I know, I know, this is a bit late but I only just found it today. Honest! FamilyFun.com has a great Count Down to Halloween. It is 31 days of fun printables that are all really cute and a new one is posted every day. So, go to the beginning and start the frightfull fun with witch craft and have a full complement of spooky decor for your haunted house as well as other fun activities or start on todays date and still have time for a bit of fun before the big day. I alas, will not be able to join you; my printer has decided it's time for a vacation and is refusing to work. >:(
In preparation for Charles bday party coming up next month, I have been researching old fashioned games such as marbles, jacks, pick up sticks, etc. The theme he chose was "The Snowman". You know, the story by Raymond Briggs? Well, it was also made into an animation that I absolutely love. There are no lines spoken in the whole thing except for the lines sung by a choir boy in a song entitled "Walking in the Air". The movie, which is only about 25 minutes long, is entirely set to beautiful, soothing music. I will often turn it on just to listen to it while I got about my work. LOL.. I have seen this so often that just hearing a particular bit I can picture what's happening.
Anyway, I was completely stumped when Charles informed me that's what he wanted. How was I supposed to work with that? However, the film always give me the impression of the era when TV was still new fangled and children still played outside more than anything else. There were no video games, computer, etc. so they still played all those old fashioned games, which gave me the idea of looking up stuff about those as games for the party. Super easy stuff since we already have a huge marble set and even a great set of wooden pick up sticks and I happen to know that our local RX that we frequent the most has an awesome set of metal jacks. But, I digress. This post is not about any of those things. It's not even about your average game of marbles. This is an online computer game of logic that's quite interesting to play.
I had typed in trying to find diagrams and instructions for the old fashioned marbles game and instead I was directed to Brain Vista, a site with lots of interested brain teasers and ames one of which is Marbles. It takes planning and logic as you try to choos which marble to jump which way and end with only one marble on the board. I can't get less than 6. And no, you're not wasting your time. You're building your skill of logic and thinking. Have fun!
Did you ever wonder why there's such a huge emphasis in our country for "SHOPPING!"? Or why stuff is made so cheaply that it has us throwing it away and running right back to the store to buy another one to keep us happy which just upsets us again as soon as the fads change or it breaks? Or why there's such a huge emphasis on "disposable" stuff now and we're throwing away items that are perfectly good for more than one use? For instance, look at all of the baby manufaction companies (including Gerber and The First Years) that make disposable sippies, bottles and other eating utensils. I too was sucked into this loop and bought these when Deedee was a baby. With one difference. I didn't throw them away after one use as I saw complete strangers and even close friends and family doing. I used them and you know what? They lasted me until just recently when my last sippy finally broke. Which means that although they were only made for one use, they lasted for countless. Which makes one wonder. If that stuff lasted this long through the use of four rambuctious children for three years, how long is this stuff going to last in a landfill? And why are they making disposable stuff like this in the first place? There are even disposable dvds that are made to be thrown away after 48 hours just for our convenience! The whole premise is that we'll no longer incur late fees if we borrow a movie on this type of platform but all that's doing is telling us we don't have to be responsible enough to make sure we return our movies on time. The only good thing about this is that there are special recycling centers for these to be sent to, but how many people will actually do so instead of simply chucking in the trash?
So why am I on this kick? Because this morning, I finally got around to opening one of my newsletters, Ideal Bite, that's been floating around in my inbox for the last week or so. It was entitled Trashy Poe(m). I was a little leery opening it, but let out a sigh of relief when I realized the title was exactly what it looked like, a play on words. It was centered around Poe's great work, The Raven, and it was talking about, you guessed it, trash. But it seemed like any other newsletter I've gotten from them with a bunch of quick facts, trivia, a few cute (or horrible) puns and some links. Today however, there was a link for a movie entitled "The Story of Stuff" and it was described as a good primer for what happens to our stuff. So I and the kids watched it. Wow. I've known for some time that we have too much stuff (as a family and as a nation) but I never really knew any of the figures. And I never really thought about how the system works and atlhough I've been working hard moving towards a more sustainable way of life, I still find myself slipping at times such as using plastic bags at the store because I forgot my cloth ones or maybe useing something that's disposable because it's quick and convenient (which happens sometimes when one has four children) but I never really thought about it. I mean, come one. How much damage can just one person do? Well, not much. Until you multiply that a billion times and realize just how much damage is actually done every day.
So what exactly is the Story of Stuff? Well, according to them it's "a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever". All very true. It even got my littles thinking. After we watched it, I asked them what they'd learned and how we might change things. They really didn't say much and all I got from Charles was a blank stare. However, this is what Deedee said: "We don't want too much garbage" and "Buying stuff is bad". Both of those statements are really generalized, but what can one expect from a 3 yo? But it's a start and that's what counts. And she's already aware of trash and the fact that it's bad. For over a month now my "Little Litter Bug" picks up trash wherever she sees it and throws it away, sometimes holding onto it for blocks until we find the proper receptacle. How awesome is that? (I just wish she could do it at home so well. LOL) So check it out. You'll be amazed how much you learn and how many questions it sparks.
Every morning, rain or shine, Carey drops in at Break.com before class/work. It's like Youtube with tons of vids posted. While not all are appropriate for children, I just had to share these. The first one is of an excellent contact juggler (For anyone that's seen Labyrinth, you've seen this type of juggling before and you can see a vid for that here.) and the second one is an awesome dancer (Charles really liked this one and wanted to keep watching it).
I first learned about this great resource about a year and a half ago when I first decided to homeschool my young son. I was looking for stuff about lap books, stumbled upon Jaminacema's awesome blog and from there it was easy to find me way to the Schoolhouse. Right away I saw so many awesome books and stuff that I wanted to order, and I really liked the idea of free shipping. For a family of very limited income that's a huge plus and it's kept me coming back. As for the magazine, I remember really really wanting it and not having the funds. I was so excited this winter when I finally got a chance to not only actually look at a digital copy (a must for this household so I know what I'm getting) and my husband saying that yes, I could use the last of our Christmas money to get a digital subscription. While I've only had the chance to look at a couple of issues now, I've been provided with much food for thought and I've learned of some wonderful resources. One thing I especially love about the digital issues is that I can print only what particularly interested me and what I want to archive for future referance. When space is at a premium, one can't always justify having huge stacks of magazines everywhere. So if you haven't subscribed yet, now's your chance and I highly recommend that you check it out!
Root of the Tree is a set of toolbars that offers instant access to the best sites on the web, are age appropriate and with no spyware, adware, etc. There are four different toolbars, easy to switch between, and all packed with educational and entertaining online games. It works for both IE & Firefox, it downloads quickly, and best of all, it's Free!
The categories are:
Roots: Parents, full of activities, coupons, tools, etc.
I found this site this morning through a site that I found last night. I as wactually trying to find an online audio of The Owl and the P*u*s*s*y Cat. I found said audio at Story Nory. As I was exploring, I stumbled upon this in Story Nory's blog. (There's a Story Nory tab on the Roots bar.)
Yep, once again I am undertaking a rather extensive overhaul of all graphics and links in the sidebar! For those of you that put up with this last fall as well, please be patient. Hopefully, this will take me only a few days. Please bear with me if there are any broken links or graphics not displaying properly; I will fix them as soon as possible. Please feel free to leave a comment just in case I may have missed them. In the meantime, settle in with a nice cup of your favorite beverage in a comfy chair, and check out my archives!
Sections being added:
Homeschooling Children with Special Needs (James chose the graphic)
James' Cooking Lessons
Our World Studies
The Broom Closet (groups that I belong to)
And lots and lots of links that I have set aside with no time to add them. Oh, and news headlines as well fixing my Word of the Day. This is something I used to have, but lost when we couldn't do JAVA for a while.
Does it feel like you can't get organized? Does it seem like you just can't balance your desire for an orderly home with a tendancy to "put it off" for just a little while? You've gone through all of the schedules and planners out there that everyone is raving about but it still doesn't seem quite right? Are you feeling guilty about what's not getting done?
Well, look no more. Motivated Moms is an inexpensive planning system that is fully adaptable for your busy life. They're all about reducing stress, not adding to it! It's a unique chore organizer that helps you remain focused on completing daily chores as they fit into your schedule and family lifestyle. Because guess what? The tasks you miss will come up again on another day. And there are six (six!) different versions so there's bound to be one that works for you. It helps you organize your priorities so you don't spend your entire day doing housework. This lifts you up when you're falling so you're on top of the world and your life has a whole new meaning. Now you have the time to take the kids on the field trip you promised last year and you won't feel guilty because there's a sink full of dishes and the laundry has a backlog of six months. And now you have the time to actually sit down and plan the kids' school schedule for the next week or even for the whole term. Yearn to sit down and study your Bible but can never seem to find the time? Now you can have daily scheduled Bible reading through the whole year.
One Mom says: “We homeschool, and as most homeschoolers know, it is HARD to stay organized! I've found this system to be so simple, yet so thorough that it makes getting organized easy! A real blessing! I'm getting so much more accomplished now. If you're a scattered person like me, you will love this system!”Kim M.
The musings of my childrens journey in the wonders of love, life, and spirituality. Love, Live, Laugh, and Learn. That's what it's all about. Welcome and blessed be.
* Carey ~ Beloved husband that puts up with everything.
He's majoring in history, loves to read, play D&D and Mech Warriors.
* Ami ~ Me. Busy teacher and housewife. I love to spend
time with the kids, read, garden, cook, knit, sew, make my own soaps
and salves.
* James ~ Our oldest at five. He loves to build with blocks, enjoys the guitar, adores robots and believes he
can't live without his trucks (and skateboard).
* Charles ~ My little monkey! Our youngest son at four, he
is the most precious gift ever recieved on a birthday.
He's a wonderful, sunny little guy that's very inquisitive and artistic.
* Meradydd ~ Our oldest daughter at three.
An opinionated and exceedingly bossy little girl with a temper to match her copper hair.
My little fashion diva that loves shoes, furlies, & hair pretties.
* Kathrynn ~ Kitty is my 1 year old little angel. She's a beautiful, mellow little girl that's extremely patient but is also starting to show her claws.
Abraham Lincoln ~ You have a Bible and a library card what more could you possibly need? You prefer the Charlotte Mason Method of reading living books for everything: historical fiction, biographies, real histories, nature guides, etc. No soon-to-be-outdated textbooks for you. Visit my blog: Guilt Free Homeschooling Take this quiz!
