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The Blogging Boyds
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
The Growth of BEBE
Well, my baby, BEBE is growing like a weed! She saw the doctor for her 4 month check up, and she weighed in at 18 pounds 4 ounces!!! They grow so quickly!!!!! BEBE is rolling over and she is working out those tummy muscles, doing crunches. She is solidly in 6-9 month clothes...it won't be long before she is wearing 12 month baby clothes. Who ever said nursing babies didn't grow as fast as bottle fed babies was sooooooooo wrong! ::::sigh::::: What is that saying about wearing out there Carters clothing???? Mine never do, they never stay in them long enough to wear them out! 
~Wonder Mama
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Tuesday, January 2, 2007
My MOMYS Post on Chicken Pox
I am posting on the subject again after thinking on it a full 24 hours. I only today had the words and websites to fully state my case on the subject. This post is humbly submitted and is only meant to educate and inform...no malice or hard feelings are added!
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Yanno, I thought about not saying anything more about it, but then I knew what I had thought was kind of funny (chicken pox through the mail) was also potentially fatal and illegal to mail. But, as chicken pox was a "rite of passage" childhood disease and considered one of those "irritating skin conditions", I knew I needed to back up my comments with facts. Below I have included sites on chicken pox, including one that discusses pregnancy and chicken pox. I have also included the US Postal regulations on shipping biohazards. Chicken pox is an infectious disease, possible of causing disability or fatality, which makes it a Category A infectious substance, which makes it non-mailable. If you mail it, you are breaking the law. Even if it were "shippable", a ziploc bag wouldn't be enough for a biohazard. A t-shirt or toothbrush containing an infectious disease is NO different than a swab containing a culture, and there are rules governing mailing items like that. If you are so sure of your stance, you shouldn't be afraid to put INFECTIOUS DISEASE on your package, along with your name and address.
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1 Peter 2:13-17 states, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men; whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." Liberty is not license to do as we please. There are rules to follow...man's rules...and God fully expects us to follow them.
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Also, I don't think it is a Biblical model to sacrifice the many (everyone coming in to contact with the chicken pox package) for the one (those wanting to expose their children to chicken pox). The true Biblical model would be The One (Jesus) sacrificed for the many (us). I don't want to offend, but I think it is pretty callous to say that chicken pox is out there and to knowingly put people in harm's way. So is AIDS, malaria, TB, hepatitis, e-coli, and polio...but I doubt any of us would like to be exposed to those! Dawn Rosevelt posted this to MOMYS, "I knew a young woman who got chicken pox in the first trimester of her pregnancy and her baby was born severely handicapped and almost brain dead. She was like a 3 month old baby her whole life. They said is was most likely the high fever from the chicken pox that did it. Her daughter lives 5 years I think." I think that speaks volumes, and if that doesn't bring tears to your eyes, I don't know what will. Aside from babies, there are people out there that haven't had chicken pox, and some, such as my Dad, with compromised immune systems (my Dad has lung cancer) who cannot fight off infections. We shouldn't throw caution to the wind, and put these people in harms way for our own pursuits.
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Chicken Pox:
http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc82.html
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregcomplications/9329.html
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/varicella/#serious
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chickenpox/DS00053
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US Post Office Regulations:
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm#wp1064962
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm#wp1065177
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10.17.2 Definitions
[11-1-06] The terms used in the standards for Division 6.2 materials are defined as follows:
a. Infectious substance means a material known or reasonably expected to contain a pathogen. A pathogen is a microorganism that can cause disease in humans or animals. Examples of pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other infectious agents. An infectious substance must be assigned to one of the following two categories:
1. Category A: An infectious substance transported in a form capable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals when exposure occurs. Category A infectious substances are not mailable. A Category A infectious substance is assigned the identification number UN 2814 or UN 2900, based on the known medical history or symptoms of the source patient or animal, endemic local conditions, or professional judgment concerning the individual circumstances of the source human or animal.
2. Category B: An infectious substance that does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Category A. A mailpiece known or suspected to contain a Category B infectious substance must bear the proper shipping name "Biological substance, Category B" on the address side of the mailpiece and must be assigned to and marked with identification number UN 3373 or, for regulated medical waste and sharps medical waste, identification number UN 3291.
b. Biological product means a virus, therapeutic serum, toxin, antitoxin, vaccine, blood, blood component or derivative, allergenic product, or analogous product or arsphenamine or derivative of arsphenamine (or any other trivalent arsenic compound) intended to prevent, treat, or cure a disease or condition of humans or animals. A biological product includes a material subject to regulation under 42 U.S.C. 262 or 21 U.S.C. 151-159. Unless otherwise excepted, mark these mailpieces with identification number UN 3373 when they contain a biological product known or reasonably expected to contain a pathogen that meets the definition of a Category B infectious substance.
c. Cultures are infectious substances that result from a process by which pathogens are intentionally propagated. This definition does not include a human or animal patient specimen as defined in 10.17.2e.
d. Exempt human or animal specimen means a human or animal sample (including, but not limited to, secreta, excreta, blood and its components, tissue and tissue fluids, and body parts) transported for routine testing not related to the diagnosis of an infectious disease. Typically, exempt human specimens are specimens for which there is a low probability that the sample is infectious, such as specimens for drug or alcohol testing; cholesterol testing; blood glucose level testing; prostate-specific antigens (PSA) testing; testing to monitor heart, kidney, or liver function; pregnancy testing; and testing for diagnosis of noninfectious diseases such as cancer biopsies. Exempt human or animal specimens are not subject to regulation as hazardous materials but must be packaged according to 10.17.10.
e. Patient specimen means material that is collected directly from humans or animals and transported for purposes such as diagnosis and research. Patient specimens include excreta, secreta, blood and its components, tissue and tissue swabs, body parts, and specimens in transport media (such as transwabs, culture media, and blood culture bottles).
f. Regulated medical waste, for USPS purposes, means a soft waste material (other than a sharp) derived from the medical treatment, diagnosis, immunization, or biomedical research of a human or animal. Soft medical waste includes items such as used rubber gloves, swabs, gauze, tongue depressors, and other similar material. Mark these mailpieces with identification number UN 3291.
g. Sharps medical waste, for USPS purposes, means a medical waste object that is capable of cutting or penetrating skin or packaging material and that is contaminated with a pathogen or may become contaminated with a pathogen derived from the medical treatment, diagnosis, immunization, or biomedical research of a human or animal. Sharps include used medical waste such as needles, syringes, scalpels, broken glass, culture slides, culture dishes, broken capillary tubes, broken rigid plastic, and exposed ends of dental wires. Mark these mailpieces with identification number UN 3291.
h. Toxin means a Division 6.1 material from a plant, animal, or bacterial source. A toxin containing an infectious substance or a toxin contained in an infectious substance must be classed as Division 6.2, described as an infectious substance, and assigned to UN 2814, UN 2900, or UN 3373, as appropriate. A toxin known or suspected to contain a Category A infectious substance is not mailable. A toxin known or suspected to contain a Category B infectious substance must be marked UN 3373 and packaged under 10.17.5. Toxins from plant, animal, or bacterial sources that do not contain an infectious substance, and are not contained in an infectious substance, may be considered for classification as Division 6.1 toxic substances under 10.16.
i. Used health care product means a medical, diagnostic, or research device or piece of equipment, or a personal care product used by consumers, medical professionals, or pharmaceutical providers that does not meet the definition of a diagnostic specimen, biological product, regulated medical waste, or sharps waste, is contaminated with potentially infectious body fluids or materials, and is not decontaminated or disinfected to remove or mitigate the infectious hazard prior to transport.
Humbly submitted,
Traci Boyd in AL <><
MOMY to 7 wonderful children (none of which have had chicken pox yet)
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
'Twas The (Politically Correct) Night Before Christmas
'Twas The (Politically Correct) Night Before Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves".
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!
The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.
No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth."
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
*First Corinthians 13 Christmas Version*
*First Corinthians 13 Christmas Version*
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging
a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
I'm just another cook.
If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able
to give in return; but rejoices in giving
to those who cannot.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.
*--Author Unknown*
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Breakfast at the Boyds-more info for the curious!
Ok, you already know that this is my baking list:
4 loaves of Banana Bread-1 hour
4 loaves of Pumpkin Bread or Cinnamon Raisin Bread-45 min to 1 hour
4 loaves of Apple Crunch Bread-60-70 min
2 large pans of Coffee Cake-30 min
1 batch of Homemade Granola-45 min
2 dozen Fresh Apple Muffins-30 min
2 dozen Mississippi Spice Muffins-25-30 min
2 dozen Oatmeal Muffins with Lemon Sugar Topping-25 -30 min
2 dozen Pecan Muffins with Lemon Sugar Topping-20 min
1. First, you have to have 4 loaf pans, 2 "9 x 13" baking pans, and 2 muffin pans with 12 holes each...this is the bare minimum. I bought all my baking pans at the dollar store, and they have served me well. I do plan to replace them at some point...but we haven't gotten to that point yet!
2. I start with the banana bread. It is a quick bread, and whips up...well, quick! I bake those four loaves all at once. While they bake for that hour, I mix up the granola, and put it in the two baking pans. While the banana bread is cooling, the granola bakes for 45 minutes. I handwash the bread pans, and whip up the pumpkin or cinnamon raisin bread. Those 4 loaves go in, and while they are baking and the granola is cooling, I whip up 2 muffin recipes. When the bread comes out to cool, the muffins get put in 24 at a time...baking times vary between the recipes...about 8-30 minutes. I whip up 2 more recipes, and bake those. At some point, I wash the loaf pans, and mix up the last bread recipe. I put them in to bake, put the granola in a container, and wash the baking pans. I mix up the coffee cake, and get it in the pans, and the 2 coffee cakes go in the oven after the last batch of bread. While they bake, I clean up my mess.
3. I will say, my children and husband help, and so it goes fast for us, as my husband and I take turns baking (this gives us each time to rest)...although he isn't allowed to touch the granola or the coffee cakes! LOL Burnt or under-baked is NOT appealing! Bake day takes about 6 hours, and sometimes we cut out the muffins, and just make 2 dozen muffins each morning until we catch up. Sundays are our crock-pot dinner days, so we have dinner ready, without much effort! On sick weeks, we scrap the baking, and buy cereal...which is expensive, full of sugar, and not really filling...and now you know why we bake and how we bake!
Happy baking! ~Wonder Mama
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Frugal Fridays on Biblical Womanhood
Here are the questions:
1. What is the best resource for frugality you've found (book, magazine, website, etc.)?
2. What is the best deal you've gotten recently?
3. What is your best idea for a creative and inexpensive gift?
My answers:
1. I am not sure if I could list one single resource as my best source for frugality! I have learned alot from many different publications. I have learned quite a bit from the Grocery Game (although I do not subscribe, I just did the trial membership) and the Coupon Mom. The summation of what I learned is, compare the prices between the grocery stores and pharmacies, and even if it means shopping 4 different stores, get the lowest price on what you buy! Most of what I have learned was from my Grandmother (mother of 5, passed away a few years ago) and out of necessity, since we have 7 children.
2. Colgate toothpaste was on sale for 99 cents at a local pharmacy (check the sales flyers ladies!), and I had 2 coupons for colgate...I got one tube for free and one for 24 cents. I would also say that getting the high priced diapers for less than store brands has been another great buy! By shopping the sales, and clipping coupons, we have cut our grocery budget by at least 1/3, and we are eating wayyyy better!
3. We have made gift baskets filled with homemade mixes and inexpensive items, and they turned out beautifully! Also, a neat bucket filled with homemade caramel corn, a movie, and a bottle of soda, makes a great and inexpensive family gift. Merry CHRISTmas y'all!
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Hunger for Christmas
Hmmm...probably not going to be about what you think it is. It is going to be about 2 families on our street that have children going hungry...maybe not every meal, but wayyyyyy too often in my opinion.
One family is a single Mom of 2 young teens. She decided to start her own business a few months ago, with no start up money, after her boss wanted all employees to go full time and she didn't want to. Well, she isn't rolling in the money now, and her kids came asking for food today. She barely works, and won't go get another job. The bills are being paid by the child support from the 2 fathers of the two children.
The other family has 2 parents and 3 kids, ages 8-14. They have misused their money, on over indulging their children and giving them everything they want, and smoking, drinking, and drugs. They both work, but they blew so much money, that they have nearly lost their house. They are having to make double payments on their house for the next year. So, now they say they can't afford food...and yet, they can still afford to smoke and drink...hmmmm?!?!?
I have started adding children to our dinner table, to at least give them one warm meal a day. I can't afford to feed them all, but a couple more for 1 meal a day, I can do. To the parents I say...get another job!
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Breakfast at Boyds...not to be confused with Breakfast at Tiffanys!
What does it take to feed a gaggle of Boyds breakfast? Here is my list, as baking day at the Boyd house is Sunday.
4 loaves of Banana Bread
4 loaves of Pumpkin Bread or Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 loaves of Apple Cruch Bread
2 large pans of Coffee Cake
1 batch of Homemade Granola
2 dozen Fresh Apple Muffins
2 dozen Mississippi Spice Muffins
2 dozen Oatmeal Muffins with Lemon Sugar Topping
2 dozen Pecan Muffins with Lemon Sugar Topping
We also have oatmeal (we go through anywhere from 2-4 pounds per week) and scrambled egg sandwiches for breakfast. The muffins are mostly for a mid-morning snack, along with a banana or apple. It makes for a hard, but rewarding Sunday. I will post recipes later...now back to baking!
~Wonder Mama
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Other thoughts on cleaning!
Other things I thought about after my post on cleaning:
1. Rome wasn't built in a day, nor will your house be cleaned in one.
2. Only ONE project at a time!
3. If you get it out, you put it away.
4. Don't pull out more than you can put back in one hour.
5. Some of us gravitate towards order, while others of us gravitate towards chaos (I do!), but children do better with order and a schedule.
6. Food is to be eaten in the kitchen and dining room ONLY!
7. Take care of the "have to's" so you can get to the "want to's"
8. Try something for 3 weeks...form a habit...if after 3 weeks it isn't working, try something else!
9. Take a week off and clean, one room at a time. Start with a clean house. A clean house is easier to clean, than a messy one!
10. Cut down on toys, clutter, and clothes.
11. Deal with each load of laundry as it comes out of the dryer...the bigger the pile of laundry, the more overwhelmed everyone feels!
12. When giving chores to children, do not be vague by saying "clean the bathroom," instead list everything that should be done while cleaning a bathroom. You might think the children would know what to clean, but by being vague, you overwhelm them.
13. In each room of our house, we have a detailed cleaning list for that room taped in a spot, such as a cabinet door, a drawer, or the entertainment center...this really helps the children remember what needs to be done in each room.
14. Make daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly chore lists (inside and outside)...and break them up and add them to the motivated mom planner if they aren't already on there.
Good websites:
Happy Homemaking and Home Keeping!
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
The Chore Chart of TENEE
| TENEE'S CHORE CHART--age 9 |
| EAT BREAKFAST---6:00 AM |
| WASH HANDS & FACE |
| BRUSH TEETH & HAIR |
| GET DRESSED |
| MAKE BED |
| PUT AWAY LAUNDRY |
| DUST BEDROOM |
| MOM'S STICKY NOTES $ |
| BRUSH BEBE'S TEETH (ha!ha!) |
| GET BEBE DRESSED |
| BATHROOM Wipe counter, scrub sink, wipe toilet, scrub toilet, sort laundry, and sweep floor |
| SCHOOL---8:00 AM |
| EAT LUNCH---12:00 PM |
| BATHROOM Wipe counter, scrub sink, wipe toilet, scrub toilet, scrub/spray bathtub, dust, clean window/mirror, sort laundry, and sweep floor |
| MOM'S STICKY NOTES $ |
| DINNER---5:30 PM |
| BATHROOM Wipe counter, scrub sink, wipe toilet, scrub toilet, scrub/spray bathtub, dust, clean window/mirror, sort laundry, and sweep floor |
| CLEAN BEDROOM |
| PUT AWAY LAUNDRY |
| VACUUM BEDROOM |
| MOM'S STICKY NOTES $ |
| TAKE BATH |
| BRUSH TEETH & HAIR |
| LAYOUT CLOTHES FOR TOMORROW |
| BEDTIME---8:30 PM |
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
GOGY's Chores
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GOGY'S CHORE CHART-age 6
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EAT BREAKFAST--6:00 AM
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WASH HANDS & FACE
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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GET DRESSED
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MAKE BED
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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DUST BEDROOM
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SWEEP PORCH
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WATER PLANTS
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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JURISDICTION-Dust all bedrooms
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SCHOOL--8:00 AM
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EAT LUNCH--12:00 PM
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JURISDICTION-Clean all bedroom windows and polish all bedroom wood furniture
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GET MAIL
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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DINNER--5:30 PM
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JURISDICTION-Pick-up Master Bedroom
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CLEAN BEDROOM
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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VACUUM BEDROOM
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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TAKE BATH
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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LAYOUT CLOTHES FOR TOMORROW
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EVENING VIDEO
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BEDTIME--8:00 PM
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sweet TATER's Chore Chart
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SWEET TATER'S CHORE CHART--age 10
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EAT BREAKFAST--6:00 AM
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WASH HANDS & FACE
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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GET DRESSED
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MAKE BED
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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DUST BEDROOM
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FEED CATS & CLEAN UP MESS
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BRUSH MIMI'S TEETH
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GET MIMI DRESSED
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LIVING ROOM Clean-up family room, clean tables, put away toys, sort laundry, and vacuum carpet
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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SCHOOL--8:00 PM
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EAT LUNCH---12:00 PM
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LIVING ROOM Clean-up family room, clean tables, put away toys, sort laundry, dust, clean windows, clean door, clean mirrors, clean under couches, clean behind couches, vacuum couches, and vacuum carpet
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FEED CATS & CLEAN UP MESS
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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DINNER---5:30 PM
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LIVING ROOM Clean-up family room, clean tables, put away toys, sort laundry, dust, clean windows, clean door, clean mirrors, clean under couches, clean behind couches, vacuum couches, and vacuum carpet
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CLEAN BEDROOM
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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VACUUM BEDROOM
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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FEED CATS & CLEAN UP MESS
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TAKE BATH
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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LAYOUT CLOTHES FOR TOMORROW
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BEDTIME---8:30 PM
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
TATA's Chores
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TATA'S CHORE CHART-age 12
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EAT BREAKFAST---6:00 AM
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WASH HANDS & FACE
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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GET DRESSED
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MAKE BED
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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DUST BEDROOM
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CATBOX & MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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BRUSH NAH'S TEETH
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GET NAH DRESSED
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KITCHEN Garbage, clean table and highchair, clean chairs and bench, empty/reload/run dishwasher, clean counters, scrub sink, dust, clean window, and sweep
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SCHOOL---8:00 AM
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EAT LUNCH--12:00 PM
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KITCHEN Garbage, clean table and highchair, clean chairs and bench, empty/reload/run dishwasher, clean counters, scrub sink, dust, clean window, and sweep
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CATBOX
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MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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DINNER---5:30 PM
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KITCHEN Garbage, clean table and highchair, clean chairs and bench, empty/reload/run dishwasher, clean counters, scrub sink, dust, clean window, and sweep
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CLEAN BEDROOM
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PUT AWAY LAUNDRY
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VACUUM BEDROOM
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CATBOX & MOM'S STICKY NOTES $
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TAKE BATH
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BRUSH TEETH & HAIR
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LAYOUT CLOTHES FOR TOMORROW
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BEDTIME---9:00 PM
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
CHAOS/Housekeeping
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Hey MOMS, how do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE AT A TIME! (not yelling, just want to make sure you see that)
For you MOMS in trouble, here is a good place to start:
I have used a method like this when we have been sick or after having a baby, although I just put everything in garbage bags...I like the box idea better...less messy!
And this has some really good ideas on it too!
Here is the Household Planner I like:
I can't function or homeschool if my house is a mess. It makes me feel bad, and overwhelmed, and I can relate to the "yelling" MOMS! I have been on FlyLady since 2000. My problem with FlyLady is that as a MOM of many, I can't wait to clean my bathroom for 30 days (flybaby thing) or sweep and mop my kitchen once a week or do just 1 load of laundry a day (!!! LOL), and to ME, the flylady stuff seems so...disorganized! LOL I am not sure that flylady is a perfect fit for large, homeschool families. However, that said, while using chore charts for the kids, the motivated mom planner for myself, and a "honey do" list for my husband, I can implement things I have learned off flylady, SHE, messies anonymous, and other cleaning sites.
We clean around here 3 times a day...after each meal. It doesn't take more than 30 minutes at each time...you may be thinking "30 minutes...whew!!" But, it usually takes alot less...that is because once you get into the habit, you become faster at it. ONE BITE AT A TIME! My 4 oldest children, ages 12, 10, 9, and 6, all have chore charts. It lists everything from eating breakfast and brushing teeth, to bedtime. My children have plenty of playtime/freetime (not listed on the chore chart). We can have people in our home! I print off a new chart each week and hang it in easily accessed place. I am posting them on the blog for everyone to see!
Ok, we use the chore charts for the children...and they do the majority of the housework. I do the laundry, seasonal chores, zone cleaning, homeschool planning/teaching, handle pest control/repairmen (if DH can't handle it...which he usually can), and then the kids and I try to handle most of the yardwork (mowing/yard pick-up/raking/flower planting), so that my husband can just weed-eat. We try to be a blessing to him, as he works harder than any man I know, and we want him to have free-time with us. But, this is also a man that will change a diaper, wash babies, cook dinner, etc. Sean has a "honey do" list of things I can't do, like getting the leaves out of the gutters. I add things to my motivated mom planner, like seasonal decorating (amazing what you can do with colored Christmas balls, pinecones and spray paint!)...which I am really loving now that my house has been so clean. I also add seasonal jobs to it, like cleaning the outside part of the windows.
Now, here is the part I love. I have a 3 month old (almost 4 months), and I can't always get to all my chores, so I have a part of the kids chore charts called "mom's sticky notes." The sticky notes are little slips of cut up construction paper that are taped to my bedroom door. Each little piece of paper has a chore listed (such as "clean under bed", "fold and put away towels", or "read a book to the little kids") and an amount I am willing to pay for that chore to be done. This takes some of the chores off of me, and this is the way the kids can earn some money. I pay 10 cents for a clean fridge door, 25 cents for cleaning behind the couches, 1 dollar for polishing the kitchen cabinets, and 25 cents for cleaning under, behind, and beside a bed. I have a set amount of money that I can give out each week in pay (right now it is only $5-7 a week), and then I look at my planner and write out "mom's sticky notes." I keep "bank" pages in my planner and everyone gets paid on Saturday afternoon.
We live in less than 1000 sq. ft. and so we HAVE to keep things tidy, because it can look like a huge mess in no time! We get rid of things that are broken, unused, etc. No pack rats in this house! It is just stuff ladies...just stuff...your worth is not bound up in that stuff! For most of us, clutter and messiness is just a bad habit. I know a woman though that had the city come in and condemn her house over her "pack rat" problem. She had rooms (including one bedroom) so full of stuff that you couldn't enter the room, and it was stacked chest high, and with that came a rodent problem. She grew up poor, and she started hoarding things, which made her feel less "poor." Hoarding is an OCD problem.
For you messy MOMS, don't feel guilty! Please don't feel guilty! I don't feel guilty if I can't do it all and be "superMOM"...at some point I will get to a chore...if not this week...next, and I don't stress out over it anymore! FlyLady taught me that. Just pick something and start there for a few weeks, and then add something else...habits take 3 weeks to form.
Ok, this is long enough and I got little "sickies" to tend to, but I really wanted to post to you MOMS that are "messies" and let you know there is hope! Merry CHRISTmas!
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
What Curriculum Do You Use????
It is the big question in homeschool circles…what curriculum do you use? Well, homeschooling 4 different grade levels (6th, 5th, 4th, and 1st graders, plus a preschooler, a toddler, and a baby) presently can be tricky. I have read enough Charlotte Mason, Dorothy and Raymond Moore, and a few others geared towards larger families, to know that we have to blend as many classes as we can. So here is our list of what we are using this school year:
BIBLE: The Bible of course!
MATH: Saxon (levels Math 1, 5/4, 6/5, and 7/6)
HISTORY: Beautiful Feet Early American History, Primary and Intermediate
SCIENCE: God’s Design for Life series (1st & 4th) and Apologia-Astronomy and Zoology (5th & 6th)
LANGUAGE ARTS: old versions of Learning Language Arts Through Literature (4th-6th)
PHONICS: Phonics Pathways (1st)
HANDWRITING: Handwriting Without Tears (1st)
CURSIVE: Handwriting Without Tears (4th-6th)
SPELLING: Spelling Power (4th-6th)
READING: Pathway Readers and any non-twaddley books that my kids want to read
ART: Draw-Write-Now (4th-6th)
PRESCHOOL: Handwriting Without Tears Preschool Workbooks and hands-on activities
My children work at their own pace, and finish their work early, so I usually start them on the next years stuff. We only do school work for four hours a day, Monday through Thursday, and then we have Homeschool Co-op on Fridays. That’s it, and we have a great time! Happy Homeschooling!
~Wonder Mama (tongue in cheek)
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
'Twas The Night Before Christmas-Homeschool Style
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the home,
Children were still studying for their test on Rome.
Mom was planning, she had just an hour,
To teach 'one more lesson' before their night shower.
A whole week of vacation, the children were thrilled,
But Mom saw the lesson plans, and the blocks were still filled.
"Can I stop for a day, much less a whole week?"
Just the thought of time off, made me shudder and shriek!
Would they remember anything, would they fall behind?
"Lord, I need your help, just give me a sign!!!"
Then out on the sidewalk, I saw my four boys,
And I heard them say, "it's not about toys."
To the neighborhood kids, they explained Jesus' birth,
And how through Jesus, not toys, we gain our worth.
At that point, math and spelling and learning to write,
Meant little to me as I had lost the sight
Of what teaching at home was truly about.
Then I sat at my desk and began to pout.
The pouts turned to sobs, "Lord what have I done?
It's not about grades, but to follow your Son!"
"Please guide me and show me my job is to teach,
and turn them to you, and of Jesus I'll preach."
Now we'll put away books and not open them 'til later,
We'll focus on Jesus, our Lord and Creator.
It's His day and so we will all celebrate,
I'll never mention the words "behind" or "we're late".
So, Thank You, Lord, for blessing me,
With such a great husband and family.
Now homeschooling moms,
TURN OUT THE SCHOOL LIGHT!
And, "Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!"
~Author Unknown
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
2006...so far
Well, this hasn't been the best year we have had. SUPER DADDY's work situation is hmmm...uneasy is a good word for it. He has been with this company for 17 years...haven't they heard of loyalty?!?!? I have decided the way to the bosses heart is through his stomach! Baking, I can do!!! It's not that SUPER DADDY is going to lose his job, but we will loose drug coverage...yipes with 7 kids! His pay could also be cut if his part of the company isn't as profitable as the boss wants. It's scary!!!! Looking for another job is an option, but not until after the New Year.
My Dad, PAPAW, and his sister, AUNT MELON, both have lung cancer. Things don't look as good as we would like, and it is expensive! My grandmother and her sister died of cancer, both had lung cancer...and other areas were affected with cancer. This weighs heavily on me! I never even tried smoking, but to know that I lived in a house with my parents when they smoked...needless to say, it bothers me...ALOT! My mom, MAMAW, was given anti-depressants by my dad's cancer doc. I hope it helps her! Please, remember them in your prayers, they aren't Christians, and it weighs heavily on me!
We have been exceptionally healthy this year...until now! BEBE has an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection, and MIMI has bronchitis and a double ear infection. I failed them by not putting the herbal ear drops (Hear No Evil by Trilight Herbs) in when they started getting the sniffles. MIMI is having to take antibiotics, steroids, and breathing treatments. BEBE is just on antibiotics. Everyone else, except me, has the sniffles and a little coughing. Usually that means I will wait to get sick until everyone is well, and I will get it the WORST!
Today, BEBE turned over for the first time! She was laying on her back, about to get her diaper changed, and she rolled over to her stomach. Sweet thing!
Ok, time for me to quit blogging and go to bed, as I feel weepy. Sweet dreams!
~Wonder Mom
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
Grading
I want to address grading and keeping up with files. I grade as we go. When the children are done with their work, they hand it in and I grade them. If any problems are missed or they have the wrong answer, I hand it back and they correct the error. 90% isn’t mastery. I want my children to master what they learn. So we grade everything as we go, and I mark their grades on a grade sheet.
After they have corrected their errors, their loose papers go into a large manila envelope. Each child has an envelope with the students name, grade, and school year on it. I have tried many different methods to keep up with things, but this manila envelope and grading as we go has worked for us. I can then put our lesson planner, and any notebooks in a box with the envelopes, and tuck it in the attic, in the event we ever need it. This really has simplified my life!
Happy Homeschooling!
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
Crayons
I guess I made the right choice for this page, because NAH and MIMI are both looking hard at it. NAH just hugged me and said, "I want those crayons!" Sweet thing! Well, my dinner is ready and then it is time to rock BEBE. Merry CHRISTmas y'all!
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
Usborne Books = Good Education????
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