Well, today was our first day of Five In A Row (FIAR). I know...It's the middle of the year...and haven't I been homeschooling long enough and I'm just NOW getting around to using FIAR? Yes, finally my 5th child gets to have a little fun. Even if we started a day late.
We started at the very beginning (a very good place to start...and I could go on singing "Doe, a deer...", but I won't)..with The Story About Ping. Personally, I thought it to be a very boring story, but I can see why it was chosen. And my 6yos loved it and all the activities we did today...especially counting all of Ping's relatives (68 in case you were wondering). So I guess it doesn't matter if I think it's boring.
I haven't printed all the lapbook activities...actually, I've printed none of them, but we'll be using the one from Homeschool Share. Nothing like a free lapbook...that I don't have to make. I'm looking forward to doing some of these books. The Night of the Moonjellies looks really interesting, especially since we live near the ocean. We may just have to take a field trip...every day that week. Which reminds me...My kids found a Portugese Man O' War on the beach Sunday. I am so amazed that something so tiny can do so much damage. I was stung by some tentacles years ago...that were no longer attached to the Man O' War and I ended up on steroids to get the swelling and pain to go away. If you ever see one, keep away from the tentacles, even if you think it's dead. There's still poison in them thar' tentacles. I digress...I had to remind my kids if they had to touch it, to only touch it on the "sail"...or the top, squishy, bubble-looking blue part. That's the "safe zone." I did get a picture of it, but it's on my cell phone. I can't figure out how to get those pictures off yet. I know there has to be an easy way, but I'm not cell phone tech savy.
Speaking of pictures...I wish I had some pics of what we did today, but I was busy trying to help my 6yos while trying to guard the counting "chips" from my 3yos. It was so cute. First both my boys snuggled up and listened to the story. and for some reason the doorbell rang once and the phone rang 3 times while I was trying to read (hadn't had any interruptions all day up until then). But we were able to get through the book quickly even with the distractions. My ds learned how to count by 10's today too. I showed him it was easier to count the group than it was to count each chip individually...not to mention that I really didn't want to sit around while he counted the chips...and lost his place a million times...and then had to start all over....all million times. So he knows how to count to 60 by 10's now..and he surprised me by counting to 8 by twos...no idea where he learned that, but since he has 4 older siblings, I suspect that has something to do with it.
Tomorrow we talk about the Yangtzhe River. I really love geography. Almost as much as history...actually, I keep my maps close by when we're studying history because I like to see where it happened. I'm a bit of a nut that way. Love my maps.
Gotta get ready for tomorrow's "fun." My kitchen counters SHOULD finally be fixed and installed. I really hope it happens this time. But what's a few more days. I haven't had a kitchen for a month now so a few more days won't make a huge difference in the "big picture."
It's been 2 weeks since my counters were "supposed to go in "the next day." (See a few entries back) Well...technically, I have my counters in my house. The ones that are actually attached to my cabinets ("Liquid-Nailed" down) are too small...which the granite guy tried to hide from us by sliding the edge of the stove over it...and the ones that aren't too small are not attached to yet...although they aren't right either. You know I was so excited, and this 2-week hassle ordeal...and counting...has just taken all the joy out of the new kitchen. I know it will be fine when it's all done, but it's becoming increasingly more redundant difficult to feed a family of 8 on whatever can be cooked in the microwave and wash all our dishes in the bathroom sink...even though we use a lot of paper and plastic.
Through all this a few things jumped out at me...1.) I have allowed this to consume me. When I would wake up after a restless night of nothing but "kitchen" nightmares dreams and had a hard time thinking of a subject to talk about other than something kitchen-related...I knew I needed a break from the kitchen. It's easy to let it take over, especially when things go wrong. And when there are a million decisions that need to be made, it's easy to spend great amounts of time on searching for 'just the right" undercabinet lighting or door/drawer hardware. The Bible says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt. 6:20) My heart has been in my kitchen (which hasn't even been here) for the past few weeks...and kind of like my blog title...my real treasure is not the wood and rock that make up the final kitchen. That would be a ridiculous as the people in the ancient world who worshipped wood & stone idols. My REAL treasure is in my home...my family...and also in my heavenly home. My kitchen will be done eventually...and it will be beautiful when it is...no matter how "talented" I become at the microwave culinary arts. But it is not my treasure. I was reminded by a friend (who just recently redone her house after devastating hurricanes) that we could feed a small 3rd world country on the amount we've spent on our houses. We have been so blessed, but we ignore our blessings when the "going gets tough."
2.) Trying to decide if God is testing us or "whoopin' our hineys" for something... because things are not going according to MY plans("many are the plans in a man's heart..."). I was listening to my music player...and hear the song "Sometimes He Calms the Storm" (Scott Krippayne). It's an "oldie" but it's a goodie. It reminded me that God isn't always going to make things easy for us, but He will be with us to hold us through the storm. I keep repeating the line"Sometimes He calms the storm, but other times He calms His child." Oh Lord...let me rest in you, so You can receive the glory in this storm. Just like David said repeatedly throughout the Psalms.
3.) The mistakes and set-backs are NOT the end of the world...nor will a perfect kitchen be "a new beginning"...it is merely a "comfort" in this world...something pretty to look at. I know for a fact that when I get to heaven...there are many Christians and martyrs through the ages who will have gleaming mansions...far more exquisite that I can imagine...They deserve far more than I do because of how their faith has been tested and how they have prevailed and endured through that testing...being found faithful in the end. I only hope that my "mansion" is as nice as their broom closet. I have been so blessed and fail to see it most of the time. You can't completely realize how blessed you are until you see first-hand what others live like and the persecution they endure for the sake of Christ. Even though I've been to a couple of Third World countries, they are not the poorest...and they still live far below my "standard of living." Lord, may I be content with the things you have given me. I have food, I have shelter, and I have clothing...with these may I be content...anything else is icing on the cake.
It will get done...and I will be happy when it does...but until then may I be content and rest in the Lord. ...although I'm pretty sure I'll have to ask forgiveness a few times by then for whining.
(And when it is done...I will share more pictures...with great joy!! )
A few years ago I went to a Worldview Seminar and heard a phenomenal message about Christianity in the world today...how to have a biblical worldview, how most of the culture views Christianity and other religions, and what to do about raising our kids so they aren't one of the 80% of Christian teens who turn their back on their faith by the end of their first year in college (surprisingly enough, that percentage is about the same for traditionally schooled children as well as homeschoolers). The following is a article I just received written by the main speaker, who now is a well-known ans sought-after speaker at churches, homeschool conventions, and Christian schools. Even thought it is really directed towards teens...if you have children, they will be teens someday even if they are not right now. It's some food for thought that we all need to take seriously if we want our children to stand strong in the next generation...where it will be harder to stand up for Christ than it is now...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part One
Why Students Don't "Get It"
By John Stonestreet
If Christian Smith and Melinda Denton are correct[1], our key concern in regards to the next generation is that they "get" Christianity. Our primary focus should turn from whether Christian students like church, or whether they think of Jesus as their best friend, or even whether they know why they believe what they believe (though that has been a useful tag line for Summit Ministries for years). Primarily, if Smith and Denton are correct, our focus should be teaching them what Christianity is because, simply put, they don't get it.
My experience working with students, most having strong histories in conservative evangelicalism (and representing almost evenly home, private Christian, and public schooling), suggests Smith and Denton are right. I often hear students describe their experience of Christianity in these terms: "I've been a Christian my whole life, but I don't really get it." Or, "I prayed the prayer when I was four, but I don't think it stuck." Or, "I committed my life to Christ when I was fifteen, but I am not sure it stuck."
How is it that students who are so deeply engrossed in church culture and who have more access to the Bible, Christian literature, youth programs, and other resources than any generation that has lived since the founding of the church, can be so confused about what Christianity actually is and why it matters? How is it that they possess such a truncated, neutered view of the Kingdom? How is it that these students just don't "get it"?
The distraction factor.
The age of information presents two unique challenges to this generation of students. First, they encounter daily an overwhelming amount of information. Of course, information isn't neutral; it contains, argues or embodies ideas. Students today swim in deluge of information. Whether or not there is an absence of the true or the genuine, there is often an inability to find it amidst all the noise and distraction.
Second, they experience this information, with the inherent ideas, differently than previous generations. Information today (especially via the internet) comes without context, without a clear source, and often without narrative. Their lives look more like a random episode of Seinfeld than the start-to-finish Cosby Show. They are not a linear generation.
The result? Neal Postman argued a long time ago, without understanding the full impact of the Internet, that the west had become a silly culture.[2] Entertainment had destroyed our ability to think and prioritize. We lack discernment. We care about irrelevant things, and ignore what is actually important.
Unfortunately, the Christian community often responds by heaping "Christian" noise on the rest of the noise. Attempting to be "relevant" to students, we instead contribute to their appetites for distraction. Entertainment has made us silly and Christian entertainment has made our students silly Christians.
The grip of adolescence.
"There was a time, literally, when there were no teenagers."[3] In virtually every other culture in the history of the world prior to late 20th century Western culture, kids became adults. Not anymore. Now, they become teenagers or, as we call them, adolescents.
Despite its rather recent history, adolescence goes largely unquestioned as a fixed stage of development. It is fully expected that students will lose their minds from ages 13-18. "Kids will be kids," we say. Only, we aren't referring to kids, we are talking about those who buy, vote, and drive automobiles.
Further, the grip of adolescence continues to forcefully expand. On the front end, we now talk about "pre-teens" (with marketing engines quickly spotting the financial potential). On the back end, whereas eighteen was once considered the end of adolescence, it is now the middle. Adolescence now refers to ages 11 to 30.
But, that's not all. Adolescence is now, and this must not be missed, the goal of our culture. Somewhere along the way, we ceased to be a culture where kids aspire to be adults and became a culture where adults aspire to be kids.
Often, our approaches to youth ministry sanctify adolescence. Whereas teenagers have the capacity (and thus, I would argue, the calling), to think deeply and broadly about their culture, confront evil and injustice, and champion the truth, they instead are encouraged in their adolescent narcissism. It's a neutered Gospel, only about them and their needs, lacking vision (Prov. 29:18).
The cultural identity crisis.
Darwinism was the central battleground of worldviews in the late 1800s, the reliability of Scripture in the early to mid 20th century, and truth for the Gen X'ers. While these issues are still very important, most of the contemporary worldview battles are rooted in a basic disagreement of what it means to be and live as human.
Today's students enter a world of runaway biotechnology, postmodern social constructions of gender, virtual online identities, family redefinition, distorted understandings of beauty, and multiple sexual orientations, each of which fundamentally challenge our concept of humanness. Further, our culture has largely embraced Darwin, trivialized Scripture, and relativized truth, and therefore left few stable resources to negotiate this corporate identity crisis.
At the same time, clear teaching on what it means to be imago dei is largely neglected in the church. Conservatives, as Nancy Pearcey noted[4], often begin the redemption story in Genesis 3 rather than Genesis 1. The fall, though taught, lacks context (from what have we fallen? To what will we be redeemed?) On the other hand, liberalism replaces the rule and responsibility endowed upon humanity by God with muddy concepts of "freedom" and "self-image." The depth and breadth of the fall is trivialized or ignored.
What it means to be human is a critical touch point for students vis-à-vis the Christian worldview.
The issue of definitions.
The battle of ideas is often the battle over definitions. Asking students, "What do you mean by that?" has never been more crucial. Assuming that we share definitions, or that traditional definitions will go unquestioned, with the emerging generation is a mistake with significant consequences. Among the more crucial words needing careful definition include God, human, truth, faith, Gospel, Kingdom, evil, tolerance, male, female, pro-life, justice, marriage, family, freedom, rights, responsibility, and the good life.
Further, the concept of worldview needs clear definition if it is to be preserved. Having been used and misused in a variety of ways, it is dismissed as a modern concept from one side and in danger of dying the death of the "we already tried that program" from the other side. Abandoning the concept would be wrongheaded, given its rich history and its Biblical foundations.
I have attempted to highlight several barriers to communicating the full Gospel to the next generation. Articles like this that list trends tend to appear pessimistic. I am, however, encouraged by the commitment and courage I have seen from this current generation of students once they "get it."
Part 2 of this article will address what we can do as adult influencers to help them "get it." If students accept or reject Christianity, that's one thing. If they "don't get it," that's another.
Notes
1. See Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press, 2005). Smith and Denton describes the current worldview of American teenagers, most of whom claim Christianity as their religion, as "moralistic therapeutic deism."
2. Neal Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (Penguin, 1985).
3. Dianna West, The Death of the Grownup: How America's Arrested Development Threatens Western Civilization (St. Martin's Press, 2007).
4. Nancy Peacey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Crossway, 2004).
I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel here. I've been crying over corbels and puck lights and faucets (Oh, My!) for the past week, but it's all starting to come together now, and I can actually see that it's going to be done here soon...minus the backsplash, which I still have to pick out the tile for...but that will all work out...later..and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
But for now, I've actually seen things come together in the last few days...and I found a wonderful faucet ...at Lowe's for more than $100 LESS than the same one anyplace online. Who says that you can always find a better deal online? And my counters go in tomorrow...and the rest of the cabinets on Friday. It's gonna be awesome!!...as long as I can get my gas oven hooked up. We've been having a little trouble finding someone to hook it up for us...at least getting them to call us back. But that's not a major thing at the moment. I had planned on adding some pics today, but I think I'll just wait until tomorrow when the granite goes in so I can do it all at once. :-) It's so pretty...and I'm seriously going to love this (once it's all over).
Here are a few pics of the remodel process. I'm excited, but slowly tiring of not having my kitchen...especially when it comes to washing dishes. I'm really thankful for paper plates and plastic cups and disposable silverware. I thought I had a few pics of the kitchen before we tore it apart...I know I took them, but I can't seem to find them now. Even though we'd already taken the "upper" bar counter off, and tore out the tile backsplash, here is a picture that I took right before they ripped all the cabinets out...
And here are a few pics from the demo and installing the base cabinets...
And few of the new cabinets going in...
Today, my dh patched the drywall, and we went out to buy new appliances...which will be here Monday..along with the granite people. I'll have more pics of that when they get here. I have been waiting 10 years for this kitchen. I guess a couple of weeks and a little inconvenience won't hurt me too much. It will be so worth it when it's done. I think I'm going to cook a big turkey dinner to celebrate when it's all togehter...or maybe I should pass on the turkey (see our Thanksgiving excitement for more on that). Speaking of which...Look what my fil gave me for Christmas...
And this too...
yep...that's a turkey-shaped cake pan and a digital meat thermometer. I guess he figures I can't start a fire with a cake,,,and may be able to stave off a fire with a thermometer...little does he know I'm a woman of many talents. (hee hee...or maybe I should do one of those evil laughs here...but I have never been able to do the "Vincent Price" thing...oh well...)
You know, when I dreamed about a beautiful new kitchen...I thought about the wonderful rich wood (that hid a great deal of the dirt that my white ones accentuate), and I thought about the lovely afternoons baking sugar cookies...rolling them out on my durable, yet beautiful, granite counter top. And the ease of opening the cabinet doors and drawers without one falling off the hinges or playing tug of war with the drawer glides just to get a spoon for my hot cocoa. Ah..it was bliss in these daydreams. Life would be wonderful. Little did I know that I would be in for a rude awakening...
I had been planning the kitchen for 2 years and I thought I had it all under control knowing what cabinets/wood species/finish I wanted. I had no idea all the other choices I had to make. YIKES! After we finally decided that the pros of granite outweighed the pros (and cons) of Corian...and it would be a better fit for our family...and I finally found a good granite installer to work with...I was off to the granite yard. All I knew is that I wanted brown granite. Not golden/orange, not black mixed with brown, and not a salmon/pink mixed with brown either. Just a nice neutral brown. He sent me to two places, I decided to go to the smaller (and closer) place first. They had a few that I liked, but I wasn't "sold" on them. So I was off to the bigger granite yard. Where I was greeted by an employee that made me sign a paper that said I would be careful and stay away from the machinery, etc...basically so I wouldn't climb up on the forklifts or cranes and kill myself or someone else...as if I'd do that anyway...but I signed and then I was escorted to the warehouse where she explained that there were over 300 different species of granite/stone and the slabs weighed 800-1000 lbs. each, and don't try to move them or they will break...(again...like I'd try to do that). After about an hour there...I realized that finding the shade of brown in my mind wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I finally came up with two that I really loved... Brown Cohiba (my favorite...it was stunning) and Cafe Olinda (second choice, but beautiful as well). So they faxed my choices to my granite installer and after a few hours he called me to let me know he got the fax...and to tell me that as pretty as the Brown Cohiba was, it would be a real pain to cut it...they'd do it, but it has a tendency to shatter like glass. Which made me all the more determined to have the Brown Cohiba. So I took my husband out a few days later to show him and "make" him agree with me.
Of course when he saw it, he noticed a few things that I had failed to the first time...apparently they had the "beautiful" piece on top last time, but they'd moved it to the back...or somewhere out of plain view. The piece that we saw this time had hairline cracks in the surface and the edges were "cut" but had broken like a glass bottle breaks. Which dashed my dreams of the beautiful Brown Cohiba counters...so my dh chose the Cafe Olinda...which has grown on me since then and I am really happy with that choice now. Then...we had to decide on a sink style...undermount or drop-in...50/50, 40/60 or 70/30 (I didn't know there were so many)...and what edge style, and if we wanted a "radius" on the bar...which I am still not sure I know exactly what it's going to look like when it's done...good thing I have a bit of time to decide on that.
Whew! The hard part is over now...or so I thought...We decided to tear out the bar (upper) counter early so we could cut the wall down. I always wanted a flat counter-height "bar" so I could have more room to roll out cookies or pie crust...or do schoolwork...not to mention that I'm a bit "vertically challenged" so that tall bar height was a little too high for my liking...more like "menacing." No big deal, right? Oh no...I had to save the beautiful stone tile on the outside of the wall. So my dh bought a special blade for his saw and started to cut right through the stone...which is when we realized that there's more to a wet saw than a "clean cut"...there's also a CLEAN cut. We all "evacuated the house due to the dust that was going everywhere. It's a good thing that my cabinets and counters were all coming out in a couple of days. I didn't have to do as thorough a job of cleaning. But he finally got the tile cut down to find out that he had to re-frame the wall...which he had to do while the inner wall was exposed...i.e. NO CABINETS. So he went on to the next thing...cutting off the pipes so they could get the sink base out...no problem, right...just shut off the water to the house, cut 'em, cap 'em off, and the water comes back on...or so we thought... When my dh went to turn the water back on...the handle just spun around...no water. It had broken in the "Off" position...very late at night...and we had to go the next day (when the cabinets were being put in) without running water in the house. It's a good thing that we have a pool. We ended up carrying buckets of water to the bathroom to bucket-flush the toilets...with 9 people in the house. Thankfully, my dh came home at lunch to try to fix the water...but ended up having to call a plumber. I was never so happy to have running water in the house.
After our cabinet guy came, he had planned on taking out and re-installing ALL the base cabinets in one day and doing trim-work the next day (wow! a kitchen guy who doesn't drag his feet ...gotta like that.) Remember the wall needed to be reframed...Ugh! So we had to install half of the cabinets...and my dh would come home to frame in the wall...that was last night. At midnight, after multiple scares of the whole wall crumbling due to the vibration of the Sawzall (?...the big manly power saw), we were happy that the cabinets were finally going in...then we looked down at the tile...
First I must explain that there was an "ugly cabinet" (as I like to refer to it) in a strange location so that it could be accessed from the "outside" of our island...which I never used because... 1.) The door kept falliing off the hinges every time I opened it, and 2.) it wasn't easily accesible to the kitchen so I stored miscellaneous "low-frequency use" things in there. So I decided to have it walled in and install a blind corner cabinet that was accessible from the kitchen. Nice thought, except for the fact that the "ugly cabinet" was framed in and THEN the tile was put down...around the frame...which sticks out past the new cabinets to make a 3"x3" square of UNTILED FLOOR. And at midnight...Lowe's was not open to buy the materials to pop out and re-install a new piece of tile, NOR was my dh willing to go to work today on no sleep. So we're a day behind on our kitchen re-do, but I'm glad that we're working with a nice, flexible installer..and he's not backed up at the moment.
So I decided to do what I could...look for cabiet knobs and pulls...Do you have any idea how many are available?!?!?! Eeeek! Thousands...if not more. And then you have to decide which FINISH / METAL you want on those knobs. I think I'd rather just pull one out of a hat...but knowing me, I'd probably pick the one that has the 80's "dusty blue" geese on it... And I haven't even started to think about the corbels to support the counter (had to have something other than wood b/c of the stone "exterior" wall of the island). I hope there' not too many more choice or I'm going to start just rolling dice...except I still wouldnt' be able to figure out which number goes with which choice.
I will be so glad when this is over. Right now, I'm almost thinking that the white cabinets that were falling apart (and off the hinges) would be so nice...But I know that it's just a "momentary light affliction" and it will be over soon...and when I've finally come through this "trial" I will have a nice new kitchen.
It kind of reminds me of how God works. He puts us through many things that are difficult, and seem like they will never end, but there is light at the end of the tunnel when we remember that He is doing it to 1.) make us more like Him, and 2.) so the world can see Him work and 3.) so He can be glorified through us. I had another great analogy about the cabinet installer, but I'll wait on that one. But as much as I like to describe this kitchen re-do process using Murphy's Law, I know that more than anything Proverbs 19:21 applies... "Many are the plans in a man's heart... but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Just when I think it's all going smoothly, the Lord says ...Just checking to see how your' doing with the "patience" thing.
We still have a few things to decide...and a short time to "wait" while we have cabinets but no counters...or sink, but it will be all worth it in the end. I'll try to post some pictures when I can think clearly...and not spew incoherent babblings...which is where I'm headed rapidly...
The Christmas tree is decorated. The cookies are baking. Shoppers are scurrying for the perfect gifts. In many places it has already been snowing for weeks...and here in Florida, well...let me just tell you the story... We went to the zoo a week or so ago and I saw something unexpected as we were driving down the road I made my husband stop so I could get a picture...
FALL COLORS!!! The leaves are finally starting to change colors...very few leaves. We don't have many deciduous trees to begin with, so any time I see any color that is out of the "ordinary" palm green color, I take notice. And when it's the oranges and reds of fall...I stop in my tracks. I was so excited to see these leaves I think my family was beginning to think they needed to refresh their memory on where the nearest psychiatric ward was.
It's one of the few things I miss about living up north (very few things). That and snow at Christmas...just Christmas though ...the lights are so pretty shining on it. Palm trees wrapped in colored lights just aren't the same...they scream "JIMMY BUFFET LIVES HERE!!!"...but he really doesn't. I digress...
It was nice to see some fall color...even if I had to wait for Christmas to see it. After living here for...how many years now?...I didn't realize that we had leaves that changed colors so "close to home." Now if I could just find a place where it snows close by that I didn't know about... Oh well...I'll be content with the leaves for now.
We were blessed to be able to host a small International Fair at our house (due to low turnout canceling the location our homeschool group had arranged). We had a great evening of fellowship and the kids got to share all they had learned over the past few weeks.
We chose to learn about Sweden (where my grandfather came from). After doing a preliminary search online, I found a few topics to cover...and handed them off to each of the kids. My 14yo dd took over St Lucia's Day and Christmas Traditions...and all the baking. My 12yo ds took over learning about Vikings (yes, they were in southern Sweden too). And my 10yo and 8yo dd's did the other holidays and general information about Sweden. Here are a few pictures from the evening...
You can see some of the things we did in the pictures above. We wove Swedish paper heart baskets for teh Christmas tree. My younger dd's made purses/bags that we saw in a book of a child wearing a traditional Swedish outfit. I sewed some "costumes" for the kids...the St. Lucia gown for the oldest daughter (of course), 2 identical Swedish traditional dresses for the other girls, a Viking outfit for my oldest son (which was actually just some cool ribbon trim sewn onto an oversized men's henley shirt from Walmart...and (don't tell anyone or my ds will die from embarrassment) a pair of women's slippers that looked like viking boots...fur and all...and my younger ds's were both supposed to be the Jul Tomte, the Swedish traditional Christmas gnome, but we couldn't convince the 3yo to dress up, so we only had one...and he was so cute.
I love sewing their costumes...and it takes me something like this to actually do any kind of sewing whatsoever. There are too many other things to distract me other times. I am embarrassed to say that my oldest dd has a quilt I have still not started quilting that I promised her for Christmas LAST year. needless to say, I need to pull out my machine more often. Oh well...I digress...
we found out so may cool things about Sweden that I did not know before. And the kids did their own lapbooks in addition to the display board..and a few of them made Jul Tomtens (You can spell it Tomte, Tomten, or Tomtar...don't know which is correct...but it's pronounces "Yool Tahm-tuh" from what I recall my father saying). The kids also found a Dala horse picture to color (traditional Swedish woodcraft/artwork) and my 12yo ds made a Viking ship out of Legos. It was so cool...The oars were sticking out the "holes" on the side of the ship. I was rather impressed with his creativity. My oldest dd also made her own St Lucia candle crown out of a styrofoam ring and Christmas holly garland. She did a great job, don't 'cha think? ) The kids also made PepparKakor, traditional Swedish Christmas Cookies, and Lucia Buns...which turned out a bit dark on top, but they were delicious anyway. We also made a wheat sheaf decorated with red ribbon, and found a Jul Bok online (pronounced "Yool Bahk" to the best of my recollection...traditionally the Jul Tomte rides the Jul Bok, a straw goat, to give good children Christmas presents on Christmas Eve) for our display...and to use as a decoration now.
The kids also completed two lapbooks for our Project. One on Vikings and the other on Sweden. There are some pictures below. I didn't think to open the mini-books so you could see what they did, so it's kind of "boring", but there are actually lots of pictures and color inside. If I get a chance, I'll take a few more pics and post them...
Viking Lapbook...
Sweden Lapbook...
And there you have it...I honestly have to say..this has been the best project my kids have done...and while it wasn't "complete" by any means, I am happy with what they've learned.
When I was taking pictures the next morning of their display...
...Look closely at the Jul Bok (straw goat) under the table.
...Here's a close-up...
...Someone had" shot" the Jul Bok with a Nerf dart gun...Someone is SOOOOO not getting any Christmas presents from the Jul Tomte. hee hee What a great night... I think my favorite part of the night was not so much what the kids had learned, but the fellowship that we had with the other families. They all had a ball...
I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. It's been over a month...BUT it has been a nice break. I've been able to get a number of things done around the house and focus on my kids and my husband. It's been so refreshing. I can't say that I'm sorry I took the break.
If you've been wondering what we've been up to...first...our "Not-to-Be-Forgotten" Thanksgiving. Oh, the plans I had...the recipes I searched endless hours for...the ingredients I carefully chose (spending way more than any normal person should have)...just so we could have a perfect Thanksgiving dinner never to be forgotten by any one person who tasted the scrumptious delicacies. (Not to mention, my dad and I used to have contests to see who could "secure" the most turkey skin before the other one got to it...mmmm I just love perfectly baked turkey skin..I know it's kind of sick, but it's one of my quirks. )
My 14yo dd and I spent from Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday baking and cooking and mixing and whatever else you do in the kitchen to create a culinary work of art for the most special "eating" day of the year. We had 2 delicious apple pies, and a pumpkin pie baked on Wednesday, I went out to buy some last minute sewing supplies for out International Fair we were hosting (more on that later) and came home around 11:30 PM...finished a few things in the kitchen and went to bed. I woke up at 6 AM to start on the rest of the baking. My DD made our version of Boston Market cornbread. I started on the turkey (which had been thawing since Monday, but still wasn't completely thawed ...that should have given me a hint of what was to come), paying careful attention to all the hints and tips I found on how to bake the perfect turkey. When I finally got it into the oven, I started simmering the giblets for gravy (for hours...I think they were way beyond tender when they were done...mmmmm).
The day went on and the potatoes were peeled, the stuffing was prepared (a wonderful recipe using pumpernickel bread, apples, raisins and sauted onions...mmmmm it smelled so good), the green bean casserole was mixed up, the carrots were glazed, and all was going according to plan. The turkey was finally finished cooking so I took it out of the oven...it looked so good I almost didn't notice the little bit of turkey juice that spilled over the side...oh well, I'd have to clean that off later, but for now, I had to get the green bean casserole and the stuffing in the oven so it could be done by the time the turkey was ready to carve. Perfect timing!!...It was all coming together.
I turned away from the stove to get my wooden spoon to start making the gravy and when I turned back to the gravy pan, there was black smoke pouring out of the oven...I looked down and saw an orange glow in the oven window...needless to say, I started to freak, but remembered that baking soda puts out oven fires (don't ask...but I had a previous experience in high school Home Ec. where it was necessary for me to know that..and we'll leave it there). So I grabbed the box of baking soda (as I yelled frantically for my husband)...just to toss a few measly teaspoons on the fire...I was out. My husband came in (did I mention we have a gas stove)...telling me to find the phone "in case" we had to call the fire department. I'm thinking ...PHONE!!! I'm saving my PERFECTLY PLANNED AND COOKED MEAL!!!!!
So I'm trying to pull my stuffing and green bean casserole out of the oven (which I would highly NOT suggest doing if I had been in my right mind) and he's running to the garage to get the fire extinguisher....which I am happy about. The kids are running out of the house in case the whole house blows because we're dealing with gas here...while both mom & dad are inside putting the fire out (and potentially orphaning my children). They're having a party out in the front yard and my husband (turned firefighter) tells me to get out of the kitchen (which I watch from over the "bar") as he sprays the tar out of the oven with the fire extinguisher. What a HERO...the fire was out thanks to my "big strong man" and his trusty fire extinguisher. I was so happy to be able to get back to Thanksgiving dinner. That Turkey looked so good...and smelled even better. Turkey skin here I come! The kitchen was still smoky (as was the rest of the house...the smoke alarms had been blaring for at least 5 minutes...time to check the batteries. I think we may have sucked the life out of them) and funnily enough, we could see smoke coming out of the bedroom windows. so we let it air out for a few minutes before going back inside.
What I didn't realize is this... fire extinguishers have a dusty kind of stuff in them to put the fire out, and it goes EVERYWHERE when you spray it. What I thought was all smoke was partially fire extinguisher dust...and it was settling all over my kitchen and the adjoining rooms...including my turkey, my gravy, my potatoes, my green bean casserole, our apple pies, our carrots...everything except the pumpkin pie (which my husband had put into the microwave to make extra counter space), the cornbread (which I had covered to keep it from drying out), and the stuffing (covered in foil...which my husband informed me that we could not finish baking because the oven was now unusable). I was so stunned I couldn't even cry (right away..that came later))...I just went outside and sat in our lawn chairs on the driveway with my head in my hands...no "perfect" Thanksgiving meal to bless my family with. No "Oooos" and "Aaahs" over the great recipes I found. No TURKEY SKIN!!!
And then came the tears...because not only did I realize that we had nothing to eat...and nothing to cook it with...I also realized how much I had spent on what was now covered in fire extinguisher dust...and how long it had taken to do it all...and that I was REALLY HUNGRY...because even though I spent my entire morning around food...I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before and it was now 4 PM...I was starving. And the cornbread my husband brought out for my kids to eat just made my stomach hurt even worse because it reminded me of everything else that was GONE! While my kids ate cornbread and played, I sat crying because now I just wanted to feed my kids something decent...even if it wasn't the perfect Thanksgiving dinner...and I couldn't. I had let everyone down...and there was nothing I could do about it. My husband suggested that we go to over to a family from church's house since they had given an open invitation to anyone who wanted to come for Thanksgiving dinner...to which I said (and I have no idea why I said this)..."NO!!" I think I just didn't want anyone to make fun of me for burning dinner (which I didn't do...the oven caught on fire AFTER most of it was done and it was sitting perfectly cooked on the counter waiting for someone to enjoy)...and to be honest..I really didn't want to be around anyone at the moment...especially if they were having a great time.
So I suggested we go to Cracker Barrel...the only place I could think of that might be open...Apparently, everyone else in town who wasn't cooking their own dinner decided to got to Cracker Barrel too. So much for not being around anyone. At least no one here knew what happened or was going to ask me why we were there. We waited for over an hour for a table...and they were so busy that we actually waited almost another hour to get our food, but I really didn't care. Normally I'd be watching the clock, but then I was just happy to be able to get something to eat. I would have waited 5 hours for it. The lady who brought our food out to the table (not the waitress) was so sweet and she asked us how our day was...and before I could say my normal "fine" (which it wasn't)...my husband spilled the whole story out (being in a good mood and all...taking it in stride)...The server actually turned out to be a Christian and she (out of nowhere) said "you all seem like Christians. Do you love just Jesus?"...then we started talking about how the Lord was good...and she went along and we ate our food.
Then we waited what seemed like forever to get our check. (Did I mention the place was REALLY busy?) But again, I didn't care because I was just happy to have something in my stomach besides a low rumble. Finally our waitress came out and told us that the server told the manager what happened and he wanted to buy our dinner and we weren't even allowed to leave her a tip!!! So I started to cry again...and she started to cry...so I had to stop so she could stop...then the manager came out and talked to us...turned out he was a Christian too...and apparently 4 or 5 other people there were Christians because they stopped us on our way out to encourage us.
You know...I think God had that planned all along. I'm reminded of Psalm 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." I am so thankful for the staff of that Cracker Barrel. On the way there, my husband said, "I think this will go down on record as the worst Thanksgiving," but it turned out to be one of the best. God is so good...even in the midst of the "fire." He always has a plan that is for our ultimate good in the end. Here are a few pictures of the "Not-to-be-Forgotten" Thanksgiving (and even though you can hardly see it, there was a fine layer of fire extinguisher dust on the turkey and the water in the pan on potatoes, but you can see the black residue on the stove and the dust all over the inside of the oven and the stuffing pan--covered in foil-- and the "festivities" outside after the fire was safely out)...
I think that will do it for now. I had planned on telling about our International Fair project, but that will have to wait...just to give you a "teaser" though...someone got "shot." But I'll leave you with these tow things I learned...1.) Keep a fire extinguisher in your house. You may never have to use it, but that one time you do, you'll be glad you have it. And 2.) Never put your turkey in a pan that "just fits" or you may be needing that fire extinguisher sooner than you think. My FIL (who used to be a volunteer firefighter) told us afterwards that the cause of the majority of house fires is grease fires in the oven. (OK...I'm done with my community service announcement)...and 3.) (I know I only said 2....but I must reiterate)...God is good...all the time. Even when you think all is lost, He has another plan that is better than MY "perfect" plan. And after a week of the oven not working because we had to clean every square inch on it...I am VERY GRATEFUL to be able to use my oven to cook again.
I've just uploaded a new lapbook to my group, Homeschool Treasure Trove. It is a Thanksgiving-themed lapbook for early or non-readers.
It appears a bit on the plain side, but we're going to "decorate" ours with some clipart and images we've found on the internet. You can do what you like with it, but I will give you some ideas of what we did (are doing) to make it a bit more visually interesting. For each letter of the alphabet, I found a picture that describes the word associated with the letter. For example, for "C is for Corn", we pasted a few pictures of corn inside the booklet. (We found some great images of Indian corn.)
I also found a number of Thanksgiving-themed pictures to "dress up" the blank spots on the lapbook (in between mini-books. I'm going to have my ds paste some fall leaves and pumpkins, turkeys and corn sheaves to make it more "fun."
I found our images by doing a google image search based on the word (occasionally adding "pilgrim" or "plymouth" to narrow the results). You may also like to let your child draw pictures of the associated word. This is a great link for Pilgrim coloring pages... http://home.surewest.net/moseley/colorbook/colorindex.html
To download the lapbook, just follow the link in the right sidebar, or click here. Happy Lapbooking!!
Welcome to my blog...Why "gidget"? Well...my husband tried to teach me how to surf before we were married. I was lousy at it, but he called me his "gidget" and the name stuck.
Why "Treasure Trove"? I love sharing about my sweet little "treasures"...and God has blessed me beyond measure....and no, I didn't mean that to rhyme.
Even if we started a day late.
I'm looking forward to doing some of these books. The Night of the Moonjellies looks really interesting, especially since we live near the ocean. We may just have to take a field trip...every day that week. Which reminds me...My kids found a Portugese Man O' War on the beach Sunday. I am so amazed that something so tiny can do so much damage. I was stung by some tentacles years ago...that were no longer attached to the Man O' War and I ended up on steroids to get the swelling and pain to go away. If you ever see one, keep away from the tentacles, even if you think it's dead. There's still poison in them thar' tentacles. 
I digress...I had to remind my kids if they had to touch it, to only touch it on the "sail"...or the top, squishy, bubble-looking blue part. That's the "safe zone." 
Love my maps.
But that's not a major thing at the moment. I had planned on adding some pics today, but I think I'll just wait until tomorrow when the granite goes in so I can do it all at once. :-) It's so pretty...and I'm seriously going to love this (once it's all over). 
