Our Little Corner

Yosemite, Here We Come!

2012-01-06T21:07:00.003-06:00

By nature I am a planner. That is how I am most comfortable. But every once in awhile I like to be spontaneous. Yesterday was one of those times. I wanted to have a fun learning experience away from our textbooks. I called the boys in & asked them what they were interested in learning about. One said Indians & the other said science. After searching Netflix for Native American documentaries and coming up empty on anything that would hold the interest of a 6 year old I stumbled upon National Geographic. After using this as my search term I had a wealth to choose from. We chose Yosemite.

After watching the documentary all snuggled up in my room we were ready for the next part. BTW, Elvis gave the film 10 out of 10 stars & Bugsy gave it 1 million! Lol. I think they liked it.
I looked up some information on the Internet & decided we needed to take a quick trip to the store for some ingredients for later. We all piled in the van & off we went. A break for a clean-up of neglected chores & then I gave them the challenge of packing their backpacks.

They were allowed 5 items to be found in 5 minutes. These were items they would take on our "trip" to Yosemite. Our specific destination? To climb El Capitan! Elvis insisted on taking his biggest pillow.

Sweet Pea helped Princess pack. She wasn't going to be left behind!

All packed & ready to roll!

While they packed I re-heated the grub Sweet Pea had cooked earlier. After all you have to start a hike with a filling meal.

Perfect camping food. If we could I would have cooked them over an open fire.

We ate our grub outside on pie tins to get that 'camping feel'. Oh and of course we used our water bottles!

Someone was very happy when Bugsy accidentally dropped a piece of his hot dog.

The girls shared some grub. Sweet Pea's choice.

Once we were done our grub it was time to make a snack for the trail. Hikers can get very hungry & need energy. We talked about the ingredients & how each would help us on our hike.

Now it was time to make it! Everyone wanted to help & we took turns.

Plenty of raisins!

Adding them into the bowl is fun!

Princess wanted a turn too. She likes to keep up with her older siblings. No treating her like a baby! Lol.

I got Sweet Pea to join in after a bit of coaxing.

Now for the cereal to be added in to the mix.

Princess wanted to stir.

Mama decided to add a secret, surprise ingredient. Chocolate chips!
(Scary how much she looks like her Daddy here! ROTFL!)

All mixed in & ready to go!

Doesn't it look yummy?

I had the kids help me scoop it into small plastic bags & we sealed them up. We discussed how this snack is perfect for hiking. Light, easy to eat on the go, easy to carry, healthy (for the most part), etc.

Elvis started goofing off & in the process spilled his trail mix treat all over the floor. While he had a little pity party on the floor Bugs made the most of the opportunity. He took one look at the spilled treat & yelled, "Trail mix!" and dived on the floor. What did Mama do? Well, like any good mama I took pictures. Hee, hee. Hey, what's a little dirt, right?

A quick sweep of the rest of the spilled treat & we were finally ready to head out.

Another distraction awaited as the neighbor's playful little doggie came over for a quick visit. He wanted to "play" with our cat Sky.

Okay, now we're off & hiking! Yes, we are hiking through the forest. Can you see the tall trees, hear the birds, smell the woods? Did you see that Bald Eagle flying overhead? That was amazing!

It took the kids a little while to jump into my imaginary world I was painting for them. But they came. They laughed as we passed by a "wildcat" (neighborhood cat) and I cautioned them about getting too close. Then they joined in when we spotted a bear (little neighborhood dog on his front path). We discussed what kind of bear it was and what we should do yet it come closer. We learned last year how you need to react differently depending on what kind of bear it is.

We soon came upon our destination. But first there was this wild creature to dodge! I was shaking with fright so much that my camera wobbled! Ack!

Finally! El Capitan!

The boys scrambled right up! I was going to have them climb with their backpacks on to keep the feel of our imaginations going but the cautious mama in me had them shed them for safety.

Climbing, climbing, climbing. Princess desperately wanted to climb too but I wouldn't let her. There are some things a Princess can not do yet. She had to settle for the slide on the swing set.

Way up high!

While waiting below Sweet Pea was attacked!

She bravely wrestled the beast off of her!

Princess was beyond brave chasing it into the "forest"& protecting her sister.

Bugsy way up high on El Capitan.

They had a lot of fun & so did I. It's fun to let your imagination take over. So what adventure will YOU be embarking on?

Fun With Math

2012-01-04T12:46:00.032-06:00

Originally I had scheduled that we would start back to school on Monday, Jan. 2nd. I realized even before the New Year dawned that this would not be happening. We spent the last week of our Christmas vacation overhauling both the boy's room, Princess' room & the Family Room. Boo's room was still a work in progress, (Don't ask), and I knew I had no energy to start back that soon. Of course there was also the fact that I hadn't had a moment, (or desire), to work on any lesson plans. So this week has been a week of mega cooking & baking, resting up from yet another bad cold, running errands & starting back in some of our activities. Wednesday I was thinking that some games would be a fun way to fill our morning. You know me. I had to sneak a little learning in there somewhere. =)

First on the list was Match It! - Time
I found this game at a yard sale years ago.

I would say Bugsy is my child who loves games the most. Board games, card games, hands-on games, active games he's your guy. The clock/time game came out of the schoolroom closet & we began!

First we did a quick review of telling time. Then an easy start of matching a few.

He warmed up fast & soon we were doing harder matches.

Lastly I would show him a time on the big clock & his job was to find both matches in the piles.

Thinking hard.

He did a fantastic job!

(Today he asked if we could play the game again. Success!)

Next it was time for Money Bags!

This is one of the games Bugsy received for Christmas. Elvis loves it too. I used my Swagbucks to buy this. Well worth it!
(See my home page, right hand column for a link to sign up for Swagbucks if you haven't already signed up. It's a great way to earn FREE stuff, gift cards, etc.)

SkyWalker was snug in my bed next to me taking a wee nap.

Starting the game!

Sky sleeps on. Isn't he cute?

Bugsy counts out the money he earned in his turn. I believe for this turn he wasn't allowed to use nickels in counting out his earnings.

Elvis' turn. This kid has the best luck when it comes to games.

Some of the play money used in the game.

Moving right along.
I'm the one in last place. Of course. LOL!

Princess cheers for us! She really got into the game which was super cute.

We played two games of this & then it was time for lunch. Later that evening the boys played 'Life' with Sweet Pea. They were loving Game Day! =0)

The Saga of the Boy's Room

2011-12-30T18:37:00.077-06:00

How did that title grab you? Could you hear the music of impending doom? Lol! I don't know about your boys but ours can demolish a room in less time than it takes me to imagine all they could do to it. When we have to clean out their room it is not a simple task of folding clothes, vacuuming & picking up a few toys while little birds sing happily in the background. No. It's more like put on your hazmat suit, bring the bulldozer & make sure you have plenty of bleach & a gas mask. You think I'm joking. Ask my husband. He will assure you I am not. It took 4 days but it's finally done. I am amazed & relieved. It took the entire family working together to make it happen. Thank God for team work & perseverance on my husband's part. I'm so pleased with the results!
This is a long post but I hope you enjoy the journey!
P.S With the exception of the black laundry baskets, the bed frames, one mattress & the reg. pillows everything were items we already owned. Some for a very long time. Lol. The mattress was a Groupon deal we purchased almost a year ago. Fabulous deal of $50 for $200 mattress or set!

Dave keeps a smile on his face as he uses a generic Magic Eraser to get crayon & pencil off of the wall. (Those things are FANTASTIC!)

Bugsy helped scrub too. After all he was one of the "artists".

Boo was not as happy as the others to join in. But she did anyway.

Elvis hard at work.

Being silly as we get ready to set up furniture.

What can I say here? Like father, like son.

Muscles came in to help Dave move furniture.

Trying different arrangements for the new beds. Dave knows this is the only way I can figure out exactly where I want them.

Surfing

He was a little off the wall with excitement! Lol!

Moving beds again.

And again.

Hey! Don't take my picture!

I guess Mama wasn't listening too well about that picture taking thing. Lol.

I think we finally found THE arrangement!

One dresser returns to the room.

Should we put the bookshelf here?

The cubbies go into the corner.

Folding clothes, purging clothes, hanging up clothes. This took a LONG time.

We labeled the drawers. Hopefully this will help to keep them neat & tidy.

The beds are all set up & ready to be made.

The boys spent their first night in their new beds last night.

Today we finished up the room. There were still toys to sort & put away, some clothes to hang up & a few other odds and ends.

The boys were ECSTATIC to get a TV in their room. We bought one for $20 locally. They are only allowed to watch approved DVD's & videos on it before they go to bed at night. We thought this might make their transition from sleeping in the family room (their choice) to their room a bit easier. It was one of their Christmas presents. =0)

Their newly organized & cleaned closet.

From top to bottom it is now clean & organized!

The cubbies are all set up with clothes & church shoes. Each boy has their own organized dresser too. The shelf you see here is Bugsy's shelf loaded with his special toys, treasures & books.

The hampers are in this corner too.

On the wall opposite the window there are these built in shelves in the corner. They hold special treasures on the top & some special toys and hats on the bottom.

A view of their completed room. Bugy's comforter was still in the laundry.

A view from the doorway.

Under Bugsy's Bed

We purposely chose to have the beds be up off of the floor so we could have storage underneath. The boy's room is narrow & this extra storage is sorely needed. I was excited to find some black laundry baskets at Walmart for under $3 each. They seem to fit in the room better & add inexpensive storage.

The GeoTraxs the boys were given by a generous friend fit perfectly underneath Elvis' bed.

Bugsy's bed

Elvis' bed.

The view from the other side of the room.

And one more view.

Happy again about the new-to-them TV. We actually gave them the TV from our room & took the other b/c it was too big for their dresser. =0) They didn't care. They were simply excited to have it in their room!
(Yes, all of our televisions are older & the old fashioned kind. No flat screens here! We don't mind one bit!)

Elvis' shelves. I think this shows a lot about who he is.

Everyone was tired & some were acting a bit silly. =)

Daddy hooking up the little DVD player.

She loves to crawl into beds & snuggle in.

They watched an episode of Clone Wars to "toast" their new room.

The family room was done as well. The couch was cleaned out & under, the books were organized, all the junk came out of the corners & the toys were sorted & purged. Can you hear my sigh of relief?

Nice & neat. At least for tonight. Lol.

(In case you are wondering the baskets are clothes that we are either getting rid of or storing. Those baskets will be out of my way before the weekend is over. Yahoo!)

This TV seems HUMUNGOUS to me! This is our $20 deal. I'm very, very happy with it & feel blessed to have found it.

Before I wrap this up I want to tell you a little about the boy's new beds. We knew the boys needed beds but all the ones we looked at were either way too flimsy for our active boys or way out of our price range. Bunks beds weren't an option as this nervous Mama didn't like the close proximity to the ceiling fan. We decided to have Dave make beds for them. We talked about a simple & sturdy design. Dave consulted our talented friend Joe & came up with a specific design. The plan was that Dave would buy the lumber, bring it over to Joe's workshop & they would make the beds together. Joe, out of his generous heart, insisted that Dave stay home the few nights he wasn't working & Joe would cut out all the pieces for the beds. Wow. What a gift! Dave brought them home when they were ready. He painted (with Sweet Pea's help), and put them together when we were ready to set up their room. I am beyond pleased with how they turned out. It's exactly what I had pictured in my mind. I'm so proud of both Dave & Joe! Many thanks to Joe too! You are a great friend!

Hey There!

2011-12-30T18:27:00.003-06:00

I hope to get Christmas & before Christmas photos posted in the near future. We have been incredibly busy as I'm certain most if not all of you have been too. Dave & I have both been working outside the home in addition to the usual Christmas hustle & bustle. I have been working childcare jobs & worked a week of TKD camp. Dave is still working both his full time job & his part time job. His part time has increased in hours. No surprise as it's in retail & it's the busy season. =0)

This week after Christmas we have been scrambling to get the house in some sort of order. I had hoped to do a big clean out & organize project this summer but was too busy working jobs outside the home & planning school. Summer? What was that? Anyway, I am going to post some pics to show you what we've been up to this week. It will be nice to start the New Year with some organization in the house. Yay! How about you? Are there any projects you have been working on?

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-08T22:55:00.028-06:00

Last year after Christmas we bought these gingerbread house kits. Boo bought her own & I bought one for the boys to share. Sweet Pea didn't want one & Princess was too young. It's taken us almost a year but they have finally been made. To be honest I'm glad we waited because it's more fun as a prelude to Christmas.

Bugs starts to frost the house. Elvis sulks because Bugs gets to go first. Lol.

Boo is hard at work on her house.

A snow covered roof.

My 3 men.
Elvis joins in & is now a happy boy.

The purchase.

Princess wanted to join in too.

Bugsy's favorite part was the candy.

He swiped quite a few pieces when we weren't looking. LOL!

Boo carefully plans her design.

Taking turns.

Ta-dah!

She added some more later too.

Proud artists.
*******

These were such fun!

I may have to find some on clearance again this year & hide them away for next year. =0)

Black Friday Thoughts

2011-11-23T12:33:00.001-06:00

I have to say it....I ♥ Black Friday! It's a tradition for my oldest & I to go out and have fun shopping & bargain hunting together. We don't get crazy neither do we ignore our family. My husband is fine with it, gets a kick out of our childish glee & appreciates my frugalness. As for the complaints about people having to work I think it IS important to be with family. BUT at the same time this is one of the deals when you work retail. I used to work it. Dave still does. I don't hear anyone up in arms about all the others who work on every holiday. Nurses, doctors, emergency workers, military, food service workers, hotel staff, police, fire fighters, convenience store (gas station) workers, nursing home/assisted living home workers, etc. etc. all work the holidays. The list goes on as I've barely covered it. I haven't seen anyone writing an article demanding THEY don't work. Why are we suddenly up in arms because stores are opening earlier? It's not the first time they have done this. It has been happening for years. Personally I think if you have a job be grateful. Yes, it stinks to work on a holiday. I 100% understand that. I've done it. I've been a child whose parent has had to do it. But it's not the actual day that counts. It's the time with family. So set aside another day and celebrate then. Count your blessings one of them being that you are employed. And that your job may be more secure by the number of shoppers that come through those doors. I know I'm in the minority but maybe this gave a different side that wasn't thought of before. Some food for thought on Thanksgiving week, if you will.

Angels Among Us

2011-11-17T21:38:00.007-06:00

I've been having a rough few weeks with my kids, with life & with homeschooling. Today I took 4 of the 5 out to Aldi with me. I was pausing to add items up on my calculator when I saw an older lady waiting to get to what we were standing in front of. I asked my oldest daughter & son to move aside so the lady could get what she needed. I apologized with a sheepish smile to the lady for being in the way. She leaned in to get her item and then suddenly came up and half hugged my shoulder. Her touch was gentle & kind. She said softly, "Homeschoolers, right?" Immediately my defenses went up but I relaxed as her next words reached my ears. "You are so blessed!" I have to admit I was startled. "Me, blessed?" I haven't been feeling that much lately. More like tired, defeated, unappreciated, a failure. Yes, those are words I'm familiar with especially these past few weeks. She talked to me for at least 10-15 minutes. She encouraged me telling me what a blessing I was to my children to choose to have them at home with me. How I was showing an example of love to them for how I ministered to them daily. I felt my spirits lifting. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she shared these words & thoughts. She told me how she raised 8 children in Japan as a missionary. And how blessed she was to have done so. We talked about her children a bit & then a little about homeschooling. She was an elegant woman and her joy gave her a rare beauty. The love that she had for her children, her life and her Lord shone from her eyes. The loving looks she gave my children. She saw them as treasures. Their chatter delighted her, it didn't annoy her. Seeing them in and around my cart didn't make her swing wide to avoid us but rather drew her in. Like a cold drink of water on a hot day her words & actions refreshed me. It was only for a few minutes but it was exactly what I needed. I hope I meet this charming woman again one day. I want to tell her how much her words encouraged me. They wrapped around my weary mind & heart like a comforting hug. I know she was sent by the Lord. One of those rare angels that live among us. I'm thankful for her. Her precious gift. A gift of loving words, a smile & a moment taken to minister to an overwhelmed mama. Thank you, Lord for sending her my way today.

Zaycon Foods

2011-11-13T19:27:00.021-06:00

The homeschool Yahoo groups around here are a wealth of information. I find out about field trips, curriculum, helps in our every day schooling, cooking tips,discounts and much more. One mother posted about a company called Zaycon Foods. One of the things they sell in bulk are fresh chicken breasts for a discounted price. They sell them in bulk and from what I understand deal directly with the farmers. I researched for hours & read a lot about them. All the reviews I found were positive. An opportunity came soon after to purchase from them. Dave & I decided to give the company and their product a try. We have been unhappy with what we have been buying from the grocery stores. The chicken is often a bit rubbery & very salty. Could this be better than that? And at a better price to boot?

Boo drove with me to Nashville to pick up our order. They have an assigned date & time frame that they email to you once your order is placed & paid for. We bought 2 cases.
(1 case = 40lbs. chicken)

Each case comes in a wax lined box. Inside each box are 4-10lb. bags of chicken. All of these bags are sealed & inside a thick bag. When they loaded my chicken into my van, (Yes, you never have to get out of your vehicle!), they put down plastic underneath the boxes. Nice, huh? Absolutely nothing leaked & there was no dirt or anything of the like on the box. But it was nice to know the extra plastic was there just in case.

Boo showing us her 'Happy Chicken Dance'.

I got to work right away cutting up the chicken & trimming it when needed. I didn't need to trim much fat at all. It was quite lean and had much less fat than the stuff we buy at the grocery store.

Now that's some nice looking chicken!

I cut the chicken up into serving size pieces. Then they were wrapped individually in plastic wrap & put in a freezer bag. Sweet Pea helped me by doing the wrapping & bagging.

I remembered we had these crates in the shed. Dave washed them up before leaving for work. They made great storage containers for our chest freezer.

By the time we were done we had 2 crates full plus a few more bags.

Do I smell CHICKEN?

***MY REVIEW**
We have been using the chicken for many of our meals. I am extremely pleased. The chicken is not at all salty. Oh I was so tired of salty meat! And it is the most tender chicken I've ever had! No matter what dish we make it for it is so tender and delicious! I will definitely be buying from this company again.

Muffins, Waffles & More Baby Steps

2011-11-11T21:00:00.013-06:00

It was baking day here at our humble abode! Or at least it was an afternoon of baking. By the time I got home from running the kids to TKD, our shopping trip to Aldi & a trip to pick up a uniform it was about 2p.m. by the time I got started.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm taking baby steps in OAMC (Once A Month Cooking). Today's goal was getting breakfast items in my freezer.

First on the list were several batches of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Next was a quadruple batch of Coffee Cake Muffins.

Oh that cinnamon smelled yummy!

Bugsy was a sweet helper running to get me items & then sprinkling the cinnamon & sugar mix on every muffin.

After a taste of a Coffee Cake Muffin he gave it 2 thumbs up!

These poor little guys didn't fare so well. The bottom rack was too close to the bottom of the stove & their poor little bums burned. =( We salvaged them cutting off the burnt parts. It hasn't deterred the kids from eating them for one second! =)

Fresh from the oven!

Last but not least came the waffles. I made a quadruple batch of these too.

103 muffins all bagged up & ready for my freezer!

Dave offered to cook up the waffles for me. I was so tired I gratefully accepted.

A small stack.

These were only a few of what Dave cooked up. The kids had some for dinner & the remainder went into our freezer.

Next I hope to start prep work on our dinners! Today I did most of the shopping for them. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Thank You, Veterans

2011-11-10T16:58:00.031-06:00

This afternoon we went with our HEART homeschool group to the TN State Veterans Home. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day & we went to thank them for their service to our country.

After finally finding where we were to be the kids performed in a little Talent Show. Elvis was the first one to perform. Poor boy. He was scared to death! It's not easy being the first one to go up.

I talked to him & then asked Boo to go up with him for support. Soon he was singing his first song.

The next song was another from church. He sings it with the Kids Praise Team all the time. The leader loved that it had dancing and motions.

Here's my boy singing & dancing for the Veterans.

Sweet Pea performed two of her patterns for everyone.

Red Belt! Watch out!

She ended with a big 'Hi-yah!'

Bugs acted out the part of Yankee Doodle while Boo sang the song.

He was so precious riding his horse!

Boo sang 'The Star Spangled Banner'.

All the residents that could stand did as did all the visitors & employees. I could tell that hearing her sing this song meant a lot.

A few of the other kids played the piano for their talent. They did very well.

After the Talent Show the kids passed out cards they had made for the residents. One of the employees led us on a small tour of the facility where we had the opportunity to meet more residents.

This lady, Betty, enjoyed listening to Bugsy tell his story of how he is named after his great-grandfather. He told her all about him too.

Princess' favorite part was going and shaking hands with the Veterans.

She showed no hesitation or fear & was completely adorable.

She was precious. She walked right up on her own, stuck out her hand & then shook hands. Sometimes we paused for a bit so a hug could be given.

Boo & Bugs thanking one of the Veterans.

I was proud of all the kids. I hope we are able to go back again soon. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to thank them for all they have done for us.

Pancakes Galore!

2011-11-09T23:13:00.014-06:00

I've been wanting to get back into cooking & freezing meals ahead of time. I used to do this years ago & it save a lot of time and money. Many refer to it as Once A Month Cooking. Coincidentally my friend Rhonda posted on her blog & Facebook page that she has been cooking up a storm of delicious meals & goodies. That inspired me even more especially after seeing the delicious things she was making!
I wanted to jump right in but soon realized we will have to wait for a shopping trip first. In the meantime I made a baby step in the right direction. I had ingredients for pancakes and spent yesterday making batch after batch of them.
We have 2 griddles & I soon had them busy at work.

Oh they smelled so good!

Another batch on & cooking!

Griddle #2

For the 2nd batch I tripled the recipe & added some wheat flour too.

Princess enjoyed a yummy lunch.

Trying to chew & smile at the same time is not an easy task. Lol!

All packaged up in freezer bags & ready for the freezer!

One tiny step towards easy meals!

Trek Book 1 ~ DONE!

2011-11-08T18:03:00.003-06:00

Boo finished her first AWANA Trek book this past Sunday night! It is written to be finished at the end of May. She has been working extra hard & is done 7 months early! I'm very proud of her!

As you can see by her smile she is very proud & happy too!

And of course she wouldn't be Boo Bear if she wasn't a little silly. Lol!

Congratulations, Boo Bear! Daddy & Mama are VERY proud of you!

All Dressed Up

2011-11-08T17:43:00.006-06:00

All dressed up & ready for church!

See you later!

October TKD Testing

2011-11-06T15:14:00.001-06:00

Recently four of our children tested for their next TKD belts. It was especially exciting for Bugs who had been waiting to test for his green belt for quite some time. With the honor of earning a green belt comes the ability to spar. Bugs is very excited about this! The older children Sweet Pea, Boo Bear & Elvis were all testing for their red belts. For this testing they had to break a board with their bare hand. Last testing & belt it was with their bare foot.

Bugsy was excited & ready to get started!

The first round of testers lined up according to belt & rank.

Mr. Kelly was introduced for the first time as a 7th Dan. This is quite an honor & achievement!

Bugsy's turn came & he was out there doing his best. I was so proud of him!

First he did his pattern.

Then it was time for drill work.

This is what he has been working on a lot.

After the lower belts/ranks were done with their testing it was time for the next level of students.

Sweet Pea doing her pattern.

They take turns in groups of 2-4.
Boo & Elvis were in the same group to test.

They are allowed to go at their own pace unless the steps are being called out. That is why you see them doing different moves at the same time though they are doing the same pattern.

The final part of their testing for their red belts was to break a board with their hand. It was hard to get photos because of how crowded it was & the position they were set up in. Here is Sweet Pea hitting & breaking her board on the first hit. Yay, girl!

Boo Bear's turn.

Hit! Crack! Broken board #2! YES!

Elvis' turn to break his board.

I got the photo right after he broke it. He broke it on his first hit too! Whoot! Whoot!

They were PUMPED!

Very happy testers!

Looking tough!

They usually wait about a week or two to find out if they passed. Mr. Stevens doesn't let them test though unless he is confident they are ready. Still it's a bit of a nail biting time waiting but it's a good lesson in patience. =0)

Show & Tell Day

2011-11-04T19:18:00.000-05:00

We're trying out a new homeschool group this year. It gives the children lots of opportunities for social activities, field trips & community service projects. Many things are divided by age while others mix the age groups.
Bugsy and I recently went to the 'Show & Tell Day' for K-2. I believe 7 or 8 children his age attended. There were a few younger siblings there as well. His show & tell was to perform a couple of his TKD patterns. It worked perfectly as he had class right before this.

He was first to do his 'Show & Tell'.

One of the little girls demonstrated Origami.

She brought paper & taught the kids how to make a puff ball. ( I think that's what it was called. I'm not really sure. Lol.)

These were the items she brought in to show the group.

Our friend, N brought in his roller coaster card collection & his photo calendar.

This little boy made a food chain & explained it.

After pizza & Show & Tell the kids played games together.

Musical Instruments Bingo.

Hungry Hippo

This was a big hit with the boys. They whacked those poor hippos like mad! LOL! See their little faces?

It was a very fun afternoon. Bugsy was very happy to have his buddy N there and made some new friends too. We are looking forward to the Christmas party in December.

Peanut Butter

2011-11-02T21:19:00.003-05:00

Due to the news that peanut butter prices are about to soar I am stocking up a bit. Tonight we went to Aldi and I bought these 40oz. jars. The price hadn't risen yet & I was relieved. Peanut butter is a must have in our house. What about your family? Are you concerned that this staple will soon cost almost double? What is your plan in dealing with this price increase?

Fun Times!

2011-10-30T23:00:00.005-05:00

We've been having a lot of fun this past week. We went on a couple of field trips as a family & had some fun at home too. I can hardly wait to share our pictures with you. Have you been on any great field trips or adventures lately? If so I hope you are having as much fun as we are & I'd love to hear about them!

Tea Party

2011-10-27T13:41:00.019-05:00

It is a rainy day here in Middle Tennessee. We have a rare day at home today. We have been doing a little bit of school and a little bit of relaxing. And of course a little bit of playing. =) Princess wanted a tea party and Elvis and Boo were happy to indulge her.

The first guests all dressed up.

She really liked this outfit.

Elvis pours for Princess.

Sipping

Some smiles for the camera.

Another guest joins the party. Meet Ms. Alligator!

Chit-chat over tea

Cutie pie

Cheers!

A toast!

Tee, hee, hee!

Later they were served some pretty sandwiches with their tea. It was a sweet little party.

Fall

2011-10-26T14:29:00.001-05:00

Coaches

2011-10-17T23:47:00.014-05:00

We have been fortunate that in our 4 seasons with One Goal the kids have always had great coaches. This year we were blessed again. Don Bartch was the head coach for both Boo Bear's & Elvis' teams. He is a great combination of expecting the best from his players but able to laugh at mistakes and not take it too seriously. He has a great sense of humor and is always coming up with one liners as he coaches. He was Boo Bear's coach her first season & we were very happy to see him again.

Elvis' assistant coach was great too. Coach Linebarger really encouraged the boys to play as a team & do their best. He was always encouraging the boys no matter if they won or lost. He always took pride in them.

Bugsy loved his coach so much he stated that he would like to go live at his house! Coach Keith was full of energy, humor & encouragement. One thing he did that was new to us was to give out patches to the players. He would find different things to praise them for & award them a patch for it. They earned a patch when they recited their weekly Bible verse as well.

Coach Shannon is a very kind man. He is on the quiet side and so good with all the kids. He would always get down to their level to help them out or give them an encouraging word.

This is Boo's assistant coach. Coach Todd was always there for the girls cheering them on & building their self esteem. He never had a harsh word and was always smiling. He and Coach Don were a fantastic team.

Here is Coach Don again. He is great at building his players skills and teaching them to play as a team. There are no favorites or hot shots on his team. He is kind & encouraging to everyone. I love watching him coach especially when there is an exciting play. He jumps up and down on the sidelines cheering them on taking pride in his players.

Thank you, Coaches for another fantastic season! And thank you for sharing your talents, your love for the game, your love for kids & most of all your love for our Lord!

Celebration Night

2011-10-17T21:01:00.013-05:00

How can the soccer season be over already? It seems like it just started. Time certainly does fly faster than I like. Tonight was the end of the season Celebration Night. One Goal always does a fantastic program and tonight was no different. There were giveaways, a PowerPoint slide show, freebies, a video, trophies, and most important a message of salvation. The kids love this night & I think it's very special that One Goal puts all the work into making this happen. We are beyond pleased with them & have enjoyed every season we've participated.

He was the first to arrive from his team. He even beat the coaches! Lol! It helps that we live so close to the church were it was hosted. =0)
I waited with him until others arrived. They all sit together in rows with their teams making the night extra special.

At the end of the program the coaches passed out the trophies. Bugs is such a ham.

Coach Keith, Bugs & his teammates.

Elvis was back a few rows sitting with his team. Boo was sitting a row in back of Elvis with her team.

The board with all the team names. This shows everyone where they are sitting. Yes! There are A LOT of teams! I think Clark, the director, said there were over 600 children playing this season.

Pleased as punch!

Our three soccer players.

They are all champions in my book!

Our kids all gave their coaches homemade cards & a Hershey bar to say thank you. They each had 2 coaches and every one of them were fantastic with the kids.

See you in the spring, One Goal!

Funny Moment

2011-10-11T22:23:00.006-05:00

FUNNY MOMENT AT TKD:

Bugsy's class was practicing. Their instructor, a 20-some year old black belt, said to them, "You want to punch hard & straight like Rocky." I knew it was coming & waited. A few seconds later one of the kids asked in a puzzled tone, "Who's Rocky?" Their young instructor looked stunned. Then he recovered & answered, "You don't know who Rocky is? Oh no. I suddenly feel OLD!" I couldn't help it. I laughed right out loud. Poor guy. I think this was his first realization that he has graduated into the "older generation". ROTFL!

Apples & More Apples!

2011-10-10T23:24:00.001-05:00

We are having lots of fun making our apples into tasty treats. The first treat on the menu was applesauce. Elvis was eager to get started. He still talks about the time Grannie took them to an orchard with a friend of hers to pick. Afterward they made homemade applesauce together. That was 3 years ago.

We had to buy a new apple peeler corer as ours was worn out.

I think these things are fantastic.

Elvis took a turn at it.

Princess saw Boo & Elvis helping and didn't want to be left out. She pulled up a chair & got right to work.

She enjoyed handing me apples to peel & core.

She was very good at taste testing.

Boo got a kick out of the way Princess jumped in & took over.

She made an apple snowman by stacking them up. She was very proud of herself.

Two crock pots all filled & ready to cook.

Our house was filled with the heavenly scent of fall all night long.

It made a little dent in the bushel but not much.

Apples!

2011-10-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

Dave & I were disappointed we could not find a local orchard that allowed us to pick our own apples. This used to be a favorite tradition for our family when we lived in MA. So we wouldn't miss out on all the fun we ordered these from an orchard up north. They are fresh, pesticide free and ready to be turned into yummy treats!

Let the fun begin!

Rose Marie

2011-10-07T13:09:00.004-05:00

It's been 7 years but it doesn't seem to matter how much time has passed. Every year on this day it all comes rushing back. It hits me like a giant wave knocking me down. The grief. The tears. The missing piece of my heart. There are years I don't realize why until I look at the calendar. And then I know. It's October 7th. The day we lost our little Rose Marie. The day she slipped away and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't grab on & keep her with us. I begged. I pleaded. But she was called to Heaven.
My only comfort is that she is with my Jesus. And that one day I will finally be allowed to hold her, to cuddle her & to kiss her sweet face. I often wonder who would she have favored? Would she look like me? Would she have her Daddy's eyes? Our sense of humor? A twinkle in her eye like her brother? A soft spot for all the hurting like her sister? One day I hope to have these answers. No matter how many years go by the grief never completely leaves. Tears still fall. The ache is still there. A piece of my heart is forever missing. For now I'll keep loving her, keep missing her, keep working to make her proud of her Mama & wishing for the day we are reunited.

I love you, Rose Marie and miss you every day. One day we will be together. I promise.
All my love,
Hugs & kisses,
Mama

More Tabernacle

2011-10-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

Whoops! Somehow I forgot to include these pictures in my last post.

Daddy shows Elvis the ropes before giving him the reins.

Our artist at work.

Dave was very pleased with this box he created from folding up thin cardboard.

It is such fun when Daddy gets to work on projects with the kids. I know he enjoys it too.

Tabernacle Part 2

2011-10-04T22:48:00.000-05:00

And the fun continues!

Elvis glues construction paper to the bottom of the box. This will represent the sand.

Daddy explains how the layers of cloth & skins are placed on the tabernacle. In the background is the photo from the website for referral.

Bugs got a little bored & out came his Gameboy.

Elvis was happy to make some sheep for the courtyard.

Of course Princess wanted to be in on the action! =)

Daddy cuts the felt for the outside of the Tabernacle. We used felt because we didn't have any fabric in these colors in our scraps. To buy them would have been out of our budget so felt it was!

Next we'll put together the Tabernacle & do a little more painting!

Rescue Hero

2011-10-03T11:01:00.004-05:00

Elvis was a hero today! He was outside playing & saw our cat Sassy was playing with something. He got closer & saw it was a baby chickadee! He scared our cat away & then scooped up the poor, frightened bird. He then put it in his sweatshirt & brought it inside to show me.

Elvis made a little, soft pouch for his baby chickadee.

Scared but still alive!

Later they set it free & it hopped and flew off.
I am very proud of him! He is such a gentle soul.

Pretty Princess

2011-09-29T00:31:00.000-05:00

Tabernacle

2011-09-27T23:14:00.001-05:00

We are studying Mystery of History Vol. 1 (MOH) with our family group/co-op this year. We do the reading, timeline & worksheets at home and the fun activities together. I decided it would be fun to add an extra hands-on activity to our home schedule.

Years ago we visited the Biblical Tabernacle Reproduction in Lancaster, PA. I had first been fascinated by the Tabernacle in Bible class in the 7th grade. Our visit to Lancaster renewed & increased that fascination. The guide there was extremely informative & we learned a wealth of information. I thought it would be fun to see what our kids remembered from that visit & to make our own reproduction of the Tabernacle.

First I looked online to find resources. I stumbled upon a great help on Squiddo. And to boot it was FREE! Dave & the kids made a trip to Hobby Lobby & then the fun began!

Princess worked on a project of her own. It helped keep her busy & happy while the others worked. =)

This night most of the time was spent on painting the clothespins to put around the outside of the Tabernacle. We chose to buy regular clothespins as they were much easier on our budget.
I'll be posting updates & soon the finished product!

MOLD!

2011-09-22T22:29:00.015-05:00

Sweet Pea is studying Apologia Biology this year. Those of you who have studied with this curriculum know how intense it is. It is listed as a college prep course but in my opinion it is even a notch above that.
Sweet Pea is doing most of her labs & discussions with a friend in our co-op/family group. She enjoys this interaction & sharing of information. Today after the class was done she & I decided to keep learning & exploring on our own. She had never guessed mold could be so fascinating!

THIS is OUR pantry?

Sweet Pea had set aside a blueberry muffin & allowed it to grow mold. This is a sample from it that she put on a slide.

Studying hard!

Writing up her labs

Yummers!

My future scientist.

A figure of what we were observing.

It was really cool because we could see exactly what was drawn in the figure. Wow!

I love learning with my kids!

It really was fascinating. I'm very grateful to my Mom for purchasing this amazing microscope for our family. It is a treasure, a blessing & a valuable learning tool. Thank you, Mom/Grannie for investing in Sweet Pea's, Boo Bear's, Elvis', Bugsy's & Princess' educations! We love you! And a thank you to Jody too for lending us her Apologia books! Another big blessing! Thank you, friend!

It Only Takes A Spark

2011-09-22T00:13:00.006-05:00

‎"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books"
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I put this photo & quote on my Facebook page. I thought it was worth posting again here. I bought a book last week for Elvis at the Christian bookstore. I have been trying to find some fiction chapter books at his grade level that he would enjoy. It's been tough. I'm not a huge fan of much of the current so-called "literature". But I found this book & decided to give it a try. It's recommended reading level is pre-teen, (10-12?) and above but Elvis is doing fine with it. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when he crept into my room early Tuesday morning seeking a quiet place to read. He had started the night before & couldn't wait to continue. He has been devouring it ever since. I need to get myself back to the bookstore and pick up the next in the series!

Cuteness

2011-09-20T21:18:00.001-05:00

SOCCER!

2011-09-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

This Saturday of soccer was extra special because Grannie & Grandpa were visiting. They haven't seen the kids play in 3 years. What a thrill to have them watching & cheering!

Impressive Art

2011-08-31T11:59:00.001-05:00

Boo drew this. She said she worked on it for quite some time. I am so impressed.

Nana
This is where she used oil pastels to color it in.

We definitely have an artist in the family.

An Amazing Day at TKD

2011-08-30T21:07:00.009-05:00

Steven's Family Tae Kwon Do is one of the best things that has come into our lives this past year. I can't say enough good things about Mr. Stevens. My kids have grown in confidence, in skill, in respect & in many other ways as well.

Today the oldest three tested for their next belts. One of the things they had to do in their testing was to break a board. All were nervous but Sweet Pea was really feeling the fear and doubt. I talked to her and told her unless she believed she could do it she would guarantee her failure. Mr. Stevens had told her basically the same thing. Needless to say they all made me extremely proud. Here are some pictures. I think after these you will see why.

I literally sprinted to get my camera when I saw they had started while I was chasing down Princess. This was right after Elvis kicked the board & split it in half. His face was priceless. It was a mix of "I can't believe I did that!" and "That was AWESOME!"

Bowing to respect & thank Mr. Stevens & the other black belt.

He did yell out after he broke the board, "I DID IT!" Everyone cracked up & started clapping and cheering.

Next was Sweet Pea.

Winding up for her kick........

.......and she broke the board!

I was sad I didn't get the actual break on camera but I did see it in person.

Last of our 3 was Boo Bear.

Here she is lining up her kick before she actually puts power behind it.

This time I got the shot!!!!!!

She broke it on her first kick and man did she hit it!

Mr. Stevens talking to everyone afterward.

All the kids that broke boards were allowed to keep them. This made my kids VERY happy & proud. Princess came over to give them hugs once they came off the floor.

After this Mr. Stevens, at the kid's request, signed & dated their boards. How cool is that? They are going to keep them in their rooms as a kind of trophy. I was bursting with pride for them. Their self confidence rose a thousand notches today.

Thank you, Mr. Stevens!

Our Day

2011-08-30T00:22:00.041-05:00

It was a GOOD day today.

We started off with MOH. The kids colored their coloring page while I read Mystery of History aloud. We did a lot with the white board too.

Princess wanted me to take her picture. So I did.

Word problems at 2 years old?
This was part of our Zoology lesson.

I put up the new world map today. The kids were all over it.

She loves painting with her watercolor paints.

She's all smiles!

Time for a few chores!

Every day Sweet Pea has an hour with Princess. They do crafts, have a snack & play. They both look forward to it.

Elvis worked on his Zoology notebook journal. I think his favorite subject is science.

General Science, anyone?

Night School!

I started Elvis in his Basic Winston Grammar tonight. At first he wasn't too thrilled but a few minutes into the lesson & he was loving it! He even asked to do a second lesson. =0)

Princess kept herself entertained. And mama amused.

Peek-a-Boo

My little ham.

Handsome knight

Daddy & Princess had some snuggle time.

I wuv you, Daddy.

The girls had a quiz in Winston Grammar tonight.

I'm going to ace this, Mom!

I love days like this!

Silly Kitty

2011-08-25T07:54:00.001-05:00

Josie is my snuggle kitty. She loves to follow me around in the morning & at bedtime. She's a lovey. Yesterday she came to my bed for her afternoon nap. Usually she curls up but yesterday she slept in some comical positions.

She looks like she's had one tough day, eh?

Soon she stretched out & turned upside down. I don't know how she slept on her head this way but it had me laughing.

Sound asleep.

A little freaky.

Wholesome entertainment!

Introducing the Eee-haa Family

2011-08-23T14:22:00.010-05:00

Princess recently discovered her brother's old Toy Story toys. I picked these up several years ago at a couple of yard sales. The boys still play with them from time to time but Princess has adopted them as her own. She calls them "Eee-haas". Her pronunciation of "Yee-haa". I'm guessing she picked this up from us playing with her and having the characters call this out when they rode Bullseye. It brings a smile to my face every time I hear her call for them. ("Eee-haa, wheh arh you?" )
We have been trying to teach her the names of the characters. So far she can say, Jesse - ('Esse) & Woody - (Oh-dee) but she ALWAYS follows that with "Eee-haa". Therefore in our home they have been dubbed, "The Eee-haa Family". Lol! Don't you just love the world of a 2 year old?

Princess reading to her "Eee-haas" at naptime.

Aren't they sweet together?

First Day Traditions

2011-08-21T19:54:00.002-05:00

We had our first day of the new school year about 2 weeks ago. I hope to get the pictures of our annual Back-to-School Treasure Hunt up soon. In the meantime here are photos of our traditional Walk-to-School we do every year on the first day. Daddy always leads them and it's something they look forward to. This was Princess' first year walking with a backpack on. Isn't she precious? I can't believe how quickly all our children are growing up.

Off they go!

Crossing the Street

It was a short walk this year as the heat index was 106.

Here they come!

Up the driveway & on their way to greet their teacher!

Soon after we had our special First-Day-of-School meal. This year it was a picnic lunch. Oh, so yummy! Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, beans, corn on the cob & Kool-aid. A fun way to start off our 11th year! =0)

Awwww........

2011-08-08T21:11:00.002-05:00

Can't you feel the love?

The expression on Princess' face cracks me up too.

Giveaway!

2011-07-28T18:44:00.003-05:00

Hey, Friends! I was over at The Crafty Classroom (one of my favorite websites)and read about a fantastic giveaway! Hearts at Home is giving a away $100 to spend on curriculum in their store. YES! It's true! Visit the link above for The Crafty Classroom,(Click on The Crafty Classroom), to see how to enter. You only have until tomorrow night, Friday, July 29th to enter. The contest ends at midnight Pacific Time. Sorry for the late notice but I only found out today. Good luck to all who enter!

#homeschoolhttp://bit.ly/qN8VNu

Savings for School

2011-07-24T14:22:00.010-05:00

Another Sunday afternoon of Back-to-School deals. Boy, I love it. I really do! It gives me a sense of satisfaction to fill up our school closet for the year for so little.
First we stopped by Staples. I had all the kids with me today since Dave was working. I have to say they did very well in the store and were a huge help. Sweet Pea even purchased some folders & a memory stick of her own. This is what I bought. A 7-pack of Zebra Z-grip retractable ball point pens (A free treat!), two 2-pks. of Bic White-Out (Great stuff!), two 2-pks. of Sharpie pens (Love these!) & 25 folders (Use these ALL the time!). Normally these would have cost me over $22. With my rebate I will have spent only $1.75. Savings? = A little over $20.

Our next stop was Office Depot. At first I wasn't going to stop but our visit to Staples was so quick I figured why not. Here I only bought was what on sale. I was very pleased that even though they had run out of the white board markers they were breaking up large packs & putting them in two's to offer more to customers. Now THAT'S good customer service! So I bought 6 white board markers & 3 pencil sharpeners. This was the maximum limit of each. The total would have been $11.94. I spent only 78 cents. A savings of $11.16 Nice!

Our last stop was Walgreens. I tried a different store this time. Though the cashier was very nice & helpful not one thing was priced correctly with the sale prices. It was hard to know which were the sale items. Definitely a pain. I kept sending Sweet Pea up to the cashier to check product & prices for us. She is a great help. After a lot of time we got out of there with all of this. I am still pleased with the savings. But I will definitely be going back to my store down the street.

Regular price total = $32.67 I paid = $8.31 Savings = $24.36

In the end that's $66.61 of school supplies for only $10.84. Who says it doesn't pay to shop the sales? Not me! Lol! =0)

Princess

2011-07-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

Birthday Balloons

2011-07-15T22:13:00.004-05:00

Elvis' birthday fell on a camp day this year. He was excited to spend the day at one of his favorite places & let everyone know it was his special day. When we went to pick him up at the end of the day I brought these balloons to surprise him with. He was grinning from ear to ear! It made him feel special to be celebrated in front of everyone. To top it off as we were walking to our van friends of ours stopped and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him at the top of their lungs. What great friends!

Planning for Princess

2011-07-13T09:49:00.012-05:00

Here are a few more items I picked up for Princess' school time & Busy Box. Many of them I found at the Dollar Tree. I ADORE that place!
Wooden lacing beads, wooden magnetic numbers & wooden magnetic letters.

These are for her to play with in her Busy Box & water table.

These are to use with crafts & with her 1+1+1=1 activities.

For her Busy Box. I may even let her have them for bath time too. =)

These will be fun to use with paint.

PERFECT for her Busy Box! I had priced these & was thrilled to find one at Target for only $2! Dave laughed at my childish glee.

I bought this to use as her Busy Box. I bought Rubbermaid because I wanted something that would hold up to playtime & that had a tight, snap-on lid.

I have a few more items I found at the curriculum sale last Friday. I'll share those soon!

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

2011-07-12T20:35:00.021-05:00

I decided to make an ice cream cake for Elvis' birthday party. My best friend, Megan makes a scrumptious one but Elvis thought it too sweet. Those words do not exist in my vocabulary but since it was his birthday I complied. Lol! I researched online & came up with a combination of Megan's recipe & and one online. Here is the result.
First we baked two 9x13 chocolate sheet cakes. This is one of them. It will be the base. We actually baked them the night before & froze them. It made them a lot easier to work with & saved on freezing time before the party.

Next I spread whipped topping on top of the base layer. Then I started to sprinkle crushed cookie crumbs on top. You can use Oreos but to fit in the budget I bought a similar brand at Aldi. I crushed the cookies by putting them in a Ziploc bag & then rolling over it with a rolling pin.

The next layer is ice cream. I cut chunks from a boxed 1/2 gallon of ice cream. I ended up using an entire 1/2 gallon & then one slice of another. The amount depends on how thick you want your layer to be. Like Megan, I recommend you splurge & use a quality ice cream. It really does make a big difference. We used Purity.

My little helper enjoyed licking the lid of the whipped topping container while she watched.

I forgot to take a picture, (I was in a hurry that morning b/c of the party), but I added another layer of cookie crumbs. Then it was time for the 2nd cake layer to be added. Before I did that I put globs of whipped topping in each corner. This helped to hold the top layer to the rest of the cake. After that I put a thick layer of whipped topping over the whole thing using it like a frosting. It was hard to get on the sides b/c of the hot weather. In the end it didn't really matter. Once it was all assembled we popped it in the chest freezer to await it's debut.

A very important step! Don't forget to let your sidekick get a lick of the spoon when you are done. This will make them very happy.

Princess & Bugsy were fascinated by the whole process. They waited patiently & were each rewarded with a spatula to lick.

Add a few sprinkles, a candle & some Star Wars figures and here is Elvis' birthday cake! We poured hot fudge sauce over each piece as it was served too. This treat was a HUGE hit with the kids & adults. Our kids are now all asking for the same treat on their birthdays! =0)

Let the Games Begin!

2011-07-11T20:52:00.003-05:00

The Back-to-School sales have begun! YAY! Let the games begin! I went to Staples today as they had the most items on sale. I got all of this today. I found some added items I left out of my original photo and they are in the photo beneath the big one. They are all one purchase even though it's in two photos. Want to guess how much I paid?

Isn't this great? Okay, if you are wondering the total for all of this at the original prices would have been $115.98. That's not counting tax. Wow, eh? Now for what I paid. I paid $21.31. Yep. That's it. And that's not the best part. The computer copy paper is a rebate item. After the rebate it will only cost 25 cents a package. So after all is said & done I will have paid $9.83 our of pocket for all of these items. And that's including the 9.75% tax. =0)

WHOOT! WHOOT!