Scribblings from a twenty-year homeschool veteran about homeschooling, life after homeschooling, occasional peeks into the world of writing for children, and the ups and downs of life in general.
Thank you, Tiany, for organizing the Open House. I am looking forward to peeking in at others' traditions, as well as sharing some of my own.
Thirty-one years ago I began a tradition that I have now continued for my grandchildren. In 1976, when our DD, Kristel, was a baby, my friend gave me a clever idea for inexpensive yet delightful ornaments for the tree. This is the design I came up with: I used a large cooky cutter to trace the design onto 2 pieces of white felt. I cut the circle and slipped in a photo of our DD. I got it to stick with a little glue so it wouldn't move around while I stitched around the edges and around the photo. Then I added some felt decorations and the date (it was very hard to cut out those tiny numbers from felt!). Over the years, I have become more elaborate with the designs, and thanks to hot glue, the date was easier to glue on. And wonder of wonders! Easier than hot glue is the liquid fabric embroidery paint I use now with my grandkids decorations. Here are a few examples. I have faithfully kept it up for 30 years! These are some of the various designs I've used. I can't show them all, I'm afraid. There are too many to hang on the tree, so now I hang them from a garland/lights combination around the window, in order from 1976--2005. (I haven't made the 2006 one yet).
Help yourself to the idea and begin a family picture decoration of your own!
Homeschooling is a 24/7 experience. Don't worry if you didn't cover all the subjects today. Forgot science? That's OK. You can always study nature close up by going on a . . . mouse hunt.
Just when I thought it would be a quiet, relaxing evening...
NEWS FLASH!
Phone rings. It's DD. "Mom! Is Andrew (DD's younger brother) there? Can he help Sean move the piano? A mouse ran under it!" (panic-stricken voice)
Andrew and I quickly run across the street to the rescue (armed only with my digital camera. I'm not about to let this Kodak moment go by).
Upon our arrival, the first thing I see is Kristel standing on the couch, baby in arm, pointing to the piano. "It's under there! I saw it! It hasn't come out yet." She has made all the kids find a "high spot." No toes on the floor.
Sean, who has just walked in the door from a long day at work, says, "Can I eat dinner first?"
Uh...no.
So Sean and Andrew push the piano aside, while I stand armed with my camera to catch a shot of this loathsome creature. Kristel watches safely from her perch. I think she is throwing away a perfectly good opportunity for an up-close "nature" moment but she couldn't care less right now.
DGS is finally allowed to hold the broom--just in case the mouse sneaks out the front of the piano.
Armed with those new sticky traps, Sean and Andrew are ready to pounce as well.
Success! Well, sort of. I'm afraid the furry ball of trouble is too fast for my camera. It skitters across the carpet, over my foot, and slips and skids and flips into the kitchen and....under the oven.
"Hmmm...we're going to have to think on this awhile." While Sean and Andrew are thinking, the mouse is moving...up, up, up between the oven and the cabinet. Kristel sits on the bar stool and waits. The mouse must be caught tonight. I shiver to think what kind of night my poor DD will pass if Mickey Mouse is allowed to wander free in her house one more day.
Finally, I abandon my camera and help Andrew pull the oven out, while Sean waits topside with a bucket, in case the mouse decides to flee up instead of out. He goes up. Sean goes after him. Mickey Mouse goes down. Andrew jams a small broom under the oven. Mouse goes up. Sean goes after him. Mouse goes down...again. (This is good for a lesson on using group dynamics to solve a problem)
Now, thoroughly confused, Mickey Mouse darts for freedom.
WHACK! Andrew to the rescue...almost. He slaps the rectangular sticky trap at the mouse, catching it by the tail. "I need another trap!" he yells. (This boy has leadership ability!)
Sean tosses him a trap.
WHACK! Andrew to the rescue again. He's got the little fellow between 2 sticky traps.
Ick. I still think he's good for a few minutes of observation. Look at those eyes! (He's still alive at this point) We could do a quickie lesson on measuring . . .?
Sigh. Kristel's homeschool curriculum does not include mice of any kinds . . . dead or alive.
The Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway was great fun! Lots of folks entered my drawing to win my Circle C Adventures Series Book Gift Set for Kids.
So many wanting to win! So few (as in one) Gift Sets to give away....this time. Note the "this time." Keep an eye out. As the release date for Family Secret grows nearer (after the holidays), I just may run another contest! For those of you who, sadly, did not win, you could actually buy the books for Christmas and thrill your little horse lovers. ChristianBook.com (click) has them for a lot less than amazon!
OK, now that I've rambled, the winner is...Amy at Life'sSmallTreasures. Congratulations! As soon as you e-mail me with your address, I'll send out the Gift Set.
ATTENTION. THIS CONTEST ENDED NOVEMBER 2. THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING!
Go here to find out who the winner is: SuzyScribbles
Well, here I go...I've never participated in a Blog Carnival Giveaway before. It looks pretty easy. I just have to give something away. OK, you all know what I like to give away best! And just in time for Christmas, too! It's not a contest. Just a simple giveaway! Post a comment here to this posting, and you're in my drawing. The Bloggy Giveaway ends November 2. One short week. Click on the icon above to find more bloggy giveaways all week!
Take a look at this: A book Gift Set for your horse lover! Books 1 and 2 in my Circle C Adventures series for kids and YA will be autographed to the person of your choice. I've also included a little plastic horse. How cool is that? Go here if you want to read what the books are about or excerpts: BOOKS
A quick blurb? Horses, Adventure, and the Old West!
And for those of you who keep trying to win my contests? Here's another chance!
Oh! Don't forget to identify yourself with your blog and/or your e-mail address. It would be a shame to draw your name and not know how to contact you!
One more thing. Even if you don't win the drawing, you can find these books at ChristianBookDistributors (CBD) or amazon or your favorite Christian bookstore!
I used a large cooky cutter to trace the design onto 2 pieces of white felt. I cut the circle and slipped in a photo of our DD. I got it to stick with a little glue so it wouldn't move around while I stitched around the edges and around the photo. Then I added some felt decorations and the date (it was very hard to cut out those tiny numbers from felt!). Over the years, I have become more elaborate with the designs, and thanks to hot glue, the date was easier to glue on. And wonder of wonders! Easier than hot glue is the liquid fabric embroidery paint I use now with my grandkids decorations. Here are a few examples. I have faithfully kept it up for 30 years!
These are some of the various designs I've used. I can't show them all, I'm afraid. There are too many to hang on the tree, so now I hang them from a garland/lights combination around the window, in order from 1976--2005. (I haven't made the 2006 one yet). 
I still think he's good for a few minutes of observation. Look at those eyes! (He's still alive at this point) We could do a quickie lesson on measuring . . .?
The Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway was great fun! Lots of folks entered my drawing to win my Circle C Adventures Series Book Gift Set for Kids. 
ATTENTION. THIS CONTEST ENDED NOVEMBER 2. THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING!
Books 1 and 2 in my Circle C Adventures series for kids and YA will be autographed to the person of your choice. I've also included a little plastic horse. How cool is that? Go here if you want to read what the books are about or excerpts: 
