I have been on a mission to organize our 1200 sq ft home.  With four small ones running around and my head in the homeschool cloud, things have gotten out of control!  And with Mom and Dad comming for a visit in three weeks...nothing like a little motivation!

So I have decided to write down the weaknesses that stop me from acomplishing organization:

1.  Distractions:

               * computer(blogging!)

               * children(clean up one mess and another is made)

               * homeschool(yes, I said...it can become consuming)

               * myself(I have trouble staying on one task at a time)

2.  Scheduling

               *Sticking to it

3.  Everyday life

              * life in a neighborhood (the doorbell doesn't stop somedays!)

4.  Laziness

              *I admit it( I would rather curl up with a good book any day than scrub tubs...somedays the book wins!)

So, how do I combat these problems....are you or have you battled the organization monster in your home? Need advice! Need an it's OK...you can do it!

Have you discovered oneplace.com yet?????  If not...take some time today to take advantage of this wonderful resource!  You can listen to an archive of adventures in Oddessy and many other children's programs.  I click in on while we are eating and it is a wonderful tool for table time or free play.  Also you can listen to Focus on the family, Chuck Swindol, and many more of my favorites. Yes, all for FREE!!!!!!!

I love FREE!!!

Here's the link!

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Karen_and_Kids/archives.asp?bcd=6/18/2006

This site has gotten me through some rough days...I know you will love it!

This year I will be homeschooling 3...so I wanted to start off the year with a bang and surprise the kids. So while I was walking in walmart(at 11:45 last night!), I found this really cool A-frame ladder like, cubby holder ON CLEARENCE and instantly God dropped this idea in my head!!!! Whooo!!!! I always get really excited when He gives me a light bulb!!!

So I thought, this is perfect...I can stamp each child's name on each canvas cubby and on the other side of the A-frame I can stamp our subjects on each cubby.  So when the kids wake up on the first day they can see their new cubbies (hidding it under our bed until then :o) filled with goodies and books and resources, their notebooks, new pencils, ect.....Whooo!!!!! AND IT IS A FORM OF ORGANIZATION TOO!!! I just love God!

Is anyone else as excited as me?!

I have found out one thing about teaching that can make the worst attitude, most reluctant child light up with passion......following God's direction!  He wants our children to love life and learning and be joyful...He desires to give them life abundantly! So if we moms can be ready to here His direction in our hearts, wonderful things will happen in the minds and hearts of our little ones! So excited to see their little faces light up and hear them ooh and aah over their books!!!!

I have just recently stepped into the world of cloth diapering and realized how addicting it is!  Not only are you swayed with the ideals of protecting your baby's skin and the environment, but it becomes a spiritual passage as well.  Finding the old path...walking in the shoes of the women before you...cloth diapering brings back a sense of oneness and duty :) to your life.  For some bizarre reason I love seeing the diapers hanging out to dry, I love watching her chubby little buns crawl around in them and I get a real satisfaction from knowing that, I can do it to...just like my mom and grandmom...it can be done!

Now, don't get me wrong..these aren't your grandmom's cloth diapers...these new cloth diapers absorbe as much as disposibles and come with water proof lining built in! They are called All in Ones.

If you are a diaper addict like me, you know them as AIO!

They are great and highly fashionable too, no more plain white diapers, they can color cordinate with the outfit or have your child's favorite storybook character, and on and on!

I have found that many homeschool moms are making these in their homes as a home business and enjoying it.  I got my AIOs from a homeschooling mom and they are great, plus they are a lot cheaper in price than those sold retail.  I wanted to give her and advertisement for her time and care given to me. So here is the link !

Warning...you could become addicted too! :)

http://stores.ebay.com/Prissy-Princess-Cloth-Diapers

Diaper Duty Calls!

Many Blessings,

Karla

While tring to get organized for the start of the school year, I came across a wonderful site and wanted to share it with you.

Color Me is a great resource for art studies. They have a collection of black and white pencil drawings of great masterpieces that you can print out and it is so organized!  And so FREE!!  Now that's what we all want to hear!! :)  They are adding more images so be sure to check them out, you won't be dissapointed!

Enjoy,

Karla

To go to this site simply click the link below!

  http://www.colormeonline.com/default.htm

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." -- Lin Yutang

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." -- Honore' de Balzac (1799-1850)

"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her." -- George Washington (1732-1799)

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1907- )

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." -- Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

"Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." -- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." --Author Unknown

This is the first time that I have seen such beautiful pictures of a hummingbird nest...now this bird is a homemaker!  Keep going until  the last pic, it is awesome! You will want your kids to enjoy these also, so call them to the computer and enjoy!

Amazed at God's creations,

Karla

http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/ 

Foster Care: What is it really?

There should be some kind of law against using the name for one of the most wonderful fruits in the world for an electronic device!

We stopped at a stand on the side of the road and found the largest , most sweetest blackberries I have ever seen!  They were rather costly, but worth every penny!  I looked in my fridge today and noticed both quarts were almost gone and so were my hopes of making blackberry jam.  I started to wonder how they came up with the name backberry for the handheld computer thing.  It doesn't resemble the plump, little fruits in my fridge and surely those that use them have wondered the same thing. 

Now, when I hear public conversations between two"blackberry users," my mouth waters and my eyes cry in rememberance of the biggest, best blackberries sent to me from heaven!(I think that was a run-on sentence) :}

I think we will need to make another road trip this weekend!

Knowledge Quest is a wonderful resource for blackline maps of world history.  Terri, a homeschool mom, has created over 200 maps that are time period accurate and simple to print out.

All children love visuals, and this is a great way to help them understand the geography of the country that they are sudying.

Many moms use this for their geography studies and it can stand alone.

They are having a wonderful special on blackline maps right now so be sure to check them out!

She has also created an Ebook about starting your own online business...a must have for any mommy in business.

Click here!

http://ccostner4.knowledgeq.hop.clickbank.net

HOMESCHOOL MOMS...are you gearing up for the fall? Well, let me encourage you to check out History Scribe!  This is a wonderful site with great notebook pages, biography, bible, history, and much more.  The idea behind History Scribe resources follows classical and CM educational philosophies.  Using hearing, reading, drawing, and writing about each subject in order to ensure mastery.  This all sounds complicated...but the layout is so simple it is sure to make any mom smile and excite students of all ages!! 

The timeline book comes with a CD that has over 4,000 images to print out for only $12.99!!!! Now that is a deal!!!

I was so happy about finding this that I just had to share it with you!

http://www.historyscribe.com/s-whatis.html

For more info you can click and check out the website.

Oh, Happy 4th of July!!

Many BLessings,

Karla

Are there any other moms with toothpicks holding your eyes open? Do you have big purple bags under your eyes?  Do you get asked if you are aneamic(sp?) on a regular basis? Do you fall asleep while driving and wonder how you got from walmart to your drive way in one piece? Can you sleep through your dh's snoring but wake everytime a child turns over?

Well, if you have answered yes to any of the following, then we must be friends!

After adding up my sleepless nights and adding interrupted sleep, I came up with over 2,000 no-sleep nights within the last six years! To be exact..since 01-18-00 the date of my first son's birth!  We have four now and lately it has come to my attention that it is their mission in life to keep mommy from sleeping! 

If you have had the same problem with sleepless children...I will be glad to take your advice. But please keep in mind, we don't do sugar, late night snacks, long naps, rough housing before bed, scary movies, or tv, my kids just don't like sleep...they think that they don't need it! Also, before giving advice, know that we have tried rewarding sleepers, disciplining non-sleepers, and running away to a hotel for sleep!

So, I need some really creative advice...oh, we also prayed over them and rebuked what I call the "sleep demon!" Smiling, but not joking!

If you have advice for me...please respond.

Thanks,

Karla

Ten Golden Rules

1. You should not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.

2. You should not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.

3. You should not cross bridges before one comes to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.

4. You should face each problem as it comes. One can only handle one at a time anyway.

5. You should not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.

6. You should not borrow other people's problems. They can better care for them than you can.

7. You should not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!

8. You should be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are talking, and some people do know more than you do.

9. You should not become "bogged down" by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.

10. You should count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

Finally, give thanks to the Lord, from whom all blessings come.

Author unknown

LADIES,

COME CHECK OUT MY INTERVIEW WITH CINDY RUSHTON! CLICK HERE

http://www.momtomompodcast.com/

 TO HEAR CINDY AND I TALK  ABOUT FOSTERING AS A FAMILY MINISTRY. I MUST CAUTION YOU...BRING YOUR MUG OF HOT TEA AND/0R COFFEE AND A BOX OF TISSUES! :) ALSO, CHECK OUT MY BLOG,"ASK A FOSTER MOM"  BY CLICKING

http://askafostermom.blogspot.com/

ENJOY,

KARLA

Ladies,

I am working on an Ebook that deals with fostering and adoption! This is my very first Ebook and I am very excited! :)  BUT, I need your help.....I need your questions.  You can go to http://askafostermom.blogspot.com/ post your question and I will send you a FREE article entitled, "Fostering Hearts."

Also be sure to listen  for me on Cindy Rushton's Pod Cast comming up this week.

She will be interviewing me and we will be further discussing the Ebook.

Thanks ladies and have a blessed day,

Karla

I love, love, love this progam.....easy to follow, easy to understand, easy to implement....did I say easy?! I received mine in the mail on Friday and have blasted through the first few lessons, I'm a woman on a mission! Yes, Serects to Building Sites That Sell is a wonderful course chuck full of info on starting your internet business, writing ebooks, making websites, and much more!!!  Sorry to say that this awesome set is only selling untill midnight tonight!:( So for more info on exactly what you get and how this will transform your business click here!http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=401090

I've found it!!!! Finally a no-nonsense, fool proof approach to learning how to build an online business!!!!! Ladies, The Beck family(of Family Ebiz) has given us an open door to the internet business world, no more secrets, no more scams!!

Here's the deal....this set will only be sold until Sunday night so get all the details and talk it over with your man ASAP! Click the link and find out for yourself how awesome this set is and what it can do for your family!!http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=401090

I ordered today and can't wait to get started!!!

Attention Homeschool Moms......all of you who have paid for expensive copywork books and still haven't found what you're looking for...guess what, you can pick and print your own!!!! Join Christian HS Copy Work at the following link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christianhscopywork/

and find wonderful copywork just sitting there for you and your children to enjoy!!! Yes, your children can enjoy copywork....visit this group for great ideas!

 Lord, you have examined me and know all about me.  You know when I sit down and when I get up.  You know my thoughts before I think them.  You know where I go and where I lie down.  You know thouroughly everything I do.  Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it.  You are all around me- in front and in back- and have put your hand on me.  Your knowledge is amazing to me;  it is more than I can understand.

Where can I go from your Spirit?   Psalm 139:1-7

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Are you felling like your day is seperate from God?  You do a short devotion, say a prayer of thanks at dinner or after finding a good parking spot, but your relationship stops there.  I have developed a habit of blamming my inconsistancy in communication with my Father on my children, my husband, my busy days...but now I have been convicted.  God has ever so gently shown me that He is with me always, and I have lost many days.  I have given many hours to many people and things and neglected to recognize the One who is here. 

May I challenge you to schedule time alone with your Father.  All the sleepless baby nights will melt away with Him and all the frustrating homeschool moments fade as you turn to the Master.  Then determine in your heart to walk with Him throughout your day...He will put a spring in your step and a smile on your heart! Oh, and your house will seem so much cleaner!! :)

I am constantly on the web searching out new HS products and resources and it has come to my realization that there is a growing trend in teaching through unit studies.  One of my favorite timeline products, Homeschool in the Woods, has come out with their very own unit studies....and they are awesome.  There is even an article about how to create your own unit study.  There are several FREE unit study downloads, and wonderful timeline figures at this site.  Feel free to go to my links and check them out, you won't be disappointed!