Nov. 26, 2008
Black Friday Freebies
This Friday, November 28th, put on your pajamas, put away your pocketbooks and "head over" to CurrClick's best ever Black Friday Freebie Giveaway and Homeschooling Through the Holidays Sale!from Currclick: Black Friday is about savings, this season is about being frugal and CurrClick is and always has been about helping you trim your education budget. That's why this year, we're pleased to invite you to our biggest Black Friday Giveaway and Homeschooling Through the Holidays sales event yet, offering 28 COMPLETELY FREE TITLES from our most popular publishers, and dozens of your favorite holiday education titles up to 85% OFF! Don't miss out! |
Nov. 19, 2008
Twenty-Five Ways to Simplify Christmas
|
I found this list of ways to Simplify Christmas in a book I picked up last year called "A Keepsake Christmas". I will be sharing more ideas from this book this month and next month too. 1. Remember the three "P's" for a peaceful holiday - pray, plan, and prepare. 2. Hold a family meeting early in the year (or this weekend since it is already November) and talk about how you will celebrate. Set a budget and stick to it. 3. Draw names for gift giving and set a limit on how much you will spend. 4. If you buy gifts early in the year, keep a list of what you have purchased and for whom. 5. Make a gift list including sizes and favorite colors. Never go shopping without your list. 6. Remember that babies and young toddlers have no expectations for Christmas. Keep their gifts simple. 7. Give ten percent of what you spend buying gifts to a charity or needy family. 8. Exchange baby-sitting with a friend so you can leave your toddlers safety at home when you go to the mall. 9. Keep all your gift receipts in a separate box or envelope to make returns easier. 10. Decorate just your porch area instead of your entire yard. 11. Exchange decorating help with a friend. Spend one day together at her house and one day at yours. 12. Send cards and letters for New Year's or Valentine's Day instead of for Christmas. 13. Use postcards instead of greeting cards or consider making your own cards with a favorite family photo. 14. Make gift tags from recycled Christmas cards. 15. When entertaining, select a simple menu and use it more than once. 16. Host a potluck dinner and ask your guests to bring side dishes and desserts. 17. When you get together with aging relatives or friends, take time to record a few memories - video, audio, or in writing. 18. Leave a notebook open on the kitchen counter and each day write down some of your blessings. Ask friends and family to participate. 19. With your family, decide on your favorite holiday traditions and let others go. 20. Mark off times on your December calendar to devote to your family. Decide together how you want to spend this time together. 21. Leave your car at home and stroll through the neighborhood to look at Christmas decorations. 22. Roast marshmallows in the fireplace. 23. Take turns opening gifts so that each gift can be appreciated. 24. After the younger children have opened their gifts, put some of the toys away and bring them out on a rainy day in January. 25. On a Christmas afternoon, bring out a jigsaw puzzle or board game and savor the quiet time. Hope these ideas will help your family have a less stressful Christmas this year. You can find this idea plus many other Christmas ideas like: Crafts and Decorations Food Gifts Family Traditions Door Prizes A Free Gift at Lilliput Stations... (click the link below to go to THE PARTY!!!)
|
Nov. 6, 2008
Lilliput Station Adventures Online Christmas Party!!!
|
This party is going on now! The Lilliput Station Online Christmas Party is a blog meme hosted by Melissa Telling of Lilliput Station Adventures. It is a way for homeschoolers all over the world to get together and share some Christmas spirit. It is a place to gather new ideas, new recipes, and maybe a few new traditions. It is a time of fellowship and fun, a time to share the love of Christ with all of our online friends. It is our way of making the season a little brighter for those we have never met, but still feel as if we know. Due to the "busy"ness of the season, the Online Christmas Party will take place during the month of November this year. Hopefully this will give everyone more time to participate, and give us all more time to do the neat crafts and activities that everyone shares. Check it Out!
|
Aug. 10, 2008
The Ultimate In Homeschool Planning!
|
I have to say I was in total distress a month or so ago when I was creating a Household notebook. I found different sites and magazine ideas for what to put in there. I finally got it all together and then something AMAZING happened! I found a similar idea on The Old Schoolhouse Store! It is called The Schoolhouse Planner. It is an e-book with everything you could possibly need for homeschooling plus more things you never even thought you needed! I just got it and now I have started printing it out. I am adding a few things I have to it (My Fly Lady Routines) and BAM!, The Perfect Planner! Below is a list of some of the things you will find inside the 247 page e-Book! Check out this link to be directed to a Free Peek of The Schoolhouse Planner E-Book! by The Old Schoolhouse Store. • Calendars in various forms – yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily • Lists of holidays and places to record special days in your family • Planners for your homeschool – in various styles to meet your individual needs • Pages for both long-term and short-term homeschooling goals • Curriculum planning forms • Evaluation forms and test score recording sheets • A through-the-Bible in a (school) year schedule • Forms for recording Bible memory and other memory work • Logs for recording books read, movies and documentaries viewed, etc. • A field trip planning form and recording log • A sample science lab sheet and nature study sheets • A place to record extracurricular activities • Outside classes, co-op, and support group information and recording sheets • Household planning forms • Daily, weekly, and monthly household schedule charts • Grocery, menu-planning, and food logs • Various budget and financial planning forms • Garden planning sheets • An appliance and electronics inventory sheet • Vacation planning ideas • Address and telephone records • And much, much more!
If all of that isn’t enough to entice you, each month throughout the year, we will also be offering “planner supplements” that you and your kids will love! Our first monthly module will be available in July and will include all kinds of interesting information about popular holidays. These will not only be filled with great information that you will love including with your planner, but they will also be extremely affordable! |
Jul. 17, 2008
The Battle is Over!!
|
The ants are marching outta here!!! I have managed to get rid of the ants without the expensive exterminator! It only took a month! Missed you all. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been reading a book called CREATIVE CORRECTION and implementing all the awesome ideas on my family! I got my hubby on board too. He loves the ideas about correcting without beating your kids! The whole book is about 1. finding out that you're not alone in the kids try to rule the house thing and 2. There are adequate punishments out there that fit the crimes of my children. and 3. Lisa Whechel matches it all up with prayer and forgiveness! My hubby does not particularly care for that part, but he allows me the opportunity to carry it out. I still think my favorite one so far is the correction for a child stomping through the house when they can't get their way. Lisa's advice is to take them outside and tell them to stomp their feet on the driveway for 1 minute, I have them do this barefoot. And...after they whine about it hurting after about 15 seconds...you tell them to stomp harder!!!! My 9 yr old dd and my 3 yr old ds have each only had to do it twice. My second favorite is the "Hold your tongue" one. If their mouth gets out of line (talking back, interrupting etc.) then you tell them to hold their tongue between their thumb and pointer finger until you tell them to stop. The drooling is really hysterical and quite embarrassing when they have a friend over! But it works!! I have had a lot less mouthiness! I LOVE THIS BOOK! There are lots of other great ideas! It was hard for me to find scripture when I am correcting my kids but now it is all in this book. Until I get used to using the book I tell them to sit in a chair or on the steps until I have found the infraction and picked a correction. You can get is really inexpensively online! I got mine for $7 including shipping. They are around $19.00-$20.00 retail. If you have this book let me know what you think! Anyway! Nice to be back online! Denielle |
Jun. 17, 2008
The Battle of the ants!
ALL YOU ANT LOVERS with cute little ant farms at home DO NOT READ THIS!.....You know that song, "The ants go marching one by one....horrah horrah" Yeah! That's what my house has been like for the past week!  I have been cleaning and scrubbing like never before! My pantry went first....millions of them! We cleaned it out and it is very clean, labeled and organized now. Luckily my all-botanical cleaner kills them!!! We have been working 1 room at a time, cleaning and spraying!  Don't get me wrong I have no problem with ants as long as they don't invade and eat away my house! They have eaten the whole bottom section of the outside wall to one room! THEY ATE THE WALL!!!  It will cost a few HUNDRED dollars to fix it myself. Not to mention if I hired someone. Anyway, as of yesterday, I have not seen any more ants!  They marched out 100 by 100 with all their eggs!!! But yet I am still scrubbing up after them! Well at least my house is CLEAN!!  |
Jun. 9, 2008
Busy Busy...;)
I have been planning and cleaning all day. Cleaning the house, as all of us do. Thank you Lord for FLY LADY!!  Also we are planning out 2 Unit Studies at the same time. One for just Shelbi - Presidential Election Process, and one for all of them (separately) called The Salamander Room. We are dong lapbooks for both, which is why I am planning it all out. My goal to finish them is 2 weeks. I think we can do it! Shelbi is grounded, so she has nothing better to do anyway. No, she is really excited about them both! We will let you know how it is progressing as we go. It all starts tomorrow. Hopefully I won't pull my hair out.  |
Jun. 6, 2008
Thought This is Cool!
 |
Jun. 6, 2008
ThankYou!
Jun. 5, 2008
Today, we took a break!
|
Today my youngest 3 children, my friend April, (to help me with them) and I went to Water Country USA for a few hours. I, sadly, but kinda gladly, left our eldest, Shelbi, at Nanna's house on restriction. She has a huge problem with obedience. Anyway, we went to the wave pool, to get Aidan, 15 mos., used to the water. It did not work well. The other two had a blast. I had to practically drag them to the kiddie slides. We stayed in there for about an hour trying to get James (3) down a slide. Aidan got reacquainted with the water. Still hating it though, we decided to have a little snack and move over to another area, more for swimming. We put the mini life jackets on Marisa (4-but short) and Aidan. I decided to get the next size up for James, which seemed to fit well. After meeting some friends from Co-op there we chatted a bit, keeping an eye on James and Marisa, while Aidan fell asleep in my arms in the water. Well, we soon realized James was not next to me. Yes, the worst had happened. April and I asked each other at the same time, "Where is James?" James had floated past us into deeper water, about 10 feet away. He would have been able to reach, if I had the right size life-vest on him. He looked like a flopping fish. His mouth was open, trying to call for help. His eyes looked like they were popping out of his head as he tried to flip from his stomach to his back. This wasn't working. Simultaneously, April and I are trying to get to him in waist deep water, me with a sleeping baby and her with my 4-year old in toe. I grabbed Marisa and she ran to him. She picked him up and brought him to the steps where he caught his breath and started to cry. I was actually relieved to here him scream. We immediately switched to the smaller and pleaded with him for 30 minutes to get back in the water with mommy. I sat on the steps until he slowly started to ween himself back into the water. This time staying very close to me. After playing around for about 30 minutes I decided we had all had enough,and we went home. Anyway, you must be thinking, why in the world is she telling us this?! Well, there are 2 reasons. 1. I read a post on a mommy website warning moms about different life vests for this very reason. But no one mentioned the ones that actually look like a vest. Basically, in order for a child to be relatively safe, I have found, that there needs to be more vest material in the front of them than in the back to keep their face out of the water, and nothing that goes above the chin. (Just what I have found) 2. I asked James if he knew who saved him. He said, "April". I said, "yes, but God told April and I at the same time that you were in trouble. God, saved you and He will always save you!" Of course I had lost his interest at that point. But, when he told daddy later tonight (who does not attend church with us) what had happened at Water Country today, he said "Daddy, God saved me, and April pulled me out of the water." I just about died. That was the sweetest words I have ever heard from his tiny lips. Praise God! What a witness before the Lord!! Thanks for reading! Denielle |
Jun. 3, 2008
Developing Our Routine
|
I have found that a scheduling is wrapping your day into a tiny little box that you cannot get out of. It is very inflexible. I have changed it to my routine. The keys to a successful "routine" is to figure out what your accomplishments must be. 1. The Big picture: (1 year) basically my goal is to get through the year with my sanity intact. 2. The monthly picture: You must plan out your routines for your life not just homeschooling. (ex: I plan monthly menus - makes weekly shopping a whole lot easier! I know when something is on sale if I am going to need it or not.) 3. Weekly: Even your youngest of children can help. My kids have signs up that have pictures to show them what to do. (My 15 month old cleans up his toys just like the older kids do.) 4. Daily Routine: How long to you spend with each child? What plans do you have for the rest of the kids? (We have acceptable activity lists for my kids to choose from) NO TV, NO VIDEO GAMES, NO INTERNET SURFING during the day. 5. Mealtime: let your kids help with meals....not all at one time...let them rotate through the meals. (4 yr old helps with breakfast, 3 yr old and 15 mo. old help with lunch, 9 yr old helps with dinner) 6. The more time you spend with your kids the more help they will be to your dishes, laundry, cleanup, etc. Sounds crazy but it works! Anyway, these routines I started just weeks ago and they are working wonders for my family. We are soooo far from ok, or even partially normal, but we are a lot happier and more helpful! I only implemented part of the routine little by little over 3 weeks time. It works a lot easier that way. |
Jun. 3, 2008
Our Daily Routine
|
We are working this summer on a complete routine. So far we have these parts of it "routine", I usually get up 6:30 -7:00, my kids usually get up around 7:30ish. (This is my 1 Minute Devotional and Quiet Time with the Lord) 8:00 Breakfast - during breakfast I read them their devotional (Keys for Kids- it's free) which is about 3 minutes or so long. They don't all understand it but, they listen. This is how I am teaching my 15 mo old to sit and listen. 8:30 we search the house for things to clean up. James finds cloths, mostly socks. Marisa finds toys, Shelbi finds trash under things, and I sweep. Shelbi or I clear and wash the table. 9:00 we all sit down outside or in the living room and I read books to them for the day. (This week it is the letter A, Adam & Eve, we are reading a story about a tomato garden, then Shelbi's books on the Mountain life of Pioneers (yesterday was photography). 9:45-10:00 ish Shelbi plays with James (3) and Aidan(15 mo) while I sit and work on the "lesson" with Marisa. Last night we created a three drawer activity center. Those puzzles and magnetic paper dolls and bags of manipulatives are ONLY played with during schooltime. That is what Shelbi will pull out for them to play with. There is a special drawer with little puzzles and age appropriate toys for Aidan too. That way I can focus on Marisa. 10:30 we switch. Marisa goes with Shelbi - Shelbi switches toys for Aidan and I have time to work with James. 11:00 Free time for 30 minutes 11:30-12:30 Lunch time - James and Aidan help me and Marisa & Shelbi have reading time. Shelbi reads books to Marisa until lunch is ready, pointing at the words that have a picture to show Marisa what the words for that picture looks like. 12:30-2:00 Marisa, James & Aidan take a nap. Shelbi and I work on her Unit Study / lapbook. 2:00-3:30 30 miunte blocks of chores, games & outside time 3:30-4:30 Shelbi has 30 minutes or 1 section of Singapore Math and 30 minutes of Rosetta Stone - Spanish,then she is free to play a Bible Quest game or play with her webkins. The kids sit in there with her and learn Spanish right beside her. They LOVE IT. Anyway, that's what we are working on right now. The only thing we are obligated to is Young Marines Tues & Thurs, soccer on Saturdays, church on Sundays (& Wed in the fall). Now we have to work on the After Dinner routine to get everything for the next day ready. Probably too much info but I am a detailed person - I can't summarize to save my life. |
Jun. 3, 2008
Lapbooking 101
|
Pre-made ones are the best to start with because you can get a feel of what will work for your kids. I am very new to LB, but this is what I've learned so far. We did a pre-made St. Patty's lapbook, which we put aside because I found that 1. I cannot do the crafty parts of the lapbooks with them all together. 2. I can read the books to them all together. 3. They want to use more than the color Green! 4. There was too much coloring altogether. So we put that lapbook away half done for next year. By then we will be into lapbooking enough to know how to find things to change it up a bit, instead of starting over. So after a lot of prayer, God showed me the snake one. It was just an outline in the beginning and the rest of that is on my previous blog entry. Now we are in the process of doing a Unit Study from Five In A Row. The book gives you the Studies and a list of the books needed. It explains each subject and alternate books on them. We are really enjoying one titled When I Was Young In the Mountains. Funny thing is that I have had that book in my house since dd was 6 years old. Lapbooking Sites We Use homeschoolshare.com has some great pre-made lapbooks and they have notebooking and lapbooking pages for some of the FIAR units. So we are lapbooking what we make from the Mountain Unit. Next we are doing a lapbook on Elections from www.knowledgeboxcentral.com which is another great site for lapbooks pre-made and VERY detailed. www.currclick.com is a great site to find inexpensive units / lapbooks and freebies all the time. www.handsofachild.com is yet another site we are a member of that has their own original lapbook packs and also lots of feebies. A lot of their lapbooks are inexpensive as well. |
Jun. 2, 2008
Our 1st Lapbook - Snakes!
|
This is our Snake Lapbook - slide show version. We did have a lot of fun learning about all these snakes. Hope you have fun watching the slide show. Some of the templates for the min-books were made by me but most of them were downloaded from homeschoolshare.com.   |
Jun. 2, 2008
We Finished Our 1st Lapbook!!!
|
We are done! We have completed our 1st lapbook on Snakes! It was a very interesting Unit Study. I did not have anything but a very basic outline of what we should be looking at. I borrowed books from friends and made a list of what we were going to cover. Then my friend Dawn helped my make a list of subjects we can cover with the books' material. Next I sat down at the table and put together the lapbook pieces in my head and made yet another list. Last I spent about an hour on homeschoolshare.com (Awesome site for lapbooking) and picked out the minibook templates I needed. After surfing the internet for pictures and such daily, we got it all together. My little ones (ages 1, 3, & 4) enjoyed some of the books but not all. But the 9 yr old hung on every last word! Take a look at what we put together. Our next lapbook is on Presidential Elections. This should be mind blowing for her! |
May. 21, 2008
New to blogging!
I started homeschooling in February 2006 with my 1st grader, whom I pulled out of Public school on Valentine's Day.  This was prayerfully thought out about 2 weeks prior to me taking her out. She was bored and in too low a grade level but not mature enough, socially, to move up a grade. When the school system could not support her academically, I decided, since I wasn't working, that I can bring her home for one on one schooling on her level. She blew through the remainder of 1st grade in 3 weeks.Well, then we hit a little snag. I became pregnant with child #4 (ds 1). I was extremely tired all the time and could hardly breathe approaching Christmas 2006. I had a friend over every other day with her 2 homeschooled children to help me just function. My daughter's homeschooling turned into a worksheet nightmare for her. It was like pulling teeth to get it done. This was not working for either of us! Now, I had 2 other children ages 2 and 3 at the time and life was rough living in 900 square feet, trying to homeschool. The year 2007 brought many surprises for all of us. First was my baby boy born February 2007. Next was trading in my Dodge Neon for a 2005 Dodge Caravan in August! Then to end the year right the Lord decided I could handle a little more. He moved us into a 1875 square foot Cape Cod!!!! Yeah!!! Now, new problems arose! How do I child proof this entire house ASAP! The kids used my walls as murals, the attics as hiding places, and the new stairs (we've never had before) as a slide. Then there was school, we chose (dd and I) BJU for 3rd grade. It was a planning disaster.  I don't have the time to put into what you had to do for that to work. DD and I had so much 1 on 1 time that we wanted to ring each others' neck. I was going out of my mind!!!! So after months (6 exactly) of agony over cleaning out and organizing my new bigger mess, I decided to let God take my life back over.  The Lord led me to lapbooking, unit studies, real books!!! No more curriculum. Now we are studying about snakes and also doing a unit study on Pioneer children. The snake study was put together by me for a summer project for my dd. She chose the topic and I found the material. She loves it. My other kids, now 1, 3, and 4 love to sit and listen to the stories. We will post the lapbooks when we are done. Now, the Lord guides everything in our house!  He planned our school, meals, cleaning, grooming, sports, everything and I just wrote it down. Ever since I gave it ALL to Him, things have been a lot less hectic. So, who am I to take it over?! I just follow the Leader and my children follow me. God Bless! Thanks for reading. |