(to join the fun head on over to Carol's by clicking the graphic)

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 From the Heart:  

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This is what I call the whirl wind season.  I am moving to one thing to another that has to get done. ( as quickly as possible)   A lot of my hs friends are all busy  planning and organizing for school to start.( if they haven't started already. [0= )   And then there is me still working on bringing in the food for the winter.  I have bought my school books but haven't really had a chance to organize for it.  I have come to a conclusion that  I am not  a homeschool mom who has it all  mapped out at the beginning of the school year.  I am one that will take one  week  or month at a time.  I have a skeleton of plans.  I  have majority of my books bought and know what my goals are. ( if you are curious go see my homeschool agenda for 2009/10 is HERE)   

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I have been praying and thinking how I want to scale back to make life more managable and feel God is blessing me in this.  I went to town earlier this week with my two youngest.  One of the things we did  was go to library.  I found some neat books.  Some on  jewelery making.  I am loving that  I'm homeschooling myself in this.  I have heard of people homeschooling themselves in collage and that seem bigger than I could imagine.  But I have come to notice that is what I am doing  for myself over the last so many years. (light bulb comes on, lol )  It is taking me longer b/c of all the other things I am keeping up with but I am now seeing  fruits of this. ( for example selling my art in a local artistian store and developing a website to sell my art) 

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If I am careful to gaurd my time at home and in our homeschool  I think that this year will be a such a  all over BIG blessing.     I am looking forward to scheduling art time with the boys. ( I will be creating and drawing right next to them)  I want to have a art hour with the boys.  I am not sure if it will be daily or 3 or so times each week.  This will give me a excuse to put everything aside and get back to drawing. 

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I found the book   "The Creative Family" by... Amanda Blake Soule at the library.  She is writes her book from a Waldorf school mindset.  There are so many good things that she talks about and can be applied in any homeschool.  In a lot of areas   this  is very similar to  Charlotte Mason but their are some differences.  But you  need to take everything with a grain  of salt.  One thing to be aware of is being a Christian you need to change somethings when she  talks about blessings.   We need to pray to God and not the earth. I also question the henna body paintings too.  But other than  that  I love how she  goes into nature study and encouraging creativity in yourself and your children.     

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On the Homefront:  

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We are   getting ready for winter....chopping wood, canning, freezing, jamming, drying herbs and fruit.  

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We are still waiting for our friendly neighbor to sign the easement papers but not surprised that he is waiting till the last possible minute.

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In The Garden:

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 We been harvesting beans, plums, blackberries, and basil this last week.   In the  next couple of days we will be harvesting crabapples for making jelly.

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In the School Room:

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Ohhhh the learning room is crying out to me to be cleaned and organized.  It is  so hard to not be able to stop what I am doing to get ready for  starting school.  I am going to have to give myself a lot of grace and sit down each week or once a month to make lesson plans.  I am going to be emplimenting the workbox system too.  So I guess this week I will have to say no to things so I can do what I need to do.

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Nature Study:

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I want to organize a nature walk for the first day of school.  That would be a nice way to ease into the first week.   I also need to figure out a place to have a  nature table or shelf for all our wonderful nature walk finds.

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In The Craft Corner: 

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 I am into knitting that is simple and easy for me.  I am knitting up these baby booties that I have  memorised the pattern and can knit without thinking.   I am also finishing up the Girlfriend Bag for Essie.  I just need to knit the handle.  I am hoping to share a pic next week.  I am also hoping to show you a pic of my craft corner.  I couldn't find my camera to take a pic.  I know it is.....somewhere. ((blush))

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In the Kitchen: 

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I have been freezing basil,  canning zuchhinni bread and butter pickles, froze huckleberries, and I finished canning  applesause. ((happy dance))

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Weightloss Wednesday:

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This week I hope to get back on schedule with my Walk Away the Pounds with Leslie Sansone

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Mother Culture:( for definition go HERE ) 

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I am reading The Creative Family by...Amanda Blake Soule and then I want to get back to my reading list.  I also check out some books on making books and jewelery. 

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 Things are still trying to set aside 15 minutes a day to read.   As the flylady says .... you can do anything for 15 minutes.  So I just need to set my timer. [0=

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There is the reflections and ramblings for this week.

"If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would have the courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents. The mother would then be able to hold herself in "wise passiveness’ and would not fret her children by continual interference even of hand or eye - she would let them be." ...Charlotte Mason

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Aug. 23, 2009 - I love your weekly wrapup.

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