There's one on every street. I don't know how it happened (I certainly didn't seek out this status) but we have become the local hangout for the neighborhood kids. I do my best to shoo them on to the next house, but back they come. Actually I love kids and don't mind them being here at all. The Lord has put it on my heart lately to grow in the area of hospitality and I think it's just so funny that he keeps sending kid after kid after kid to my door. I must have to graduate from kids before he'll start sending the adults . I seriously suffer from a perfectionist attitude that has kept me from offering hospitality like I should and I think God has been prettty clear that it's time I changed. So, I am working on keeping the common areas of our homes in presentable shape all the time and when whoever is visiting happens to see the ugly messes that lurk behind closed doors, I am getting better about just shrugging it off and doing better next time. I doubt that anyone who visits lives in a perfectly maintained, beautifully decorated home anyway. I'm sure they've seen messes before, and maybe, just maybe they are sighing with relief and thinking "it's not just me". So, I will keep practicing hospitality on these little curmugeons that keep popping over because gosh darn it if they don't keep blessing me just by being here. That's it for today - I'm off to offer OtterPops (try saying that five times fast) to the five kiddos in my livingroom.

I have sorely neglected my poor little blog, and my DD14 has been reprimanding me. What can I say? The move, followed closely by a new school year caught up with me and my blog suffered. Anyway, I am back and will try to do better. I have sat down with a glass of iced tea and a fierce determination to write! It's pretty bad when we're well into summer and the photo in my last post has pumpkins!

Summer is well under way and I have indulged, without remorse, in a full month of not even thinking about school. Ahhhh. That was so needed and so refreshing. Now I feel ready to begin planning for the new school year. I have ordered the majority of my curriculum, but need to still figure out my plan for history and science. I am excited about the new year now, and have some fun and inspiring ideas for teaching these two subjects. This year will be different in that a neighbor (who is also my pastor's wife) and I will be teaming up to teach math and history. She will be teaching our four (between us) ninth graders math, and I will be teaching the same group history. I am hoping it will motivate all of us and be a lot of fun!

In other news, last week we had a crazy but totally fun week of VBS. I worked in crafts and also as a leader for the 1st-5th grade kids. We had a ball! DD12 is at camp this week with two of his friends. I miss him! I know he will have a wonderful week and grow in his faith, but it's hard to have him gone. Even though he's almost a teenager, he's still my little guy. Thank God I have three more at home or I don't know what I'd do with myself.  Next week, my DD14 heads off to her camp for a week. Sigh. This time I was smart and invited my sweeet niece who just turned 19 to visit for her annual summer visit with us. That will definitely be fun.

That's it for now. Oh! Be sure and check out Cindy Rushton's Virtual Seminar this weekend called Let's Get Organized for the New Schoolyear! That sounds awesome! And, just what I need to get some inspiration! Cindy says: " Talk about a MUST! I will take you by the hand and have a mommy getaway to plan for your new school year. I think you will enjoy it!  BTW...the Membership Site already has some fun goodies loaded and ready for you to dig into. So, make your plans to join us."  Here's how to join in on the fun:

This Weekend--July 11-12

Let's Get Organized for the New School Year Virtual Seminar! 

Sign up today to join us live (just register with your name/email for us to send you the passwords and schedule updates) or grab a ticket for access to our

Membership Site AND free ebooks/audios!

Sign up here: http://www.CindyRushton.com/LGO2008.html 

Have a great day!!!

In the mood for some fall fun? Check out Highlights from Higher Ground - there will be fun pumpkin posts (some with recipes) and a contest for sweet handmade pumpkin pot holders. Happy Harvest!

http://highergroundtoday.blogspot.com/

Enter to win the complete set of
Terrestria Chronicles
on the HSB Company Porch!

This lovely stretch of beach is where we spent a good part of the day yesterday. We have been vacationing at the coast and visiting some of our old stomping grounds. Saturday we had a party to celebrate my dad's 71st birthday and took the opportunity to make a long weekend of it. Having moved so far inland, we have been craving the crisp ocean air and sand between our toes. So, we played and played at the beach yesterday and had so much fun we didn't even mind when a rogue golden retriever ate nearly half our picnic - heh heh heh - oh well!

Even the drive to Halfmoon Bay is a delight. To get to the beach you have to cross over a pretty mountain pass then dip down into an agricultural valley where you meander through pumpkin patch after pumpkin patch (Halfmoon Bay is the "Pumpkin Capital of the World"). The green fields are splashed with the most striking array of brilliant oranges and golds right now as the town prepares for the annual Pumpkin Festival. We also saw a gorgeous sunflower field with a huge variety of flowers from deep russet to classic yellow. What a lovely weekend - we saw great friends, had a ball with family and visited places we really miss having moved so far inland. It will be hard to go back to the daily grind tomorrow!

We are finally starting to get settled into the new place and getting a feel for country life. It is lovely being surrounded by so much beauty - but also a HUGE change in many other ways. The kids and I are battling feelings of isolation and trying to get connected. We are starting to meet neighbors and miraculously a TON of homeschoolers! Praise God! We have found a church we like but to be thorough will probably check out one or two more. We are praying for a nice church family and a good circle of friends in the near future.

On another note - have you ever checked out Mrs. Wilt's blog? It's one of my favorites. Lot's on inspiration to be found there. Check out this post - I am having serious feelings of cake-envy ;O) http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/1114243/21479159.

  Who is Your Jane Austen Husband?   You scored as a Tilney   Your husband is most similar to Mr. Tilney of Northanger Abbey. Charming and witty, sometimes he confuses others with his satirical humor and outlandish statements. However, he has an excellent sense for the motives of others and therefore is very helpful to you. As a couple, you share many exciting experiences and laughs and enjoy constant camaraderie with those closest to you.

Find out who your hubby most closely resembles here:   http://quizfarm.com/quiz_repository/Friends/12840/

:: L I Z Z Y ::

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of silliness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

Have you heard about this? It reminds me of M. Night Shamaylan's movie The Village, only here everyone chooses to live this way. I read about this in the current issue of Above Rubies  What an intriguing idea! A whole village poplulated by like-minded people created to look like an 1800's European agricultural village. People who believe in a simpler, home-centered way of life will buy a variety of different parcels ranging from mini-farms to larger estates (it's in the planning stages now, construction will begin in the near future and applications are being accepted now). The homes are all clustered around and old-fashioned, pedestrian-minded downtown area with opportunities abounding for people to open their own small shops. Many have already been planned. You can check out the list of shops and the entire concept at http://www.ruralvillage.org/index.shtml. The village will include a Discovery Center for homeschoolers and other groups as well as community gardens and farms for those who want to enjoy the animals without the daily responsibility. Check this out when you have a chance - it's fascinating!

At the end of February we spent a week at Outdoor Science School for homeschoolers at Mt. Hermon in the gorgeous Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern CA. What a great week! All the kids had activities to do (even my three year-old) and learned a tremendous amount about creation science. They hiked a LOT too! The counselors really pushed them. On their extended hike, my dd13 hiked 16 miles in ONE day (about double that for the whole week), my ds 11 walked 11 miles on his, and my dd6 walked eight on hers. I was blown away! That's a tremendous amount of walking for kids! It was really great for their confidence.

While there, we heard about a really fun family project that anyone can do, but is particularly cool for a homeschool science project. Through the National Wildlife Federation, a family can certify their yard as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat. The process is fun and very educational. There are several requirements. The first is to provide food through planting a few plants from a native list specific to each state. Second, is to provide a water source (again with specific directions). Third, provide shelter and cover which can range from building nesting boxes, to setting up a "toad abode) using just a clay pot and saucer. Finally, sustainable gardening must be used by doing things such as planting native plants to reduce the amount of water necessary for the garden, to mulching to retain moisture in the soil. After these requirements are met, the NWF will (with your permission) submit a press realease to the local paper announcing your habitat, and you will receive a certificate (which is fun for kids!). You can even get a sign to put in your yard proclaiming it an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

In addition to the great science they learn about their region of the country they live in, the opportunity for wildlife observation resulting from their project will be a great daily resource for science exploration. All you need now is a couple field guides, a sketchbook and some binoculars to learn and learn in your own nature preserve! If you want to check it out for yourself, I have added the link to the sidebar under my list of favorite sites. Happy science!!

Aprons- Y/N? Yes! I love them ;O)

Baking- Favorite thing to bake? I love baking period. But, I probably like baking cookies the best.

Clothesline- Y/N? Not yet. That is on my to-do list for the backyard this spring. There's nothing like fresh line-dried laundry. :o) We are trying to figure out how to keep our Rhodesian Ridgeback from pulling the clothes down...

Donuts- Ever made them? Not yet, but I want to try beignettes (sp?)

Everyday- One homemaking thing you do everyday? I always make our bed look nice.

Freezer- Do you have a separate deep freezer? No, because I've heard conflicting things about cost-effectiveness.

Garbage Disposal- Y/N? Oh yeah and thank goodness!

Handbook- Y/N? Yup, I;m using Marmee's Collection of Vintage Homekeeping Skills right now. I love it! It inspires me :O)

Ironing- Love it or hate it? It's okay, but not my favorite. I buy scented linen water to help me like it more. :o)

Junk Drawer- Where is it? Make that junk drawerS! Ugh, We have three in the kitchen! It's on my list of things to take care of asap!

Kitchen- Design and decorating? We rent our home, so we have the wallpaper that our landlord chose (floral and cheery) - I LOVE red, so there are lots of red accents that lean toward French Country.

Love- What is your favorite part of homemaking? Decorating.

Mop- Y/N? Yes, and sometimes on hands and knees. I just bought a swiffer wet jet to go with the washable mop pads I got from MarmeeDear.com. I love them!

Nylons- Wash them by hand or in the washer? I almost NEVER wear them. Yuck! Handwash when I have to.

Oven- Do you use the window or open it to check? Both.

Pizza- What do you put on yours? Lactose intolerant so I am currently trouble-shooting this very important issue ;O) I miss pizza!!

Quiet- What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Blog, check email, blog, read, blog... wait, what quet time???

Recipe card box- Y/N? Yes! It's a pretty basket with a floral liner.

Style of house- Ranch style with character...very cottagey

Tablecloths and napkins- Y/N? Not yet, but I recently bought cloth napkins for a steal (in red of course) and want to start using them regularly.

Under the kitchen sink- Pretty tidy, but not perfect.

Vacuum- How many times a week? At least 2.

Wash- How many loads do you do a week? Hmmm...lately it seems like more, but I'd say usually around 15.

X’s- Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? I am definitely a list-maker.

Yard- Who does what? Gardeners are included in our rent and I plant a vegetable garden and flowers. Hubby tackles major clipping and hedging.

ZZZ’s- What is your last homemaking task for the day? General tidying.

If you read all of this, consider yourself tagged!

We ran out of shampoo this morning and since it's raining and dreary outside we decided to try our hand at making our own rather than run out in the weather.  My dd13 just tried it out and really liked it. She said it felt good on her head.

Here's the recipe we used:

6 oz. peppermint castille soap

4 oz. nettle and rosemary infused tea (just boil water and steep fresh rosemary and nettle tea bags for a few minutes)

several drops of lavender essential oil

several drops of ylang ylang essential oil

Enjoy!

You guys are so creative! Thanks for the great ideas in your comments from my last post. We are totally having fun now and definitely into the history now. I challenged the kids to dress-up in Revolutionary-era Colonial clothing with what we had around the house (we have pretty decent dress-up stuff from years of my daughter's theater participation). They were great! I should have taken a picture. The girls looked fabulous, but I have to say, that this time the boys took the cake. My 11yo son actually fit into my 3yo son's pants (to solve the problem of not having cropped pants like the men wore then) with his siter's tights on underneath and his dad's good shoes on. It was hysterical. My 3yo came out dressed as a dragon. What a nut. I guess he was one of those Colonial dragons...

Oh, and there is a great post about raising older daughters here: http://www.triviumpursuit.com/blog/2007/01/20/one-thing-ive-learned-about-raising-older-daughters/ - well worth reading!

We had a ball studying the Colonies during the fall and felt really immersed in the study. We are now into our Revolutionary War study and I'm just not feelin' it! We watched Johnny Tremain and will begin reading aloud "George Washington; Spymaster" today, but I just don't feel like the kids are connecting to the history. Anyone have any great recommendations for books, videos, activities? Unfortunately, here in California, there really aren't any great fieldtrip opportunities for this study (although our goldrush unit was amazing!!). We love to be hands-on, so please let me know if you've got some inspiration :O) Thanks!

My oldest kids are at their grandma and grandpa's house for the week and it is just too quiet around here. The little ones follow me around all day clinging to my legs, trying to sit in my lap constantly because they don't know what to do with themselves. We are all Eeyore-like without the big kids. My dd6 was going to stay at the grandparent's too, but ran and got in the car in tears at the last second saying she just couldn't do it. Poor thing. She's cried off and on all week thinking she's made the wrong decision and is missing out on big fun. I've even considered driving the 100 miles to take her back up, but hubby decided to take Friday off if he can and let her spend this coming weekend up there. In the meantime, she is not a happy camper. I decided to take the little kids to the movies tonight so that she will feel like she's having a little bit of a special time at home too. It's hard to compete with the hard-core spoiling going on at the grandparent's though. Sheesh! The big kids have been taken shopping, decorated the grandparent's house and tree, gone to a funky little tea place called the Mad Hatter where they picked out hilarious hats and had high tea, ds11 has been learning carpentry with his grandpa (they're making a Colonial trunk) and grandma is teaching dd13 how to sew and follow a pattern. Not to mention they have cousins up there and are having sleep-overs, movie nights and all manner of fun. I had grand plans for our own cool week, but car trouble, a fever (and subsequent strep culture - negative - whew!!), and tummy troubles have made this week a serious downer. I am trying to redeem the remainder of the week with dinner and movie with dad at the movies, a playdate with a favorite friend tomorrow, then we'll take off to hang out with the in-laws for the weekend and bring the kiddos back. Next week should be back to the normal (and comforting) chaos...

""Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior;

gather us and deliver us from the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name,

that we may glory in your praise.'

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the Lord."

I came across this verse in I Chronicles 16 this morning and thought it was the perfect verse for this Thanksgiving time of year! Hope your holiday was full of family, great food, fun and thankful hearts!  

I don't know about you, but I have to make a conscientious effort to diligently include P.E. in our schedule. Much of the time, at our house, P.E. consists of going to the park for an hour, running around the backyard for awhile, or shooting hoops in the driveway. I am constantly resolving to take the kids on more walks, more hikes, more bike rides... mostly P.E. is a source of guilt. However, today, I came across a neat website on another blog called P.E. Central. The site is FILLED with great ideas for making physical education fresh and fun. The url is http://www.pecentral.com/ and I would encourage anyone feeling stale in the P.E. area to go check it out. There are activities that go far beyond the old standby's for every age. Click and be inspired!