Order free butterfly eggs, just click and pay shipping...

http://www.freebutterflyeggs.com/#orderform

Enjoy!!

Yes, it's a Tightwad Tuesday... and today I have a website for you to check out...

www.americanheritage.org

It is an excellent resource for a free,  factual, American History curriculum...I received my CD a couple of weeks ago and just got around to looking at it this weekend... I really like it... It is for middle  / high school level, so it will be a while before I get to use it... *S*

This is what is said about the American Heritage Foundation from their website...

"AHEF is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens.

AHEF accomplishes this patriotic mission by writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships."

Now on to what we managed to do today... I did well with drinking more water... I took my vitamin, but I had a burger at Wendy's today, YUMMY but definitely not calorie free..*L*  And have you heard about the salmonella outbreak in the tomatoes? Well, there was big sign up at Wendy's about no tomatoes being served... I think this will really help some of the area farmers here as they are smaller scale farmers and this will be a boost to the tomato crops in this area.. Last year things were sluggish due to drought... ( I live in the "tomato" capital of Tennessee, we even have a "Tomato Festival" every year..)

DD had ballet again today... then we went to a friend's house and went swimming... what a wonderful way to spend a hot day... *G*  

We did manage to get in some school... We played Monopoly Jr. and then read some stuff on "FIREFLIES" to prepare for our campling trip tomorrow... you can check out some of the info we found here.

Well, I am off to finish packing for our trip... Have a great week...

Woke up this morning to my DS complaining of  an area behind his knee...I had looked at it last night and it sorta reminded me of an infected hair follicle or a small boil... This morning, it was really inflamed, red and hot to the touch... I took him to the local doctor where I was told he thinks DS was bitten by something Saturday and that it has become really infected.. So now he is on antibiotics and I am cleaning it twice a day with Hibiclens solution...

Then we were off to a ballet workshop for DD... She had so much fun... I sort of hate that she will miss the last 2 days of it this week due to our camping trip, but I think we will have just as much fun playing in the creek, watching the fireflies, and making smores...YUMMY!!!

I also started my new routine today... I am trying to make an effort to be more healthy... My goal is just to exercise in some way every day and be more conscious of the food I am eating and to DRINK MORE WATER!!!

So far, I did pretty well... I did drink a couple of glasses of lemonade, but it is water based...*L*  but i also played in the pool for several hours today doing some water exercises... So, I think I am off to an ok start...

Have a great day... 

This week I am challenging myself... I am taking my kidlets camping by myself... We are going to Elkmont in the Smoky Mtns. to see the "Synchronized Fireflies" . which is considered to be a "modern day phenoman" as they were once only thought to be found in Southeast Asia... I tried to get a spot for the weekend, but it is booked a year in advance for this time of year due to the immense number of people from all over the world that come to see the fireflies...

So, I decided to be brave and take my kids myself... We leave Wednesday and are going to stay until Friday evening... I will update everyone on how it goes...Just pray that I don't forget any necessities and that I can actually get tent set up...*L*

You can check out more on the fireflies here.

This week is not as busy as the past several... So, I have time to share our "brief"  (and I do mean brief)menu this week...

Monday: Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Corn-on-the-Cob, Biscuits, Iced Tea

Tuesday: Grilled chicken breast, roasted potatoes / onions on the grill, tropical fruit salad, Iced tea

Wednesday: I am taking the kidlets camping by myself, so we will be eating off the grill of course, HOT DOGS and SMORES!!!!

Thursday: Still camping: HOBOES on the GRILL

Friday: finally at home, HOMEMADE PIZZA with the kidlets...

Tonight was our commencement for VBS... It was great... The kids really had a good time this week at VBS and we had 2 of the older kids come to know the Lord...HALLELUJAH!!!

So all the classes did a little performance or rectied things they had learned this week... Our class, the 4-5 yr. olds sang a song and did a little dance to go with it....

After the commencement, we all gathered in the fellowship hall for desserts.... The kids had a wonderful time and are so prooud of the things they learned and made this week... and the sugary snacks also ranked high up on the list...*L*

And I guess one of the things that I loved most was the motto, which I am going to use this summer for some of our Bible studies... And one of the older boys who attends church with us, proved this motto this week to me... I had bagged up some of DH's clothes that he could no longer wear (yes, he has gained some weight, *G*) and I had given them to this young man since they were still in good shape...My DH had left $41 dollars in one of the pockets, (which lasted through the washer and dryer)...This young man brought me the money and siad he had found it in the pocket, we never even knew it was there... His honesty stuck with me and really helped reinforce this weeks motto for me...

KNOW THE TRUTH, SPEAK THE TRUTH, LIVE THE TRUTH.....

Have a GREAT WEEK!!!

This afternoon we went to see Kung Fu Panda with DC's karate class... It was a great movie... It taught an excellent lesson in that we have to believe in ourselves and that's what makes each of us special... I definately would recommend  it as a "family must-see"...You can check out more about the movie here ...

Finally some time to get caught up on our blog and what we have been up to....

It seems that lately we have been running so much, that I feel like a hamster caught in a wheel...*L*

Our weeks have been filled with karate 2x a week, Soccer practice on Thursday evenings, 2 baseball games a week plus a T-ball game a week and then the soccer games for both kidlets on Saturday morning...I mean WHEW!!!

and then this week was VBS at our church...

Beginning last Saturday (the kick-off cookout for all the kids) , our pastor (who is also a police chaplain)arranged for the area "Rescue and Search" dog teams to come out for the kids...There were 3 dogs with their handlers and they did several little run throughs for us and they had "trading cards" with the dogs pictures on them for the kids... They took my DD headband and let the dog sniff it and then pick her out of a line of all the kids..It was so cool...The dog (a hound, just like Jed Clampetts) came right up to her and tapped her on the chest... She wasn't too sure about that though...*L*

For our week of VBS, DH and I taught the 4-5 yr.old class... It was lots of fun... They are such little sponges, totally absorb everything that they come into contact with... they knew the motto before Wednesday... this years theme was "Outrigger Island" and was really cool....

And last but not least, we got our pool up again for the summer...YEAH!! I think we have decided to wait on getting a better one til' next year... With the economy and gas, you never know what the future is going to hold for family finances...But the pool we got last year is 12' x 3' so I think it will do just fine... and the kids certainly love it...It has been record temperatures for this time of year here and when it's 90 degrees and above, all I want to do is swim...*L*

So, that's where I have been and hope everyone has been enjoying the summer!!!

I love this site...

It's has some great ideas for all of those "THRIFTY MOMMIES" out there...

You can check it out here.

Today's pet peeve is SUBWAY!!!  Yes... The restaurant chain... yes, the one with the $5 footlongs that my DH loves...

Well, we will no longer be eating there.. Yes, I am boycotting them... After seeing several posts in several homeschool groups that I belong to about their "Fit for Kids" essay contest... I had to of course check it out myself and yes, it appears to be true... HOMESCHOOLERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER!!!

You can check it out for yourself here.  And if you would like to also post a complaint to SUBWAY, you can do that here.

Tonigh was our "performance Night" at co-op... It went wonderful...

My DS played 3 songs on the piano, DD sang and did some cute little dances with her "Fun Time" class... and then my good friend Rhonda and I combined our classes for a really cute skit on the Yanomami tribe from the South American Rain Forest and animals from the Rain Forest...

DS as a "poison dart frog" and friend Levi as a "Spider Monkey"

Mor pictures of the Yanomami...*L*    (aren't they the cutest?)

The whole group during the performance...

It was great... The kids did so well... Rhonda and I had gathered up homemade masks, straw skirts, head pieces, and various other props like a bow  & arrow, and some bamboo that I got at Dollar Tree to use as "pretend" blow guns... They kids loved it... and so did we... I am so proud of them and their hard work..

There were other performances by the choir, piano and guitar students performed... Chess awards and drama awards were given out.... The band performed...

A great evening topped off by going and getting ice cream to celebrate DS *8th" birthday...

Monday: Spaghetti, garlic bread

Tuesday: Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wedneday: Soup and Sandwiches

Thursday: DS's 8th birthday... and performance night at co-op... EAT OUT!!

Friday: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

We have decided on our plan for summer... we are going to continue with school but make it less tense and more fun by incorporating lots of ideas that I have been gathering from other blogs on the Wazley Academy ring...

The kids are really looking forward to doing just some topics that they want too, and I am looking forward to just relaxing and feeling like everything is going to get done... (sometimes during the school year, I get that tense, worried about what they are learning feeling)... I am hoping that is a common feeling shared by many homeschool moms...

It's that guilt that we feel, where we are torn by wanting to be like "SuperMom" and just getting the laundry done... where we want to make sure the kids are enjoying school, but at the same time learning what they should be...

So, we are hoping this will combat those feelings and allow the kids to stay on a scheulde somewhat, but still enjoy their summer and actually leanr when they think they are jusy having fun...

Happy Learning!!

Ok.. has the price of gas put a leash on your homeschool field trips? I know things that I had hoped to do with the kids this summer will definitely be altered due to the rising cost of fuel...

In our area, (the local stations in our little town) are selling gas for $3.52 a gallon for regular... But if I drive just 20 minutes away, I can get it for "as little" (and I use that term lightly) as $3. 38... (at least I could yesterday..*L* )

So for those looking to get the best deal on fuel-------

This is pretty nifty. Just enter your zip code in the site below, and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) on gasoline in your zip code area.
It's updated every evening.

http://autos. msn.com/everyday /gasstations. aspx?zip= &src=Netx

HAPPY TRAVEL!!

Ok... I am now gonna be posting websites to share on Wednesday!!!

So for today's WEDNESDAY WEBSITE post, take a look at this trip through SPACE with vocals... I love it and the kids and I have tried singing it all afternoon... The words are printed there with all the facts about the Milky Way... and this wonderful universe... You can check it out here...

Last night, DH and I, had a date... It was unusual to be out without the kidlets... Having a date is so different now... You talk about the kids even when they are not there...*LOL*

We met some friends for dinner and then we went to a concert... We saw one of the "Legends of Rock"  ROBERT PLANT himself with Allison Krauss.... It was so wonderful.... Her voice is hauntingly beautiful... and her harmonies blended incredibly with his...

It was great... They did some Zepplin, some bluegrass, some blues, some gospel, an T. Bone Burnett who I really was unfamiliar with was with them and he is just an awesome blues man....

But the true highlight (other than being with alone with DH) was ROBERT PLANT!!!  DH was like a kid waiting to see one of his teenage idols... It made me so happy to see him enjoy himself so much!!

What a great night for us!!!

Monday: Barbecue Chicken, Oven Fries, and Corn on the Cob....

Tuesday: Eating Out (Robert Plant and Allison Krauss concert)

Wednesday: CHopped Steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Thursday:  Chilli

Friday:  Homemade Pizzas...

Last night after work, my friend and I went to the movies and saw the documentary "Expelled" with Ben Stein... It was a great movie (after getting over having to pay $8.75 a person to get in)... It was an intelligent discussion on "Intelligent Design" versus "Darwinism"... and how scientists are blackballed if they even broach the subject of "Creationism" or "Intelligent Design".... to the level of PhD'ers actually losing their grants, jobs, and tenure over it... I also learned that Hitler's plans originated out of Darwins lesson books and Planned Parenthood also got its start using the playbook of selective evolution by Darwin...

It was very interesting to hear self-proclaimed Atheists try and explain their thoughts on the matter of how "WE" got here... even the most prominent one had a theory that some "beings" that had "evolved" to a higher level of intelligence had actually planted the seeds on earth... I mean that to me even gives even more credence to the "Intelligent Design" theory he so completely denies... I mean "Intelligent" beings create life on Earth.... I can only think of one and that being my "GOD"....
Anyway, it was definitely a great movie and really thought provoking... I not only learned alot, but I became even more embedded in my "Creationist" thoughts...

Well, today was a great day... I had to work a 12 hour shift, but we only had 1 baby which left me and my co-working BFF lots of time to get other things done...
So, I started on my summer HS plan and also got a jump on our schedule for next year...

It seemed to fly by, partially because I didn't have my 2 kidlets asking me all sorts of questions and I guess that I have finally become more relaxed about our homeschool life... I hope to get several lapbooks done and work one some notebooking this summer...

Beginning in May we will are going to start Thundercake.... 

and you can find a unit from HSS here...

Then we will begin the Water Cycle using a unit I found here...

Next on our list is Storm in the Night...

and you can find resources for this here... 

I am also using the Evan Moor Science Book  pages 235-237 (light) p. 114-118 (the five senses) and p. 200 (clouds) ....

I have a few library books on the list also to go along with these studies...

This is my weekend to work, but as there were only 2 babies in the unit, I was able to be off today...

So, I thought, "What could we do on this rainy day?"  Well, it didn't take me long to remember the list, "What every child needs to do before they grow up"... and on that list is "PLAYING IN THE RAIN"...

So, out we go... We did some brief yard work, mulch around our trees, put up some lattice around our deck steps... and then we plant some "Morning Glories", and "BirdHouse Gourds"... the kids had so much fun... (little did they know, their "playing" was actually work)..*L*

Our "Marigolds" and "Impatients" that we planted in the little hot houses have came up and doing really well... we hopefully will get to put them out into planters soon....  

Well, enjoy your weekend!!!

ok... just a quick note... I ordered our Butterfly Garden Habitat... I got the "Insect Lore" brand... Found it on  Amazon for a steal... I found mine for less than $15 + shipping....

You can check out others like it here...

I've recently began reading this book and I love it... It is very reassuring in how important the role of a parent is in a little girls life and how every aspect affects her and her growth into young womanhood and the decisions she makes... It is a book full of wisdom in how to encourage her crativity and her dreams... How to instill self confidence and self worth... and how as a mother, you can be her window to her future... I highly recommend it... I am really learning alot...

Yes, today is my birthday !! The BIG 38!!!

*LOL*

My wonerful DH brought home ribeyes and grilled them and then proceded to fix the rest of dinner... YEAH!! and even had a cake and candles for dessert... YUMMY!!!

My wonderful kidlets got me flowers and each made me a card...

It was truly a wonderful day!!   and I am sticking to being not a day over 29...