved!

I am knitting hats for the family for winter. That is my current project. I have gobs of fabric in the bedroom though to be made up into jumpers for me and quilts for the boys. So that is what is in the works around here. I am eagerly looking forward to cold "stay shut up in the house" kinda weather. I hear that the winter is supposed to be unusually cold..........I haven't decided if that is good or bad yet. I definately don't want a repeat of the ice storm from last year.

Enough rambling! It is late and I have to get to bed. If you need an article to kick yourself in the pants regarding work, check out Candy's latest post.

Have a great night!

HOAC Colonial America Lapbook Review

I just posted a review of HOAC Colonial America Labook. To view the review, go HERE. If you wish to check out In the Hands of a Child go HERE.

Online Kids Creation Science Class

Felice Gerwitz will be teaching a kids Creation Science class online, every Monday beginning Sept. 22 through Oct. 28. If you would be interested in having your children attend you can go HERE for more information.

HERE is the fall line-up for Cindy Rushton's Talk-A-Latte series.

I would love to have the boys take part in the online class but with our FL trip upcoming, I just don't see it happening. That doesn't mean that you need to miss out though!

Giveaway

Kris is giving away a Country Home decorating book. She used this book for the decorating ideas in her home and through the pictures I have seen of her home, it is beautiful. If you would like to enter the giveaway, or check out her blog, you can go HERE.

It's Raining, It's Pouring, The Old Man is Snoring!

Literally :)

Dh and the older boys are still in bed, but the baby and I have been up since 6:30 (which isn't really early, but I am still trying to get over this terrible cold) and boy has it been raining! I got up sometime in the night and closed down the windows and really haven't had a chance to open them back up again. Our satelite signal has been lost most of the morning and my poor little Sadie (who absolutely despises rain and wet grass) won't go outside for her morning yard tromp. I hope it quits raining soon, I don't know how big her bladder is! She will go in the rain, but she really, really dislikes it!

Yesterday we picked the garden clean again and I spent the whole day canning stuff. I canned the 5 half-pints of catsup that I made the day before, 11 quarts green beans and cooked/canned 5 quarts of spaghetti sauce. If there is enough tomatoes again at one time before the "season" is over I will try to make one more batch of spaghetti sauce. I really need 2 more, but the tomatoes are slowing down so I don't really see that happening. And I will make more salsa, which requires fewer tomatoes at a time. I figure I can get at least a few more batches of that.

School is going good. We have 22 days under our belts. I divide the year into 6 "quarters" so we only complete 30 days a quarter. #1 is almost finished! Yeah!!!!! I have been tweaking as we go, but overall I am very satisfied with the way things are working out. We must work really hard to be done with everything but reading before lunch, but the boys are getting the hang of it and have quit most of the complaining.

I was going to blog yesterday about Sept. 11, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't know about you, but it seems like yesterday. I know that I have blogged about it before so I just didn't this year. I think for the most part, I have dealt with the lingering emotional issues caused by Sept. 11 for me. I can see God's hand so perfectly in my life since that time.

I suppose that I had better go round up the older boys and get school started. I think we will do our reading snuggled on the couch rather than at the table today.

Enjoy your weekend!

HOT

Salsa, that is :)

We have stayed busy canning and freezing the bounty from our garden. Over the weekend, while I was sick, we froze 24 bags of sweet corn and canned 13 quarts green beans and 5 pints pizza sauce. Yesterday, I cooked up a new salsa recipe. Boy, is it HOT! But really, really good. It only made 5 pints and we have already eaten 1. I will definately need to make some more of that. Today I am trying my hand at catsup. My mom always made it when I was growing up so I am confident that it will turn out.

I am using my crock-pot for doing most of the cooking down of the tomatoes for everything. I don't know why I didn't think of that before! I let the pizza sauce cook all night long and ended up with a fantastically thick sauce. I love it! Poor crock-pot is barely getting washed before it is being loaded up with tomatoes again :) I need to get started on spaghetti sauce soon. I won't be able to use the crock-pot for that unless I go get my mom's. So, I guess I will need to think that through.

I did a lot of housework today. Decluttered the desk some, but it still needs work. Straightened up the school stuff. Dh and I have agreed on a solution to some of the school work clutter. We are going to buy another pantry cabinet and a skinny bookshelf to put in the kitchen. The top of the pantry will be used for pantry stuff and the bottom will hold the boy's current book "drawers". The skinny bookshelf will hold all those books that find themselves living on the table, chairs, countertops, floor and barstools. There are many, and they reproduce while I am sleeping.....I swear they do! I doubt we will get the purchasing and installation done before we leave for FL but we have a plan.....with us that is the main part of the problem.

I still need to fold one load of laundry and finish the catsup. I hope I am not up late canning. Oh well, I have a 7-day library book that I need to read so I guess I can work on that while things are simmering...........Why, oh why do I check out 7-day library books?????

Have a great day!

Fall Talk-A-Latte Line-up

Cindy Rushton's fall Talk-A-Latte season is getting ready to start with a big BANG! I am so excited to see so many wonderful seminars coming up.


September 12-13–A Simple Journey to Debt Free Living
October 10-11–Training Sons…Training Daughters
November 7-8–Let’s Make a Memory
December 12-13–A Crash Course on Spiritual Warfare!
PLUS! Our first students class! Creation Science Class with Felice Gerwitz

As you can see, the classes are starting SOON! You don't want to miss any of these great seminars, but I absolutely know how finances are.....we are still saving for that trip to Orlando! Anyway, I would recommend A Simple Journey to Debt Free Living, if I had to pick only one. You can register for it HERE. If you are like me and can't wait to get ALL of these fabulous seminars into your IPod, then click HERE for a ticket to the whole series of seminars.

These seminars are GREAT! I am still listening to the seminars from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo! The way that these seminars are set up, you can listen LIVE from your computer - in your own house, in your pjs if you want. There is a member site, where Cindy posts loads of great goodies (ebooks, articles and bonus audios) that are only available to those who have a ticket. All the links to the speakers and any free gifts that they are giving away are there also. Then, you can download the audios into your Ipod (mp3 player) and listen away to your heart's content. The BEST part is that EVERYTHING stays on the website, forever, and you can access it at any time that you need/want it. It is the conference that just keeps on giving! I have been blessed beyond measure by these seminars and know that you will be too.

The money that I spend on these seminars is worth every dime - and the price doesn't even come close to their beginning value - not to mention the loads of freebies that you always get with the membership site. Everytime I plug in my IPod I am blessed again by the wisdom and encouragement of other homeschool moms. They are right there with me, sharing my struggles and burdens as we walk this road together. All the topics are relevant, timely and God uses them to encourage me in so many different ways. I encourage you to give them a try and see how God uses these wonderful seminars to bless your life!

Sick

What started out as the sniffles has turned into a full blown cold/flu thing. Bear is sick and I feel terrible. I hope to pick up with blogging again next week. Have a good weekend!

Kindergarten Curriculum

As promised, here are my curriculum suggestions for Kindergarten :)

First of all, I want to encourage all new homeschooling moms to take a deep breath. And another. Now, your children will not be deprived in any way if you snuggle on the couch everyday and read fantastic books together. That is all you have to do. I know that is VERY hard to swallow. I know. I was the frantic-first-time-homeschool mom. Ask my oldest son. I was a drill sargeant. We did flashcards for 5 mins., reading practice for 10 minutes, math worksheet, then counting practice and then more flashcards.....on and on. You get the idea? He hated school. With my 2nd son, I was already homeschooling the older one and just didn't have the time to spend 2 hours drilling flashcards (and by then I knew it wouldn't work anyway!). So Greg got 2 worksheets every day; one phonics and one math. We would spend 5 minutes with Alphaphonics and then he would be included in Lee's history, science and literature....ALL of which were basic read alouds and coloring pages. He loves school. So, take it from me......reading is all you really need to do.

However, if you feel compelled to DO something, take a look at my preschool suggestions. Most of them still apply here. We use Alphaphonics to teach reading so if your child is interested, then I would suggest that. I also used Modern Curriculum Press's Kindergarten math book with the older boys, one page a day. I don't know if I will get that technical the next time, but it was a good value and worked as a "gentle" beginning for math. We use Math-U-See for math after that, so we will probably look into the primer for kindergaten.

Other suggestions:
Five in a Row (we didn't use this, but I really like the looks of it)
Sonlight K
My Father's World K

***As a thought, all of the above are basically focused around reading GREAT children's books aloud to your children. You can save a BUNCH of money by just getting great books from the library and reading them, over and over, to your children. Read the books, discuss the books, live the books. Throw in some children's history and science books if it makes you happy. Sit on the couch or lay on the floor (or better yet, a blanket in the yard) and read together. Don't forget to let everyone (even the big ones!) look at the pictures. I would also suggest that you read "bigger" books to your children. When Lee was 5, we read the whole Little House on the Prairie series during bedtime. Take a look at Madeline, House on Pooh Corner and Charlotte's Web as well.

Don't forget Bible. If you are still using a Bible storybook, you should continue with that but throw in at least one day a week of reading passage from the Bible. We use KJV and my children haven't ever had any problem understanding it. I firmly believe that children become accustomed to what they are exposed to. I would also encourage you to sing hymns with your children. We own several children's praise music CDs that are fantastic and really get God's word into their little hearts. If you aren't memorizing scripture together as a family yet, now is the time to start. HERE are some verses to start with if you are stumped.

Simply Charlotte Mason is a wonderful site dedicated to helping parents educate their children via Charlotte Mason's method. To read more you can go HERE. Cindy Rusthon also has some fantastic articles about learning through "living books" HERE.

Spend this year as you did last year. Learn the habits of reading and living together day by day. Share your life with your children and explore the world together. Enjoy your children! This year will be gone so fast that you will wonder where it went.

God's Bountiful Harvest

It truly is God's harvest this year. After the flood we were so afraid that we would end up with nothing but God saw fit to provide us with a wonderful harvest this year.

So far we have:
7 pints Sweet Dill pickles
7 pints Bread and Butter pickles
6 pints Lime pickles
6 bags shredded zucchini (freezer)
2 bags chopped sweet peppers (freezer)
12 bags sweet corn (freezer)
12 quarts green beans
7 cantalope

***And*** We have been eating very, very well :) Okra is fabulously yummy :)

The beans were finished just a little while ago. It was my first excursion with a pressure canner. My mom came to supervise and it went well. I did the 2nd batch myself :) I also have pizza sauce in the crock pot for the night and will can it tomorrow. We also have more corn to process tomorrow. Our beans and tomatoes are really just starting to produce now. I imagine that I will be VERY busy for the next few weeks.

Thank you for your wonderful provisions God!

Renewed Priorities

I have been sharing my struggles in my sin areas, laziness and anger. This evening while reading God's word God spoke to me TWICE! You can bet that I listened!

Judges 10:10
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim.
Judges 10:15-16
And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord: and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:29-31
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Proverbs 1:33
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Lord, I cry out to You today because I am a sinner. Only by Jesus am I worthy to come before you. Please have mercy on me.

I rededicate myself to You tonight, Lord. All my goals, actions and thoughts are going to be funneled into learning about You and teaching my precious children about You.

I feel that God has called me to this. I have never really felt like a Bible scholar. I have "application problems". I learned this evening (although I probably already knew) that if God gives a command and I ignore it (or conveniently forget it) that I am sinning. I know that the Lord is mighty and just. I want to be for Him, not against Him. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

THIS WEEK ONLY

This week only you can purchase Cindy Rushton's Organized Mom Super Set for half price! This is a fabulous resource and an incredible value, at $49.95. Click HERE for the special price. It is not at this price on the website....you must use this link.

Included in this set are:
Homeschooling the Easy Way Vol. 1
Let's Get Organized
Make Your Own Brain in a Binder
The Ultimate Mommy Menu Planner
Getting Back to God's Design for the Godly Home
Homeschooling the Easy Way Vol. 2
Christ-Centered Christmas
PLUS:
6 of Cindy's audio workshops
AND
2 of Matthew's audio workshops
AND
Organization 911: Help for the Messy Mom Seminar Set
AND
Let's Get Organized for the New School Year Seminar Set (Cindy's newest seminar)

This set is normally $99. You are getting this for HALF price! If you are looking for a little help in the organization department, then this set is what you are looking forward. Remember to use THIS link.....the website does not reflect this special "friends only" price.

Please share how this set has encouraged you!
Enjoy!

Helmet Liners for the Troops

If you would be interested in knitting helmet liners, scarves or neck gators for our troops please go HERE. I think that this is a worthwhile use of our knitting time, girls (and guys!), and I know that our troops will appreciate it!

Thursday

Ya know how some days you should just stay in bed? This is one of those days!

During the 3:30 a.m. "I wanna be up and snuggle with mommy" Little Bear stuck his finger in my eye. I did manage to go back to sleep with him on the couch, but when I awoke it really, really hurt! It is all bloodshot and watery and hurts quite a bit. The watery eyes make my nose run and I have been through 2 boxes of kleenex all ready. I sure hope that it doesn't hurt tomorrow!

Lee has soccer practice tonight. I had the boys do their "independent" school work so that I didn't have to try to read too much. They are outside doing yard work with dad. We had pork steaks, sweet corn and zucchini for lunch. I have meatballs in the crock pot now for spaghetti and meatballs.

Yesterday, the boys and I walked/biked 4 miles to visit my Great-Aunt Marge. She lives straight across the section (miles as the crow flies), but with the fields still in we had to walk around.....2 miles each way. I was soooo tired last night. I know that if I keep it up eventually it won't be such a big deal, but it just isn't happening quick enough. Little Bear and I walk while the boys practice, so we get 1 hour on Tuesday (Greg's practice) and 1.5 hours on Thursday (Lee's practice). If we don't walk then Bear tries to play :)

Well, staring at the computer is hurting my eyes so I am getting off here. I will try to post something more interesting tomorrow!

What Kind of Woman Are You?

I was journaling on Aug. 21st (I always date my journals so I know) but was interrupted. I still haven't got back to it, but my journal is open to my spot on my desk so I have seen it often since.

Proverbs 21:9
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

If that doesn't make you stop and think, then nothing will! How does my family feel about living with me? Am I the brawlilng woman, yelling and starting fights at whim? What does my attitude and tongue say about me?

Today, I have to say that I failed miserably. Greg, Bear and I got home from Greg's soccer practice and everyone was hunger. The baby was screaming and the older 2 were nowhere to be found. I was so frustrated and yelled at them in anger to come help me. Then I made several snide comments to the effect of "having to do everything all by myself". How did that make my children feel? What kind of example was I setting for my children regarding appropriate behavior/attitudes/speech?

Thank you Lord for convicting me in this area! I am learning so much and being humbled by how much farther I have to go.
I am thankful that Jesus has so much mercy on me!

Great post

This is an invite to visit my friend Crystal's blog to see how she is implementing character growth in her homeschool this year. Crystal has been a tremendous influence in how I raise my children. Her children are precious and if you spend any time at all with her family you will see how well they all interact with each other.

Family time in Lexington, KY

I am writing to all of you this beautiful morning from the Radisson in Lexington, KY. We have been here all weekend for a taekwondo tournament. Competition went well, but we are disappointed to learn that dh won't be able to compete anymore due to some rule the American Taekwondo Association has regarding black belts being required to judge. My dh believes that his place is to be supporting his children, not being forced to "voluntarily" spend the day judging other children. I know that our region is short on judges, but you would think that they could hire some with the money that we hand over to them everytime we turn around. Anyway, I am off my soapbox now!

Norman placed 1st in weapons and 3rd in sparring. Leland did great and placed 4th in forms and sparrring. Gregory also did great, placing 3rd in sparring and 4th in forms. I am proud of all my boys.

After competition we went to Gatti Town, a place similar to Chuck E Cheese. I think that this place was better though, as the restaurant part was separate from the arcade. I sat in a booth listening to the UHSE 08 on my Ipod while the boys and dad went to the arcade for 3 hours. I would have had a nervous breakdown after 30 minutes! But they all seemed to enjoy it so it was worth it. I was greatly blessed by the seminars I was able to listen to while we were there, so it was a win-win situation!

We will be traveling home later today. It has been a wonderful, fun weekend for the most part. I am so thankful for my wonderful family!

Good, Better, Best

Goal progress: I haven't watched any TV here today, just a few minutes at mom's. I was on the internet for about 30 minutes earlier today and have logged back on tonight to update this blog. I seem to have accomplished more and the house seems more peaceful. I didn't even turn the radio on!

Verses for Today
I Corinthians 10:13, 21-23, 31
(v. 13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(v. 21-23) Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
(v. 31) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

TV and internet may not be evil, but were they the best use of my time? God can be glorified on TV and the internet, but was I glorifying God with what I was watching on TV or reading on the internet?
Today, I was tempted to randomly surf the internet but a dryer buzz or a fussy baby reminded me that maybe I had a better use for my time. I asked God to help me better manage my time and He answered in a very tangible way. God is faithful when we ask to draw closer to Him.
Tonight, with the house quiet, I was able to enjoy a chapter from a study in a nice warm tub. God granted me time now to reflect on the word He gave me this morning. God is good!
I ask God to continue to direct my paths so that whatever I do, I will glorify God.

Laziness and Anger

My heart has recently been burdened by two very serious character flaws that I have. One is the anger that I hold in my heart and the other is laziness. As a goal for myself this school year, I have decided to fight the anger in my heart, actions, and life and to overcome my tendency towards laziness. These are BIG goals! To tackle both of them at one time would be impossible if I was doing it myself, but my God is BIGGER than my character flaws!

There are 6 steps that I have purposed to take to reach my goal. I will review these goals/steps on January 1st, 2009 and see what God would have me to do then.
1. read at least 1 verse a day regarding either anger or laziness
2. copy verse in my bible journal and post on blog (accountability)
3. write down every instance of anger, pray and ask forgiveness from God and the person I lashed out at
4. limit TV to Saturdays
5. limit internet to 15 minutes 2 times a day during the week and 1 hour on Sunday
6. make scripture memory a priority

For scripture memory I will be using verses from The Joy of Womanhood Study by Susan D. Zakula. This study is available at Keepers of the Faith. I will also be memorizing verses from James with the boys and anything else that the Lord lays on my heart.

I will try to post updates about my journey at least weekly. I wish that I could guarantee that I would post more frequently than that, but God may have other plans for my days! I look forward to letting Him direct my paths!

Busy

Busy-ness seems to come in spurts around here!

I am feeling like I am on my feet all day as soon as they hit the ground in the morning. School is going well, although we are all still getting used to the routine again. Bear has a cold, so he is miserable.

We have taekwondo pretesting tomorrow (only for me, nobody else is ready). I NEED to go to Aldi's tomorrow and get some stuff. I have been ordering from our local food co-op and that is such a blessing, but we have managed to run out of stuff like mayonnaise and salt (dh picked up the salt though). Hopefully we will be able to do that tomorrow. Our local town-wide garage sales start Friday and my husband has agreed to get up early and come with me. I am hoping to score some great deals!

Leland needs clothes, again. It is a blessing that he is finally growing (smile) but he seems to be doing it all at once. I bought him some jeans at Kohls in January and he has already outgrown them. Greg is happy though, because he is the next size down and he loved those camo cords that Lee picked out :) And both of the older boys need shoes. So we are going to be doing some shopping here in the near future.

I have another post planned on curriculum choices for kindergarten and 1st grade. I plan on doing the series through 3rd or 4th grade. I don't want to give recommendations on things that I haven't used and loved through the first 2 boys. I only want to recommend the very best to you!

I am hoping to get to do some knitting and sewing in the next few weeks. Lots of do and no time to do it.
Have a happy week!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - Digital - Review

I have just spent some time exploring The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Summer issue, not in print like usual, but in DIGITAL. Interesting, huh? I have a tendency to be stuck in a rut, so I am not normally impressed with new stuff until it has been around a while, but this is definately cool.

I do cherish my print version of TOS. I eagerly anticipate its arrival every month. This version, though, has so many more practical applications, such as clickable links for email and websites, that I think it is a treasure of its own accord.

Everything that is in the print version is here. The magazine is IN your computer. When you hover over page corners (or push the pgdn button) the page turns. All the cool author links are able to be followed without even getting out of your chair! Want to send an email to the author? Just click on the email address and you are ready to go. Want to view a curriculum publisher's website? You are right there, in the time it takes to think about it.

Granted, you can't really curl up with the digital version like I do my print version. It would be hard to stuff it into your purse, or drag it around in the car (at least I try not to abuse my laptop that way!) but when you are able to use your computer you are able to access your magazine and all of the advertisements and links that are available to you.

TOS is really staying ahead of the technology game with this new adventure. I can't imagine what these guys will come up with next! If you want to check it out, you can purchase a subscription or check out back issues at The Schoolhouse Store.

Sweet Dill Pickles

Canning "season" started for me today. After gathering for several days, I finally had enough cucumbers for a batch of sweet dill pickles. They are yummy and real easy to make.....and now I have 7 pints ready to go into the pantry.

Other things are growing well in our garden also. I really think that this is the latest that we have ever began harvesting. We have zucchini, although several of our plants have been killed by a mysterious bug. We are eating cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers and some onions. My husband picked us 4 okra pods on Friday and I fried them up in fish batter.....boy were they good! I can't wait until we can have a real batch. Three cabbages have managed to find their way to our freezer. We also have loads of little green cataloupes. Yummy!

God is good to provide for us this year. It was tough at the beginning, but our garden is sight to behold now. We will definately be eating well this winter!

Leland David

My oldest son, Leland David, turned 11 yesterday. Once upon a time, I didn't think that was possible. My husband and I sit and wonder where 11 years must have went.

Lee was born around noon on the 9th of August 1997. I was induced, and in labor for over 24 hours. There was talk of a c-section, but God allowed a natural, drug free delivery. He was precious and such a joy to us. He still is.

Lee is an independent, perfectionist sort. He loves taekwondo. His goal is to be a lawyer. I think that he will make a very good lawyer.

He loves God and believes in Jesus. He made his confession 2 years ago. He almost always tries to think of the other guy first.

Lee is the perfect big brother. He puts their needs and cares before his own more often then not. He is their defender, and protector. Wrongs against himself he may let go, but he doesn't tolerate a wrong against his brothers.

Lee isn't perfect, but none of us are. I am so very thankful for the last 11 years with Lee. I am reminded again of the wonderful blessing that God has given me by allowing me to homeschool. I can't imagine everything that we would have missed if he was gone all day.

Thank you for allowing me to "brag" about Lee. Yesterday was his day. We love you Lee!

The Schoolhouse Planner

I am pleased today to be reviewing The Schoolhouse Planner. As a confirmed planner "junkie", I have waited for the release of this planner with baited breathe. Honestly, I own almost every planner on the market for homeschool moms. In all of them, there are features that I like, but there does seem to be something missing. I am thrilled to say that this planner has everything that anyone could possibly need......and more.

Contained inside this e-book are informational sheets (such as states and capitals, weights and measure conversions), copies of great American documents (Declaration of Independence, American Constitution and others), household planning sheets as well as school planning sheets. The school planning sheets cover everything that you could ever need for school, all the way through high school. I especially like the 12 year curriculum tracker.

Monthly calendars are included along with holidays and listings of other important days for that month. Many educational opportunities are tied in with each month and resources for the study of those items are hyperlinked through the Old Schoolhouse Store. Shopping and planning couldn't be easier! It is my understanding that there are also monthly modules available (as e-books, the cost is around $8) that expand on the monthly educational topics. I am interested in seeing how these might fit into our homeschool.

The household forms look to be fairly standard. There are chore charts for mom and the kids (some with pictures rather than words for the non-readers) and things like packing lists and gardening layout forms (thank you!).

The best thing about this planner is that you have the ability to type your information onto the pages before you print them out. All of the forms can be personalized for YOUR family. I can't express how much this feature excites me! My planner will look professional from now on!

This planner is absolutely perfect. The creators took great pains to make sure that everything a homeschool mom could ever need is included. I feel that this planner is a great value for all the tools that it contains. I did have a problem with the downloading, as the file is rather large. However, The Old Schoolhouse Store's customer service department was fantastic in getting me an attatchment of the planner.

If you would like to see what the fuss is all about you can view the planner at The Old Schoolhouse Store . The cost of the planner is $39.00. This is an e-book so there is no shipping and you will be able to immediately have your planner to make this new school year the best ever.

Choosing Curriculum - Preschool

I was cuddling Little Bear this afternoon and thinking about how difficult it was for me to choose curriculum when we started homeschooling. I still have days when I just don't know what would work, but I am a lot more confident in my ability to choose what will work for my family.

I remember when we decided to homeschool. For our family, it wasn't an all or nothing decision. I wanted to homeschool; but my husband wasn't so sure. So we comprimised. We agreed that we would homeschool that year. It would be a preschool year since our oldest son was just 4. Then we would go from there.

I was ecstatic! I was terribly afraid that I wouldn't be able to homeschool and my husband had said yes! What a blessing from God! Now what?

After intense research I found several different "curriculums" that I wanted to use. All of them were several hundreds of dollars. My husband had a fit! I pieced together a hodge-podge of things and made it work. With two kids through "preschool" and looking ahead to another, here is my compilation of what is needed to preschool. Then I will share what looks interesting for those of you with larger budgets.

Necessary
Nothing. I know that sounds terribly simplistic, but if you are hard pressed to come up with any extra money for preschool then don't. Dig out some scrap paper, a pair of scissors, crayons, some yarn and glue and let them be. Let them sort and count with M&Ms and an egg carton. Use crayons for coloring and learning colors. Practice the alphabet song. Read the Bible together.

Useful
*A Bible story book - Yes, you can read straight from the Bible and I think that is a great idea but little kids like the pictures in a Bible story book while you read. Boys especially like the David and Goliath picture!
*Work books from Walmart - Or the dollar store, or where ever you are. They are cheap and will teach everything that the more expensive ones will. If your little guy hates pencils then skip them. We loved doing our workbooks, one page a day when they were 3 or 4 years old. They would show their completed pages to grandparents and be so proud when they recieved praise!
*Explode the Code primers (books A, B, and C) - These are available from Rainbow Resource. I loved the primers. My boys loved the way they where able to learn the letter sounds with almost no effort at all. They are cheap so that is a plus (there are 3 and I think they are around $6 a piece).

Interesting
If the budget allows, you might be interested in using the following:
MFW preschool options (there is one for 2-3 year olds and one for 4-5 year olds I think). These are mainly hands on activities. I look forward to giving these a try with my 3rd son.
Sonlight preschool core - We finally own most of these books, buying them a little here and a little there. These books are precious and I don't know any preschooler on the planet that wouldn't clamor for one more reading.

Applications
I thought that I would conclude this post with some ways to use these items with your preschooler. I always try to stick with the easiest ideas for mom, while adding the most fun for the child.
1. Try sidewalk chalk. The perks with this are obvious: the child is outside and you don't really have to clean anything up. If you live in an apartment, then take school to the park.
2. Have a letter of the week. We did this in various forms with both of my older boys, but I really see the wisdom in this now. They learn so much from this, not just in phonics/reading. Your child will learn relationship and how ideas can work together. I plan on starting this when Little Bear is 2 and going through the alphabet at least twice. You are not required to start with the letter A. I plan on starting with N for Norman and then moving on to L for Lee and G for Greg. Who wouldn't want to learn their letter? Or bubby's letters?
3. Count everything. I always hear people say that you should count the plates and silverware while setting the table. That's true but there is so much more out there to count! Count the cars that go by, the bugs in the yard, cats in the garage. How many people are in line? How many legs does that dog have? You could go on forever and it keeps your sanity. This is also a good activity when you are in the "never-ending-grocery-store-line".
4. Practice colors with candy. I know some people don't want their children eating a lot of candy and I am not advocating that your eat candy every day, but there is no better way to learn colors than by sorting skittles :)
5. Make a volcano with baking soda and vinegar. Google the instructions. Boys think that this is very, very cool and makes you the best teacher on the planet. Grow seeds into plants, or work in the garden. Get a pet, even if it is a goldfish. Living with and working on things teaches more than any book.
6. Dig in the sandbox. Write letters or numbers in the sand. Bury the toddler (we buried my 2nd son while he was sitting in the sandbox - that picture is precious - he was just 1).
7. Have fun. Don't forget to play. School shouldn't last any more than 30 minutes at this age. I didn't make my boys sit still for 30 minutes at a time anyway. We did a worksheet in the morning (5 minutes), then read a book in the afternoon (10 minutes), then counted something in the evening (5 minutes) and finished the day off with more reading at bedtime. No stress for you, no frustration for your child and the learning has begun!

Enjoy your children now. My little fellow (oldest son) turns 11 on Saturday. We don't know where the time has gone, but I am so very blessed to have been able to be with him every day. I can't imagine what I would have missed if he had been gone during the "school hours". All of the trials and frustrations of homeschooling have been worth every single minute that I am able to look at my oldest son and see his smiling face. I KNOW my son and who he is becoming. Relax and enjoy these years....they are truly over before you know it!

Back to School Blast

This is your last reminder to join us for Cindy Rushton's Back To School Blast this weekend. The speaker line-up looks fantastic. You definately won't want to miss this!

2008-2009 School Year - Day 1

What a title that is!!! LOL
Today was a good day. I made a lot of changes to this year's schedule. I wasn't sure if I would like it, or if the day would "flow" like it always did but it seemed to work out really well.

For the past......6 (has it been that long???) years, school mornings have contained english, foreign language, reading, math and drill work. Science, history, geography and literature have happened in the afternoon. I am sure that you can guess what happened to science, history, geography and literature as soon as something more delightful came along. Yeah. So I feel that we are behind in those subjects and feel that God wanted me to work our schedule to ensure that these subjects were covered with regularity.

Today, our subjects occured in the following order:
Bible
Read Aloud (literature)
History
Geography
Science

Then we moved into english grammar, spelling, handwriting, typing (new this year) and math. This took us right up to lunch time. I allowed the boys to take a break, run around some and do their chores while I prepared lunch. I will need to plan out lunches better though......we can't live on hamburger helper (can we???). After lunch, the boys did their reading and book baskets (see My Father's World for information on book baskets). They finished up around 2 p.m. but I was done at 11 a.m. and able to get some of my chores done. What a relief! I had visions of school lasting all day long! I think it helped that I set time limits for each subject and told the boys that they only had to work (diligently) for that period of time on that subject and then could put it away. What a relief to them.....they knew that the lesson wouldn't drag on forever and ever without end. Math was the longest time limit of 20 minutes. Most subjects were slotted for 15 minutes. Charlotte Mason advocates short lessons and I agree!

I will have to work on ways to entertain Mr. Bear during school time. He spent most of the morning trying to eat dog food, hitting his brother with a walking stick and wailing in disbelief that he would be contained by the playpen (baby jail) for any period of time. I was very thankful when he went down for his morning nap at 10 a.m. What a blessing that routine is! Any suggestions on what to do with a 9 month old would be greatly appreciated.

All in all our first day of school was a success. I enjoyed the day and even caught myself laughing with my silly boys. I thank God for the opportunity that He has given us to be together!

Curriculum Choices for 2008-2009

We will spend at least the first 3-4 months finishing up Sonlight's Core 3 for history and science.

English
Lee: Simply Grammar and Intermediate Language Lessons
Greg: Primary Language Lessons
Both: English from the Roots Up, Italic Handwriting, A Reason for Spelling, Type It

Math
Lee: MUS Delta
Greg: MUS Gamma
Both: Calculadders

Geography
Trail Guide to US Geography

Critical Thinking
Lee: Building Thinking Skills Book 2

Character Training/Bible
Lee: Boyhood and Beyond
Both: Plants Grown Up, Kay Arthur Study for Kids (James)

LATER IN THE YEAR
We will be adding:
Exploring Creation with Astronomy
Stargazing with a Telescope
Scrambled States of America
State History Chronicles Notebook
Library Unit Study
Shakespeare for Kids
Notetaking and Outlining
MFW 1850-Modern Times
Sonlight Core 4 Readers/History Selections

Lee: French
Greg: Spanish

I think that is about it. This year Leland will be in 6th grade and Gregory will be in 3rd grade. I am sure that we will add/subtract throughout the year and I will attempt to keep that updated. I classify us a charlotte mason homeschoolers with a classical bent :)

Today I am finishing up lesson plans for the 1st 6 weeks and getting everything set for the first day (MONDAY!!!).

Mission Accomplished!

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. My cleaning is complete. For today anyway LOL! Yesterday I cleaned all the surfaces in the kitchen. Today I cleaned the laundry room, swept/mopped the kitchen and laundry room and got most stuff put back the way I want it. And the kitchen table is almost completely cleaned off! That is a miracle around here! I am looking to buy a shelving unit for my kitchen and then everything will be perfect!

I love the feeling of a totally clean house. I know that our school year will begin a lot nicer with a clean house!

Tomorrow I look forward to posting about my curriculum choices for this year.

Wednesday Clean-Up

I noticed that I messed up yesterday's title! Oh well!!!!!

Last night Bear didn't go to sleep until almost midnight. That makes a very late night for this momma! So we didn't wake up until 8 a.m. We are becoming very late risers! We had ham and eggs for breakfast, started laundry and got to work cleaning off the desk. It has rained here for almost 24 hours now so the laundry went into the dryer. Momma finished cleaning the desk, straightened the boys bookshelf and made frozen pizza for lunch. I am tossing around storage solutions in my head for the kitchen. More about that tomorrow!
I finished cleaning off my bookshelf while baby napped and the older boys helped me move furniture and vaccum after he woke up. So now the living room is clean! One more room down.....the last 3 to go are the hard ones! I have folded and put away 3 loads of laundry (I mean that I folded and put away my, dh's and Bear's laundry. The older boys put their own away). The diapers are in the dryer. I still need to quick-pick-up the kitchen from the lunch mess and write a review for TEACH magazine. Then I am done for the day! YooHoo!!!!

Below I posted an article from my friend Cindy Rushton. She is getting ready to kick off her Back to School Blast. Be sure to check that out - you will love all the great resources that she has available.

Be sure to check back tomorrow and see how far I have gotten cleaning the last 3 rooms! These are the rooms that need the most work :)

Another Article

Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success!
by Cindy Rushton
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=carieann77&pid=3

Want to know one of my biggest secrets to homeschooling the easy way? Want to know one of my biggest secrets to scheduling success? This one secret can make your daily schedule finally fit. It can end your scheduling frustrations forever.
I am not a "schedule by the minute" type of person. (GRIN) I fail with schedules like that. They don't meet my needs. My life includes too many areas that have different needs daily. Timed schedules just do not work for me.
So, what has worked for me? Setting up a framework to my day. This is one incredibly powerful tip. It can make a HUGE difference in your day as well. It just might be the secret that has alluded you through the years.
Wondering what I mean by a "framework" for your day? By framework, I mean a general flow to each day that includes all of the areas of my life that I juggle. But, how do I do that? Here are some quick tips:

1. Decide what should be included in your daily schedule. Look at what you are all about. Look at your goals, activities, values, priorities. Look at your husband's schedule--wrap everything around him. Look at what you need to include in your day to get everything done--quiet times, lessons, homemaking, read alouds, work, etc. This is important. Otherwise, you will include things in your schedule that may not be the very best choices. And...one big risk...you may never get around to the things that matter the most. Decide what really needs to be a part of each and every day for your day to be successful.

2. Decide the best time for the tasks you need to complete each day. This will help you get a good flow to your day. For me, quiet times are just best at the beginning of the day. Chores are great right after them--I need them completed so my brain can focus on the table time. Our business work and errands need to be done in the early afternoon. Read alouds are best before bedtime. You get the picture. When I tried to read aloud over lunch, we had so many distractions that we could never fit it in. Trying to work the business in the morning would never work...and of course, we couldn't take care of business errands at night. See how important it is to really look at the best time to get tasks done. Look at the best time for all of the tasks that need to be done. Look at the best flow to get everything done easily each day. You may not get this right at the beginning, but you will get closer and closer each day. You will love it!

3. Balance your day. Don't let any one area of your life get out of balance. Everything that we do in our day has a tendency to grow into a big time thief--homeschooling, homemaking, home business. Those important aspects of our life can easily grow out of their boundaries. While I love each of them, they can get rather exhausting if we don't keep them in balance with the other things that we have to do. The best way for me to stay balanced is to be reasonable about what I expect for each day, keep things simplified and easy, and keep everything inside of its time of the day. I don't mind those days that we want to dig deeper in a topic that we are studying. I also don't mind those days that we tackle a messy room. I don't even mind those days that we have a special business project that needs more time. But, if those areas were demanding extra time every day, it would be easy to get burned-out, frustrated and battle with our time each day. Want to make it work? Find a balance for your day.

4. Set up routines. Talk about a HUGE help for me. Without routines, things can get so frustrating every day--there are constant decisions, there is more strife in the family, there is no consistency. Routines help us to make things go faster, without the strife and struggle of figuring things out DAILY. Routines reduce the stress of making decisions daily. Routines help our children to know what to expect so they can move through all of the things that they need to do each day. Routines are crucial. They assure a smooth ride. They keep us on track. They keep us out of the ruts. They take us in the direction that we want to go. One of the toughest things I ever did was develop routines in my home. However, one of the most rewarding things that I ever did was develop routines in my home. When I got very, very sick, everything kept going. During those times that I have been stretched, things kept on going. All because of routines. Set up routines. Then, your children will know what to expect. They will learn what is next and next and next. The decisions will be made for you. They will be able to "just do it" with or without you. Set up routines for your family. Develop one set of routines at a time--look for the time of day that things go haywire. If it is morning, for example, look at all that needs to be done. Brainstorm. Make a to-do list for that routine. Write it out. Work it as a checklist until it becomes a habit. If you see other things that need to be added into that set of routines, add them. Tweak it until it is smooth. Then, move to the next troublespot. Do this for all of the times of your day. Watch to see how much it helps!

5. Prune anything that is not necessary. Truth is, we cannot do everything. What we do in our day keeps us from doing other things. It zaps our time, energy, strength. We need to be picky about what we add to our day. Every single thing that we do costs us something. We need to constantly prune those things that are not necessary. Prune anything that hinders, distracts. Be honest. Be ruthless. Prune. Even the good things! Go for the best!

6. Take the squeeze out of your schedule. Watch out for the squeeze in your schedule. Don't fill every minute of your day with something to do. Why? Because there are always going to be crisis situations, interruptions, melt-downs, delays. If we have our schedule maxed out, we will constantly be overwhelmed, overworked, and squeezed. Find ways to take the squeeze out of your daily schedule--cut out extra running, watch out for time thieves, prioritize your daily to-do's (and eliminate any that make the day too tight), cut out extras that are unnecessary, keep the day simple and easy. Keep a relaxed atmosphere. Constantly, take the squeeze out of your daily schedule.

7. Stay flexible! Stay adaptable! Actually, one of the reasons that we really want to develop a framework to our day is so we have more flexibility, so we have more "space" in our day to be adaptable. We want to be able to seize opportunities that come our way. We want to be able to slow down and enjoy our children. We don't want to miss teachable moments. These days just go by too fast. We want to enjoy every second. We want to make sweet, sweet memories. This requires that we stay flexible and adaptable. So, take the time to develop your own framework to your day. Do the tough work. Get your plans together. Work on these suggestions. Then, stay flexible. Stay adaptable. Grasp on to all that God has in store for you!
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About Cindy Rushton…
Cindy Rushton is the hostess of the Back to School Blast, her annual back to school fling for homeschool mothers around the world. She is recording Preview Chats for the Back to School Blast RIGHT NOW! Join her wonderful guests FREE for the next weeks as they count down to the Back to School Blast (August 8-9--BUT! NEVER ENDING because it is an ONLINE seminar!). Get your ticket NOW and receive her awesome A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set FREE today! Check out all of the details here:
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=carieann77&pid=3

Current Reading

If you are intested, here is a list of what I am currently reading:

A Mom After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George
Furry Tails: The Adventures of Cinnamon Persimmon by Tristan Perry, PhD. (just finished)
Sounding Forth the Trumpet: God's Plan for America in Peril 1837-1860 by Peter Marshall and David Manuel
Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
KJV Bible - I am somewhere in Joshua

Clean-up Tuesday

Baby Bear and I got a late start this morning. When the alarm went off at 6 a.m. I just turned it off, rolled over and went back to sleep. We got up at 7:30 :)

So we didn't walk. But that's ok. We had ham and eggs for breakfast then picked up around the house and started laundry. Bear cried in his playpen while I hung out the first load. I got the older boys up at 9. They watched Bear while I hung out the 2nd load and then we got started cleaning their rooms. The playroom was first and didn't take very long. The bedroom, on the other hand, was a disaster! I hadn't cleaned these rooms for several month, relying instead on the boys to pick them up. While they may have been presentable on the surface, they were in terrible condition underneath. When I instructed Lee to take everything out from under the bed, Greg to take everything out of the (small) closed and I took everything off the entertainment center I about had a heart attack. The mountain of stuff on the floor filled the whole room and was at least 12 inches deep throughout. Oh my! I assured the boys that it wouldn't take very long at all to clean, all the while thinking to myself that we might never reach the end of it. We cleaned for about an hour before I stopped to fix lunch, leaving them to finish sorting toys. It took about an hour after lunch to finish cleaning that room and to vaccum both rooms and hallway. But they are done! We celebrated with watermelon after lunch and the boys were allowed to go to Grandma's house for a visit after completing a few other small chores.

I finished up the day by writing a letter, working up a spreadsheet for a project of dh's, folding and putting away laundry, and sorting and filing coupons. The work is done, baby is sleeping and I am enjoying a nighttime summer storm. I am thankful for the rain that will help the garden grow!!!! We think that the potatoes should be ready to dig next week :)

Tomorrow's agenda includes cleaning the rest of the living room, bookshelves and my desk. That will probably take all day, but if it doesn't then I am going to start MAJOR decluttering in the kitchen. Talk tomorrow!

Monday Clean-Up

Dh and I had a disagreement last night. As expected, that caused my day to begin in a less-than-ideal way. However, I spent considerable time seeking God today and have peace that the conflict will be quickly resolved.

Anyway, yesterday (Sunday) afternoon I spent a couple of hours sorting and organizing the clothes in my closet and dresser. I have 4 garbage bags that we are taking to charity today. I hope that the clothes that I no longer want or need will be a blessing to someone else.

Today, Little Bear and I walked 2 miles. Upon returning home I fixed egg burittos for us for breakfast and started laundry. After breakfast I hung out that load, started another (while Bear played in his playpen). Then I put bear down for his morning nap.

For my morning project I cleaned the back part of our living room. Our living room is very large 18x24ft. We have a sectional sofa that "divides" the room into the front 2/3 and the back 1/3. In the back 1/3 we have my desk, the boys bookshelf, Bears plastic dresser and changing table, 2 little school desks that we use to hold/use art supplies and most of the school books in rubbermaid totes or on a plastic bookshelf. You can imagine how cluttered this area becomes! I organized the art supplies into containers so that they would be easier to use (and move about the house if necessary). Then I organized the changing table and Bear's plastic dresser. I also "vaccum bagged" Bear's outgrown clothing and sent them to the garage. I didn't get to my desk, but that is almost a day's project all by itself! I rounded out my morning chores by hanging out the 2nd load of laundry. I love sun-dried laundry!!!!!

For lunch we had cube steak, fried zucchini and french fries. I had salmon patties, sliced cucumbers and fried zucchini. After lunch, I went out back, alone and spent some time talking to God. I returned to the house with some of the dried laundry feeling refreshed and renewed! Dh had blessed me by putting Bear down for his afternoon nap and then left for work. I spent the rest of the afternoon decluttering/cleaning my bedroom and folding laundry. The boys and I just ate a snack and then we are off to town to run errands and attend taekwondo classes.

Tomorrow we are tackling the boys bedroom and playroom. I imagine that will take all day! I will definately report back how that goes.

Saturday Clean-Up

I have been convicted of my laziness. I am lazy. There is no reason to sugar coat it. It is the truth. God is truly working on me. So, today I am cleaning. It is very frustrating to me that it seems like every time I clean, the house gets messed up in a different part before I am finished in the part I am working in. The truth of the matter lies in the fact that I spend one day a week cleaning (usually just one room - not the whole house) and then I grouch about how quickly everything is going to pot the other 6 days. My whole outlook on life has been frustrated, grouchy and overwhelmed lately. This is not how God would have us to live.
I made a list a couple of days ago of all the rooms in the house and the best order in which to clean them for a (between-spring-and-fall) cleaning :) Today I started in the boys bathroom. I gave it a good wipe down and cleaned out their cabinet, swept and hand mopped their floor. Then I moved into our bathroom. I wiped it down, cleaned the tub and shower, all the cabinets (but not the drawers) and countertops, swept and hand mopped the floor.
Those are my "deep cleaning" chores for today. Done daily chores include laundry, leftovers for lunch, quick kitchen cleanup, and put away groceries from yesterday. I still need to finish folding laundry, make a dessert for a cook-out tonight, choose songs for services tomorrow and file Walgreens rebate paperwork for July. As long as I am diligent, I know that I can get all that done!

After church services tomorrow I think that I am going to try to sort through my clothes (closet and dresser). That way when we go to town on Monday the bags for the resale shop will be ready. I also need to pick up some rubbermaid type boxes before I clean the boys' rooms.

I purpose to maintain the rooms that I clean before I start any new projects and daily chores will still need to be done. So I figure that it will take a week (or more) to get the whole house done. School starts back up here on next Monday so if the cleaning isn't done by then I will finish up on Saturdays until done.

I am thankful that although painful, God has shown me this sin area in my life and is willing to give me a second chance. God is GOOD!

An Article for You

Easy Record-Keeping for the Reluctant Homeschool Mom!
By Cindy Rushton
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=carieann77&pid=2

Record-keeping! Does your hair stand up when you think of record-keeping? Do you begin to grind your teeth? Did you feel like skipping this article just because it seems impossible for “EASY” and “Record-keeping” to ever go together??
Relax. I know that there is not a “one size fits all.” I know that in spite of how hard we may search, there is not a perfect system for every mom! That is OK! My prayer is that if you are in need of some ideas to make a couple areas a little easier or if you have no idea of where to begin, that you will find a few ideas as you come home with us to see how simple record-keeping CAN be. Ready for some quick tips??? Here we go…

--> Find what is mandatory. Every state and school district has differing requirements. Find other homeschool families in your area and see how each of them manages their homeschool records. Find the easiest way possible to meet the requirements. Make it as DOABLE as possible!

--> Choose what works for YOU. Every mom has her favorite method that works JUST for them whether a planner with reproducible pages… a ready to use planner… a simple spiral notebook… binders… a filing cabinet… computer… etc, etc, etc! Before you consider anything else, look at who you are. What makes you feel more comfortable? What helps you to feel more accomplishment? Whether formal or informal… detailed or not even written down… YOUR way is the best way! Decide what works best for you!

--> Document daily! Don’t let it build up. Jot it down throughout the day. When my children were little, I kept one journal for everything. I kept it out on my desk so I could just jot down what we were doing as we did it. It was amazing how much easier that was than even waiting till the end of the day. As they got older, I transferred this process to them. I had always made it easy. So, transferring it to them did not overwhelm them. I began this process by letting them keep up with their reading log. The rest was easy after that. They now keep their records just like I used to. At the end of the month and again at the end of the semester I go through making sure that everything is on target and also look to see how well they are keeping up with my overall schedule. Without good records, this would be impossible.

--> Keep all of their work in Notebooks. We keep ALL of our written work in a binder of some sort. Then, we take it further… we keep ANYTHING that can be pressed in binders. Anything left?? Yes! Then, we take pictures and keep THEM in the binders! (Hehe!) ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that can be studied can also be kept in Notebooks in some way. We keep anything that would expand a study and build a great collection of information on topics we study… great quotes, definitions about a subject being studied, diagrams, character sketches, pictures, coloring sheets, art prints, poems, Bible verses, narrations, Bible word studies, on and on! Our main reason for Notebooking in this way is that if our children are going to spend their time DOING something, it ought to be worthwhile enough for us to KEEP IT. This teaches them to value their work, do a great job on all they do, and that ALL areas of life are truly educational.

--> Scrapbook events, activities, fun studies, and projects! Scrapbooks/Yearbooks for what are REALLY doing throughout our school year is not only fun, but it helps to preserve the memories of ALL that we are doing in our family. There are just some things that our children are learning that are impossible to document without scrapbooking! Get out of the old “school” box and really document your family’s education. You won’t be sorry!

--> Use planning sheets designed JUST for homeschooling. Don’t let commercial record-keepers keep you from homeschooling with a lifestyle of learning! Look for printable pages that are designed just for the homeschool mom. You can find great options everywhere!

--> Buy resources that are designed just for you. We have an entire line of resources that we now have available through our bookstore. Check out our Make Your Own Brain-in-a-Binder Printables. It is designed specifically for the homeschool mom who wants pages designed for every area that must be balanced in the busy homeschool family. Also, check out other great resources by homeschool writers and even pages that are included in many homeschool books (we always try to include pages that we use in our books). Now, you may be like me. You may prefer to make your own planning pages. That is perfectly fine! You can tailor your pages to fit exactly with your family needs. Just be sure to use what works for you!

--> At the end of the school year, file all records together. This may seem to be a mute point, however this will save your brain! At the end of our school year, I gather everything together and add them into one big binder. I date the binder and store it away for my children’s permanent file. Be sure to pull all of your records together into a set and safe place. When you get discouraged along the way, just look back and see how far you have come—it will be a HUGE blessing!

Ok...So, Are You Ready?
So, what about you? Still scared about Record-keeping? Why not think through YOUR OWN way? Try your spin. Use what is easy, simple, and will give you more time with your little ones while helping to keep things in place for you. Most of all, find a way that can capture all of these precious memories of these days for you so you will have them to look back upon tomorrow! Have fun! EVEN with Record-keeping!
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Need MORE Help? Check out Cindy's New Organized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn--you also get access to Cindy's Organization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let's Get Organized for the New School Year.
Yep! Both! Complimentary! Get your set here: http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=carieann77&pid=2

July update

I seem to be so very bad about updating lately. I do apologize. The baby is taking up some of my time, plus the garden, school preps, housework.....Oh My! I am hoping to get into the swing of things soon :)

I hope to shortly share our curriculum choices for the year and some review stuff that I have been working on. Also, this week is the last week to sign up for the Ultimate Homeschool Expo at the discounted rate! Those speakers are such a blessing to me as I walk in the morning.

Our garden is finally growing! So many of our neighbors have been harvesting and we have been jealous, but yesterday I picked 4 green beans and we have little tiny cucumbers, zucchini and spaghetti squash on the vines. We also have several green tomatoes! And a little tiny pepper I think. I ordered some seed for fall planting. I hope it gets here in time!

I have been decluttering school stuff. I sold some stuff on ebay, but ended up not making hardly anything after shipping. I think that shipping rates have went up recently. I know everything else has. I ordered flours, popcorn, honey, and oatmeal from our local food co-op and was surprised at how much the prices had increased. I am going to have to be more creative with our food budget I think. I am also trying to store some food for emergencies. I have been very blessed by a website HERE with a bunch of ladies (and some gentleman) that are helping me in my long term preparations. No matter what the future holds for each of us, it doesn't hurt to be ready for it!

Little Bear is almost 9 months old! I can't hardly believe it! He has started to take a few steps alone at a time.....6 is the most so far. We have some little kitties as well and they all entertain each other with chasing and stuff. The little kitties aren't smart enough to stay away from the baby though and he tries to squeeze the stuffing out of them.....or drops them when he is done......grabs them by the tail, etc. I spent an hour yesterday saying "be nice to the kitty, love the kitty, don't throw the kitty, don't drop the kitty, don't strangle the kitty, love the kitty". I was beginning to sound like a broken record! Luckily enough the older boys came home from grandmas and helped and Little Bear had to go to bed. Right now Bear and the grey kitty (with no name - we are hoping to find it a good home) are sleeping on the couch. Sleeping they seem to get along pretty well..........with very little stress for momma!

Well, I need to finish my chores and get lunch started before Bear wakes. I am going to be trying a sourdough english muffin recipe tomorrow. I will let you know how that goes!

Let's Get Organized for a New School Year!

Cindy Rushton is hosting a wonderful seminar this weekend; Let's Get Organized for a New School Year! I know that I need all the help that I can get! If you want to join us visit HERE for a ticket. Happy planning!

Later today or tomorrow I will post about our curriculum choices for the year. We have a lot of fantastic stuff planned!

Summertime and the Living is Easy

We are embracing summer here :) And having a wonderful time too!

The boys were at church camp last week and they are attending VBS this week. We love taekwondo, but I was so grateful to have a break from the constant running. Bear and I have stayed home most of the week. I have been cleaning, cooking, gardening and just enjoying my home and the people in it.

We have replanted our garden. Dh is probably finishing the planting right now :) Baby is napping so I am inside. I think that we may have a nice harvest in spite of the horrible spring weather. What a blessing that will be this fall!

I have laundry on the line right now and I am finishing the downloads from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo. The speakers are great!!!!! My little pink Ipod (thanks sweetie) that I received for my birthday has been a constant companion during housework and walks.

I am walking 2 miles a day most days. I am on week 3 of a low carb diet (South Beach). So far I have lost 13 pounds, 12 of which during the first 2 "hard" weeks. Boy, am I glad to be done with those! I know that with God's help and constant diligence on my part that I can lose this weight and be relieved of this burden. My knee is already feeling better!

Teach magazine (see sidebar for link) is running a special Homemakers set if you are interested in some encouragement in that area. The sale is until Friday night. I am hoping to get mine ordered sometime tomorrow. I could really use some encouragment in that area!

God has really worked on my heart about my attitude. I am so pleased to say that with HIS help I have been able to have a peaceful, joyful attitude all week this week. And there have been events that could have been stressful!

My little dog Sadie got out of the van at the park Tuesday without the boys noticing when they got in. We didn't realize until 15 mins. later that she wasn't with us. We went back to the park and called and called and called. A woman sitting on a park bench said that she had followed our van as we drove out of the park. That was bad news because we had left the park via the highway. Sadie is blind in one eye, almost deaf and isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch anyway....crossing a highway is not in her skillset. We called and called and called along the edge of the park and Greg was in tears because Sadie was all alone with no one to take care of her when we noticed a man across the highway with a black dog on a leash. Sadie! She had made it across the highway and to his place of business and he was looking for her owner! We were so blessed to have her with us again.

God takes care of the big things and the little things!
Have a wonderful day!

Time is Flying

I had no intention of letting this much time pass between blog updates. We have been so very busy.

Little Bear has become an accomplished crawler and he can pull up to furniture and "cruise" around the coffee table and couch. He has become very attached to Momma. He cries as soon as I leave a room! As part of my exercise routine we are walking 2 miles every morning and he really enjoys the stroller.

My birthday was Sunday. I turned 31. I just don't feel that old though :) Dh and the boys got me a cute little Ipod Nano, 8 GB....in pink. I am happily downloading audios from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo. It truly makes the morning walks more interesting.

Dh's cousin's daughter (this cousin is like a brother to Dh) got married 2 weekends ago. Dh and I made a lot of the food for the reception. We did dinner rolls for 200 people (240 Bavarian dinner rolls). What was I thinking when I volunteered???? But we got it done and the couple is happily married. The bride was our flower girl 12.5 years ago.

Lee is at camp this week. Greg and I rented Alvin and the Chipmunks from PPV this evening. It is such a cute movie.

I am working on my schedule and school stuff for next year. August will be here before you know it. We are bummed that the heavy rains cost us our sweet corn, green beans and other stuff. I really need to get out there and weed what is left. So much for stocking up! We will make do with what we get and be thankful for it. I feel blessed that our area only experienced temporary flooding. So many others are facing the loss of their crops and their homes. God will provide for us!

I hope to be back more frequently! If you are looking for some interesting reading, you can check out Candy's blog. She has been posting about have a joyful attitude no matter what your circumstances.

Have a good night!