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Thursday, October 1, 2009
September in Review
Posted in The Month in Review

How did October get here so fast?  While many of you are delighting in autumn leaves, pumpkins, bonfires, hot cocoa, and fall decor, we are finally turning off the air conditioner!  My DH put an extra blanket on his side of the bed last night.  Two of the girls had hot chocolate for breakfast.  Emily grabbed a jacket for her bike ride this morning.  After all, it is only 70° out so far.  As for me, I think they are all crazy -- I am finally cooling down!  Emily has lived here for all but three weeks of her life, so she is a real "desert rat", but the rest of us have had six years to acclimate.  Looks like it is working for everyone but me.  ...Maybe I'm just a grump, huh?  No, not today.  Today I am thankful!

Well, September wasn't all that exciting.  Actually it  was wonderfully uneventful!  It was hot.  The kids did school and played music.  Amy got her top brackets put on. 

Here are the highlights:

Betsy made clothes for her new Build-a-Bear bunny.  The mother (that's me) measured incorrectly for the skirt that Betsy is sewing here, so it didn't fit.   I found the last scrap of that same purple fabric and quickly whipped together another skirt, this one with four gores, and a couple of matching scrunchies for Cuddles's ears.  The disappointed child was appeased.


I cleaned out the freezer for the first time in five(?) years , okay, maybe two years, and somehow there wasn't room to put everything back in!  How does that happen? There were benefits, though.  Three cups of blueberries had to be used up.  So Amy made blueberry buckle. (Yum!)

 
Emily worked on kitchen fractions, adding with carrying, and subtraction with borrowing.  I am dating myself, I know.  I think they call it regrouping now.  Do you like how they change the vocabulary every few years so that parents look like they don't know what they are talking about?


Amy got stuck on exponents.  Solution?  Worksheets.  In math we no longer go on until there is mastery.  I created a  monster when I let her forge ahead in math, and now we are paying for it.  Worksheets are great. And homeschooling is great.  We just stop where ever we are in the text book and do free worksheets until she gets it.  More worksheets here.  And here.


Our mountain-biking pastor (that's my husband) wowed the kids (and himself, lol) with his Kings Kids devotions on Ezekiel 10:13, "O wheel!" Did you know a wheel has three parts, just like God does and like we do?  And did you know different wheels have different purposes?  A wheel even has a testimony!


And, we experimented with rag curls.  I used old nylon tights cut in approximately 6" strips, cut down one side.  That way they could be folded over the ends of the hair.  They worked great on Emily's fine hair, but Betsy's super thick hair was still wet in the morning!   That was disappointing to a little girl who would live in a make-believe princess land with lots of flowers and pretty things.

Some friends gave us their Wari game (also called Mancala if you change the rules a bit), and all of the strategy-lovers in this house are wondering why in the world they got rid of it!    There are many variations of this game, easily found on Google.  When I was a kid we played this with two half-dozen muffin tins placed end-to-end, and a bunch of marbles.  Free games are great!


This month all four of the girls entertained the special people at our local nursing home.  Hooray!  They were ALL brave this time!  If we can just get Amy into strings we'll be the next Eden String Quartet, lol.  I LOVE this.  It makes my heart just swell with joy when my girls all play together.  Betsy and Emily are making tracks now, ever since Daddy laid down a new practice rule.  Yay, Dad!   The bookmobile ladies were there again this month, and the lady in charge featured my girls on the library website! What fun!


Well, I think that's it for September.  October is going to be packed with a 15th and a 6th birthday, special company, special meetings at church, playing outside (yay!!!), and the start of our homeschool speech/public speaking co-op.  See you around!

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psalm 107:21,22

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Comments
Friday, October 2, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by OldSchoolMarm at 7:03 AM
Okay Sally, my first question is HOW TALL IS AMY? (LOL) Is it just me or has she outgrown her older sister? My younger sister did that to me and I still have issues (chuckle). Oh, they are all so beautiful and individually talented, I'm sure there is never a dull moment in your household :-). The picture of Emily and Betsy with rag curlers in their hair is priceless, Aubrey and Lillie will love it!
Have a wonderful autumn,
Blessings, Julie
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by diamondsintherough at 9:32 AM
Amy (12) is at least 5'10". She has outgrown everyone but her daddy. She has four and a half inches to go yet. :o)
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by PlainJane at 12:05 PM
Hi Sally,
I love your month-in-review posts. Love seeing the girls play together too - you have great reason to rejoice. Glad you were there to save the day for Cuddles. Betsy & Em are so cute!

You know, there are some people that combine their passion/hobby with their ministry. Maybe Pastor should take his cycling sermons on the road. :)
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Sunday, October 4, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by moreofhim at 3:01 PM
I so enjoyed reading about your month in review. How wonderful that your children play music. Mine do, too, and it fills the house with joy! I loved your daughter's rag curls. It reminded me of when I was little and my mother would do my hair in pin curls. Have you ever done that? I used to love my hair done in pin curls. You have such a beautiful family.

I'm glad it's cooling down for you. It has been down-right cold here, but I'm just like you. It's not cold enough!! I really love the cooler weather and am SO happy that summer is over. Summers in Arizona just aren't fun.

I'll be back to visit more often. It just has been a very stressful summer around here. I'm hoping to be by to say "hi" to my blogging friends more often. :)

God bless you - Julie
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous at 11:46 AM
What a great month in review. I'm so glad it cooled of to the 70's for you all. We are having temps in the low 60's but the day starts off in the 40's. Your girls are so beautiful! So nice to see a happy family. Lynn Marie
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Thursday, October 8, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by jenn4him at 11:07 AM
I love your monthly wrap-ups. Enjoy your fall. We here are getting 2-4 inches of rain in the next day or two. We may need a boat to get to Michigan this weekend. Thank you for the anniversary wishes.
Jenn
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by foxvalleyfamily at 8:06 PM
It sounds like you had a busy yet wonderful month!
That is SO great that the girls all play together! Julie had her 1st violin lesson last week, so we are hearing some (ahem) 'interesting' music here, as well. (Can I ask what your practice rule is? We could use a little incentive here.) ;-)

I hope your next month goes just as well. And...temps in the 70's - I am SO jealous! We had our first snow this weekend!

Michelle
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Enjoy Your Blog
Posted by Tara at 11:41 AM
I just stumbled upon your blog today and just wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed reading your posts. I look forward to reading and learning more in the future.
Have a great day. Tara @
http://baptisthomeschoolresources.wordpress.com
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
September
Posted by basketflat at 11:50 PM
That looks like a great September.

I used to play Wari - I think ours was called O-War-I. I absolutely love playing it as a child, but I've been disappointed with the Mancala boards they sell in stores now - their pockets are so small, you couldn't really collect many rocks.

Sewing, cooking, and violin also look fun. :) Thanks for the inspiration.

Cathy
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Monday, October 19, 2009
Untitled Comment
Posted by bbullard at 12:41 PM
I love the rag curls! I came over to check on you (it's been too long), and I got some very special treats today. My daughter's not picked up her sewing since the school year began, although she has a jacket that she wants to finish in time to wear it with matching pants for the Christmas party. Maybe with this week off, it will happen. In the meantime, it is good to see yours sewing, cooking, learning, and loving. God bless you guys.
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Entry 14 of 463
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This is the inconsistent journal of a pressured lump of coal being ever soooo slowly conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm a child of God, preacher's wife, blessed mother of girls, frazzled homeschooler. If you are new here, please read
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"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
1 John 3:2

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