My Little Corner

Sunday, November 22, 2009 -
~25 Days of Gratitude~

... Posted in Quiet Time Thoughts

Today I am grateful for....

~^~ His unfailing LOVE...always Faithful in His Grace and He never forgets me!

~^~Sweet memories of family Thanksgivings throughout my childhood and adulthood.

~^~A husband that is our home's spiritual leader.

~^~My sister's in Christ that faithfully attend church every Sunday without their husband's.

~^~God's healing touch, please continue Lord to do your great work.

~^~Accomplishments that I could never do in my own strength, only His!

~^~Worship, with our precious church family and at home.

I am blessed beyond measure!

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Nov. 21, 2009 -
Doing Some Research -- Can You Help?

... Posted in Single Moms as Keepers at Home

I'm doing some research and I could use your help.

If you are a single, homeschooling parent and you are a part of a church that is supporting you in this, would you share how they do it? What does the local body of believers around you do to help you remain at home training up your children?

If you are a church leader (pastor, elder, deacon) and your church is actively supporting one or more single moms to homeschool their children how do you do it? What are you doing to help them? How does it work?

Several years ago, I shared Defending the Fatherless with our pastor at the time, and one of the things that stood out in my mind was that he thought it was a good idea, but didn't know how it would work and was there some example to follow.

I wonder if more churches aren't doing more to help single moms be keepers at home, because they simply don't know how to and they'd like to have ideas of how it works in churches where it is being done.

Please share here or email me directly.

Blessings, MaggieRaye

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Saturday, November 21, 2009 -
~25 Days of Gratitude~

... Posted in Quiet Time Thoughts

Today I am grateful for....

~Free Gifts~

*God's grace, mercy and love

*the freedom of living within the United States of America

*good morning hugs and kisses from my precious daughters

*a friend that listens without trying to fix the problem, thank you Lord for my husband!

*spiritual gifts and talents that the Lord has given me to use in the places He has selected

*the promise of a future home, with no more pain, tears or worries.

Blessed beyond measure!

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Nov. 20, 2009 -
Weekly Wrapup

From the Heart:

I'm loving being with my kids. Every moment that I get with them fills my heart. It is so wonderful to hold my son in my arms and hear him say, "I wuv you, Mommy. You're adorable!" I also love watching and experiencing the moments that my five year old studies her first words and reads them. Each day she makes so much progress. My 10 and 12 year olds amaze me with how they are growing into young ladies more each day and becoming individuals. Life as a Mom is good.

The little ones like to snuggle in the rocking chair after their bath near the wood stove.

I just finished looking over my blog from a year ago. I am so glad that I am not in that place any longer! A year ago my Snow Crystal was having concentration problems, abdominal pain, seizures, weakness, and looked like a little holocaust survivor. She was depressed and talking about suicide. I praise God for all my friends who so faithfully prayed, and for the cure of becoming gluten-free again, and avoiding artificial additives. She is my healthy, happy, seizure-free young lady again. No more of any of those things, and her school work has improved dramatically this year. I am so grateful to the Lord!

In the School Room:

Mountain Princess, 12, and Snow Crystal, 10: Abraham Lincoln was shot again this week (we learned it a few weeks ago, but readressed the reasons this week). The aftermath of the civil war was anything but nice. Andrew Johnson may have had Abraham's roots, but he lacked some of Abe's other successful political prowess. Matter can be in the form of a solid, a liquid, a gas, and plasma. Old Yeller is my 10 year old's first school book to be taken on without my help, and she's doing a good job. She even stated that this is her favorite reader ever. Caddie Woodlawn continues to be a spunky little thing. Tall tales are fun because they exaggerate a story and hyperboles are perfect to put in them. Mountain Princess finished up decimals, fractions and percentages, and moved on to tesselations. (Did I learn about these in school? They are fun.) Snow Crystal is working on fractions now.

Bubbies, 5, learned about the clothing and culture of the French in the period just before Napoleon's time and about the French revolution. Birds have feathers, lay eggs, are warm-blooded, and most eat other animals. We examined an old robin's nest and found an unhatched egg. Robin nests are made of mud, twigs and grass. Numbers higher than ten are made with groups of ten and units. She finished the week by writing her numbers between twenty and thirty.

Little Critter, 3, is beginning to take himself to the potty and we are having much fewer peeing accidents. On the other hand, yesterday he pooped in the bathtub again. Good thing sister wasn't with him this time!

On the Mission Field:

One of my favorite speakers, Graeme from Australia, was here speaking on cultural differences. We had another India - style dinner too. The students have only two more weeks before they head out on outreach. They will spend their first month in New Mexico with the Navajo work there, then the final eight weeks in India. We saw the Lord bring in a bunch of money toward their outreach expenses. That is always fun to see.

In the Literary Scene:

I am reading Brock and Bodie Thoene's second book in the Galway Series Of Men and of Angels.

Feeding on His Faithfulness,

Carol

If you would like to join me in this theme, just write up your own weekly summary, using mine or your own categories. Then sign the Mr. Linky below. I'd love to read your weekly summaries too! I hope to post mine on each Friday or Saturday. At the latest it will be on Sunday. If you get yours done before I do, just leave your link in my cbox or comments from the week before. Be sure and check last week's Mr. Linky for any new ones who posted before I did! It is a great way to meet new people.

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Nov. 19, 2009 -
Unbelievable!

... Posted in Miscellaneous Stuff

Someone just forwarded me this article about hanging your laundry out -- or not being allowed to -- depending on where you live. What is this country coming to? I'd rather see laundry on a line than . . .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091118/us_nm/us_usa_laundry

Do you hang your laundry out to dry?

MaggieRaye

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Nov. 18, 2009 -
Holiday Sale at Patchwork Cottage Shoppe

... Posted in Current Quilts for Sale

Just wanted to let everyone know that everything at Patchwork Cottage Shoppe is at least 10% off for the holidays. Remember there is an etsy mini in my side bar if you want to check it out.

Some items only have a few days left in the shop -- so now is the time to buy.

Happy Holidays,
MaggieRaye

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Nov. 18, 2009 -
Homeschoolers and Health Care

For all my homeschooling friends who think ObamaCare will solve their financial and health insurance woes, think again. It may give you temporary relief for your financial headache, but it may also invite government nannies into your home to improve your child's well-being and health.

HR 3200 that passed the House of Representatives, currently has a provision for funding states that implement a "voluntary" home visitation program for parents with young children or who are expecting. (See Sec. 1904 sec. 440)

The intended purpose is to " improve the well-being, health, and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of high quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children."

In America we used to believe that was the role of the parent, but now it's the role of our benevolent and compassionate Uncle Sam. A gaze over the Atlantic will show us exactly where we're headed,

"Health and safety inspectors are to be given unprecedented access to family homes to ensure that parents are protecting their children from household accidents.
New guidance drawn up at the request of the Department of Health urges councils and other public sector bodies to “collect data” on properties where children are thought to be at “greatest risk of unintentional injury”.

Council staff will then be tasked with overseeing the installation of safety devices in homes, including smoke alarms, stair gates, hot water temperature restrictors, oven guards and window and door locks.

The draft guidance by a committee at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been criticised as intrusive and further evidence of the “creeping nanny state”.

Where are the safety devices for the "creeping nanny" who keeps sticking her nose into our personal lives?

Why homeschoolers support this bill or President Obama is beyond my understanding.

-Spunky

Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool

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Thursday, November 19, 2009 -
~25 Days of Gratitude~

... Posted in Quiet Time Thoughts

Today I am grateful for...

~time alone with the Lord, Him quietly and gently moving me along,

~His financial provision

~my warm and cozy home, we have enjoyed some wonderful fires in our fireplace this week.

~the laughter and joy in my daughters faces as they diligently seek to memorize His word and are rewarded at Awana's each week.

~an email from my husband, that though he is away, he is thinking of me,

~a new to me book that I am reading "Stepping Heavenward", what a blessing.

~finishing projects and not leaving them undone.

I am blessed!

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Thursday, November 19, 2009 -
~TOS Crew Review-GyMATHetics~

... Posted in TOS Crew Reviews

For review I received the following product for free as part of the TOS Crew, for the sole purpose of review.

Exploracise® Gymathics® DVD

The Award Winning Exploracise Gymathtics program is the Ultimate Brain and Body workout teaching math and healthy lifestyle concepts during a complete 30-minute exercise routine.

Gymathtics is a fun fitness learning experience that kids will want to do again and again. The exercise program is great for kids of all ages. The math facts target the 2nd to 5th grade levels.

The complete 30 minute program includes:

Shape Stretches Warm Up: Stretch your mind and body with line, circle, and polygon stretches.

Counting Calisthenics: Aerobic movements work your heart as fun counting concepts work your brain.

Pattern Power: Growing and repeating pattern exercise combinations challenge minds and strengthen muscles.

Well-Being Wind Down: Relaxing stretches cool down the body and open the mind to think about healthy lifestyle choices including the Nice Wave Stretch and Big Dream Stretch

As creator, Carrie Scheiner's children reached elementary age, she realized that they were spending a lot of time in front of the TV and computer. She decided to get them moving and incorporate math principles within her exercise for them.

A few screen shots to give you an idea:

In Our Home:

Elizabeth LOVES doing this exercise DVD, she begs me at the end of each school day to do it. Grace likes it too! The girls have both benefited from the math concepts that are reinforced within the videos.

The DVD pictured above costs $24.99 and may be ordered by clicking here.

To view other TOS Crew members review of this product, please click the link below.