home-grown love

100 Books-a-Month Challenge :: Ending

2011-08-08T15:27:00.000-04:00

After much thought and reading (smile), I've decided that we've come to the end of this challenge. It's been almost two years since I decided to do it with my three and invite others to do it too. Some months were great--we read beyond the 100 book mark. Others were a little below the mark. It was fun and I'm glad to have been able to do it.

I decided to write a blog about it, since there were several of you who joined in and actively read with us. I wanted to say 'thanks' for journeying along side us. It was nice to read through your lists, get recommendations and see that we enjoyed some of the same titles & authors. Here's to those of you who joined us for the entire time or for selected months:

This in no way means we're not going to be reading here--we love stories waaaay too much for that! We just won't be cataloging it in the same way. As we wind down, enjoy the last bit of our summer break, I'm sure we'll find something else to challenge ourselves to.

Happy Reading to each of you!

Summer!

2011-07-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

Hello there!
Yes, I know....
but what can I say?
I've been thinking about my blog(s) and the fact that I haven't been here in ages (it seems).
But that's just how things are flowing for me right now.
We've been vegging....really....like only doing what we want to do....and not always that! lol!
The summer is just getting started, really, but it's been HOT for awhile now, so I guess that's why it feels like such a long time.
I've been reading up a storm!
Been outside doing things with other homeschooling families.
We've been on a little vacation.
Did some camping!!
Attended a festival.
Now, I'm getting things in place for the Fall.
Yeah, I know. But after doing 'nothing' this week, I'm getting my mind right to get back into the swing of things.
How have you been? By the looks of my blog roll, many of you are probably doing the same (which you should be!). I hope that you are well. That your little corner of the world is full of joy and hope. I will be back....soon. I think! lol
Until then,
Peace & blessings!

Preserving

2011-05-18T17:04:00.000-04:00

So after picking all those strawberries we set out to make this year's patch of strawberry preserves! (That was the purpose of picking them!) I refreshed my memory on the process.

We stopped by the store to pick up a few jars. Treated myself to a new with an adjustable mouth for different size jars (this was a GREAT thing to have on hand!!!)

We started by washing the jars & lids in hot, soapy water.

Sterilized them by placing them on a cookie sheet and heating them in the oven until hot & dry.

Put the lids in hot water to keep hot until I needed them.

Each of the children got a chance to mash the cut strawberries (after they were washed, capped and cut into fourths). Sweetie pie got the large glass measuring cup.

Pretty Girl got to cut with me.

The Boy having his turn at mashing with the potato masher.

Then we placed them into a large pot, added the pectin and sugar. Stirred them continuously until they boiled.

Using the funnel (this thing is the BEST!) made pouring the hot mixture into the jars a breeze! As you can see there is a good bit of foam still in the first four jars. It didn't spoon off as nicely as it did the last time I did this.

I can't remember where I learned this trick. I was to say I read about this on Gypsy Forest, but I've gone back to look for it and haven't been able to find it. Anyway, instead of doing a hot bottle bath, as all the books say to do, I simply turned the hot jars over (after securely closing the lids) and allow them to sit this way for about 15 minutes. The heat from the jar itself, along with the heat of the jam inside will make the seal that's needed to preserve the jam and eliminate any spoilage. I think I actually left them this way for an hour (ran out to the post office). When we returned, I checked the seal--and all of them are locked tight! I'll leave them out the full 24 hours that are recommended in all the books before storing them in a dark, cool place.

We have 11 jars of jam to enjoy for the rest of the year! Now, to make some bread....

Strawberry Picking :: GA Style

2011-05-17T15:56:00.003-04:00

We have had this field trip on the calendar for several weeks now and were thrilled at going to pick strawberries again this year with our homeschooling friends. I was a bit annoyed though, that we were running late. Turns out it was a good thing! One of the other mothers called me to say that she had arrive early and that the farms were closed. It was rather random, as I had just spoken to someone at the end of last week. Anyway, since I was still at home, I was able to find another strawberry farm within 7miles, contact the others attending and we were still able to pick!!

Now, our experience wasn't what we'd had in mind. The people in charge there were politely rude. You know what that is, the stiff smile, polite gestures but the overall rudeness. Perhaps it was more sweet rudeness. Either way, we made the most of our time. Hopefully next time we'll get to the original spot, as they allow for 'fun' and 'tasting' of their fruit.

Yes, we were NOT allowed to sample any of the fruit we picked until we paid for it. Now, I get the whole "this is not a meal" thing--but part of the fun of picking your own is the sampling and snacking!! The kids did well--no one complained OR ate one strawberry! The overseer, I mean, the man made sure of that! We lived, we learned, we will do better next time.

But you can't tell that was going on from the photos! :D

What's Working For Us [At This Moment]

2011-05-13T17:35:00.000-04:00

As I read different blogs, I really enjoy reading what's working (and what's not) for the different home schooling families on my blog roll. Granted, I read a variety of blogs, whose authors uses a variety of methods. I like all the variety. I like learning from others, getting a fresh and sometimes different perspective on how to approach a particular subject matter, using an array of materials/curricula/etc. I like how it can often stretch my imagination of what could work for us.

I have learned and already implemented these new (and not so new) ideas & approaches to learning. A few years back, before we 'officially' started home learning, I read a lot from parents who were using an unschooling approach. These blogs assisted me in relaxing, being flexible, and just allowing our day to unfold--which is definitely a good way to be in general with home learning, no matter what method you use. Being able to change, readjust, reformulate, let go of what doesn't work and move on to what does/will, is one of the benefits of homeschooling.

Anyway. There are things we do daily, that are just part of our routine regardless of how the day unfolds. There are other things that 'show up' only when they're planned. We are all learning to be a bit more structured in certain areas of our lives and to be more relaxed in others. It's all a balance, right?

I am still using Saxon Phonics with Pretty Girl, and now Sweetie-pie, daily. There are an assortment of phonics programs, books, kits, supplements to choose from. I like the approach, how it includes spelling and reading and since it's working for both the girls, we are going to stick with it. From a teacher perspective, phonics is phonics no matter how it's taught (alphabetically or another ordering). I've been blessed with all the material for all the levels they have (K-2). I did have to purchase the teacher's editions, but found them on ebay for pennies! So, this is a keeper!

English/Grammar is one of my strengths (my husbands as well) and I rarely used a textbook while in the classroom. We use a call and response method for learning rules and I've been pulling activities from several places--my head (smile), the Shurley Method (jingles & diagramming sentences--I used this method while a teacher), several teacher resource books (specifically for grammar practice) and an old language book that I actually used when I was in school many moons ago. The good things about grammar is that it really hasn't changed. The things that have changed are on the HS or College Level, so although we may not be doing the exact same things as everyone else, we're learning parts of speech/sentence, how to diagram sentences (which reinforces the knowledge of parts of speech/sentence), proper use of punctuation and subject verb agreement. For now, I feel confident in what we're doing and the children enjoy the call and response way in which I lead them in learning.

I just finished reading the book Writing with Ease by Susan Bauer and decided that I liked how her suggestions gentle taught writing. I took a weekend to hand-copy the pertinent information from the book so that I can use it with Pretty Girl in the fall. I've been doing little bits of this approach already--sentence dictation, reading and asking comprehension questions, copying sentences from text we've already read (doubling as handwriting, some call it note-booking). The plan Susan sets out in her book is a weekly plan making sure each piece is done strategically, building on the previous learning. I think this will work for us since it takes the pressure of writing independently before the student is ready--which can be a source for early frustration with writing. I want to avoid as much of that as I can! lol

Reading. That's a big one, as it pulls together all the smaller parts. Right now we're not using a specific series or curriculum. I've been looking at several options and trying to decide which one will benefit us. Presently, we've been using easy readers--the ones you can find anywhere, specifically the library! :D I have a nice easy reader library here at home as well. I'd like something a little more systematic, that may be because that's just what I'm used to. Pretty Girl does do well with a predictable way of material being presented. I've been using volume one of the McGruffy Readers, but don't really care of the images. I have found a couple series of readers without images and will take a closer look at them at our upcoming homeschool conference this summer. Reading is reading and so on some level, I question whether we really need anything specific. One the other hand, there is something to be said about a systematic approach to reading, especially those children who learn best this way, as Pretty Girl does. We'll see what I figure out from viewing them first hand.

Mathematics is still a very hands-on subject for us. We have a nice collection of manipulatives, which I'm looking to expand a bit more for The Boy this fall. Pretty Girl really likes having a workbook--so a workbook is what she has! She does work in it daily. I also give her a daily word problem from the book Read! Draw! Solve! The approach is to draw out the problem to make it something you can visualize and then solve it. Pretty Girl has liked this because she enjoys drawing!! I've changed it up slightly now that she knows what key words mean addition or subtraction. When I saw that she was spending more time on the drawing (wanting to color it, giving great details and features to people and animals) part of the problem, I now only have her do the drawing part of a problem once a week. She breezes through them now and will ask to leave out the drawing step since she "has it" (her words) now. I'm thankful it worked so well. I remember loathing word problems in school.

We also use several board games with reinforce math skills. One of our favorites is Chutes and Ladders. It's good for reinforcing counting skills (like more board games generally can). But I really like the numbers on the board. We can do addition with each forward move; subtraction with each backward move. The children also like the different versions of Bingo we can play with numbers, number sentences and other math concepts.

Science and Social Studies are learn directly through literature right now. We learn and study based on our interests. We spent a good part of this year reading about animals--mammals specifically--for science. We've done experiments with water, magnets, plants, etc. using resource books from the library. Social Studies was more of a discussion lead time, although I did read a lot about people and topics on community, cooperation, work. Our homeschool group's geography club, Globetrotters, gave us direction in our study of the world--continents. We did in depth study of a few countries in which we presented during our meeting each month.

I incorporate art and music this way as well--based on our interest or desire to hear something new. Music is usually playing in the back ground of our days. We've then read books about several jazz musicians. I've found some great 'how to draw' books there as well. We've just checked out one that shows how to use letters and numbers to draw just about anything (that children are interested in). I've also picked of a few good ones at thrift stores. The Boy enjoys art and drawing pirates, dinosaurs, sharks and reptiles. He uses these books to help him illustrate the stories he composes (I write them out for him--we have quite a nice system! lol).

Of course our daily routine plays into the overall learning that takes place in our home. The field trips and outings we have done this year also add to our experience as well.

I've decided that we will continue our 'school time' throughout the summer. We spent 2 to 4 hours daily on our structured learning time, more flexible on some days than others. Since I'll have to report both girls in the Fall, I will use that time to 'start' the new things I'd like to implement. The things I've shared above are things I'm planning to keep in our daily learning time. There are a few other things I'm planning to add. Until then, I'll continuing reading, investigating, talking to those who've used the materials. Once I get to view the materials this summer I'm looking forward to moving on the choices I'll be making for our learning experience at home.

Finding Our Way

2011-05-10T15:40:00.000-04:00

I've been away from my computer/the internet for a good while now, on a regular basis. I've gotten really involved in life here. I've missed reading the many blogs that I follow, of feeling connected to many of you who've become my support system online.

There are days I feel very overwhelmed with all the things I feel like we need to be doing and are doing. I've revamped our 'out of the house' schedule and am now tailoring our 'in the house' schedule to better meet our ever-changing needs. I'm reevaluating my decisions regarding homeschooling (how we do it, what we do, what we use), allowing for what each of us needs at this time. I'm contemplating how we could better do things, making the day go a bit smoother, less stress for me (yeah, it's true!), finding activities that will work for each of my children on the multiple levels they function on.

For the past month, we've been doing a lot better about involving everyone in chores. I am thankful that these 'little' jobs make such a big difference on the amount of time/energy I spend in doing them alone. Last year I spent a lot of time looking and finding ways to limit our consumption and creating of waste. This still remains a priority for our family. However, some of the things I was able to do previously, without a whole lot of drama/stress/etc. on my part, have now become that. I shared with a dear friend the other day that MY SANITY costs and there are definitely times when that--the care of me--is going to come first. So one of the first things I've put into place is everyone's involvement in keeping our kitchen in order. We are blessed to have an energy-efficient dishwasher with several cycles/options for washing. With everyone rinsing and loading after each meal and selecting a short cycle wash, we're using less water and no one person is stuck with washing all the dishes (nor am I in the kitchen all day!!).

Another thing that is helping with keeping me OUT of the kitchen is that I let the girls make lunches. They take turns and make several different lunches, that have been planned at the top of the week, for each other. Although they take longer in prep time than I, they are building up their skills and really pitching in. They are also learning to appreciate what I do (smile)!

I've also started doing less laundry. Yeah, you read that right! lol! Everyone has their own clothes basket in which they put their dirty clothes. I assist on 'their day' to wash their laundry, but after the clothes have been washed, they must either put in the dryer or hang up themselves. They then collect their dry clothes, fold them and put them away. This is another area in which I've been pleasantly surprised!! This method is working for us and actually limits the questions of, "Mommy, where are my socks?" or "Mommy, I don't have any clean...."

We've also made a little chart to keep up with whose turn it is to feed the pets and other wildlife in our lives (birds, squirrels). We rotate daily as they each like frequent turns at each job. There are the dogs: food and water, the Koi in the pond and the bird and squirrel feeders--which don't need daily attention (thank goodness!). Although I do have to oversee all of this, for all the obvious reasons, we're developing patterns/rhythms for the days that will come when I won't have to.

Now that we're settled (for the most part) in our new home, it's easy to give each of the children responsibilities for keeping different area in order as well. Years ago I remember joining The Fly Lady's email list and reading her blog/website. Several of her tips I've kept although I don't get those 10-minute reminders flooding my email account anymore! (smile) Taking 10-15 minutes two times every day, once in the morning, once in the evening for us, and "restoring the environment" makes for a space where company can actually 'drop in' on us unannounced! (However, I phone call and plan prior to your arrive is appreciated! lol)

After working hard to purge and organize our classroom, our learning time has definitely worked better for all of us. Everyone has there own designated area/space/drawer with all the supplies they need. It makes it easy to see who needs what at the end of the month when we restock. The children have done extremely well (better than I'd hoped) in keeping our bookshelf in order. I gave them lessons on how to restore things and did set limits on just how many books they could take off the shelf at a time. I just think we were all excited about things being in a order that worked for all of us. There are shelves they can't bother books on (top two rows) and after getting detailed explanations as to why, I've had no issues.

Perhaps we're all just growing up.

I'm also putting perimeters on our involvement in our community. It's been exciting to be 'back home' and we've jumped right back into the flow of things--connecting with old friends, participating in our local homeschool group, joining in library events, making friends within our neighborhood. For awhile there, we were spending most everyday OUT of the house. Which was fun, at first, but then became a struggle. I've helped to start a friends' group for our neighborhood library and although that hasn't put me out of the house more, it has changed my computer time--I do things for the group, which can be time-consuming, and then don't find my way here! That seems to be the nature of the beginning of things, I guess.

I also organize our local homeschool group. Since being back in the area, I've sought to reconnect with those I know and make connections with those who have joined during my absence. That has been interesting! Many of the mothers that I started out with are no longer homeschooling. I've talked with others who would like to see the group be more this...or more that...learning, anew, that you can't please everyone; realizing that I don't really want to. I've also made some wonderful new connections with others who are looking for similar things as I. This has taken a lot of energy and time as well. I'm making plans with several mothers who are committed to developing a supportive community and putting some things in place to make that happen. Having others to encourage me and be of encouragement to is something I need as a woman, mother and homeschooling parent. I'm thankful to be finally in a place where they can be a positive thing!

We have joined some new friends in our neighborhood in working in/on the community garden. This is the third one to be started in the neighborhood--there are waiting lists to join the other two. So I jumped at the opportunity to meet/work/get to know our neighbors while growing food for the late summer/fall. We have finally found a day that works for us and have been going regularly to weed and check on our crops! Another homeschooling family joins us there too. The peppers, squash, tomatoes, and beans are growing nicely--plants that is, no fruit just yet. But just wait!! :D

Our personal garden is coming along. I have vision of grandeur that haven't quite come to fruition. I don't have everything in the ground yet. Mainly because we have puppies (that need forever homes) and I don't have chicken wire to cover/separate everything just yet. Our little plants are fairing well and I may even do some containers to house the others permanently. Either way, I am making plans to do some canning later in the year. We have a field trip to a strawberry farm next week to pick a gallon or two of berries. Remember last year? I sure do! I'm on our LAST jar of strawberry preserves so am looking forward to doing this again with the children. I also want to can some green beans and tomatoes (mainly sauces). We'll see how our growing season goes!

I guess it's all a balancing act, really. There are ebbs and flows to life. This is definitely a flowing time for us. I'm choosing to enjoy this time/space knowing that the ebb will come. It's funny how you can get caught up in living in the other time/space, missing that time, wishing you had it back, instead of living in the present. I have to remind the children of this as well. I remind them of days gone by when they were 'tired of just being in the house' or 'wanting to be with friends,' etc. It helps to remember these times as it gives perspective.

Right now, I'm looking out the window at what my children have created--a tent and pretending they're living during the frontier days. And isn't that just how it should be? Enjoying the sunshine, being present in the moment, creating, imagining, exploring, dreaming....

I think we're all learning as we find our way.

Is it Monday????

2011-05-09T17:36:00.000-04:00

So I guess we've made it through the day, most of it anyway, and I'm just now realizing it's Monday! This can be a good or bad thing...depending upon what Mondays are like at your house. (smile)

I must say that we had a very productive lesson time today. Pretty girl made it all the way through her lessons and independent work without ONE issue. This is a BIG DEAL for us. Sweetie pie had some challenges but we all made it through.

We got some work in after lunch working in the community garden just around the corner from our house. We walked. The boy found his sticks. And we weeded in several of the beds. Crops are already growing well. It was a lot hotter out once we got to the garden, so only stayed about an hour instead of our usual 2 hour work time. I guess we'll have to either go out earlier or later in the evening.

I was in the midst of meal planning for this week when I realized it was Monday. Not a bad Monday, if I do say so myself. (and I do!) lol

I am definitely tired! Spent several evenings up late reading and planning, talking and thinking. Being in the sun also took some out of me as well. I'm looking forward to my 'clock-out' time. I may treat myself to an early bedtime tonight. [I always promise myself this, but don't always follow through.]

How has Monday treated you?

Craft It Forward 2011

2011-04-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

I've just joined Tracey in Craft It Forward. The idea is simple. Create something for the first five people who leave a comment and send it to them by the end of 2011. It can be whatever you'd like it to be: something painted, something sewn, something knitted, something crocheted, a photograph, just anything you'd like. Those five, who leave comments, in turn extend it to five of their readers...and so on...and so on....

Wanna play?? (sure you do!)

Grab the button above and copy this to your blog.

Come on, it'll be fun!!! :D

Park Day

2011-04-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

The playground at the park

We spent most of the yesterday at the park with some friends. It was such a beautiful day--warm enough, sunny enough, the right amount of breeze, a good amount of shade! I purposely left my camera at home so that I could just ENJOY that day instead of snapping pictures, capturing the energy/excitement/thoughtfulness of the day. Now, I wish I had. lol

We really like this park. There's a great playground (see photo) but it's surrounded by open space, a few picnic tables, a lake w/ ducks. There are also clean restrooms (which really matter when you have little ones)!

It was a planned activity for our homeschool group. It was good to see our friends and great to be able to hold adult conversations. The children have spent enough time together so that they can pretty much do things without a whole lot of supervision. We were actively watching them, but didn't have to intervene much at all. It was fun to watch them create games and hear their excitement as they retold what happened on our ride home. We stayed until 5pm (arriving about 11am)--so we were ALL full of fun & sun! :D

They slept great last night. So did I. Sometimes you just need a day out of doors playing.

Progress!!

2011-04-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

So this is what it looks like after 2 and a half days of sorting, purging and organizing! I'm pretty excited about this. I have three storage containers in the closet: 1 with our art supplies, 1 containing the future kits of Saxon Phonics, the last one with 3rd-6th grade resources. Anyone who knows me will KNOW this is a BIG deal!!! (that I am down so a bookshelf and 3 containers!!!) I'm glad to be down to so little and hope to streamline more as necessary.

We've also started our 'new' schedule. The children have always had chores and other responsibilities around the house, but due to all of the packing, moving, waiting, unpacking, adjusting, etc. I haven't been consistent in these areas. Each day has been it's 'own' day--literally. We need some predictability in our flexibility, if you know what I mean. So, I did some talking about what we'd be doing and some demonstrating so they'd know exactly what to do....so far it's going smoothly! (Yes, I know it's only Tuesday! lol)

Our 'school' time is already going better since we're better organized!! The good thing is that Pretty Girl is used to our routine so have a specific space and time that we're focusing on it, with scheduled breaks, is working for her. She still likes to fuss at the beginning of things--which can be bothersome on days that I'm not in the best place--but that is even starting to lessen.

Sweetie-pie and The Boy are still doing strictly hands-on activities during this time. I let them choose what they'd like to "do for school" each day--it's still working well.

After lunch, which I allow the girls to make, on alternate days, I read-aloud to them. Mostly books of their choosing, from the library, as well as a chapter book of my choosing.

Our day is still quick flexible to include outside time, free time/play time, working in the community garden, participating with our homeschool group/field trips/activities/ and going to the library. Each week the children get to choose an activity that they get to do with me alone. Last week they each wanted to make something (food-wise). This week we've planned similar activities.

A Starting Place

2011-04-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

I'm organizing our classroom bookshelf. I've always had in mind how I want it to work--like things together (near each other), things for the children in reach, books I don't want them into--out of reach! (smile). Well, after a few years of having this wonderful bookshelf, I am finally taking the time to get it the way I'd like it.

A little background: I usually start off with it heading in this direction, but usually run out of time (or get tired of seeing boxes full of books) and just start putting things on it. This time I let the children help me....lol

I've already been working on it a day, pulling things I don't need/want anymore and making stacks on the floor around the room. So far, this is how it looks (don't gasp!). Today I've taken out my sticky notes and written little subject/category headings and placed them where I'd like to find these things. Simple enough, huh?

We'll see. I'll take/post a finished photo when I get there (I'm hoping later day....if I don't have too many interruptions).

It's a good starting place, if nothing else. :D

Life in the Fast Lane!

2011-04-06T19:35:00.000-04:00

Photo credit

I can't seem to slow down.
Really!!
But I am making every effort to.
As I compare our calendar for April to the one for March, I've cut things in half...and am cutting half again for May.

It's been so nice to be about, in and out of the house, participating in home school activities, community activities, library activities. But I'm feeling a bit dizzy! :D

I've also been doing a lot of reading/researching options for our homeschooling journey. We are very flexible right now, perhaps a bit too much, and I'd like a little more structure. Better yet, Pretty Girl needs some more structure. So I've been reading, browsing, reviewing, asking other homeschooler's what's been working for them, reading, looking....you get the idea. :D

I've also decided to get rid of another big chunk of my 'stash.' If you've been around any length of time, you know that I go through a 'purging' stage every so often. Well, it's here again. Perhaps Spring has brought it on, perhaps I see that I need to give away what I'm not using (or intend to use).

Our home school group will be having it's first curriculum sale/swap/giveaway at the end of next month--and so I'd like to be able to unload some of those things there. What I leave with from that event I'll donate to our library's friends' group.

We've sure been taking advantage of the longer days. The kids enjoy being outside in the yard until sunset most days. It's nice to see them making up games and stories as they play together and alone. We've been identifying birds, plants, trees and insects. We haven't started planting outside, which has actually turned out to be a good thing since the weather keeps changing up on us! It been dropping to the low 40s at night and jumping to the low 70s in the day. (crazy!)

The other night we had terrible storms and a tree fell down in the backyard. No roof damage!! but it's all over the deck and knocked over the overhang (umbrella-style shade) as well. In the daylight, we saw that it wasn't just a few light branches but a HUGE portion of the tree. Something else to add to the list of things to do in the back yard! :D

I'm going to make my rounds again---to see just what you've been up to! We've been good. Learning, growing, doing.

This Moment

2011-04-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

{this moment}


she was terrified to make her presentation on Tanzania--but did a FABULOUS job! she was so courageous!!

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

hosted by SouleMama

100 Books-a-Month Challenge :: March 2011

2011-03-31T20:12:00.006-04:00

...and so it goes....

Goldilicious by Victoria Kann
The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi
Terrible Tyrannosaurus by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Giant Meat-Eating Dinosaurs by "Dino" Don Lessem
What Santa Can't Do by Douglas Wood
The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine by Herman Parish
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh
Under the Bed by Paul Bright
The Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm by Paul Bright
Where There's a Bear, There's Trouble! by Michael Catchpool
One Drowsy Dragon by Ethan Long
Good Morning, Garden by Barbara Brenner
Bye, Mis'Lela by Dorothy Carter
Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna by Nancy White Carlstrom
The Mitten adapted by Jan Brett
More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby
Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald by Roxane Orgill
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
The Monster Princess by D.J. Machale
Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing
Peace Week In Miss Fox's Class by Eileen Spinelli
An African Princess by Lyra Edmonds
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller
Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent by Bill Peet
Olivia forms a band by Ian Falconer
Angelina's New School based on Angelia Ballerina
The Emperor Penguin's New Clothes by Janet Perlman
T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty
Backbeard, Pirate for Hire by Matthew McElligott
What's So Bad About Being an Only Child? by Cari Best
Paul Bunyan retold by Steven Kellogg
Aida told by Leontyne Price
Poodlena by E. B. McHenry
Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? by Sandra De Coteau Orie
Maasai by Tiyambe Zeleza, Ph.D.
Ancient African Town by Fiona Macdonald
Jubela by Cristina Kessler
HELP! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller
Dreams by Ezra Jack Keats
Jack of All Tails by Kim Norman
The Trial of the Stone: a folktale retold by Richardo Keens-Douglas
Hunches in Bunches by Dr. Seuss
Jake Starts School by Michael Wright
A Cup for Everyone by Yusuke Yonezu
Disney's Up adapted by Lisa Marsoli
Say A Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick
Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells
Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight & Mark Melnicove
A True Book: Africa by David Petersen
Maybelle in the Soup by Katie Speck
Just My Luck by Emily Moore
The Best Mouse Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
Dear Child by John Farrell
A Stormy Ride on Noah's Ark by Patricia Hooper

Read to The Boy
59. Stegosaurus by Elaine Landau
60. Triceratops by Elaine Landau
61. Tyrannosaurus Rex by Elaine Landau
62. Velociraptor by Elaine Landau
63. Ready for Takeoff! by Sonia Sander
64. The Penguins of Madagascar Comic Reader: Penguins on a Mission by Arie Kaplan
65. 101 Facts About Ferrets by Claire Horton-Bussey

Read to Pretty Girl
66. Tinker Bell and the Wings of Rani by Papercut
67. A Dozen Fairy Dresses by Tennant Redbank
68. Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

Read to Sweetie Pie
69. The Frog Princess by Rosalind Allchin
70. Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
71. The Sweetest Spring by Apple Jordan
72. The Princess and the Frog by adapted by Lisa Marsoli

Read by Pretty Girl
73. The Sweetest Spring by Apple Jordan
74. Joshua James Like Trucks by Catherine Petrie
75. Pickles in My Soup by Mary Pearson
76. Biscuit's Day at the Farm by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
77. This is Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
78. Biscuit and the Cat by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
79. Biscuit and the Hen by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
80. Biscuit's Tub Fun by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
81. Biscuit's Trick by Alyssa Satin Capucili
82. Biscuit and the Box by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
83. Biscuit and Sam by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
84. Biscuit and the Nest by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
85. Biscuit and the Duck by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
86. Biscuit and the Kittens by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
87. Biscuit and the Frog by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
88. Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
89. Biscuit's Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Books on Tape/CD
90. Trouble According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
91. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
92. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
93. The Mona Mousa Code by Geronimo Stilton
94. A Cheese-Colored Camper by Geronimo Stilton

My List
95. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Latin by Natalie Harwood
96. A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature through the Seasons by Rick Van Noy
97. Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer
98. Books Every Child Should Know by Nancy Polette
99. The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
100. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller
101. Carschooling by Diane Flynn Keith
102. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

how'd you make out this month?

Happy Reading!!

Book Sharing Monday

2011-03-28T16:19:00.001-04:00

This Monday we're sharing Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman. I thought we'd read all in the series of Grace and was pleasantly surprised to find this one in the library last week. But what was even better about finding this book and checking it out, was the story. Both my girls are firmly in the 'princess' stage of things. I find myself somewhat challenged to find princesses that look like us. That being said, this story speaks to my concerns--the ideas of what princesses do, wear, look like, etc. It ends in a very positive way affirming the many different princesses!!

I highly recommend this book for your little princess!

Interested in getting other book recommendations or participating? Hop over to Canadian Home Learning for more information.

Happy Reading!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T10:09:00.006-04:00

An Artist at Work or Alone on the Porch

Book Sharing Monday-- & Give Away WINNER!

2011-03-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

I had all intentions of posting this long before now. Please forgive me!

And without further ado I say Congratulations to Debbie in winning the gift of the book When Will It Be Spring? by Catherine Walters. I wish I had another, since there were only two of you interested in it. I'll see what I can do! :D

(Debbie, please send me your mailing address. Thanks!)

Today, we're sharing this book: The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons

We've been reading a lot about gardening and plants, so this book went right in with out learning. It's a colorful book and gives descriptions of the different types of vegetables we eat: roots, stalks, leaves, etc. Eating from each kind not only give variety but keeps our bodies healthy!

If you'd like to join in or see others who participate in Book Sharing Monday please hop over to Alex's blog: Canadian Home Learning to check them out!

Happy Reading!!

100 Books-a-Month Challenge :: February 2011

2011-02-28T08:12:00.015-05:00

Although February is a short month, and it's flown by, we were able to get a good bit of reading done. As you can see there are some repeats, especially in Pretty Girl's list. We're finding favorite titles as well as favorite authors.

Hog-Eye by Susan Meddaugh
Put It on the List by Kristen Darbyshire
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Miss Bindergarten Has a Wild Day in Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
I really, REALLY need actual ice skates by Lauren Child
Library Lil by Suzanne Williams
Wildlife Gardening: How to Bring Birds and Bugs to Your Backyard by Martyn Cox
My Chickens by Heather Miller
The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook by Judi Gillies & Jennifer Glossop
Hide and Seek First Words by Dawn Sirett
Cookbook for Girls: Festive food for fun times by Denise Smart
Tomatoes by Elaine Landau
3-D Explorer: Oceans--A Journey from the surface to the seafloor by Jen Green
Raptors! The Nastiest Dinosaurs by Don Lessem
Giant Meat-Eating Dinosaurs by "Dino" Don Lessem
Dinosaurs by John Long
The Christmas Story by Rhona Davies
Absolutely Not by Matthew McElligott
Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monsters' Cave by Marcus Pfister
Rapunzel's Amazing Hair by Kiki Thorpe
Dragon Stew by Steve Smallman
Lightning Was Here by Disney/Pixar
Mr. Large in Charge by Jill Murphy
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Tally Cat Keeps Track by Trudy Harris
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
A Kid's Guide to How Flowers Grow by Patricia Ayers
Polly's Pink Pajamas by Vivian French
Time for Ballet by Adele Geras
Little Ballet Start by Adele Garas
The Africa Book (more looking than reading)
Earth's Cycles: The Plant Life Cycle by Cheryl Jakab
When Will It be Spring? by Catherin Walters
The Return to Narnia: The Rescue of Prince Caspian based on Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe based on the original book by C.S. Lewis
Barack Obama 44th President of the United States by Jill C. Wheeler
African Americans Who Were First by Joan Potter and Constance Claytor
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Dinosaurs Forever by William Wise
I Get So Hungry by Bebe Moore Campbell
Loved Best by Patricia McKissack
Math for all Seasons by Greg Tang
I have a Dream, Too! by Jean Alicia Elster
We All Went on Safari: a Counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs
Even More Parts: Idioms from Head to Toe by Tedd Arnold
What Santa Can't Do by Douglas Wood
Boundless Grace by Mary Hoffman
10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster by Laura Numeroff
The Jumbo Book of Space by Cynthia Pratt Nicolson
Every Planet Has a Place: A Book About Our Solar System by Becky Baines
The Milky Way by Fran Howard
The Earth in Space by Peter Riley
Space by Alan Dyer
No Biting Louise by Margie Palatini
Tinker Bell and the Wings of Rani by Disney

Pretty Girl's List
57. Pinkalicious: Pink around the Rink by Victoria Karr
58. Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant
59. The Garden that We Grew by Joan Holub
60. Fancy Nancy: My Family History by Jane O'Connor
61. Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris by Jane O'Connor
62. Fancy Nancy Sees Starts by Jane O'Connor
63. It Could Still Be A Mammal by Allan Fowler

Books on Tape/CD
64. The Cat in the Hat read by Kelsey Grammer
65. Horton Hears a Who! read by Dustin Hoffman
66. Did I Ever Tell you How Lucky You Are? read by John Cleese
67. The Lorax read by Ted Danson
68. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! read by Walter Matthau
69. Yertle the Turtle read by John Lithogow
70. Gertrude McFuzz read by John Lithogow
71. The Big Brag read by John Lithogow
72. Thidwick, The Big-Hearted Moose read by Mercedes McCambridge
73. Horton Hatches the Egg read by Billy Crystal
74. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back read by Kelsey Grammer
75. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
76. Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary
77. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
78. Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary
79. Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door by Laura McGee Kvasnosky
80. Satchmo's Blues by Alan Schroeder
81 - 87. The Horse and His Boy Chapters 1-7 by C.S. Lewis

My List
88. The Complete Herb Book by Jekka McVicar
89. Beginners' Guide to Herb Gardening by Yvonne Cuthbertson
90. The Organic Home Garden: How to Grow Fruits & Vegetables Naturally by Patrick Lima
91. Salad Gardens: Simple Secrets for Glorious Gardens--Indoors and Out by Mimi Luebbermann
92. Gardens for Birds: Hummingbirds & Butterflies by Linda D. Harris
93. 10-Minute Feng Shui Room by Room by Skye Alexander
94. Basic Composting by Stackpole Books
95. Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health by Reenita Malhotra Hora

So how did you do? Please leave your link in the comment section below. Thanks for joining us!

Happy Reading!

Painting

2011-02-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

They've asked for the past few days to paint. Today was the day!

Sewing Creations

2011-02-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

Pretty Girl spent most of the morning yesterday making her dolls some new outfits. She used some fabric scraps I had and handmade these little get ups!

She and I are both very pleased with her creations!

Animals

2011-02-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

I surprised the kids with a trip to the zoo this morning. I am always amazed at just how excited they become when we arrive. Yeah, we've been here before (plenty of times) and seen these same faces. But somehow, it's new every time.

Pretty Girl and Sweetie-pie got their own maps this time and planned our path so that we could see all the animals we wanted to see (and some that weren't on the list).

The Boy did his best to run ~~away~~ ahead of us the entire time, making noises at the animals and scary faces at passersby. SMH. What can I say?

We were pleasantly surprised to see some new creatures that the zoo has added to their collection. Here are a few shots of our time.

New Parakeet Exhibit

New Photo Op Board

Rooooaaaar!

Willie B. (life-size statue)

A Silverback

Breakfast time!

I liked Sweetie's reflection in this shot

perspective

I'm thankful for my father, who knows the importance of having these experiences and has covered us over the past several years with membership. No matter where we are in the month (financially) we can always go to the zoo! [Thanks Daddy!]

Game Day :: Library Day

2011-02-22T17:29:00.000-05:00

We hosted a game day/support gathering for our home school group today at our library. It was like two days wrapped into one! I only took pics at the beginning, as once we got engaged in playing/talking I forgot to get more. lol

It was nice to watch the children playing and learning some new games. And it's always refreshing to have some positive adult interaction!!

After we finished up with our friends, we took our library time, as Tuesdays are reserved for checking out books and reading IN the library. Here are a few shots of where you'll find us:

Weekend Update!

2011-02-21T17:59:00.000-05:00

So we had another lovely weathered weekend! I was able to pry us out of bed and into the outdoors!

With the kiddies & puppies around foot, it's amazing that my dh and I were able to make great head-way in the back yard! Remember the Koi pond that I told you about? It's right behind the deck, well, I guess you one could say it's in front of the deck (looking back towards the house)! lol Anyway, there was a lovely canopy/cover-thing over it that we lost during the "Winter Storm" that shut down the city for an entire week in January. It feel beneath the weight of the ice. I've been a bit bitter about that--but I've moved forward.

Anyway, we finally got it dismantled. As dh was moving it across the yard, in smaller pieces, of course, I looked and saw something new. (I love re-purposing things!) I saw a trellis for letting my beans grow up (or the peppers, squash, flowers, etc. that I've been dreaming about). We also talked about using it to hold a cover for lettuce--as it get really hot here. We could even make a little 'hot house' for our tomatoes. Oh! The possibilities.

Then my dh decided that he needed to clean out the Koi pond. We did. In all the work and cleaning of it, we found how just how genius the previous occupant was in planning this back yard/garden space. We have this large looking extension coming off the back of the house. It looks like an oversized tool space that one might have on the back of a truck (just MUCH larger). I finally looked at it and saw that it's a large rain-catcher. I can't say barrel, as it's not that. The box has been lined with the same material you'd use to make a pond. Well, it's full of rainwater that was then used for the Koi pond, which was used to water the garden. We couldn't ask for anything better!

We were told that the Koi were living at the bottom of the pond. Not so. So now dh is deciding if we'll do Koi or try our hand at some Tilapia and work the aquaponic system he learned about several years back.

All I have to say is things are really getting exciting over here! I hope to have things in the ground in the next couple weeks.

Did I mention the yard is outlined in lime trees??? They have the sharpest thorns I've ever encountered. From what I've read they sharper the thorns, the better the fruit. Interesting. We'll have several more years before they reach the stage of bearing fruit--but even that thought is delightful.

(Sorry, no photos, I was too busy working....and dreaming!)

Hope you're weekend was warm!

Book Sharing Monday (literally)

2011-02-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday to you all!

Today I'd like to share a book with you that holds the sentiments of my children: When Will it Be Spring? by Catherine Walters

It's about a little bear names Alfie who can't wait for it to be spring. The story begins with his mother calling him into their den to sleep. She says, "When you wake up it will be Spring!" And from that point on, Alfie can't seem to remain asleep with all the excitement of the arrival of Spring. Through the story and illustrations we find that it will be a long while before Spring arrives. It's a cute little story and yes, at the end, Spring does arrive! :D

What also makes this such a great book is that I'm offering it to one of you, my dear readers! If you're interested, leave a comment below (name & way to contact you) and I'll let you know on next Monday's blog who will receive it!

[Please note that this book isn't brand new, but has been treated gently and respectfully, so it's "like" new!]

If you'd like to join in on Book Sharing Monday, please hop over to Canadian Home Learning and let Alex know.

Happy Reading to each of you!

Our Yard/Garden

2011-02-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

For the past two days we've spent the entire afternoon [well, once we've gotten home from the morning activities we've had this week] IN THE YARD! The weather has been purr-fect for this!! It's been in the mid to upper 60's! The air is so fresh, birds can be heard and seen flying overhead.

I've checked out a dozen or so gardening books from the library, making lists, circling seeds/plants I want to get in catalogs, and dreaming of what the late summer and fall will be--for our garden, that is.

I took some before photos, as there is a lot of work to be done in this backyard area. Let me say here that I am not afraid of work!! The previous occupant was definitely a gardener, and from what I can tell, had a dream for this space as well. It is taking me some time to figure out just what that plan/dream was, but I'm learning as we clear out the space of leaves. [There are SO MANY leaves!]

Clearing out the old tomato raised bed

Leaves everywhere; remnants of last year's gardening

All sorts of things....trying to make sense of it! :D

Along the perimeter of the yard are planted some type of evergreen tree and another time of tree/bush that I haven't been able to identify yet, in a nice little pattern. It appears that there were raised beds (without definition) all throughout the yard. I've counted 18 of these raised beds--most all of them had something growing in them last season. There were several varieties of peppers when we moved in and tomatoes. Then there are two large enclosed planting spaces--enclosed meaning with wood trim and chicken wire.

I have identified the blueberry bushes that have been planted between some of the 'raised beds' and there is a rather LARGE composting area. Ideally, I'd like to move it to the back corner of the yard--I've already started another small pile back there. I'll need the hubs assistance with this, so for now, it will remain where it is.

We talked about where to place things, taking into consideration which areas will have more sun/shade than others. In cleaning up the yard (there was so much trash!) we found a lot of garden decorations. Some we'll use again, others are not in any condition to be called decorations! lol

The boy found a worm--which is a wonderful sign!

A worm!

The girls spent more time playing with the puppies (which will be leaving for forever homes soon).

Doing her best to keep one

Aren't they adorable?!

So after two late afternoons of raking leaves, picking up trash and other debris this is how things are starting to shape up:

This is a 'sectioned' area that had a variety of tomato plants

Leaves in large pile next to composting area (surrounded by tree stumps/logs)

We are definitely going to plant vegetables; the girls want a butterfly garden (I do too), and herbs are on the list as well. I'm thinking that I'll do them in containers on the deck. Then there's the Koi pond to get up and running. Yes, it's a lot, but I'm thrilled!! The sun and fresh air, working and dreaming have truly awakened my soul! Spring is just around the corner!!!!

That's our update for now---heading back outside! :D

Arbor Day :: Storytime & Activities

2011-02-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

Today we participated in some Arbor Day activities for our area. I was a bit confused when I got the information initially as I thought Arbor Day was in April. Well, for our region of the county it falls on the 3rd Friday in February. This is because it's the best time to plant trees. (Learn something new everyday!)

So here's a look at some of the things we did. We learned a few new things and this reinforced some new knowledge we've obtained since we're learning about plants and their lifecycle.

Intro to Arbor Day

Listening

Identifying parts of a tree

Tree Planting

Shoveling dirt

More dirt

Even more!

Adding some pine straw

Feeling the bark

Making a pine cone bird feeder

Spreading on the shortening (we've used peanut butter in the past)

Rolling it in the bird seed

Adding a string for hanging

All done! (bird feeders in bags)

All in all, another great learning experience!

Valentine's Day Party

2011-02-15T20:12:00.000-05:00

Celebrated with our home school friends yesterday.

The 'prepared environment' :D

Making bags to hold valentine's

More decorating

crafting

Group game: Try to Make me Laugh!

Another group game: Charades

Enjoying the food!

Discussing the History of Valentine's Day

Ending with Musical Chairs

All Smiles!

We all had a fabulous time! We made new friends (which is always a plus!). We also participated in the library's Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt. Can't wait for the next time we're together.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Company

2011-02-11T23:09:00.001-05:00

I organized our trip with our home schooling community back in December. The day we've been waiting for finally arrived.

Let me just say: It was A M A Z I N G!! I saw them several years ago when I was a newly wed. Seeing them with my children made it new and brilliant, all over again!

The kids have been dancing through the house since we've been back home.

If you have the opportunity to see them--DO! If you've never thought of seeing them--put them on your list!! You will NOT be disappointed!


Alvin Ailey

Blocks & Puzzles

2011-02-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

Book Sharing Monday (a day late)

2011-02-08T15:16:00.000-05:00

So, I had every intention of sharing a book yesterday. But one things lead to another and I never got back to the blog to share it.

So, here it is: Wildlife Gardening: How to Bring Birds and Bugs to Your Backyard by Martyn Cox.

It's a wonderfully colorful books with lots of vibrantly colored photos detailing all the procedures and the 'How To' sections. There are activities for children to 'make it' (build/create something), 'watch it' (make observations) and 'grow it' (growing, of course)! Something I thought was unexpected was creating spaces for nocturnal animals such as bats and moths.

We are actively planning our gardens for the Spring and this was a perfect book with great information, child friendly projects and step by step directions. If you're looking for something like this to get some cool ideas, this book should be on your list.

For more books shared through Book Sharing Monday hop over to Alex's blog, Canadian Home Learning and check them out!

Happy Reading!

Monday Mumbles

2011-02-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

Finally taking a moment to jot some thoughts down....it's been a good while since I've join Tooje in this Monday ritual. Ten random things on my mind....

Why is it that the sun only comes out on the weekends?? I'd LOVE to see it on a Monday, at least.
I FINALLY got my bedroom the way I want it. It's funny just HOW LARGE it actually is (without all the clothes baskets and boxes, stacks of books, random stacks of papers, unpacked boxes, baskets of yarn). It was so nice to go to sleep and awake in the room. Got my art up on the wall, photos of the kids. The energy is flowing nicely in there. I'm totally diggin' it! :D (The hubs can appreciate it too!)
My sweetie-pie is still such a cuddler. I've been hugging her most of the morning. I have to admit that we don't do this as much as we used to. With all this unpacking, getting settled, catching up with our homeschool group, our lives have become a lot busier than usual. It's been nice to just sit and rock someone.
I've spent part of the morning getting information out to the homeschool group about our field trip to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company's student performance this week. Can I tell you I'm SO exited about this. The hubs and I went to see them years ago when we were just a couple. I'm glad that we'll be able to share this with our children. There are about 60 folk attending with us so it's sure to be a good experience for all.
Music really helps set the tone in our home. I've known this...but have been very intentional about it over the past week. First of all, it helps ME. The children seem to govern themselves differently as the music changes. I need to REMEMBER this and utilize it more often. (I used to do this all the time when they were infants/babies/toddlers. How easily we can forget things. SMH.)
I got some time to catch up with my college-roommate, who is more like a sister. We were in her kitchen talking, catching up, laughing. She said, "It's like you've never left." And it was. Isn't it great to be connected to people who no matter how long you've been apart you can pick up right where you left off, as if you've never missed a beat?!
I have placed holds on several gardening books at the library. Waiting to pick them up. It's almost that time of year--PLANTING time. I'm also pulling some other things together to teach the children about plants (parts) as we begin sprouting some seeds and planting others which will be put into the ground once things warm a bit more. I've had visions of a lush garden. Right now we're planning on a vegetable garden, and herb garden and a butterfly garden. I'll have to take some before shots of our backyard. There is SO MUCH potential.
Babysitters have been hard to come by for me. Call my particular (or crazy) but I don't just leave my children with anyone. Never have. Never will. Well, I'm glad to have found some young ladies who are not only capable but willing to do it--long term (on a schedule or last minute). With all the new things I'm getting involved in now, it's good to have some stable babysitters! My children like them as well (we've had several evening with them to see how things went. I have to say I'm thrilled to have found them!)
I'm on this Indian-style food craze. I so love their curries and the way they season their beans & rice. I have had a cook book, 1000 Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World, for years now. Every recipe that I've made has always turned out GREAT (even if it doesn't look like the photo--the taste is always on point)! But recently, I've just stopped on the Indian food. Soaked some chickpeas last night to make some curry with them later today. Over rice they're wonderful, but I think we'll put them in some Pita bread with potatoes. I can't wait!!!
I see that the universe heard my request for SUN! Now that I'm finishing up this post, the sun is beaming!! :D So I'm going to step outside now and enjoy some rays!!

If you'd like to join in mumbling, please do! Stop over at Circle the Square Table to let Tooje know.

Happy Monday!

Work

2011-02-03T20:38:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite uncles used to say, "Everybody can't work." He did a lot of talking to us, when we were little people, about work being a responsibility, a privilege. How you had to know a little something before someone would entrust you with that task.

It's funny to me just how that's stuck with me growing up. My mother used his philosophy. I remember I couldn't wait until I was old enough to cut the grass! (imagine! lol) Well, I'm finding myself saying some of the same things to my crew about work. There are certain jobs that you can only get once you've reached a certain level of maturity or age. This just makes sense!

A big one in our home is washing dishes. You must be four years old to get this job. The Boy has been anxiously waiting for about 2 years now. Now that he's four and we're pretty settled in our home (and the kitchen is no longer a disaster!) he's finally gotten the privilege of performing this task. It's a big responsibility, you know?! :D

He's thrilled!
So am I!

100 Books-a-Month Challenge :: January 2011

2011-01-31T12:03:00.004-05:00

Are there any of you still participating in this challenge? I have been debating whether or not I would continue this on my blog. We are reading, reading, reading over here. By keeping these monthly lists, it helps me keep record of what we've read, for the most part and I still like that. Let me know if you're still with us!

Here's our list for this month:

My Food Pyramid by Alisha Niehaus
Vegetarian Fact Finder by Ellen Klavan
About Mammals: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill
What is a Mammal? by Robert Snedden
Weird Wildlife Mammals by Jen Green
One Too Many: A Seek & Find Counting Book by Gianna Marino
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
Cows Sweat Through Their Noses and Other Freaky Facts about Animals Habits, Characteristics, and Homes by Barbara Seuling
Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn
Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning
Silly Knock-Knocks by Joseph Rosenbloom
The Right Touch by Sandy Kleven
One Drowsy Dragon by Ethan Long
Bones: Our Skeletal System by Seymour Simon
No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) by Jean Pendziwol
Dora and the Birthday Wish Adventure adapted by Emily Sollinger
Fairy Wings by Lauren Mills & Dennis Nolan
Cinderella by Gordon Fitchett
Littlest Pet Shop Eye See It! Can You Find Them All? by Sam Wolff
The Return to Narnia: The Rescue of Prince Caspian based on C.S. Lewis
Thomas and the Rumors and other stories by Britt Allcroft
The Cats Kids by Kay Chorao
Tinkering Tink by Elle D. Risco
Miss Bindergarten Stays Home from Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
Caillou Happy Holidays! by Marilyn Pleau-Murissi
Midsummer Knight by Gregory Rogers
Rapunzel's Amazing Hair by Kiki Thorpe
I am a Home-Schooler by Julie Voetberg
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

Read by Pretty Girl
31. Pat, Cat, and Rat by Sindy McKay
32. Big Cats by Bruce Johnson
33. Bugs on the Buz by Paul Orshoski & D.J. Panec
34. Which Pet is Best? by Bruce Johnson
35. Where is My Frog? by Paul Orshoski
36. Biscuit Finds a Friend by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
37. Biscuit Visits the Big City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
38. Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Pairs by Jane O'Connor
39. Fancy Nancy Sees Stars by Jane O'Connor
40. Fancy Nancy My Family History by Jane O'Connor
41. Welcome to Narnia by Jennifer Frantz
42. Tea with Mr. Tumnus by Jennifer Frantz
43. Ant in Her Pants by Paul Orshoski
44. It Could Still Be a Mammal by Allan Fowler

Read to The Boy
45. Barney says, "Please and Thank You" by Stephen White
46. How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
47. I Smell Honey by Andrea & Brian Pinkney
48. Eeyore inspired by A.A. Milne
49. Pirates: Robbers of the High Seas by Gail Gibbons
50. The Dragon and the Turtle by Donita K. Paul & Evangeline Denmark

Books I read
51. Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile & Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought of by Vicki Lansky
52. Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun & Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought of by Vicki Lansky
53. Freedom: The Courage to be Yourself by Osho

Books on Tape/CD
54. Beezus & Ramona by Beverly Cleary
55. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
56. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
57. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
58. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

Tuesday :: Library Day

2011-01-25T17:54:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays have become our official library day. I think it used to be Mondays, but since our long move/transition Tuesdays have become the day. There is usually a storytime scheduled, but we have only attended one since being back the West End. We're waiting for another Children's Librarian to come. Our favorite librarian is now at another branch, which is not close, so we only make that trek once or twice a month.

We're doing a lot more. Reading, searching for a particular book or subject. The boy tickles me with his lists of books he's looking for. He's watched me well, I see, and scribbles things down on a piece of paper and then 'reads' the list he's made for himself to me. Last week his list consisted of books on:

Pirates
Dragons
Robots
Skeleton (human body)

I was thankful that our local branch had at least one book on each topic for him to check out. He was thrilled. Today it was more books about dinosaurs.

As Pretty Girl strengthens her reading muscles, I decided to direct your searching as well. Normally I allow her to choose exactly what she'd like to read or would like to hear. Today I started her on researching. We're studying the animal kingdom in science, starting with mammals. She was to pick a mammal to write a report on and create a presentation for. She chose bears. I showed her how to look through books to get an idea about what information they give and what sort of information she would need to write a report. We discussed the difference between fiction and non-fiction (again) and this activity of looking for books assisted in her understanding. I'll have to share more about her project in another post.

We were pleasantly surprised to see how our little neighborhood library has evolved since we've been away. In the children's section they now have a special carpeted corner with books in crates, puzzles and a few games for younger children to do on their own. Sweetie-pie enjoyed putting puzzles together and sitting in the bean bag looking through books by herself.

I was able to get a little 'work' done on the computer, pick out some books for myself and make some plans for our homeschool group to utilize the library again.

Next week, I'll remember to take my camera and get a few shots of our library. It's a cozy little place with great librarians. We always look forward to our Tuesdays!

Book Sharing Monday

2011-01-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

Ok. I think we're back! :D

I am so appreciative to the people in my 'village' who assist us in expanding out personal libraries. Last week our favorite librarian gifted the kids with some new titles for their bookshelves. Since we haven't been a part of Book Sharing Monday in awhile, we're going to share one pick from each of us, so humor us.

The Boy's Pick: How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague. This is one in the series we've haven't read yet. It's in a board book style so will withstand all his knocking and throwing. If you have anyone in your family who likes dinosaurs and also needs a bit of reminding about how to behave, this is a book for you! :D

Sweetie Pie picked this one to share: Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh. It's what the PBS series Martha Speaks is based on. This particular book comes with stickers and a CD.

Pretty Girl picked Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. We checked this book out a week ago and have been enjoying it but now we have our own copy. She is surprised at how many words she can read on her own. It's a great story about sisters.

So there you have it. If you're interested in joining in Book Sharing Monday or seeing who else participate check out Alex's blog Canadian Home Learning.

Happy Reading!!

Safety Village Field Trip

2011-01-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Today we met up with our homeschool group and attended a field trip to a local Safety Village for several classes in Fire and Life Safety. We learned (refreshed our memory on) about:

Bike Safety

Car Safety

Fire Safety in the house

Get low as smoke rises

Crawl on the floor to the wall; feel for door; exit

When necessary, exit a window.

Call 9-1-1 to report a fire

If you clothes catch fire, stop, drop & roll;

remember to cover your face

FF Hunter had us close our eye and use our

sense of hearing to locate him in the room

Receiving Certificates of Completion

of the Fire & Life Safety Classes

Posing with Sparky

It was a wonderful learning experience. Plus we got to catch up with some of our old friends and had a chance to make some new friends (mom included)!

Can I just say I'm SO glad to be back 'home!' :D

Enjoy your weekend!

Status Update

2011-01-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy lately.

A friend asked me today for my blog address so she could see what we've been up to. I immediately started laughing, gave it to her and said, "but I haven't updated it since last year!"

We are good. Our days have felt rather full. I've gotten back to a 'more definitely' kind of schedule with the kids. We've been interfacing with our homeschool community and spending long afternoons at the library.

We're pretty much settled in our home now. As Pretty Girl says, 'it looks more like our home' now. :D And it does. Of course there are things that I want to do, have plans to do, but I've decided to let them take a back seat at present.

Today we joined a P.E. Co-op, mainly to catch up with some friends. The kids had a blast, so I think we're going to make it our weekly thing.

We're continuing with our Saxon Phonics lessons. This coming Monday I'll begin where we left off on our 'Money Monday' lesson. We're also going to focus more heavily on learning Spanish. The girls started ballet class yesterday and are thrilled about it all. Once things warm up a bit we'll be looking for some swimming lessons and a soccer team. (Well, those are their ideas for now!)

How have you been? I know I've been scarce around blogland since the new year. I hope you're all well. I will get around, hopefully! You'll be seeing us more in the next little bit once I put blogging in my 'regularly scheduled routine.' (smile)

Until then...

Rocks & Minerals Study

2010-12-14T11:28:00.000-05:00

We attended a Homeschool Day at a nearby Nature Center yesterday. It was terribly cold and many people didn't come out. I decided to go anyway, because my eldest is really into rocks and minerals right now. We participate in a great lesson and learned a lot. Here are a few shots from our time there.

We are looking forward to getting back there when things warm up a bit as they have nature trails, a pond for canoeing, and lots of animals around.

One Small Change :: December

2010-12-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

This month we will use recycled paper (newspaper, packing paper, etc.) to wrap our gifts in. No purchased wrapping paper for us this year.

We usually make our own paper for birthdays by using recycled paper or paper bags and making designs on it. Now we'll extended it to this holiday season and make it a standard from her on out. Some simple enough to do that gives it's own feel to a gift. Also falls into the handmade holiday challenge as well. :D

What One Small Change will you make this month? You can see ideas here.

Happy Holidays to you!

What Are We Doing?

2010-12-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

I've been asking myself that for the past few weeks. Actually, it's been, "What the heck are we doing?!" lol

I look around me at...boxes. But these boxes need unpacking. We have finally made it into our new home! YAY! We've been here for a bit already. Getting used to the space, cleaning, painting, imagining, deciding how best to use each room.

Someone asked me the other day, "So when do you home school the kids?" Usually I have an answer ready, but I didn't yesterday. I said something to the effect of "yeah, I'm really relaxed right now." I guess reading all the wonderful unschooling blogs has REALLY allowed me not to worry so much about what we are and aren't doing.

Now, for those of you who may be nervous about what you just read...let me assure you. We are doing plenty over here. :D It's amazing for me to recount all the things we've been doing and get about doing in a given day. Even on the days I'm feeling like doing NOTHING. We never do nothing. SMH! LOL!

Our journey has really taken a turn towards a very relaxed place. I feel very connected to each of my children. They are developing into the people God created them to be. They have tons of questions about so many things. We do a lot of reading. I mean a. lot. of. reading. The library is the most frequented place we go, besides the local health food store. We've also been drawing, painting, cutting paper into shreds (I still hate this!), putting tape on everything, making jewelry, learning to bake/cook, coordinating wardrobes, learning about animals, composting, garden planning, chicken selecting, singing, dancing, walking through the neighborhood, exploring our back yard, playing with the dogs, learning to tell time, counting, adding, designing, learning to get along and work problems out on our own, listening, making new friends, testing the rules/boundaries, sleeping, crying, eating, laughing, talking, watching videos, writing letters for family, telling jokes, making lists, planning field trips, sharing ideas.....

See? When I get to actually writing things down it's amazing to see all the things we're doing. And I could list more, but won't for your sake! :D

My "school" stuff has been packed up since mid-summer and I haven't wanted to invest any more money into this line of resources. We've been without our phonics program (which was really the only 'structured' thing I was using) but the girl is reading! I was using a book for teaching word problems, but have found that I really don't need a book. Now, it was nice and I'll probably use it once it's unpacked, but my point is that I was still able to teach them word problems. (go figure!)

Because I've embraced this whole get-it-from-the-library-thing (I don't understand why more people don't!) and made it a point to utilize it no matter where we are, we've had access to things I could never afford, or even want to purchase!

The boy has interests in dinosaurs, dragons, pirates and knights. He asked me yesterday if I would teach him everything I know about knights. He's four. It was adorable. I told him that I'd taught him everything I know, which isn't much, but that we'd go the the library and check out as many books as we need to so he'd know all he'd like to know! We're getting ready to go now.

So, I guess the answer to the question is: A WHOLE HEAP A BUNCH A MUCH! We've been traveling, learning, being, living....LOVING OUR LIFE!

Now that we're getting settled, I'm hoping to blog more. I've missed it. I've missed connecting with you! :D

So I guess my question now is: How have you been doing?
I love comments so feel free to share!

Happy Wednesday to you!

100 Books-a-Month: November

2010-11-30T07:16:00.022-05:00

I am thankful that we were able to read books at all this month. It's been a really challenging month, with regards to reading. We have finally made it to our destination and spent most of this month moving into our new home. I had hoped to at least listen to some stories on tape/CD but we seemed to be enjoying a lot more music--which is ok, too! :D Here's our list of what we were able to squeeze in. Just under our goal of 100....so, I'm not feeling bad at all. (smile)

A Child's Good Morning Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Sleep, Little One, Sleep by Marion Dane Bauer
The Farmer in the Dell by John O'Brien
Millie's Marvellous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura
Three-Star Billy by Pat Hutchins
Angelina and the Butterfly by Katharine Holabird
The Bunnies' Picnic by Lezlie Evans
Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett
Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
The Princess Who Had Almost Everything by Mireille Levert
Where's Waldo Now? by Martin Handford
Ananze and the Lizard: A West African Tale retold by Pat Cummings
Imani in the Belly by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate
McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss
Jane Martin, Dog Detective by Eve Bunting
Happy Mother's Day, Mami adapted by Leslie Valdes
Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
Cinderella retold by Barbara Karlin
Trouble with Wishes by Diane Stanley
Bella & Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlieh
Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson
Little Badger, Terror of the Seven Seas by Eve Bunting
Madeline Says Merci, The-Always-Be-Polite Book by John Bemelmas Marciano
I'm Just Like my Mom by Jorge Ramos
I'm Just Like my Dad by Jorge Ramos
Ballerina Flying by Alexa Brandenberg
I Like the Way You Are by Eve Bunting
Cool Time Song by Carole Lexa Schaefer
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
Arthur's Chicken Pox by Marc Brown
Minnie Saves the Day by Melodye Benson Rosales

Read to/with Pretty Girl
32. Harriet The Spy, Double Agent by Maya Gold
33. Olivia the Orchid Fairy by Daisy Meadows
34. Organic Gardening for Kids by Elizabeth Scholl
35. Fairy Cooking by Rebecca Gilpin and Catherin Atkinson
36. Christmas Cookies by Lisa Zwirn

Read to Sweetie Pie
37. Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall
38. Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
39. Daisy-Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss

Read to The Boy
40. Batman: Feline Felonies by John Sazaklis
41. Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald

Read by Pretty Girl
42. Barn Storm by Charles Ghigna and Debra Ghigna
43. Too Many Cats by Lori Haskins Houran
44. The Autumn Leaf by Carl Emmerson
45. Haunted House adapted by Karen Barss
46. Mouse Makes Magic by Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook
47. One Hundred Shoes by Charles Ghigna
48. Soccer Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
49. Pup and Hound Scare a Ghost by Susan Hood
50. Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman

Books I read
51. Starter Vegetable Gardens by Barbara Pleasant
52. Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan
53. Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun & Frugal Uses... by Vicki Lansky
54. Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu
55. The Butterfly Garden by Jerry Sedenko
56. The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket

Stories on CD
57 - 63. Baby Hawk Learns to Fly by Bobby Norfolk (a collection of six stories)
64 - 78. Rainbow Tales Produced by John McCutcheon (a collection of 14 stories by various artists/storytellers)

How did you do? Please add your link to the Mr. Linky so we can hop over and read your list.

Happy Reading!

This Moment

2010-11-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

{this moment}

Baking with Mama

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

hosted by SouleMama

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T10:24:00.001-05:00

She's out with her camera!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T08:42:00.000-04:00

100 Books-a-Month: October

2010-10-31T07:20:00.002-04:00

So how did you do this month? Were you able to reach the 100 mark? I did a better job at keeping track of what we've been reading, even when others have come to read do the kids (aren't relatives great?)! Anyway, here's our list. I was even able to get in a few more for me. Doing my best to take advantage of this transition time.

Tricycle by Elisa Amado
Happy Birthday Jessie Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom
Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do by Eileen Christelow
What Are You Doing, Maisy? by Lucy Cousins
The Twin Princes by Tedd Arnold
Grandfather's Work: A Traditional Healer in Nigeria by Ifeoma Onyefulu
Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe by Brian Moses
Rainbow Fish A, B, C by Marcus Pfister
The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi
Fancy Nancy the Dazzling Book Report by Jane O'Connor
Jackie and the Shadow Snatcher by Larry Di Fiori
Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story by Naomi Howland
Two Left Feet by Adam Stower
Backbeard and the Birthday Suit by Matthew McElligott
Albert Goes Hollywood by Henry Schwartz
Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen by Lisa Campbell Ernst
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff
Red Sings from Treetops, a Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Douglas Carlton Abrams
Curious George by H. A. Rey
Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby? by Carney Saltzberb
Sophie's Masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli
Curious George Makes Pancakes by Margret & H.A. Rey
Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola
Herbert Fieldmouse Secret Agent by Kevin O'Malley
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
Stuff! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Steven Kroll
My Dadima Wears a Sari by Kashmira Sheth
Playful Little Penguins by Tony Mitton
Angelina and the Royal Wedding by Katharine Holabird
Flower Girl Butterflies by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Fancy Nancy Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
Dinner with Olivia adapted by Emily Sollinger
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
Mama's Saris by Pooja Makhijani
Come to the Fairies' Ball by Jane Yolen
Babar and His Children by Jean de Brunhoff
Mermaids on Parade by Melanie Hope Greenberg
How Does Your Garden Grow? based on Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie
A Cow for Jaya by Eva Grant
Where to Sleep by Kandy Radzinski
Curious George Goes to the Beach by Margret & H.A. Rey
Crocs! by David T. Greenberg
Hello Baby! by Mem Fox
Jubal's Wish by Audrey Wood
A Mother's Song by Janet Lawler
Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique by Jane O'Conner
The Sweet and Sour Animal Book by Langston Hughes
The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett
The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
That's What Friends Are For by Valeri Gorbachev
Love Is... adapted from the Bible by Wendy Anderson Halperin
A Second Is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time by Hazel Hutchins
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schmur
Sleep Tight, Little Bear by Martin Waddell
The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story by Ellen Weiss
The Goblin and the Empty Chair by Mem Fox
Race you to Bed by Bob Shea
What Can You Do with a Rebozo? by Carmen Tafolla
Fancy Nancy and the Late, Late, Late Night by Jane O'Connor
Ruby's School Walk by Kathryn White
Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler
Dinosaurumpus! by Tony Mitton
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
Fancy Nancy Explorer Extraordinaire! by Jane O'Connor
A Balloon for Isabel by Deborah Underwood
A Song for Jamela by Niki Daly
Grandma's Gloves by Cecil Castellucci

Read to Pretty Girl
74. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
75. Watch Your Whiskers, Stilton! by Geronimo Stilton
76. Little Sister, Big Sister by Pat Brisson
77. Geromima Stilton, Secret Agent by Geronimo Stilton
78. My Name is Stilton, Geromino Stilton by Geronimo Stilton
79. Harriet Spies Again by Helen Ericson

Read to Sweetie Pie
80. Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans
81. Peter Pan retold by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
82. The Wild Little Horse by Rita Gray
83. Angelina Loves... by Katharine Holabird
84. Presenting Tanya the Ugly Duckling by Patricia Lee Gauch
85. Mousie Love by Dori Chaconas
86. Angelina's Birthday by Katharine Holabird

Read to The Boy
87. Ironman Armored Adventures adapted by D.R. Shealy
88. T. Rex Trick-or-Treats by Lois G. Grambling
89. The Pirate and other Adventures of Sam & Alice by Akemi Gutierrez
90. Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton
91. Oscar: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey by Amy Schwartz & Leonard S. Marcus
92. Shark and Lobster's Amazing Undersea Adventure by Viviane Schwarz
93. Monster Hug by David Ezra Stein
94. Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon by Richard Scarry
95. You Can Do Anything, Daddy! by Michael Rex
96. Diego Saves a Butterfly adapted by Lara Bergen
97. Super Duck by Jaz Alborough
98. Lift the Flap Book: Animals Around the World by Kingfisher

Read by Pretty Girl
99. The Funny Baby by Margaret Hillert
100. Going to the Beach by Jo S. Kittinger
101. Max Goes to the Recycling Center by Adria F. Klein
102. A Book of Hugs by Dave Ross
103. Going to Grandma's Farm by Betsy Franco
104. The Sky is Falling! by Betty Miles
105. Fancy Nancy the Dazzling Book Report by Jane O'Connor
106. The Snowball by Jennifer Armstrong
107. A New Home by Tim Bowers
108. Biscuit Takes a Walk by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
109. Chicken said, "Cluck!" by Judyann Ackerman Grant
110. Wake Up, Sun! by David L. Harrison
111. Peanut and Pearl's Picnic Adventure by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
112. Next to an Ant by Mara Rockliff
113. So Many Houses by Hester Thompson Bass
114. I Love Trees by Cari Meister
115. Bathtime for Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
116. Biscuit's Big Friend by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
117. Dinosaur Hunt by David Catrow

Books I Read
118. Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen by Kate Heyhoe
119. Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats by Jerry Belanger
120. Living with Chickens by Jay Rossier
121. The Container Expert by Dr. D.G. Hessayon
122. Grow Your Own Organic Fruit & Vegetables by Christine & Michael Lavelle
123. Keeping Chickens with Ashley English
124. The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen
125. Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson

Books/Stories on CD/Tape
126. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (their all time favorite to date)
127. Flossie and the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack
128. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
129. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
130. Brave Irene by William Steig
131. The Life of Christ by
132. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
133. How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen
134. Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
135. Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner
136. T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty

So, as you can see, we got more than our fair share in this month! LOL! We've made up for the past few months, anyway.

Please add your link (to the specific post) below so we can see what books you've read this month! If you'd like to join in please leave me a comment and I'll add you to the list of participants on the left.

Happy Reading!!

My 5 for 5 Challenge Gift!!!

2010-10-28T11:31:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to share this for the past few days!! My access to the internet has been limited (fortunately or unfortunately!). At any rate...I'm here now and just have to share my JOY!!!

I joined in the 5 for 5 through Debbie's blog. I posted it here and on my other blog. We had the entire year to create something handmade and then share it with those who joined in. (Here's what I made.) Well, my package arrive on Monday and here is what was inside.

Felted Nesting Bowls

Individually--lovely colors!

Another view

YUMMY!!!

I love, Love, LOVE them!!! They are perfect! I was just thinking about making myself some a few weeks ago. Wanting something more...tactile (I guess that's what I mean?) for holding my special things. I think what makes them so special is that they were handmade just for me....AND made by one of my newly made friends who has been such a wonderful addition to my life!!!! Debbie also shared a jar of her homemade strawberry syrup! Can you say YUM?! I've decided that it will be used on my first breakfast of waffles in our new place.

Thank you so much Debbie. 'Thanks' seems such an inadequate word at this moment. But I know you understand. The time you put into them and your thoughtfulness is seem in each little bowl. The colors are some of my favorite--Autumn! And they go perfectly with my bedroom colors. One of my favorite gifts to date. I am truly grateful!!

xoxo!

Book Sharing Monday

2010-10-25T08:23:00.001-04:00

We've been reading a lot of books this month, I'm proud to say. It was another tough choice for today's book but I let The Boy pick it and here's the one he chose: I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll.

This story uses reverse psychology in telling a story about Ethan, a little boy whose monster has gone on vacation for a week. He's looking for another monster so he'll be able to remain in bed and go to sleep. It's full of humor as well as a little bit of scare. We enjoyed it and think you might as well.

Happy Reading!!

Book Sharing Monday

2010-10-18T08:17:00.003-04:00

Today's book is Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals. I LOVE it!! It's an alphabet book as well as chalked full of information for those who may not know much about composting.

We know a great deal. I checked it out to show my kids that we aren't the only ones who compost and care about our earth. The illustrations by Ashley Wolff are in collage style and use several recyclable items. All in all, a great book. We think you'll like it too!

Thankful Thursday

2010-10-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

Rain
Children playing nicely
lunch date with my brother
books from the library
cooler weather
homemade bread
homemade butter (yum!)
whispered 'i love yous'
friends online
beans & rice
learning to work together (children)
Pretty Girl initiating reading to her sibs
Sweetie-pie's loud voice singing
watching The Boy draw dinosaurs
realization that I have so many things to be thankful for today!!!

how about you?

found image on Living Life in Europe

Monday Mumbles

2010-10-11T10:34:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to get back to this. My life has been full of surprises lately. Here's a few things that are on my mind (or have been on my mind recently) this morning. I am joining Tooje @ Circling the Square Table, if you're interested in joining in with us. :D

1. What is with kids and complaining??? Can I get through ONE activity without somebody falling apart??? I mean, really?! SMH. I guess this is just something that goes along with being a child.

2. It has gone back to being HOT here. We had about a week and a half of VERY COLD weather. Although I was surprised at how fast it came (like a day or two after Autumn began) I was getting excited about wearing my boots, jackets, scarves, hats. But alas, we're not there for good. At least not yet anyway. I'll have to wait a bit more.

3. I realized that other day that I haven't been in a mall in FOREVER!! Ok, besides that time I walked through one to get to a restaurant where I was meeting some friends. I was talking to my mom the other day and we were just remembering how years ago, that was the 'thing to do.' I'm sure there are plenty of folk who still find it a wonderful past time. I have to say I don't miss it!

4. Been reading up on homesteading lately. Like almost every book I've checked out from the library (for myself) has been along those lines. It's funny how things come full circle. My mother was sharing with me how her mother did the same things I'm interested in doing. How my grandparents bought a farm in upstate New York and read books to figure out how to raise chickens, cows, goats, etc. It's like everything we (western society) started out with, ran from, even despised (for all sorts of reasons) are now becoming the things we're looking into to live more sustainably. The irony of this is amazing!

5. We spent the weekend with our dogs. They've been with my husband and as we await housing to open up we haven't been together. I didn't realize just how much I've missed them until he pulled up in the driveway and they all got out of the car. The kids were overjoyed!! It was nice just to sit on the deck with them laying down next to us. The simply joys in life are really that--simply. It was sad to see them leave.

6. In my quest to reorder/reorganize my time, I took a break from the internet/computer/blogging a month ago. Now that I'm back, it's been difficult to find my rhythm again. There is so much I've been doing with the kids that trying to find what time works best has been a bit of a challenge. This morning after breakfast I decided to just TAKE the time. lol

7. I've missed reading all the blogs I follow, many of them (you) are regular bloggers so I'm way behind on things. I've decided that I won't be able to play catch up. That I'll just have to start wherever you are now and more forward from there. When I look at my blog roll (on the Blogger Dashboard) and see all the great things everyone is doing I'm glad to know that everyone, too, has been busy!

8. My children are in the stage of telling jokes. Pretty girl, who will be 8 next month, can actually tell a joke that 1) makes sense, 2) is funny and 3) she gets why it's funny. The other two do their best with what they've got. They are all funny in their own ways. I find it hilarious that they try so hard with their little jokes. They'll take a 'real' joke (like a "Knock, Knock Joke" or a 'Why Did the Chicken...'joke) and put their own spin on it. To add to all of this, my brother, who lives in the area, is a comedian. No, really. He's hilarious!! So the kids do their best to tell him jokes. A little backround on this version of a joke my son told. My kids are vegeterians and know that other people, including their father, eat meat. We were eating dinner with my brother, who had just eating some chicken.

The Boy, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
My brother, "I don't know, to get to the other side?"
The Boy, "No, To get to your plate so you could eat it!"

HAHAHA!!! You gotta love kids' jokes!

9. I am really diggin' the library that we've been frequenting here. At first I found it a bit eery that we are usually the ONLY ones in the children's section in the middle of the day. No, like it's just the four of us plus the librarian for that section. Now we look forward to it. We got about twice a week. One day a week I allow the kids to play a few computer games. We sit and read. I'll have to bring my camera and snap a few pictures. The picture books are in bins not shelves so it makes it easy for kids to get them and put them back. They are sorted alphabetically so there's an "a" section, "b" section, etc. but it would make it a challenge if you were looking for a particular author as you'd have to search through several bins. Besides that, I think it's a great idea. They also have an easy reader section--which makes it a breeze to find books for Pretty Girl. There are also fiction and non-fiction sections which are on standard shelves. I love libraries in general. Glad to have access to this one while we're here.

10. I celebrated a birthday this weekend. It was a simple event. My kids gave me some of the best gifts to date. I was amazed at just how well they know me and what I like. Each of them gave me VERY thoughtful gifts. The Boy gave me a windchime, some incense and a basket (to hold my treasures, as he said). Sweetie Pie gave me some sunflowers (my favorite flower) in a little vase. Pretty girl gave me an eye pillow and some scented lavendar beads. They also handmade all their cards. Each item came with a reason why they gave it. My mother, who took them shopping for these things, told me how she had tried to talk them out of a couple of the items for various reasons but how they insisted that I would like it. That made my heart full--to know that in everything I'm doing with them, they've taken time to know me too! Granted I probably wouldn't have picked any of these items myself. But knowing the thought and the love that was used in picking each thing makes each of them even more beautiful to me.

Well, there you have it? Got something to mumble about? Join us! Link up here.

Have a great Monday!

Book Sharing Monday

2010-10-11T09:42:00.000-04:00

I found this beautiful at the library last week. It's God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams. Beautiful illustrations by LeUyen Pham.

It's simple. Just want you'd expect it to be--for us to love each other and show that love in tangile ways. I think these are great messages to put into our children's heads early.

Happy Reading! :D

p.s. For those who don't know, Book Sharing Monday is hosted by Alex at Canadian Home Learning. You can join in as well as find others participating weekly.

Wednesday Update

2010-10-06T10:46:00.000-04:00

I know, I know.
I haven't been here in awhile.
Since taking the break back in August (I believe) I haven't gotten back into the rhythm of blogging. I gotten so involved in the day to day life--homeschooling, being present, savoring the moment--that by the time I get them in bed all I want to do is read. (I've found some really interesting and good reads.)
But I miss it and you (and reading all the blogs that I follow).

However, I'm not going to guilt myself into blogging, since that was NEVER my point in doing so.
Just wanted to take a moment on this chilly Wednesday morning to let you know (those of you who care, lol!) that we are well. We've been reading a lot, playing outside, siteseeing, baking, making lists, laughing & talking. I so enjoy this time of year!

I pray each of you are well and promise to eventually stop by your blog (if you have one) and leave you a comment. Until I find a different rhythm I'm going to be ok with this one and go with the flow! :D

Peace & blessings!

100 Books-a-Month :: September

2010-09-30T19:28:00.000-04:00

Well, we've been reading alot. I realized that many of the books I hadn't been recording (the ones the grandparents & uncles have been reading to the kids). We've exceeded our 100 book goal--which I'm very happy about. We're finally getting back into our reading rhythm. Here's the list that I have been keeping--mainly library books. We're off to the library today for another set of books to start on next month's list.

Planet Was by Amy Boesky
Ella Sets the Stage by Carmela & Steven D'Amico
My Mother is So Smart! by Tomie dePaola
Chavela and the Magic Bubble by Monica Brown
Not All Animals Are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon
The Berenstain Bear's Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Hog-Eye by Susan Meddaugh
Daddy by Jeannette Caines
Anna's Table by Eve Bunting
Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting
For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane
Pet Shop Lullaby by Mary Ann Fraser
Rosa's Room by Barbara Bottner
The Pirate Cruncher by Jonny Duddle
At Night by Jonathan Bean
Brave Martha by Margot Apple
Dad & Pop: An Ode to Fathers & Stepfathers by Kelly Bennett
The Show-and-Tell Lion by Barbara Abercrombie
In The Spring by Craig Brown
Hooray For Grandparents' Day by Nancy Carlson
My Brother Fine With Me by Lucille Clifton
I'll Protect You from the Jungle Beasts by Martha Alexander
I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
In My Momma's Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
Bears Make Rock Soup and other Stories by Lise Erdrich
Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree by Betsy Franco
Thank You, World by Alice B. McGinty
My Favorite Time of Year by Susan Pearson
Father Sun, Mother Moon by Ann and John Hassett
You're Lovable to Me by Kat Yeh
One Fall Day by Molly Bang
Everyone is Good for Something by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Spirals, Curves, Fanshapes & Lines by Tana Hoban
Groundhod Weather School by Joan Holub
A Woggle of Witches by Adrienne Adams
Princess Bess Gets Dressed by Margery Cuyler
It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman
Take Care, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas
Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall
Sheila Rae, The Brave by Kevin Henkes
The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
All God's Critters song by Bill Staines
Brownie & Pearl Get Dolled Up by Cynthia Rylant
One Monkey Too Many by Jackie French Koller
Tell Me One Thing, Dad by Tom Pow
Meet the Barkers by Tomie dePaola
A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
Beeny and Penny the Toy Breaker by Geoffrey Hayes
The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve Lindbergh
Pigling: A Cinderella Story by Dan Jolley
The Sky is Falling! by Betty Miles
Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter
Curious George at the Baseball Game by Margret & H.A. Rey
Pocketful of Poultry by Carol Ekarius
I Like to Be Little by Charlotte Zolotow
Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi Igus
Gameshoe Goose Private Eye by Mary DeBall Kwitz
Jungle Party by Brian Wildsmith
Hentry Builds a Cabin by D.B. Johnson
Waiting for Winter by Sabastian Meschenmoser
Where's Henrietta's Hen? by Berniece Freschet
Princess Tiapa and the Royal Ball by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
Wolf's Coming! by Joe Kulka
Pirate Treasure by Loretta Krupinski
Hee-Haw-Dini and the Great Zambini by Kim Kennedy
My Forever Dress by Harriet Ziefert
Max Celebrates Groundhog Day by Adria Worsham
Winnie the Pooh--Pooh's Halloween Pumpkin by Disney
Trucks! by Wil Mara
The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss

Books I Read

72. The Joy of Ritual by Barbara Biziou
73. Kindred Spirits: Sacred Earth Wisdom by Jesse Wolf Hardin
74. How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly
75. The Tao of Pooh by Benjanmin Hoff
76. Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry by Leonard S. Mercia

We've listened to several books on tape/CD
George & the Giant Peach
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (a very favorite story)
The Life of Christ Series
The Life of Paul Series

How did you and your children do this month? I'd like to invite you all to join us for the month of October. Those of you who have already joined in and those who are just finding out about it. I'll be adding a bit more information to my blog about this specific challenge. I'm also looking for some books to share so stay tuned.

Happy Reading!!!

Book Sharing Monday

2010-09-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today we're sharing another book by Eve Bunting: Someday a Tree. This story was simple, sad and yet hopeful. Without giving it away, it has sparked some good conversation among us on our responsibilities to nature. This would be a great book for environmental discussions with your children.

We have been enjoying a good number of Eve Bunting books, this one is no different.

Happy Reading to each of you!

Last Friday

2010-09-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

Last Friday we attended a special storytime at the library. Mr. McFeely from Mister Roger's Neighborhood came to share some stories, puppets and wholesome fun. I was thrilled to be in the right place at the right time to meet him and enjoy some library time. Here are a few shots from our experience.

Introductions

Mr. McFeely with a Speedy Delivery!

Touching Puppet Daniel Tiger

Singing

The Boy was the first volunteer to sing (alone) next to King Friday XIII

Sweetie Pie ending the round of singing

Those in attendance

Signing his photo

My Crew with Mr. McFeely

For those of you who may be interested. You can go to this site to view 40 complete episodes of Mister Roger's Neighborhood. The public broadcasting stations where we've been have stopped showing the program so I'm glad to know that we can still view them online.

Welcome Fall

2010-09-23T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today was an outdoor painting, leaf finding, library hunting, book reading, story listening, peach-pie eating, under-blanket cuddling, silly face-making, toe tickling, belly laughing, good-night kissing day!

Only used the camera for the first thing...so, that's all I have to share in the line of visuals. You'll have to use your imagination for the others! (smile)

Very excited about the turning of Autumn. It's my very favorite time of year. For some many reasons. Hope your day was as eventful, or uneventful, as you'd hoped!

Much warmth to you!

Ending the Summer

2010-09-22T20:32:00.000-04:00

Today has been a rather lazy day for us. We haven't moved to any particular schedule. Lay in the bed talking this morning. Tickling, cuddling, laughing. While we listened to part of George & the Giant Peach, I fixed a late breakfast. We thumbed through photo albums. As the children played, I was able to catch up with a dear friend on the phone.

We then talked about what we'd like to do for our last day in summer. We spent time remembering all the things we've been able to do during this one--not everything we wanted--but more than the average!

We've spent the afternoon/evening outside. Running and playing. Watching leaves fall. Watching the humming birds and butterflies. Listening to the birds sing. We decided to make some pizza. While it cooked the kids ate some ice cream/popsicles--something we haven't done a lot of this summer. It was nice. As the sun set, we talked about how we'd celebrate the beginnings of Autumn, my favorite season! We have plans to go to the library, do some painting, identify some leaves, be outside. I'm going to see what else we can add to our add to make it a 'little more' special.

Here are some shots of our afternoon and evening....

How did you enjoy the last day of summer?

Book Sharing Monday

2010-09-20T15:52:00.000-04:00

We're getting back in the swing of things. Have several good books to share. Finally settled on this one: Anna's Table by Eve Bunting. Eve Bunting is fast becoming a favorite author. All the books we're read of hers are just wonderful!!

This one is no different. It's about a little girl who loves collecting things from nature. Her aunt knows this and gave her a special table to house all her treasures. The stories shares what she's found and what she imagines it was like before she claimed it.

Pretty Girl loved this, as she a collector as well. We're making plans to get our own nature table for her new room.

It's a lovely book with vivid pictures. We think you'll enjoy this book too!

Happy Reading!

Tuesday

2010-09-14T19:47:00.000-04:00

We had another full day. I'm worn out now. Typing and monitoring bathtime! It's almost the bedtime hour--YAY!!! Bedtime, glorious bedtime!!!

Here's a little of our day....

Our Official First Day Back

2010-09-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to have already had this day, but, alas, life has continued to happen. And, that's been ok with us! :D

After I got up, meditated and took a mile walk/run alone (very excited to have this time to MYSELF every morning)! We got together for devotion and group meditation, then cleaned up and got ready for breakfast. I've been wanting to have a better rhythm to our day. We've definitely been 'freestyling' most of the Spring and Summer months. They kids need it, heck, I need it too!

After breakfast, we did some chores, brushed teeth and got dressed. We did some 'sit down' activities. Since it's Monday we did our 'Money Monday' lesson and got started with some basic addition, patterns & matching (eldest, middle, youngest, in that order). While Pretty Girl practice her hand writing, Sweetie Pie and The Boy got to choose what art activity they wanted to start on and complete. After writing we read, then Pretty Girl read to me (I love that she can read!).

To break up the day, I decided to take another walk/run with the kids this time, a shorter route (I got a mile and a half in today). We ran an errand then got back for lunch. They had free time outside. I read from the book we're reading right now, The Wind in the Willows, then they had a quite time where they could choose something quiet to do as they listened to stories on tape.

We then went to the library and spent a few hours looking at books. We got the limit of 50 so we can get in our 100 Books a Month for this month (starting a bit later). While they're getting ready for bed, I'm typing this and plan to read to them once again before we end our day.

I have to say that for a first day, today went REALLY well. I tried to fill it with enough things so that there wasn't a whole lot of time for them to fuss and agrue with each other (does anyone else have this problem?!). There was still time for them to be, for us to talk and share our ideas. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

(I've been away for a good bit of time. I'm doing my best to past through your blogs and catch up with what's been going on with you. I'm feeling refreshed and ready for the coming change to Autumn. There's a lot of good energy flowing here! Hope you each have been well while I've been away. Talk with you soon!)

Taking a Break

2010-08-17T01:58:00.003-04:00

for some redirection and regrouping.
See you in a bit.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

Ever Growing....Ever Changing!!

2010-08-10T20:56:00.000-04:00

Another lost tooth.

Stories & Pictures

2010-08-09T17:39:00.000-04:00

The boy has been working intensely on some pictures. They're taking shape and with each of them comes a very elaborate story. He's becoming quite the story-teller (his stories are a hoot) and likes making illustrations for them.

This story went something like this....

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a king, who was a good father and was in charge of all the stuff...."

He tickles me. I need to record these stories!

Monday Mumbles

2010-08-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

It's Monday already? Here are some of the things I'm thinking about today (and this weekend).

1. The world doesn't fall apart when I sit down. lol Yeah, I'm usually 'on-stage' a lot, but for the past few days I've been sitting down....to read, to knit/crochet, to be read to, to rest. It's been good!

2. How many times much I repeat a specific request of my children before it sticks?? I mean, I'm sounding like a scratched CD. SMH. I guess this is just part of the parenting thing?!

3. I've decided that our official start day, for getting back on a regular schedule, will be after Labor Day. I'm hopeful that by then we'll be out of limbo!

4. I always thought that canning something to be 'scared' of. I grew up around an aunt who always canned things for winter, and in my little-girl mind, I don't remember it being a big deal. But as I grew up I remember hearing all kinds of horror stories about it. But now that I'm doing it--it's not so bad. A tat bit hot, but other than that, things have been going smoothly!

5. I'm interested in knowing why, if we all have the same feelings, similar experiences, similar hopes and dreams (for ourselves and our children) why there is still so many things that keep up to connecting with each other. Whether it's our neighbors (do you know yours? do you interact with them more than a 'good morning' or 'good evening'?) or coworkers or other community folk, do we go out of our way to make an authentic connection? What about our friends and family members--do they get to see who we really are or have we created a faux personality for them as well? What keeps us from showing our real selves, from owing our true feelings/thoughts/actions? I don't have all the answers, but have been thinking about these things over the past couple days.

6. Been thinking about peach cobbler. Yep, it's that time of year again! YAY!

7. Exercising. Something I'm getting more consistent about. I've made good progress with regards to my eating habits. I'm thankful to have passed on the habit of drinking water to my children--so we've been very hydrated. Autumn is my season. It's time to let go of a lot of things for me--weight being one of them! I'm excited to let it go!!!

8. Just received a lovely note from a dear friend--one who I've admired for years--who has been such an influential person in the lives of so many others. She thanked me for the positive impact I've made on hers. It was a nice sweet note. I'm thankful to know that we're truly friends--that we both are positively impacting the other. [I often doubt my impact or how my spirit moves others. I'm learning to accept this, and use it for the good!]

9. We've been gearing up to move for while now. There have been a couple snags in our plan--but we're still moving forward. God has tightly closed a door--making sure we don't sway from the place that is for us (it's easy to get comfortable and settle). Although it's caused from great discomfort, I'm seeing a light at the end of this tunnel--and it's NOT the train! lol Imagining myself in a new place, with new energy, new challenges some new friends, and all of my old ones!! :D

10. Do I have to have ten? lol. I'm sure there is more I've been thinking about....it's just that when you're interrupted ever few moments with a request to "Read this to me mommy" "I'm hungry, will you make some lunch?" "Look at what I drew!" It's hard to remained focused. I started this post this morning...and am finally completing it this afternoon. Hope you've had a good Monday.

If you wanna join in on the Mumbles, let Tooje know over at Circling the Square Table.

Book Sharing Monday

2010-08-09T14:23:00.000-04:00

My children and I have been listening to a series of stories on tape written by Betty MacDonald. Just recently I've been able to find them in book form as we've been reading them. The book that we're sharing today is the first chapter book in the series, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

In this book you're introduced to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Here's what is shared on the front flap of the book:

"Meet Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle! She's the kind of grown-up you would like to have for a friend--and all her friends are children. She is a little lady with brown sparkly eyes. She lives in an upside-down house, with a kitchen that is always full of freshly baked cookies. Her husband was a pirate, and she likes to have her friends dig in the back yard for the pirate treasure he buried there.

Best of all, she knows everything there is to know about children. When a distraught parent calls her because Mary has turned into an Answer-Backer or Dick has become Selfish or Allen has decided to be a Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has the answer. And her solutions always work, with plenty of laughs along the way.

So join the crowd at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's house--and enjoy the comical, common-sense cures that have won her so many friends."

These stories are written so that children understand what's happening and give parents a nice laugh. They also assist in giving a different perspective on curing inappropriate behavior. We are enjoying this book (which we've read out of order) and also enjoyed her other books: Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle & Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm.

Disclaimer: Since these books were written in the late 1940's/early 1950's, there is quite a bit of stereotypical father's role/mother's role. I've used it as an opportunity to talk to my girls about this directly. There is also a bit a ridicule in the parenting style and I've adjusted that (discussed it in some cases/left it out in others). There is a lot to be learned from these stories and I've made it a point to use each of these things. Wanted to share this with you upfront so that you can make a choice about them before getting in the middle of a story and being caught off guard! :D

Happy Reading!!

Funny Face Friday

2010-08-06T08:50:00.000-04:00

We're at it again...joining Tooje @ Circling the Square Table.

Focusing on our eyes this week. :D

Wanna play along? Click here.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

Book Give Away :: July Winner

2010-08-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

I'm, again, very excited to share with you that Neely has won the 3-book set by Usbourne!!!

Send your mailing address to watsonlesb [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll put in the mail as soon as I hear from you!! Congratulations!

Thanks to all of you who entered. I've been looking for books to share for August (and the rest of the year), so check back in the next few days for that posting!

Warm wishes to each of you!! Happy Reading!

LAST DAY :: July Book Give Away

2010-07-31T07:51:00.001-04:00

Today's the last day to add your name to the list for this month's Give Away. This time it includes three great books by Usbourne (they put out some awesome titles and are very thorough in their information). Click here to go to the original post to get more information about each book and add your name to the list. Comments will be closed at 10pm. Winner will be announced August 1st.

Funny Face Friday

2010-07-30T10:51:00.001-04:00

Decided to play along with Tooje @ Circling the Square Table today. It's simple enough and we've been working on some funny faces anyway! lol Plus, after taking some silly shots, I can get them to give me a 'nice' one! As Tooje says, a 'win-win!'

Happy Friday!!! :D

Building Blocks

2010-07-29T17:49:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've seen these kind of blocks before. They're the ones you usually find in a preschool or Kindergarten classes at a 'Blocks Center.' They're smooth, heavy and very sturdy. You can build towers, houses, roads, whatever pops into your head/hands. Years ago, when I in college, I worked in a daycare center and so enjoyed the blocks center. I thought, "I'd like my kids to have a set of these." When I checked into that a few years later as a second grade teacher and saw the cost I thought, "Never gonna happen!"

Well, low and behold, a dear woman in our community, who had a dream of opening a preschool of her own 'one day', gave us a complete set of them. Brand spanking new blocks!! I am so thankful. The kiddos are having a blast building and creating. Unlike their plastic counterparts there is nothing they (my kids) can do to break them (they're good at deconstruction)! :D

[I love that these blocks will last a good long while, and are NOT plastic!!]

I am also grateful that there have been other thoughtful people here who have added to our overall homeschooling experience by giving us books, games and other creative-making things. They've added to the 'building blocks' of our learning experience!!

Here are a few shots of what's been happening here...

Book Give Away :: July Reminder

2010-07-28T10:11:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to remind those of you who haven't added your name to the list, we're giving away some great books. Deadline to enter is July 31st at 10pm. Add your name here. (You can also find out more details on the books.)

Have a great Thursday!

State Fair

2010-07-26T09:46:00.001-04:00

We got to hang out with some friends and enjoy a State Fair (one of my favorite things). We enjoyed a lot of good food, a circus, seeing different competitions, viewing the awards in crafts, photography, produce, viewing the livestock and other animals (they had a giraffe!) and ended the day with some rides. Lots of fun and memories...

Horses

2010-07-26T09:35:00.001-04:00

There is just something about being around a horse that I love. Their beauty, their strength, the way they nod their heads and nuzzle up against you. We got to see some horses up close the other day. We were even able to sit on one. I've always wanted a horse. Maybe one day my wish will come true. Until then...I'll continue to admire them!

...and the rain came!!

2010-07-25T22:01:00.003-04:00

FINALLY!
With all the heat. It's been almost unbearable!
But the rain came. So did the cool air.

We had to celebrate!!!

Substance:: Blog Award

2010-07-21T16:54:00.000-04:00

So on Tuesday morning Alex of Serendipity Home School let me a comment giving me a "Blog with Substance" award. While enjoying the surprise of it and gathering my thoughts and blog roll later that evening, I received another comment from Sravani of Library of Books, Links and More in which she passed the same award on to me as well. I am speechless. Thank you Alex! Thank you Sravani! for seeing something here that reasonates with you. It's so nice to be recognized in this way! :D

Here are the Award Rules, if you find yourself the recipient of this award.

I hope you will pass it along!

•Thank the blogger who awarded it to you.
•Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using ten (10) words.
•Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance.

My 10-word philosophy:

I enjoy sharing the sights, sounds, wonders of my life!

My 10 Picks (this is gonna be hard...i read so many!!) in no particular order:

Debbie at The Loving Path: I so enjoy reading about her days. She shares great recipes and is mothering in a similar way. She shares from her heart.

Kristen at Tulsi Leaf: She's a wonderful mama & wife. Is new to the world of blogging, very insightful. Makes beautiful jewelry! (wink, wink)

Tooje at Circling the Square Table: So enjoy her blog. She's a mother of four (just added the most beautiful baby girl to her family!!). Love her perspective and humor.

Stephinie at Gypsy Forest: She is so inspiring. I tried making my own preserves because of her!

Angelina at Homegrown Naturally: I was immediately drawn to her blog because of it's name! She's a mama to seven and is growing her kids in a naturally loving way. Very inspiring!

Jesse at Spiral Pathways: She's an earth centered mama who unschools, gardens and creates with her hands. I love looking at pictures of her garden!!

Kelly at The Fittest Survive: She's a mama of 2 and shares from her life experiences of motherhood. She's learning how to see the best in every situation which encourages me to do the same!

Neely at Unschooling...Let the Earth be our Classroom: Neely shares her unschooling adventures with her children. It's interesting and I see more and more how easy I could do this! :D

Jennifer at Milk & Honey Mommy: Jennifer does so much with her three and her blog really shows off how well things are coming along. She's a very inspiring, down to earth mother!

Rana at Free to Learn an Lovin it: Rana is a mother to twins. She does so much--I'm always amazed at just what is happening over there. She's very fun-loving, a great online friend and shares a lot of interesting resources, ideas, links, recipes, etc. that I've found very helpful.

I hope that if you don't know about these wonderful blogs, you'll take a moment to blog-hop on over! I have been blessed to of found each of these blogs. As different as they each are, one thing they share in common--blogs with substance! :D

much warmth to each of you!

300th Post :: July Book Give Away

2010-07-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

As I was about to write this post, I looked and saw that this is my 300th post on this blog. Wow! I've had a lot of say....lol. Hopefully it's been meaningful to you, in some regards. I find this journaling, this chronicling of our lives relaxing and very needed! Even though I haven't taken a lot of time to sit at the computer over the past few weeks (enjoying being outside of doors this summer) I'm always thinking about my blog and those of you who frequent it!

I have to tell you that I'm very excited about the books I've found for this Give Away. For those of you who don't know, I'm a BIG lover of books. I also think it's important to reuse books that are in good condition (these books are in great condition). Well, I've found some more and am giving all three of them away!!! What a great set to add to your library. Here they are and you can find more information about the individual books further below (table of contents).

So, if you're interested in winning these books, please leave a comment below. Yep, that simple. If you'd like to increase your chances to win, blog about it and leave a comment and link below. If you're a follower of this blog, I'll add your name again (to the drawing). Also, if you're a part of the 100 Books-a-Month Challenge, I'll add your name as well. One more way, if you link your 100 Books-a-Month post for July, I'll enter you once more. See, aren't those odds pretty good? :D

This Give Away will close on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 10 pm. I will announce the winner on Sunday, August 1st. Good luck to each of you! Please spread the word! :D

The Usborne Book of Kings & Queens
From Tutankhamun to Elizabeth II
Table of Contents

Introduction
Crowing a Monarch
Palaces
Life at a Royal Court
Gods, Kinds and Queens
Warrior Kings
Warrior Queens
Royal Builders
Royal Patrons
Tragic Monarchs
Pious Monarchs
Royal Scandals
Royal Romances
Mad Monarchs
Unsolved Mysteries
Regents and Child Monarchs
Self-made Monarchs
Pretenders
Close to the Throne
Burying a Monarch
Monarchy Today
Mythical Kings and Queens
Date Chart
Index

The Usborne Book of Scientists
From Archimedes to Einstein
Table of Contents

Introduction
Early Scientific Ideas
Science in Ancient Greece
Medicine in the Ancient World
Islamic Science
Science in Medieval Europe
The Earth and The Sun
Understanding the Human Body
Science during the Renaissance
Scientific Societies
The Rise of Experiment
Classifying the Natural World
The Age of the Earth
Evolution
The Growth of Modern Chemistry
Studying Electricity
The Fight Against Disease
Waves and Radiation
The Science of Life
Opening up the Atom
The origin of the Universe
Women in Science
Key Dates in Scientific Discovery
Index

The Usborne Book of Explorers
From Columbus to Armstrong
Table of Contents

Introduction
Ibn Battuta
The Green Sea of Darkness
Searching for the River Niger and Timbuktu
The Source of the Nile
Exploring the heart of Africa
East goes West
Marco Polo
Vasco da Gama and the Route to India
The Search for the Northeast Passage
The Vikings reach America
Christopher Columbus
Cortes
The hunt for the Northwest Passage
The building of New France
Across the Continent
Scientists and Dreamers
The Quest for a Southern Continent
Into the Interior
The Forbidden Land
Around the World
The Race for the Poles
The roof of the World
Exploring the Oceans
Beyond the Earth
Key Dates in World Exploration
Index

Book Sharing Monday

2010-07-19T08:59:00.003-04:00

Good Morning and Happy Book Sharing Monday!

We haven't participated in a few weeks but wanted to take the time to share this week! We've gotten several great books from grandparents (Grandpa, specifically) last week. The one we'll share today is A Child's Introduction to Ballet. The stories, music and magic of classical dance by Laura Lee, Illustrated by Meredith Hamilton.

Not only does this book thorough discuss the history and techniques of ballet, it also tells the stories of some famous ballets--Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, to name a few. But that's not all, it also has an accompanying CD that coincides with each chapter so we can hear and enjoy the music of each specific ballet. We have just started reading it but have already learned a lot. Haven't check to see if this book is available at the library, but definitely one we're recommending!

Happy Reading!

Nature Walking with Family

2010-07-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

A simple look into our weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T21:15:00.000-04:00

Smiling through her tears!

Water Bottles

2010-07-09T14:44:00.000-04:00

If you haven't considered this or just need another reason to let go of your water bottle habit, take a look a this short video:

Always Learning

2010-07-08T21:11:00.000-04:00

Last night we spontaneously decided to get our daughters bikes. Yeah, we've been talking about it for awhile and looking over the finances. While picking up a few things for dinner we decided to go ahead. Initially we were only going to get one for pretty girl, but then found one the right size for Sweetie-Pie. On the way out of the store the boy says, "Mommy, when I get bigger will you..." I was anticipating his request and immediately cut in and said, "Yes, baby, we will get you a bike too." He looked at me a bit confused and said, "Mommy, I want a skateboard!" SMH Well, there you have it.

Today we spent time learning to ride bikes & trikes. Here are a few shots. I'm proud of them. They're learning all the time!

Baking

2010-07-03T18:51:00.000-04:00

Here's the results of what we've been doing in the kitchen today....

Blueberry Muffins

(from the ones we picked this week)

Apple Muffins

(since the hubs doesn't eat blueberries)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, oh MY!

Reminders...

2010-07-03T12:39:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite poems about children, I have two of them that are framed and hang on different walls in our home. An easy way to remind me about my precious little ones--that aren't so little. Perhaps you'd like a reminder this weekend, too!

Children Are...

Amazing, acknowledge them.

Believable, trust them.

Childlike, allow them.

Divine, honor them.

Energetic, nourish them.

Fallible, embrace them.

Gifts, treasure them.

Here Now, be with them.

Innocent, delight with them.

Joyful, appreciate them.

Kindhearted, learn from them.

Lovable, cherish them.

Magical, fly with them.

Noble, esteem them.

Open minded, respect them.

Precious, value them.

Questioners, encourage them.

Resourceful, support them.

Spontaneous, enjoy them.

Talented, believe in them.

Unique, affirm them.

Vulnerable, protect them.

Whole, recognize them.

Xtraspecial, celebrate them.

Yearning, notice them.

Zany, laugh with them.

~written by Meiji Stewart

Blueberries, Raspberries & Ice Cream

2010-07-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

We did it again. I just love these U-Pick farms--it's nice to be so close to several of them. Today we picked blueberries and a few raspberries. Boy are they good! After picking we went to their market and purchased other fruit and such (got some rhubarb & strawberries to make a pie--YUM! also got some homemade salsa--it was so good!). Our time wouldn't be complete without ice cream.

All in all, a good day!

Summer Math

2010-06-29T13:07:00.000-04:00

Here's what happens when you take a two hand fulls of children, add a hot summer afternoon multiplied with a hose full of water (and divided by two mommies who love facilitating fun)!

Can you tell they had a blast?!

Book Give Away :: Winner

2010-06-29T10:27:00.001-04:00

And the winner is.....

Milk & Honey Mommy

(shown as M&HM--I abbreviated so the slips of paper would all be uniform)

Thanks for participating in my 100 Books-a-Month Challenge and following my blog! I enjoy yours as well! :D

Please send me an email with your snail mail address and I'll get it right out to you!

I want to thank all of you who entered this give away!!

I am keeping my eyes open and hope to have another great book to share next month!

Happy Reading!!

5 for 5 Challenge :: 1 Completed!

2010-06-28T19:32:00.000-04:00

I am so excited as I type this post. I was just checking my blog roll and read Rana's blog, Free to Learn an Lovin it. She was my first (and only, so far) participant in my 5 for 5 Challenge. Today she received my package with the handmade reusable bag. It such a great feeling to read how much she is liking it. She's even asked me to do a tutorial. We'll see how that goes! :D

Here's a picture of it right after I finished it.

You can read her post here. And, if you're interested in playing along in my 5 for 5 Challenge, click here.

Hope your Monday has been a good one!

Book Sharing Monday :: Book Give Away

2010-06-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Thanks for stopping by! Today I'm literally sharing a book--this is the Give Away Book.

The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales told by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. This is a paper back copy and contains about 20 tales.

We really enjoy reading these stories as they all have a lesson to share.

If you're interested in adding your name to the hat to be drawn later this evening, click here and leave a comment (trying to keep all the entries together).

Happy Reading!

Book Give Away :: Still Time to Enter!

2010-06-27T21:11:00.000-04:00

Good Evening All,

Just wanted to remind those of you who haven't, there's still time to enter the Book Give Away. Click here and leave a comment!

A Parade

2010-06-25T17:14:00.000-04:00

The boy loves playing with all his toys at once.
Today they're in a parade..."walking around the little mermaid's castle to the water."
(his narration)

I love to watch him play and listen to his stories.
They're always so interesting! :D

Ice Cream

2010-06-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

It's sooooo hot here.
I can't bear it!
We've been out and about today.
A few thrift stores.
A library visit.
Time at the park.
Headed to a local ice cream shop
and got in just in time to miss the down pour--thundershowers
in the middle of the afternoon.
Ate some ice cream.
Boy was it good!
Although it's still a bit on the steamy side outside
it really hit the spot.
We had a nice time laughing and sharing.

I now see why my daddy has always taken us out for ice cream.
Always. Like every single time we're together.
There's a special place that ice cream can fill, if you let it!
lol

Hope your Thursday has been good!

Book Give Away

2010-06-23T22:23:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to do another one since giving away one of our favorite books last month. So as we are out and about I'm always looking for something to share with those of you who read and live along side us! I'm into thrift-ing and have found a lot of awesome nearly new books that we've added to our library. When we found this one, my children reminded me that we already have it. I agreed, but then when I looked at the price (you would be shocked!) and saw that it was a near-new book as well (only has a name stamped in the front cover) I thought "I can't leave this book here!!" I had pass it along to one of you.

The book is The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales told by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. This is a paper back copy and contains about 20 tales.

So, if you're interested, please leave a comment saying so, you're name will be entered once!
Would you like another entry? Here's a few more ways to increase your chances of winning:
1. Blog about this give away, leave a comment & link to that post--I'll enter your name two more times.
2. If you're a part of our 100 Books-a-Month Reading Challenge, I'll enter your name again.
3. If you're a follower, I'll enter you once more.

I will draw a name on Monday, June 28, 2010 at about 10pm and announce the winner on Tuesday, June 29th.

I'm happy to be able to share this book. We really have enjoyed the stories--they're great for reading aloud. Good luck to each of you who enter! :D

Ordinary Life

2010-06-22T17:10:00.000-04:00

Today's been an ordinary day. I'm ok with that. We've been having out of the ordinary days, lately. With everything that's been going on. So. today, anyway. Ordinary is good.

Oatmeal for breakfast. Peanut Butter & Jelly lunch. Watched a few shows on TV. Vegged out on the couch. Looked at all the pictures we've taken. Talked about some things we'd like to get into (sewing, drawing, library visit, making clay/dough). Hoping to catch up with friends.

The weather has called for rain. I can't wait for it. Need it to bring the temp down. In need of some cool breezes.

I'm thinking about our homeschooling plans. What we're gonna do. Will I continue to be relaxed? Will I jump on a band wagon? SMH I'm reading, as usual, and gathering things of interest. I'd like to work with another family or two in the fall. Hopefully we'll find some good matches. It will be good for me as much as for the kids.

What I'd like most of all would be to meet some of my new found friends in blog world. I'm finding such inspiration from reading their blogs. There are days I wish we could interact face to face. I need community! Finding people who are as committed to living and being as we are would really add to my life right now. For now, I'll remain connected online and keep hope alive! :D

Right now we're going to focus on enjoying the summer. Getting beyond this move. Reading, since that's something we can do anytime. Dreaming, creating, getting along.

Our tomato plants are growing. Just starting to show blooms--they're coming!!! My kids can't get over the fact that the plants smell like tomatoes. I don't think they were listening to my explanation.
lol

How are you spending your Tuesday? Are you have an ordinary day or have you made it extraordinary?

Wishing each of you well, no matter how your day is going! :D

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T14:05:00.001-04:00

We had to do something to pause and take in the beginning of Summer. What better way than by the creek?? It would have been nice if our friends could have joined us--but I guess that wasn't to be. We spent most of the day wading, exploring, finding new creatures. We eat and even rested in the shade. Here are some of the pictures from the day.

Giveaway @ Tulsi Leaf!

2010-06-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday to each of you!

This is Kristen's photo.

Wanted to share a great giveaway that taking place over at Tulsi Leaf. Kristen and her husband, Andres, have just opened up an Etsy shop where they're selling their handmade jewelry. They are featuring a giveaway on their blog to get the word out about their new shop! A lovely pair of citrine dangle earrings are being offered. Won't you stop by their blog and enter? June 15th is the last day to enter.

Since taking the handmade pledge, I've been seeking to actually put it into practice. I made a purchase a week or so ago and got a lovely pair of amber earrings that I've been wearing almost every day now (they go with many things in my wardrobe). I'm doing my part of help them--and to increase my chances of winning the earrings!

Thanks to each of you who have a moment to check it out! Enjoy the rest of your day.