May. 27, 2009 - Proud Mother Moment
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Last night our little homeschool group held a recital. My daughter played Mary had a little lamb on the piano (and sang it too).
If you knew how hard this was for her, you would be proud too. She was absolutely shaking! While we were sitting waiting for her turn she said, “Can we pray for me to be brave?” And we did. And she was.
SugarBean began to learn the piano a few months ago. We only have a keyboard to practice on and she doesn’t actually have lessons...we just follow the book. A good friend of mine, who knows her piano stuff, checks her progress every now and then.
Two years ago, our group held their very first recital. My daughter was only 5 then and she recited The Purple Cow, by Gelett Burgess (a very cute 4 line poem). I remember watching the nerves grow as she waited for her turn. It got to the point that she burst out with, “Why did you sign me up for this? You shouldn’t have signed me up for this!!” But the fact is, I was hesitant to sign her up, she wanted to do it. Or so she thought. I guess seeing the crowd and the little stage is daunting. Anyway, scared and all, she went through with it. I think she only made it half way up the stairs to the stage and said the poem right there, with her head leaning on the railing. But she did it!
Fast forward to last night, she stood on the stage and told everyone what she would be playing and that she would be playing two verses! She even made a small mistake at the beginning and just started over. She sang too!
As you can tell, I am very happy. I think everyone there, who knows her personality, was happy too.
She did practically bolt off the stage at the end. I forgot to practice waking slowly! It was cute though.
I tried to capture the whole thing on camera, but I pressed the wrong button. I got nothing! A friend taped it, and they are going to make a copy. I wanted to send it to the grand parents.
Overcoming fears is so hard, even for us grown ups. I’m very pleased that this 7 year old was able to do it. Yay for her! |
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Nov. 4, 2008 - Gratituesday!
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You know how sometimes your little kids need a lot of correction in one single day? And sometimes you worry if they really feel loved or not? I do.
My daughter (SugarBean) has certainly had her days, we have had our battles, and I have worried.
This Sunday she drew a few pictures in her notebook that made me very happy! I am grateful that she knows her family loves her. It is so important for all children to feel loved.
Here are the pictures that made me so happy:
(I am in 1st grade. I am loved a lot)
(I have a happy home)
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Oct. 24, 2008 - Show and Tell - Childhood Mementos
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My Father sent me some childhood mementos that we have enjoyed.
I'm not sure how old I was when I made this little book, but it has been a lot of fun to look through. Especially for my 7 year old. She enjoyed seeing my spelling errors 
 
Don’t you like my spelling for furry (forey)?
He also included an old school report:
I was always very shy and had a difficult time participating in class discussions.
This was one comment that re-appeared on my report cards over the years.
I was especially interested in the comment for Physical Education,"Stacy tries hard." Does that mean I was no good? Hmmm.
Visit Canadagirl for more Show and Tell.
Happy Friday!
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Sep. 2, 2008 - Gratituesday - Staying Home
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Today I have really enjoyed the time I have spent with my children. I am extremely grateful to be married to man who thinks well of a woman wanting to stay home! I would be so sad if my husband pressured me into working outside of the home.
The opportunity I have to be with my children each day is a wonderful gift. I am thrilled that we decided to home educate and find so much joy and satisfaction in it (as well as frustrations...don’t get me wrong).
I am striving to delight in the little things which make up our day. I feel blessed by God and happy to be home.
Visit Heavenly Homemakers to see what others are grateful for.
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Aug. 25, 2008 - Gratituesday
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This is my first time participating in Gratituesday, hosted by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers. Please visit Laura to read what others are grateful for and to add your post.
Right now I am so very grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life. My family and friends are so nice!
I wanted to share a fun story from my vacation that shows just how sweet some people are......
A friend in California reads this here blog. She always comes to hear my husband preach when we visit our family there and it is a real treat to see her. I think she is an awesome lady and a dear Christian sister
So.....this time when we saw each other she told me that she has visited other blogs I have mentioned and enjoyed those too. We discussed one in particular, High Desert Home . The blog's author, Susan, answered a question I had asked about favorite kitchen tools....so we talked about that a little bit and how much we enjoy reading High Desert Home..
Anyway.....after a while she handed me a bag. Inside was a Microplane Zester/Grater . The very one Susan mentioned in her blog post
Here is a picture:
I really wanted one. It was way up the top on my wish list.
Wasn’t that nice?! I couldn’t believe someone would be so thoughtful. I felt so special.
And I LOVE the zester/grater. I used it tonight to make lemon zest. Just excellent.
I’ll be using it often to make Lemon Chocolate Chip Scones
I'll post the recipe later today.
So thank you Cheryl! I really appreciate you thinking of me and am so grateful.
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Mar. 30, 2008 - Home Education Week - Profiling Home Educators
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Describe yourself, your family or one of your children. What is it like to be home educated in your family? What is “normal” for you?
A number of people have asked me, “How do you find a sense of self in the midst of being a mom and a homeschooling one at that?” This question baffles me a little, because I am a mom and a homeschooling one at that. I like being a mom, but often feel that I don’t really know how to be a good one, so I spend a lot of time reading about how to be a better one. I like homeshooling, but I feel I lack the knowledge to do it well, so I spend a lot of time reading about that too. So far I have little time for much outside of these roles.....and that is fine with me.
Of course, I can’t help but have special things I really do like. Cooking is one of them. Therefore, my kids get to learn to cook right along with me. I like to make my own household and body care products, therefore my children are learning to mix up shampoo and make laundry soap. This is Me. This is what I like. Believe it or not  I don’t want fame and fortune, just some sweet little faces to look up at me and say, “We love you mommy.”
These sweet little faces that greet me every day are 6 and 3 years old. Let me tell you a little about them...
SugarBean is my code blog name for our six year old daughter. She is an intense child who has taught me how to stand my ground. She has pushed me in every way I can imagine (don’t tell her, I’m sure there are many ways I haven’t imagined yet).
This is one child who does not go with the flow. A perfectionist at heart, she frequently melts down over a backward S or an incorrect math problem.
She has many wonderful qualities too, let me tell you about those....
She is my little artist. Very creative and imaginative, she can draw for hours upon end, and frequently does. She also enjoys being outside and can make a mean mud pie as well as a “delicious” grass salad.
SugarBean is extremely curious and loves to know how things work. A book about the human body or how we get orange juice, will please her beyond measure. She is full of questions and chatters them to me all day long.
A recent event should help to illustrate her personality nicely.....
A few weeks ago I cut my finger and asked her to get me a band aid. As she walked toward the bathroom she stopped, turned to me and said, “It’s kind of cool when you cut yourself, then you can see the layers you’ve got.”
Now that’s the perfect kind of kid to teach....
She loves God and wants everyone to know Him. Just last week we had a friend over who doesn’t believe in God. She had this little girl down the hall showing her the timeline and explaining how God created the world. It was so sweet. She is already evangelizing at six years old.
I love her dearly and look forward to having her as a best friend when she is older.
My son is affectionately called Little Mister on this blog, and that is just what he is.
First of all, he is one of the cutest kids you have ever seen. He is also very tender hearted and easy going.
He likes to copy EVERYTHING his sister does. I’m not kidding either. If she drops her fork, he will drop his. It’s unbelievable.
Little Mister has been begging to “do school” lately. He doesn’t call it school though, he refers to school as Math. He will ask, “Can I do my math?” So cute!
He is up for anything and enjoys being involved in whatever is going on. He’s a great little dancer and likes to lead the family in exercises! These exercises involve lots of spinning, squatting and some weird hand motions (and lots of laughing).
My son is a real ham. You’d better not laugh in his direction if you don’t want him to repeat the same act for the next hour. He has been purposefully trying to make us laugh since he was about 18 months old. He has been successful too...
Here are a few recent quotes to give you a better picture of this little character:
Upon exiting the guest room, he ran to me and said, “I just did a perfectly good flip!” (What!!)
As he was leaving the bathroom he told me, “Toilet paper is the best!” (It's good to appreciate the little things, don't you think?)
Last of all, a few weeks ago he told his sister, “You’d better not touch my toy or I’ll give you a hairy punch.”
His sister said, “What’s a hairy punch, I’d like to see that.” So she touched his toy.
This act was promptly followed by a punch in the hair!
I love him dearly too...and look forward to seeing him grown into a strong Christian man.
So there you have it. A little run down on me and the kids. Be sure to visit Dana and read the profiles of other homeschoolers. |
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Jan. 8, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday
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This one is not wordless, I need to explain.....
My six year old daughter drew this picture. I am the mean looking one! She said I was telling her, "Eat your egg!"
Before you think I am a real meanie, here is another where I look happy:
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Jan. 4, 2008 - Show and Tell - A special present!
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This week I wanted to share a few pictures of some lovely bowls and plates my mother-in-law made for us.
She is a great potter and very sweet
I love the design she painted on them.
It was her first time trying a new technique.
I think she could sell these for lots of money!
Visit Canadagirl for more Show and Tell.
Happy Friday |
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Aug. 13, 2007 -
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We are feeling a little sad today. My mother-in-law left this morning to go back to California. We have spent almost a month together. She drove out to be a cabin leader at the camp my husband directs. Then we drove home with her to visit family and for the gospel meeting. After that she drove us home and stayed a few days. Today she dives back to her own home.! Whew!!
I am truly thankful to have such a great mother-in-law and such a great grandmother for my children. She is a faithful Christian woman. A wonderful example to me and to so many others (Cheryl - if you are reading this I know you are saying “Amen!”).
I look forward to heaven when there will be no more parting. I often wish to live close to family. I have great family in the U.S.A and great family in Australia. Thankfully we have the internet and fairly inexpensive phone rates! Although we are not together I see that I am truly blessed.
One of my favorite memories from this vacation is my mother-in-law giving us all a lesson on the potter’s wheel. We each made bowls and had our very own turn on the wheel. Talk about fun! It is actually very difficult. I had no idea. It made me appreciate her talent even more.
Here are some pictures of my kids on the wheel:
Little Mister thought he was an expert after his turn and told me what to do the whole time I was trying to throw a pot!
SugarBean tried really hard and made a cute bowl. She loved having her hands in the clay!
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May. 12, 2007 - Please pray for my nephew
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I have mentioned before that my sweet nephew is autistic. He has made some great strides over the past year and we are all really proud of him. His name is Aidan.
He recently went to see a great doctor who specializes in Autism. They ran lots of tests and found some interesting results: He has serious yeast overgrowth, he cannot absorb vitamin B, and his immune system is attacking his brain in some way which is causing swelling on the brain. He also has high levels of lead, arsenic and mercury in his system. He just turned 5 years old.
This last week they started some medication to get rid of the yeast and also take the swelling in his brain down. He may become quite ill while this is going on. So far he is doing fine.
Please pray that all this will help him and not harm him. His family is doing all they can to help him. He has a dedicated mommy and daddy and also very involved grandparents. He is a bright little boy and we are hoping that all this will benefit him greatly.
Thanks so much.
Stacy
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Apr. 4, 2007 - I have the best in-laws in the world!!!
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Sorry for the lack of posts here. I am just having too much fun. My mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law are visiting and we have somehow created one hundred and one projects to keep us busy. We are having a blast! I wish everyone could know these two ladies. They have blessed my life so very much.
On Monday my hubby put in a new front door and it is REALLY nice! Our old door was just a hollow closet door - this one is a beautiful heavy duty door with an arched window in the top. My mother-in-law hauled it across the country for us. Thank you
We have been digging up the overgrown flower beds, shopping for a new mattress for my Little Mister (who is no longer in his crib) and decluttering the garage.
“School” has been out for SugarBean the past few days; I’d say she is learning a lot anyway! She played in the backyard ALL day yesterday. This morning she and her brother made a potluck with their mud pies. It was extremely cute. Little Mister prayed for the “food” and SugarBean served it up. I caught some of it on video for us to enjoy later.
On a side note, I have decided to enter Laura's 30 day Organizational Challenge. I’ll tell you more about it in my next post. |
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Feb. 19, 2007 - Autism Every Day
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I have mentioned before that my sweet nephew has autism. My mother-in-law sent me the following link. Please click on it and watch the video. You will need to scroll down the page a little until you see the title Autism Everyday. Then click on low, medium or high depending on your connection speed. I had trouble viewing it in Real Player but it worked great with Windows Media Player.
www.autismspeaks.org
It is so hard to really understand what these families are going through. This video will give you a peek into their lives and hopefully help you to have a little more understanding of what they are dealing with. I remember when I thought my nephew was just misbehaving......I know it hurts to have people view you with harsh judgment.
Thanks,
Stacy |
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Feb. 11, 2007 - How to Preserve a Husband
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I recently saw this little piece. It is really cute. I'm not sure who the author is. It is all over the internet and is said to have come from a 1966 cookbook.
How to Preserve a Husband
Be careful in your selection. Do not choose too young. When once selected give your entire thoughts to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them in hot water. This may make them sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet and tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well sweetened with love and seasoned with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared they will keep for years. |
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Jan. 18, 2007 - My Little Guy
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So far I have not written much about my little guy because he is not yet "school" age. He is 2 years old and an absolute sweetheart. He is a real "ham" and constantly making us laugh.
A few times this week he has napped later than usual and been able to stay up later at night. I have really enjoyed this. It is nice to have some one on one time with him.
He is so cute. He wanted to say the prayer at dinner tonight, it was short and very sweet:
"Thank you God for this food and for loving us. Amen"
Earlier this evening he came running at me with a crumpled up piece of paper, handing it to me he said, "Card for you". I opened it up to find a big blue scribble that I think I may have to keep forever.
I know I sound sappy, but I know you understand. I just love these kids!! I grew up with a sister and no brothers so I don’t know a whole lot about boys. It is an adventure raising one...and a lot of fun.
One more little tidbit:
A few days ago he came and told me he wanted something to eat. I said, "What do you want?" He replied, "Strawberries". I was sad to say, "I don’t have any strawberries". He then said, "How about ice cream?" Well, I didn’t have any ice cream either, but I thought it was pretty funny that when asked what he wanted he went for the good stuff!
Have a good day everyone. Love those munchkins!
Stacy |
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Jan. 9, 2007 - Friend wanted....
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Have any of you struggled to find friends for your little ones? It is not that there is a lack of people in our town, just not many who believe in God. We have a homeschooling group here and I did meet some new families through that - but most of their kids were boys! I don’t mind my daughter having boys as friends but I want her to have a good girl friend that she can play house with! Do you know what I mean?
A few families with small children have moved away from the area so our Bible class has dwindled down. Much of the time it is just my two kids - and guess who is their teacher ...ME!
She does have some great friends who are also homeschooled - but they live in California! It is nice to see them when we go to visit family. I am planning to put pictures of them on my daughters picture board and have her write letters on a regular basis.
She does enjoy her little brother (most of the time) and she has me to hang out with. I know those are good things. I don’t want her to have too much interaction with kids her own age - I do want her to have a good friend though.
Well....just sharing. Leave me a note if you have experienced this.
I’m praying that God will bring a friend our way.
I can see where having a big family helps with this!!
Stacy |
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Jan. 4, 2007 - Look back and looking forward
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This is going to be a bit of a "journal-ish" entry.
I have been thinking about last year and how quickly it flew by. It was so fast I can hardly believe it. It went much quicker than I expected and I really accomplished little of what I had planned. However, the best lesson I learned in 2006 was to cherish my children. For some reason it has really been drilled into me over the last year. So many books, blogs, and websites explained the need for enjoying your children and spending time with them. A number of wise women also expressed this thought. On top of that I have seen children lose their mothers to cancer and mothers lose their children because of a pot of boiling water. Death or a debilitating illness can come to us at any time. There are no guarantees when it comes to that. However, if we obey God, then we are guaranteed heaven. If we teach our children to love God and obey Him then we can all live together for eternity.
My highest priority is to teach my children about God. I know that many of you have that same priority. Keeping them home creates such a wonderful opportunity to really teach them and show them all they need to know.
There are a number of things I want to work on this year, one of the most important is writing letters to my children. I want to write to them on special occasions and also for future special occasions. Writing down my hopes, dreams and memories for my children is one gift I can leave for them should something happen to me. It is also a wonderful gift to give a son or daughter once they leave home.
I also plan to write down more of the funny things they say and do. At the time I think there is no way I could forget such a thing - but it happens. I am keeping pen and paper handy for recording these special moments.
The best thing I did last year was develop my ability to be in the moment with my children. I still have to work on it but I think I have improved. I have learned to really watch them, to hear them, to enjoy them. To feel their little hands around my neck as they give me a hug, to see the excitement in their eyes as they tell me about something new.
I love them and I already miss them, even though they are still here with me. I know my son will grow up and his cute little voice will be replaced with a deeper more manly one. One day my little girl will move out and my home will be quiet :) I do want these things for them. I want them to grow and mature - but I will miss them - you know what I mean don’t you?
Time is fleeting; I will not miss my babies growing up by sending them to school. I am so grateful that home schooling is possible. I know you are too. |
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Dec. 22, 2006 - Stabbed by an icicle
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Icicles can be deadly! My title, "Stabbed by an icicle" is a little over the top..however, it descibes the events fairly well.
See the icicles below?
Well, my mum, from Australia and not very experinced with such things, opened the door to come inside the house and knocked the snow and icicles on top of herself!
The picture below is a little blurry, hopefully you can see that the icicle actually cut through the skin and made her bleed in about 4 different places!! Can you believe it?!
Poor Mum! |
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Dec. 16, 2006 - Fun and Crazy Day!
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Today was a fun and productive day. It just kept going! I don't know where all the energy came from, I certainly did not get this much done yesterday!
We started out by baking some Amish Friendship Bread. I’ve been waiting for 10 days to make it - it was delicious! To make your own click here (scroll down for the starter): Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
Next up we made some cookies in a jar. They are so easy. The best thing is that you can include your children in the process. Even get a mini assembly line going! Here are two websites with some good recipes for these fun gifts:
Family Crafts - Gifts in a jar
Cookiesinajar.com
Here is a picture of ours ( I haven’t added the instruction tag yet)
After that my mum showed me how to make a pair of pyjama shorts for my daughter. She is a wonderful seamstress and is visiting me from Australia right now. This will be our first Christmas together in 8 years! She plans to teach me how to make a t-shirt, long pants, apron and a skirt. I am very excited to learn these things from her.
We also did some more baking and tried out some of the cookies in a jar recipes. We wanted to know if they were any good!! So...we made Sand Art Brownies and Holiday M & M cookies - Yum!
After dinner I had a trial run making donuts. My mother-in-law made them for my husband when he was a kid and he still loves them. She would often make them on Christmas morning so I am going to add that tradition to our Christmas day. Here is a picture of my first ever donuts:
Hubby kept coming back for more so I think they were ok.
Oh yeah...to top it all off SugarBean lost her first tooth!!
Hope you had a good day,
Stacy |
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Dec. 7, 2006 - Celebration Dinner
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Last night we had a celebration dinner in honor of SugarBean finishing Hooked on Phonics Level One! Since reading Lorrie Flems book, Welcome Home Daddy, I plan on having more celebration dinners. It made my little girl feel so special and we all had fun. I highly recommend Lorries book - it is very encouraging and full of practical ideas.
We ate a turkey roast, mashed potatoes and carrots. The highlight of the meal was jello cups. We NEVER eat jello, so it was a real thrill! Im not joking, she was jumping up and down.
Her place was set with a place mat and some flowers tied with raffia. She helped me make a nice center piece with some pine cones and we lit a candle for atmosphere. We even broke open the sparkling apple cider - but it tasted terrible so that was not the delicious drink we hoped it would be. No one cared though (no one drank it either!)
She has worked very hard learning to read and it has been wonderful to watch her grow. I cant believe my baby can read! There is still a lot to learn but she knows so much more than she did a year ago. We went to Wal-Mart yesterday and she told me the sign said, "We sell for less" 
My mother-in-law is going to make a special "celebration plate" (she is an awesome potter) for occasions such as this. I thought it could be fun to have a special place mat too.
We presented the guest of honor with a certificate that we can put in her scrapbook. I made it on http://www.dltk-cards.com/award/ . You can also find lots of printable awards on http://www.billybear4kids.com/show/awards/certificates.html
It was not much trouble to do this special dinner and it was worth any effort - she felt special and important and knew that she had really achieved something by working hard.
If you have any special traditions for celebrating your childrens achievements, I would love to hear about them.
Have a great day,
Stacy |
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About Me
I am an Australian married to an American, currently living in the U.S.A.
Join me as I strive to delight in the moments that make up our days and aim to have a happy family that loves God and serves others.
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