Fisher-Price Open Top Rain Forest take along swing

Over the weekend my SIL threw a baby shower in our DS #2's honor ;)  This is one of the many wonderful gifts that we received :)  This one was from my MIL.  I plan to use it here at the house, when we go out to people's homes and to the shop to work :)  It was pretty easy to put together, DS #1 loved helping me put it together :)  Fisher -Price even had an insert in the package saying that they will send me a free infant support pad for the swing if needed.  Not knowing if it will truly be needed or not, I went ahead and ordered it just in case, better to have it before hand than not have it at all.  MIL also bought us an adorable pooh outfit, hat and all :)  And a bottle brush.

my Sil bought us a beautiful rrroaring lion play gym for him too.  So far the older kids love it!  I need to fold it back up and pack it away for a few months now.  It is a lot easier to work than the reviews on Target.com say it is.  She and her DD alsmo made a blanket for baby, it is so soft and so cute :)  Some jungle stuffed animals, a teething ring, some pacifiers that her 3 y.o. said DS will need ;)  And some linking rings for toys and such.

We also received a photo block from Discovery toys from Nancy  and her family.  I am working on getting pics from the grandparents now and from my sis and her new hubby too :)  I have one of my SIL and her family to add to it all ready.

Another friend got us a blankie that the kids wanted for him and an adorable basebal teether teddy bear.  We also received an adorable airplane outfit, some cloth diapers (for burp rags - DH refuses to actually go cloth this time, been there done that), another beautiful blanket that says heaven sent on it, more outfits and toys, I can not itemize them.  anyway, there is my show and tell :)

~ Rachel

I have listed Explode the Code book 5 1/2 and Bob Jones Heritage Studies 2 (teachers & student books) at the HSB forums, take a look if you are interested.  Also, I have a few Weaver items for sale.  I have contacted Kelly Huckaby of the Unofficial Weaver Pages so she can post it to the list sinc eI am no longer on their email list.  If you use Weaver I would highly suggest you join their emial list as they are a great support system and have great ideas.

Anyway, if you are interested in the items above, let me know.

I will have more in the next few months (Bob Jones Science 2 T.E. & Bob Jones Heritage Studies 1 T.E. at the very least should be up at the end of March).

~ Rachel

I cheated and took thisfrom our website :) Rachel

Family owned and operated, all of our model airplane kits are proudly designed and produced in the USA. Our customers are an extension of the Stevens AeroModel family and we will strive to make you feel as such, just let us know how we can assist with your next project. By listening to our customers we have formed our business around the wants and needs of Today's electric flight enthusiast.

Gena has set a spot on her blog where we can "register" our businesses and then add a lin to them all on our own sites (see sidebar).  I have added our business and dcidd to add a blurb about our business here again - it is taken from our website.  We sell electric r.c. model airplanes & helicopters and accessories.  Thanks for taking a moment to read this.  ~ Rachel

 

Stevens AeroModel uses only the finest materials in the construction of our model aircraft kits. All of our wood materials are rigorously sorted for quality, weight, and grain prior to being incorporated in our products.

Coupling the power and accuracy of our CNC lasers with intelligent design techniques, such as our (tm) and D-LOC(tm) construction, has allowed us the opportunity to redefine laser cutting for the model airplane industry.

Our model aircraft designs are developed at 6500' ASL. Designing aircraft that perform in the thin high-altitude environment of the Rocky Mountains presents a significant challenge as the thin mountain air increases the stall speed of the aircraft and robs the flying surfaces and powersystem of efficiency; this forces us to pay careful attention to aerodynamic design, weight, and structural engineering. This attention to design ensures that when a product meets our expectations for performance then it is certain to exceed that of our customers.

Please take a moment and pray for Allana and her family.  She was 12 weeks pregnant with a baby girl and God took baby Sara Elizabeth home to be with him.  This is the 2nd one this year. 

 

~ Rachel 

I received this in an email today.  The article is a bit old (August of this year) but is definitely something we need to keep in mind as the elections aproach.

 

~ Rachel

An HSB friend and her sons are beading with a purpose.  Check out this beauiful necklace made by Canadagirl.  I showed the necklace to my 6 y.o. DD and told her that they are made by a homeschooling mom and her sons.  DD said, "Can we tell one of them we want one?".  They are beautiful and for a great cause!  Let's encourage her in this endeavor and pray that God will reveal His plan to her regarding this business opportunity.

~ Rachel

 

Rachel

These are from The Gazette in Colorado Springs. 

 

The first one talks about a 10 year old girls science project that was not allowed in the science fair b/c it was too graphic.  Not necessarily good or bad just very interesting.  You can also read comments on the article at the site.

 

http://www.gazette.com/display.php?secid=2

 

This second one is about allowing transcendental meditation into the Colorado Springs school system....hmmmm, a religion?!?

 

http://daily.gazette.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VGhlR2F6ZXR0ZS8yMDA2LzA0LzIwI0FyMDE3MDQ=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

 

This third one is about state testing ;)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_IMPROPER_TESTING_COOL-?SITE=COCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-20-19-09-38

 

 

Fourth is another reason that we homeschool, my DS was 6 weeks old when the shooting occurred at Columbine high school in Littleton, CO and I remember sittign on the futon crying watching the ongoing news about the situation while holding my innocent 6 week old in my arms - at that moment I wondered how I could ever let that little darling go.  Homeschooling was not exactly a thought but that even is never far from my mind when I am asked why we homeschool...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WST_COLUMBINE_ANNIVERSARY_COOL-?SITE=COCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-20-21-28-08

 

http://www.columbinememorial.org/

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_COC_COLUMBINE_MEMORIAL_COOL-?SITE=COCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-20-22-52-20

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_FOILED_PLOT_COOL-?SITE=COCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-20-22-49-40

 

Sorry about all the long links - I have got to figure out how to do the links! 

~ Rachel 

I recieved the following letter from a friend (the soldiers wife) recently and wanted to share this with all of you as well.  ~ Rachel

 

The Dog Deserves A Medal

        Since I’ve been working in operations I get to read the Intel every
morning and find out what has been going on in western Iraq. I read about
every thing from aircraft getting shot at to convoys finding or getting
struck by an IED. But today there was something different, which involved a
dog.
It stated that as a convoy was moving down the road, there was a dog that
had ran out into the middle of the road in front of the convoy. The dog then
started to dig a hole in the loose dirt that was covering a previous hole in
the road. The convoy then stopped and checked out the situation. With a
little help from the EOD guys they had found an anti-tank mine buried in the
dirt. They then destroyed the mine and the convoy continued on their way.
Nothing was said about what happened to the dog, but if it weren’t for that
dog there may have been some of our soldiers wounded from that mine. It just
goes to show that even the dogs are tired of the insurgents in Iraq. If you
ask me that dog deserves a medal.

Sgt Brian Gawrys

I just wanted to let you all know what we are doing through our business to
help out with Hurricane Katrina.  During the month of September, Stevens
AeroModel will donate 5% of the proceeds from sales on this site to the
Salvation Army - Hurricane Katrina Relief effort.  Take a look at the site
and please remember that all orders must be placed through the website (even
if payment is not made online) in order for us to include the order amount
in our donation.  Thanks for letting me share this with all of you and feel
free to pass it on.

WWW.STEVENSAERO.COM

~ Rachel

I received the following in my inbox today and thought I would share it here as well....

 

From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
======================================================================
Dear friend of homeschooling,
In response to the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina, the Home
School Foundation has established a Hurricane Emergency Response
program to help homeschooling families who have suffered great losses.
We will use contributions to this program to assist families with
replacing lost or destroyed curriculum and meeting emergency needs.
If you know of homeschooling families who need our assistance, please
have them call us at 540-338-8899 or email info@homeschoolfoundation.org.
If you would like to make a gift to help these families, here's how.
Donate online at:  http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2553
Send your check:
-Payable to: Home School Foundation
-Memo: Hurricane
-Mail to: Home School Foundation, PO Box 1152, Purcellville, VA 20134

Long after the winds and rain have stopped, many families' lives will
still be in upheaval. Please continue to pray for these families. Our
prayers and gifts can minister God's grace to them during their time
of great need.

Sincerely,
J. Michael Smith
President

The following is an excerpt from an article from today's Lowell's Sun.  It can be found in its entirety at http://lowellsun.com/front/ci_2969032.

 

Call for 12-month school year
Panel seeks more class time; Kennedy hits Bush over federal-funding shortage

By EVAN LEHMANN, Sun Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Relish the waning days of summer vacation. It could be your last. A national education task force called for a 12-month school year yesterday, unveiling a revolutionary report a year in the making that proposes dramatic changes to the way the nation approaches education. In addition to prolonged school years, interrupted only by a number of two-week breaks, the task force composed of a governor, lawmakers and academic experts proposed: * Mandatory preschool at age 3; * Requiring full-day kindergarten nationwide; * Longer school days. “American children don't spend enough time in school,” said Philip D. Murphy, a director of the Goldman Sachs Group and a co-chair of the task force. “It makes no sense to continue our school-year structure that was designed for an agricultural era.” Sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the Institute for America's Future, the report warns that the nation is falling behind other countries in producing more science-trained citizens. It argues that the federal government should impose curriculum standards, increase teacher accountability and significantly boost education funding. “This is a brain race, and we are falling far behind,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat and co-chair of the task force, which hopes to encourage Congress to adopt the report's recommendations.   Evan Lehmann's e-mail address is elehmann@lowellsun.com.

I received an email (well, 2 actually) about this company today and it sounds pretty neat.  Here is the web address and the email I received.  (One of the emaisl stated that a lady in my homeschool group has met the couple and they are very nice.  They started the business out of a need they saw in their own homeswchooling community.)

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/

----- Original Message -----

Dear Fellow Homeschooler,

I am writing to tell you about a new resource for homeschoolers: the
Homeschool Buyers Co-op, a nonprofit California corporation.  The idea
is that school districts get discounts for educational products and
services - why not homeschoolers?

School districts get educational discounts because they make large
purchases - they have purchasing power.  We homeschoolers, on the other
hand, routinely pay retail prices because we buy in small quantities.
As independent buyers, we have no purchasing power!

A large, national buyer cooperative of homeschoolers can change that by
giving members the same purchasing power as the largest school
districts in the country.  I proved that to myself this summer when I

attended a homeschooling conference and asked many of the exhibitors: 

"Would you give homeschoolers discounts if we bought in quantity?"  The

universal answer was "Certainly!"  I then placed a call to the educational

division at Dell Computer and asked them the same question. The result

of that is that, from August 20 through September 30, Dell will give

Homeschool Buyers Co-op members up to 39% off on selected PC's and

peripherals.  In the future, the Co-op will negotiate discounts from other

suppliers for products such as curriculum, media, science kits, books,

educational games and toys.

The key to our future success is broad support within the homeschooling
community and a large membership.  That's where you could help.  By
joining and telling your homeschooling friends, you can help the Co-op

become an effective resource for the entire homeschooling community. 

The more members we have, the greater the discounts we will be able to

negotiate on your behalf!

Membership is free to all homeschoolers by clicking the "Join!" link on
our web site.  That will take you to a simple form you provide your

contact info and preferences.  We have a strict Privacy Policy.  We

will not -repeat, NOT - rent, sell, or otherwise make your personal

membership information available to other people or organizations. 

No one other than the Co-op will send you emails, and only then with

your prior permission, on a schedule selected by you on the enrollment form.

Going forward, the Co-op will negotiate additional discounts for
educational products from leading suppliers.  We will post those

discounts on our site.  Additionally, with your permission, we will

send you email highlighting special offers from educational

suppliers as they become available.

You will probably have many questions about the Homeschool Buyers
Co-op.  Please take a look at our web site:
http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org.
The site will answer many of your questions.

The Co-op has received sponsorships and wonderful endorsements from
homeschooling leaders and groups around the country.  The list of sponsors
and endorsements will grow as the word gets out.  You can help, too.
Please join, and tell your homeschooling friends!

Sincerely,
Brett Walter
President
Homeschool Buyers Co-op

As I stated in teh previous email I am posting the address of a soldier in Iraq.  Feel free to write him or send him gifts ;)  Included is a list of items you can send to him.

 

SGT Brian Gawrys
571st Medical Company (AA)
APO, AE 09333

 

Donate Food or Items to a Solider In Iraq

 

Non-Perishable items

Some suggestions:

Tuna Fish w/mayo

Beef Jerky

Oatmeal (variety pack)

Microwave individual pack Mac & Cheese

Powder Gator Aid

Hot Cocoa Powder

Powder Kool-aid with Sugar

Fruit in a can with a pull lid

Any non-perishable food item with calcium

Nuts (pasticcios or flower seeds)

Chips

Hard candy (no Chocolate- it melts)

Gum

Twizzlers

Disposal/Microwave bowls

 

Toiletries

Some suggestions:

Toothbrushes & Toothpaste

Tylenol

Calcium

3 Mac Razors

Combs

Tissue paper

Toilet paper

 

Misc Items

White Slim Boxers 34-36

Coffee Mug (Bubba Keg)

 

Tobacco

Some suggestions:

Cigars

Pipe Tobacco (Vanilla and/or Cherry)

Cigarettes

 

Entertainment

Some suggestions:

Computer Games:

Doom 3

Nascar 2005                                 

Prince of Persia

                                             

Board Games

Deck of cards

DVD

CD

Posters

Books (Reading or puzzle)

 

 

Other Suggestions:

 

Squeeze Bottle: Mayo, Mustard, and Ketchup.

The unit has a microwave and a ice box (refrig). 

All food items must be in powder form, can, or packed in a seal.

Please no liquid or alcohol products.

 

Items will be donated to 571^st Medical Army Unit in Iraq

On the behalf of SGT. Brian Gawrys.

                           Thank you for your donation

I receive these updates from a friend whose husband is in Iraq.  I have asked their permission to post these when I receive them.  I am also including his address in a seperate blog so that you or your children may write to him or send him items (tuna, tobacco for his pipe, magazines, etc.).  ~ Rachel

 

"Families and friends,
 
It has been a while since I have updated everyone, so here we go.
 
Things here are great.  The soldiers continue to amaze me everyday.  We have 4 ½ months to go and the soldiers are still improving the work and living areas everyday.  This speaks to the quality of soldier I have been given.  Most soldiers would stop improving things because we are almost out of here.  Most would say to themselves, why should I do all this work when I won't benefit from it?  That is not the mind set of our soldiers.  Our soldiers understand that the unit that is replacing us is part of the Army team.  They want to turn over the best situation possible.  This selfless attitude is what makes our unit great.  I witness this selflessness every week flying MEDEVAC missions.  I watch my crewchiefs and medics getting out of the helicopter in 120 degree weather with possible hostile fire and saving the wounded Marines on the ground.  When missions come in my enlisted crewmembers, they think of the casualty before themselves.  If that is not the ultimate selfless act, I don't know what is.  It has been said that there is no higher personal gratification than risking your life to save another.  That is absolutely true, but our soldiers do not do it for personal gratification.  They do it because they are professionals and it is their job.  Personal gratification is just an added benefit.
 
To date, we have flown 1800 hours and evacuated over 1600 casualties.  So you can see it is busy.  I'm sure you have seen a lot on the news about things not going well over here, particularly out west.  It is not true.  The Marines are doing a great job.  The increase in casualties is because they are taking an offensive posture.  Many Insurgent cells are being taken down every week.  Yes, it will still be a long hard road before the Iraqis will be able to police themselves, but we will get there.
 
OK, the thing everyone wants to know.  What is the fate of the unit when we return?  We will return to Ft. Carson with all of our personnel and equipment.  The unit must be transformed to its new structure and moved to Ft. Hood no later than 16 Jun 06.  The Army is going to move a lot of units over the next three years.  The intent is to move guidons and patches more than soldiers.  If you have been on Ft. Carson for a short period of time the Army will probably keep you there and send you to another unit that will be staying at Ft. Carson.  Those who have been there longer than 2 years will probably move.  Some will move with the unit at Ft. Hood and others will go where the Army needs them.  Those who go to Ft. Hood can expect to deploy over here again in the Fall of 2006.  That is for sure, the unit will deploy for another rotation in Fall 2006.  I do not know where any one individual will end up.  That is up to the Army's personnel managers.  Also, just because you have been on Ft. Carson for less than two years does not mean you will not be moved.  If there is not a job for you on Ft. Carson the Army will move you even if you have been there only 12 months.  I know this is not the best news, but it is what I know at this point and I want to be honest with everyone.
 
We were able to promote Mr. Ferrio to CW3 last week.  He is an outstanding officer and one of the best instructor pilots I have ever known.  If you know him, send him a congratulatory note.  We had an awards ceremony last week and I awarded 13 soldiers with Medals for their work over here.  Promoting soldiers and giving out medals is my favorite part of being a commander and I hope to do a lot more of it in the future.
 
Well, I better close for now.  Thanks again for taking care of the home front and allowing the soldiers to focus on the unit's mission.
 
WITCHDOCTOR 06
 
Erik G. Rude
ERIK G. RUDE
MAJ, MS
Commanding
571st Medical Company (AA)"