Dec. 22, 2009 - More Snow Pics and a Merry Christmas to all of YOU!!!
I think we are going to have that White Christmas I have dreamed of for years. Well, at least a slushy Christmas. LOL! We got at least 13 inches of snow and there is still plenty on the ground. It is supposed to warm up a bit today and will probably melt a bit away.
Here is the children's first full size snowman EVER! His name is "bicycle man" and he has sun dried tomatoes for eyes! How much more southern could he get. LOL!
The slide off the back deck.
Me in my Pillsbury dough boy coat. I finally know what I want for Christmas! Snow boots and more gloves. Notice~I have a sock on one hand.
I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas....I hope you have a day filled with love, joy and peace.
Blessings,
Dawn
Dec. 21, 2009 - Tightwad Tuesday ~ How To Make Different Sugars To Save In Baking
(I will show pics of making the coloured sugar later in the morning)
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How To Make Different Types Of Sugar To Save In Baking
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I love to bake and all in my family can testify to that. One event I really like to do during the winter break is to make gingerbread boys and girls. I try to look for ways to make them ( and other goodies too ) for less.
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Three ways to save money in your baking are to make your own...
-brown sugar
-coloured sugar
-and powdered/ icing sugar
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Now, I have to admit if you are not careful you can spend a lot of money on candy to decorate them. I have bought in the past a coloured sugar set and that is very expensive. You get 4 or 5 little tubes of different coloured sugar. It costs us between $3-$5 dollars. You pay a lot for what you get. I started to research for a tightwad way to make coloured sugar and found a VERY ecconomical way to make it for pennies !
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How To Make Coloured Sugar:
You get a small jar with a lid that will hold a cup of granulated sugar.
Pour 1 cup of sugar into the jar and drop 3-5 drops of food colouring.
Put the lid on the jar and shake REALLY good will colour is well mixed. If you want the colour darker add more food colouring. You can decorate so many goodies with this !
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Two other sugars you can make yourself and it costs a lot less and save yourself money.
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How To Make Brown Sugar:
You measure the amount of sugar you want. For every cup of sugar you add 1-2 Tablespoons of molasses and mix really well. I really like to mix mine with my Kitchen Aide and use the flat paddle. Or you could also use a hand mixer to blend the sugars together.
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How To Make Powdered/Icing Sugar:
Measure 1 cup of granulated sugar and pour into a blender and blend till sugar is a powder form and use as recipe calls. If you want you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstartch for each cup sugar. Empty blender and keep doing this the amount of powedered/icing sugar is desired. I have heard that the blender is the best choice. It is hard to attain the powdered consistency in a food processor.
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Now to join in the fun of Tightwad Tuesday....
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Link your TWT post click on MckLinky and give exact the URL of your post. (each Tuesday that you join in on the fun)
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example of a URL ...
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Canadagirl/693425/
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Now go ahead link and read and comment on all these other's wonderful TWT's.
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Lets save our pennies, nickles, dimes, and dollars together !
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"There are only a few big ways to save money but there are many small ways ....that all adds up."
Dec. 21, 2009 - Bethlehem Revisited
This past weekend, two of my girls got to be part of a recreation called "Bethlehem Revisited" at a local church. It's fairly elaborate, starting with your "journey" to Bethlehem for the Roman census.
(These camels even gave rides in the afternoons.)
Nearing Bethlehem, we got to hear the angel announcing Christ's birth.
Just outside of Bethlehem, this man was begging for alms.
I forgot to take a picture of the Roman guards at the gate of Bethlehem, registering all entrants for the census.
Inside Bethlehem were shops of all kinds.
Here, Fairywings kneads dough at the bread shop.
Anony sold food in another shop.
There were candles, jewelry, baskets, clothing, pottery, rugs, weavers, artists--a plethora of potential purchases.
Bethlehem had a well, a tax collector, and a contingent of prominent Roman noblemen (and women).
But of course, best of all, Bethlehem had a stable with Mary, Joseph, and a newborn baby, destined to be our Savior.
The girls had a great time being involved with this and hope to do it again next year.
Monday, December 21, 2009 - Look what was delivered today :) -Dec 21st, 2009
My mom and step dad sent these to me today. Isn't the little house cute!
Dec. 22, 2009 - Review: The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel & Hans Bluedorn
Title: The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How To Recognize Bad Reasoning, 3rd edition
Authors: Nathaniel Bluedorn & Hans Bluedorn
Illustrated by: Rob Corley and Tim Hodge
Publisher: Christian Logic, 2009
Price: $22.00
http://www.fallacydetective.com/products/item/the-fallacy-detective/
I've heard of The Fallacy Detective for years, and it has been on my wish list for awhile. When the opportunity to review it arose, I quickly volunteered. I haven't seen the earlier versions, so this review will not be a comparison of the 3rd edition with previous editions. It will focus solely on the recently released 3rd edition of the book. The cover does state that the new book contains more fallacies and more cartoons, though.
If you're wondering what a fallacy is, the very first sentence of the book defines it as "an error in logic -- a place where someone has made a mistake in his thinking." Sometimes we do this unintentionally, but sometimes these fallacies are used intentionally to mislead consumers and the general public. The ability to recognize fallacies is important.
My first reaction to the book when it arrived was that the cover design is very catchy and pleasing, and the softcover book was well-made. The 9" x 6.5" size is a nice one to hold, larger than a standard paperback, but not as bulky as a full-size text book. The book includes Peanuts, Dilbert, Calvin and Hobbes, and other cartoons. Its design, with the cartoons and short lessons, is appealing to myself and my students.
The book is divided into 38 logic lessons. It begins with an introduction that explains what a fallacy is, then moves into 3 lessons on thinking and listening skills. After that, the fallacy lessons begin: 9 lessons on methods used to "Avoid the Question", 9 lessons on "Making Assumptions", 7 lessons on "Statistical Fallacies", and 10 lessons on "Propaganda". The book concludes with "The Fallacy Detective Game" and the Answer Key to the lessons.
Each lesson begins with a concise and enjoyable description of that fallacy, complete with cartoons to help illustrate the point. Then there are a variety of exercises to help you understand the fallacy and identify it in the world around you. The lessons rely heavily on discussion to help students assimilate the information.
My plans were to use this book with my 12 and 14 year old daughters, doing one lesson together at a time. That backfired when my 14 year old (9th grader) ran off with the book and began to devour it. She was fascinated with learning to identify the fallacies, and quickly read through the book. She then started trying to trick us into using a fallacy in our discussions so she could pounce on it. It didn't work, but it was fun to see her looking for fallacies.
I still plan to continue to go through the book with the girls, one lesson at a time. Although my daughter has enjoyed reading it quickly, I am sure she'll get more out of it when we take it more slowly and discuss the exercises together. Once we've finished the book, we can enjoy "The Fallacy Detective Game" together ... sounds like a good car game for family trips.
It is well worth the $22.00 cost, is completely reusable and non-consumable. It can be used to provide a year long curriculum in logic, covering one fallacy a week and spreading the exercises out over the course of the week. My ideal method would be to read the fallacy lesson together on Monday, discuss a few exercises together, then assign additional exercises to be completed independently. This should also lead to great discussion as we spot fallacies in the world around us.
The Fallacy Detective is an excellent logic book for junior and senior high students. It will give students a foundation in logic that will help them think critically about the information surrounding them in life. It will also give them an advantage in school subjects like essay writing, speech, and debate. Its format is easy to use, enjoyable, and most importantly ... effective in teaching the fallacies.
This review is NOT a part of my TOS Homeschool Crew assignment. To read those reviews, click on the TOS Homeschool Crew category in the right column.
Trusting In Him,
April
Dec. 21, 2009 - Candy Foote's "The Word Of God On..." e-books series
I recently was offered the chance to review some of Candy Foote's e-books. I chose two e-books from her selection of "The Word Of God On ..." e-books. The two that interested me most were "The Word Of God On The Words Of Your Mouth" and "The Word Of God On Being A Woman, A Wife, And A Mother." Each of these e-books is a compilation of Scripture on its chosen topic, sold for $14.99 at CandyFoote.com .
There have been times in my life when I have done what Candy Foote has done in these e-books. I have used my concordance to look up all the Scriptures on a topic that was heavy on my heart at the time. I wanted to know what God had to say on the topic, so I searched it out. Some of those times, I underlined a few verses, but failed to make a list of them all. On a few subjects, I recorded the verse addresses on a list in my journal ... but not the entire Scripture segments.
Candy has done that work for us and compiled it all into handy e-books that allow you to print them and read them whenever you want to. Not only would these be helpful for your personal Bible study, they can be assigned to older children and teens for Bible Study, copywork, or memorization of passages.
The Word of God on Being a Woman, A Wife, and a Mother -- $14.99
This e-book is available in the King James Version, as well as New International Version. I selected the NIV version. This subject is one that is important to me. Candy has included not only instructive verses on being a woman, wife, and mother ... but also Scripture re-telling the stories of other women in the Bible.
The e-book is 101 pages long, with 94 pages being the actual Scripture compilations. From Genesis to Revelation, it's God's Word on being a woman, just as the title states. Organized in the order they are taken from the Scripture, it's easy to locate stories of Deborah, or verses from Proverbs.
The e-book is neat, easily readable, and includes all of God's Word on being a woman, wife, and mother. It is easily downloaded as a PDF document, which can be read with Adobe Acrobat.
The Word of God on The Words Of Your Mouth -- $14.99
Available only in King James Version, this large e-book includes all God has to say on the words we speak. Once again organized from Genesis to Revelation, it also includes narrative Scripture and instructive Scripture. The 133 page e-book includes 128 pages of actual Scripture compilations.
This e-book is also well-organized, neat, and easily readable. It is ready for your personal Bible study, or to use in your homeschool. This e-book makes it easy to find Scripture on our words to assign for copywork or memorization by our children.
Also downloaded as a PDF document, this can be read in Adobe Acrobat.
To purchase these e-books, and more, visit CandyFoote.com.
These e-books were provided to me free, in exchange for my honest review.
Trusting In Him,
April
Dec. 21, 2009 - A Few Lessons and Memories of my dad--January 26, 1943 to December 18, 2009
Lessons I learned from my dad:
My dad was all about hard work and duty, doing well what you know you’re supposed to do before relaxing. Through his example, he built within each of us a strong work ethic and a stoic, uncomplaining attitude.
As he grew older, his emphasis became more on the eternal and soaking up spiritual truths. Our phone conversations when I was an adult usually centered around something he was studying on his own or learning in a Bible class. I realized that spiritual growth was ongoing as my dad imparted new spiritual lessons to me and I heard his heart for each of his children and grandchildren to spend eternity with God.
Memories:
My dad loved to read aloud, and he was pretty good at it. I remember being regaled with Thurber’s “The Night the Bed Fell,” Twain’s “The Frog Jumping Contest of Calaveras County,” and Ralph Moody’s “Little Britches” series. Typically, he would read these to us right after supper. He took such pleasure in sharing his favorite poems and stories.
As a young teenager, I remember my dad crying after watching a video by James Dobson. He regretted not spending more time with my brothers and me and realized we would not be at home with him much longer. As a result, he offered to take us to the park to play. Now, we were all a little old for that, but I thought, “Hey, I’d better take what I can get while it’s being offered.” And we laughed and played at the park—climbing, sliding, chasing, and swinging. I’m glad I didn’t miss that memory.
I remember one particular summer vacation when I was a teen. My dad used some of the time with us to study through the book of Nehemiah. In a chapter on rebuilding the wall of
As my dad matured, I think he understood more clearly that the Enemy was seeking to destroy his home and that prayer, Bible study, and right fellowship with his family would fortify the protection around it. He did pray for his children and grandchildren, that they would each come to know the Lord.
Growing up, I wasn’t always as understanding and respectful of my father as I should have been. Thankfully, he didn’t hold that against me, but loved me anyway, often expressing his pride in the woman I had become. I’m thankful for the many memories I have of my dad through the years, and I look forward to making many more with him when I one day join him in eternity.
Dec. 19, 2009 - Thursday Talkin' About Teenagers ~ Decemer 19 ,2009
Spend time with them; enjoy them; listen to them; and love them.
They are the most incredible people, these emerging adults,
and they can become the best friends you'll ever have."
~Diana Waring, Reaping the Harvest. The Bounty of Abundant-Life Homeschooling~
Dec. 18, 2009 - It's here, it's here!!
I am so excited! I have been looking forward to the day when I could order this book. I've heard it is the quintessential book on homeschooling in high school ... especially if you prefer a relaxed method of homeschooling. Every time I've asked about record keeping, planning courses, how much I can personalize a high school education ... someone would say "You need to read this book."
What book am I so excited about? Barbara Edtl Shelton's book, Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+U+La. I was able to order it recently, when I ordered some new grammar books and math workbooks for the kids. I'm looking forward to reading it, and learning from it.
Trusting In Him,
April
Dec. 18, 2009 - Now, this is more like it!!
WooHoo! My northern blood is doing the happy dance! It is snowing like crazy outside. About an hour ago, we measured 9 inches of snow in our backyard! This is AMAZING for our area!
The weather man says we may get up to 12 inches! There is also snow forcasted for most of next week, including Christmas Eve. Dare I wish for a White Christmas?!?!? I think, if the snow keeps up for much longer, it will be more snow than I have seen in 10 years, which is when we moved to this area.
The kids rushed through their schoolwork and chores this morning so that they could get outside right after lunch. I would like to say that they had a great time in the snow. However, there were many tears out of Goldilocks. She cried and cried about how cold the snow was, that the snow touched her and about how she didn't have the sled she wanted, and on and on. After about 10 minutes of melting down, she got used to the idea and started having fun. There was enough snow to sled for real and make two tiny snowmen. At the time we went out, there was about 2 inches.
The girls had loads of fun making snowmen.
Everyone loved sledding! I even got in a few runs.
Of Course, Tom Sawyer had to eat just a little bit of snow!
They finished off their time with a good old snowball fight, which caused more tears! Sigh...
We went out one more time when Daddy got home. By that time, it was about 6 inches. The sledding wasn't as good, but the snowball fights were great, with no tears this time.
The one downside to this storm is the effect it is having on our Southern Grand Magnolia tree. It is dropping lots of branches because of the weight of the snow. It is considered one of the historic trees in our city because of its height and girth, and I am afraid we may need to get an arborist to take care of it when all is said and done. Several of the branches hit the minivan, but it seems okay.
Blessings,
Dawn
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