Sep. 22, 2007 - Say goodbye to whining... book
So I finished reading a great book last week called "Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes in You and Your Kids" by Scott Turansky and Joann Miller. I talked about it in a previous post, and I finished it! It was a great read, with lots of practical ideas and helps in it, good ideas of things to discuss with kids, examples in family life, etc., It even has six family nights in the back of the book, to use with your own family. The main idea is Honor-- treating others as special, valuing one another, doing more than what's expected, and having a good attitude. We have been talking a lot about honor with the kids, and we're all looking for ways to honor each other. It has been great to see some changes in our family so far. We did one family night lesson this past week, and the kids enjoyed it. It has been encouraging to me to see my 4 y.o. DS looking for ways to honor others. He has been trying to help more, and I can tell he's thinking about it sometimes. The other day, we went to the gas station, and he wanted to help clean the windows on our minivan. Of course, he is too short to do so, but I helped him by holding him up, and he "helped"! He was so happy with himself! It will be interesting to see how things change around our home in the next few weeks (an hopefully longer!)
We worked on the Labor Day lapbook for two weeks, and finished it. It was from Live and Learn Press, and was a premade one. We liked it ok- my DD learned about Labor Day, what it is, how it began, and why we celebrate it. (that was my goal!) She enjoyed interviewing her dad about his job, and discussing undesirable jobs. So then this week we started the "Ten Commandments" lapbook. I got the idea from Jamin, and she has lots of great links and info on her blog. You may have to go over there and check out her blog-- it is really fun to read! My DD liked this lapbook, she remembers the 10 Commandments now, and so do I! There is a great little system to help you remember them. We still have a little more to work on next week! She's been enjoying lapbooking a lot!
This past week, we went to Denver for a Rockies game, and we also went to the Butterfly Pavilion. It was fun, and my DH even held a tarantula named Rosie! AAHH! No thanks, I said! It was neat to be there when the butterflies were released at 12:30, and there were thousands of butterflies all over! We had to dodge some of them, and be careful that we didn't run any over with our stroller! LOL! But it was very kid-friendly and a great activity for a portion of the day!
I hope all of you are doing well out there! I do not like fall, it is my least favorite season. I like spring-- maybe because that's when my birthday is! 
But I tend to be kinda depressed this time of year. I am looking forward to my baby's first birthday in a few weeks! Oh my, how the year has flown by!
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Sep. 5, 2007 - Sweet note from DD
My 8 y-o- DD and I have been talking a lot about honor, and honoring each other-- which is based on a book I am reading called "Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes in You and Your Kids" by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. It is a WONDERFUL book, and I am REALLY enjoying it! (I heard about it at a homeschool conference, as well as from a friend's email). Anyway, yesterday she wrote me the sweetest note. Here is the text of it: (with spelling and punctuation the same as hers)
Dear mom-
I really like third grade. this year. (better than 2nd grade!) My favor-
ite is Lapbooks. I like piano too. Your the best teacher in the world!
Here's a knock knock joke:
knock knock
Who's there?
Ring
Ring who?
Time for school!
Love **-- (her name)
She put it in her own handmade pink envelope!
We just started piano lessons yesterday-- she is pretty excited about it!
Last week we did a fun lapbook on Bees, using a free unit study that I got from Brandenburg studies. It was great! We also added some of our own touches-- like a bee word search, bee anatomy diagram, maze, hexagons, honey cookie recipe, etc., It turned out great!
Better go keep working on school! My 4 y-o-DS is working on the 100 Easy Lessons for Reading book too- and doing well at it! He has surprised me! Better go work on that!
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Jul. 2, 2007 - Why Jillybean?
Why the name Jillybean, you might ask?
Well, it was a nickname of mine when I was growing up, along with many others... such as: Jill-bird, Jilly, Jillster, the Jiller (when Thriller came out!-- I hated that one!), Julius (from my Daddy!) etc.,
But my favorite was Jillybean!
Also, I like the Jellybean poem that I got at Easter a few years back. Here it is (without the colors...)
Yellow is for Heaven's Son so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Red blood is what the Savior gave.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.
White is for a clean heart made.
Green's growing like trees, us He saved.
Happy Easter! (Even though it is WAY past!)
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Jun. 6, 2007 - Living Frugally
I was reading on Jamin's blog about "Living Frugally", and I enjoyed what she said. She had some good ideas. I decided to add to it, with some of my own ideas. So here it is! One of my favorite books by the way is called, "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn. (I know, it's quite a last name!) But she has some GREAT ideas and recipes in it!
So here are my TOP TEN:
1. Wear handed-down clothes. Find a source for each of your kids, whether it is a cousin, neighbor, church friend, whatever... it will save a BIG bundle if you don't need to buy many clothes for them! Even if you have to "wear them gently" and give them back, it is worth it!
2. Shop second-hand or sales only for adult clothes. We enjoy going to thrift and second hand stores when we need clothing items, and it helps a lot. My DH got a GREAT suit for $5.00!! LOL-- really, that was ALL it cost! He wears it a lot to church and funerals! Also, shop second hand for books. We have several 2nd hand bookstores in town that are great! I can usually pay 50 cents for a good kids' book there!
3. Don't shop for "fun", or in your spare time! It is an easy way to spend more money... stay home and play with the kids!
4. Use coupons, and shop sales/ discounts at grocery stores. I can normally save $5 or more in a trip to the grocery store just from coupons! I MORE THAN pay for my newspaper subscription by the money I save with coupons. I have a system to organize them, and I go through them each week before I shop and pull out the ones I will use for that week. Sometimes the coupon doesn't give more $$ off than the generic item though, and that is important to watch for. I especially use coupons in conjunction with the store sales, and save even more! You can check your store's weekly flyer for when food is discounted. The best way to purchase meat is when it is on sale, and then buy extra for the month! A great author about using coupons is Ellie Kay. I have enjoyed several of her books. She is funny too!
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! We reuse a lot of household items for crafts... old cereal boxes, TP and paper towel rolls, baby food jars (preschools like those as donations too-- I used to be a preschool teacher!) oatmeal containers, newspapers, soda bottles (only buy for bday parties!) boxes, etc, are all great to reuse! Also reduce what you buy, and bring in to your house. When you prepare to purchase an item, ask yourself, Do I really need this right now? I know how tempting it is to buy more than you need, but wait! You will be okay! I also have reduced the amount of baby wipes I use by tearing them in half and using them only when the baby is dirty-- my mom taught me that! I have also made my own baby wipes before, and I use cloth diapers! I figured out that I save ten cents each cloth diaper I use! It was an investment with my first baby, but it has paid off!
6. Make it Yourself! Be Crafty! People love handmade items! This goes for gifts, decorations, as well as food. It is cheaper to make your own granola (and healthier!) than to buy boxed cereal. Also bread is easy to make in a bread machine and healthier too. Granola takes TEN minutes to make (by my recipe -plus bake time) and it is SOO good and filling! When you eat it with yogurt-- it will last all morning! I make my own strawberry jam too-- a freezer jam method that is cheaper when strawberries are in season. I have made several wooden plaques that I bought from Michael's-- into Bible verse name plaques for friends' kids for birthdays and baby showers. It is easy to print, decoupage onto the plaque with Mod Podge and let it dry. A great gift! Also can put Bible verses on plaques too-- like 10 Commandments or Prov. 17:22 or Phil. 4:8. Quick and easy! Last Christmas we made candles and soap for gifts. It was a good learning experience for my kids, and a great family activity! I also sell rubber stamps for Stampin' Up! and I make all my own scrapbook pages and birthday/ thank you cards. People love the cards! An easy gift is to give a packet of cards for Christmas or a birthday.
7. Use eBay to buy and sell unique items. Jamin said this, but it is worth restating! I often will sell used rubber stamps on eBay and buy books or other items for homeschool.
8. Keep inexpensive hobbies! I am bad about this one... I love to do crafts! Beading, cross-stitch, scrap-booking, card-making, knitting, soap-making, candle-making, etc.,-- so fun and relaxing for me! It can save money, when you give the item as a gift. I sell stamps so that it supports my stamping hobby.
9. Ask specifically for gifts! It may seem tacky to you, but it has really helped us. I tell my parents/ grandparents/ friends/ family via email what we need for Christmas and birthdays. I can "fill in" holes in their wardrobes this way, get the kids games they will like and play with, and I don't have to go through the hassle of exchanging many gifts! Another great idea is to ask for money for their college funds! Then you don't have to deal with more stuff!
10. Save energy and water! Make sure you have full wash loads, use a clothes line to dry clothes, wash dishes in half a sink of water, don't let water run too long. Fill your watering can with water when you are waiting for your water to get hot! Turn off lights and appliances (printer, etc.,) when they are not being used.
HTH to give you some good ideas. Enjoy trying to live frugally!
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May. 31, 2007 - Just a bad day
Last Friday, I had the worst day I have had in a long time. It was the kind of day that I was grumpy all day, and crying by 5 p.m. It began with grumpy kids not liking what we had for breakfast. Then, while I was in the shower, they were fighting and punched each other (8 yr old DD and 4 yr old DS). My DD was not doing her school work. I was really tired from having been up late the night before. The children were not listening to me. The phone and computer were not working. I waited for my DH to come home for lunch, and he never did. I couldn't call to check to see if he was coming home. We had little food because we spent our food budget early this month, so I was trying to stretch the food for 10 days. We had some food, but it was stressful. I needed to call the baby's Dr. because she was still constipated, and the medicine we had for her was not working. But I couldn't do that, because the phone was dead! And DH had the cell phone! AAGH!
So we ran errands, went to the bank and Target, to get a birthday present. The kids were ok in Target, we had a hard time deciding what to get. My foot hurt, I don't know why. So it hurt to walk on it too much. We walked and walked around Target... Also, my stomach hurt for 2 days. I had eaten out on Wed., and had some beans which I hadn't had for a while, and it just hurt. Not a lot, just a little, enough to be annoying. When we went out, I realized that my DH was not coming home for lunch, because he had ridden his bike to work! Finally, nap time arrived after we came home. I laid down with the kids, and slept HARD. I got up about 5 to make dinner. I had hoped to start a little earlier, but I felt better after my nap.
Then as I was starting to make dinner, the baby woke up early from her nap. I really wanted to finish dinner and get it in the oven before I nursed her. So all of this is adding up... to disaster! I was making dinner and put eggs in the bowl. Then I thought, "oh, I should have put the milk in first. Oh well, I'll just add in the milk to the line above where it says. So that was one cup plus a line." (Remember I am sleepy too). So I start pouring in the milk...pouring...pouring... I finally stop. The whole time I am pouring, I am thinking, this is too much milk! As it turned out, I had been looking at the wrong side of the measuring bowl. I was looking at the LITERS side, not the cup/ pint/ quart side. DUMB!! So then, I decide I need to pour some milk back out of the bowl somehow. So I get out another cup, and try to skim off the milk, careful not to get the eggs in the cup. I keep thinking to myself, "How can I be so stupid!? And, Lord have mercy! How much more can I take?" I started crying at this point. Then my DS comes in, looks at the pot on the stove and began to complain about what we're going to have for dinner. At that point, I am already crying, and I started to yell at him. He looks at my face, and says, "Why are you crying?" Then DD comes in the kitchen, "Mommy's crying?!" I told them just to go out and leave me alone while I finish making dinner.
I finally get it in the oven, and then I get the baby and nurse. I feed her the baby food and then I have my DS set the table. Daddy comes home, YEAH! I tell him about the computer and phone, which he works on right away. Then we eat dinner, I am still trying not to cry. I don't want to complain right when DH gets home, so I wait. As we pray, I cry again. When we finish, DH says, "Are you ok?" I nod and sigh. Dinner is ok, and DH is asking me about the computer and phone. After dinner he works on it again and gets it working. YEAH! He mows the lawn, I do the dishes and call my sister. She called me back when the kids were going to bed, and we talked. I told her all about my bad day, and we compared stories. (She is a 3rd grade teacher, also in the end of her school year, so she understood a lot...she is like a therapist!)
I painted my toenails too. I felt I deserved something just for me at the end of a hard day. My DH helped me brainstorm meals where I could use the milk with a little egg in it (french toast, quiche or frittata). Then he put in one of my favorite movies, Rat Race. It has a few curse words and off color parts, but it makes me laugh. It was nice, and relaxing. My sister helped me see that a few things were good-- finishing the crossword puzzle from the paper, doing my toenails, and DH getting the computer working again. "It was just a bad day, but tomorrow will be better." I told my sister. The sun will come out tomorrow... Thanks for "listening"! It felt good to get it off my chest.
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May. 14, 2007 - Mother's Day
I had a very nice Mother's Day yesterday. I felt really spoiled! I received some nice gifts from my DH and kids-- some things from Bath & Body Works (in my favorite scent, Sheer Freesia), and some large towels for the shower. (It was kind of a gift for DH too!) :-) But DH made lunch and dinner, and the kids made me breakfast in bed (since DH is a pastor, he was at church already.) I even got to paint my nails and have a nap! Our baby was dedicated at church in the morning too. What a great day! We've had a busy day today, with school and a DR appt for the baby. She has been really constipated, and I have tried all sorts of things to help her-- prunes, pears, less cereal, more water, less carrots, squash & bananas, suppositories, but nothing seems to help her long term. So the Dr gave me a prescript for some fiber to add into her juices. I hope it helps! She hasn't had a lot of juice yet, she was kinda funny making faces about it at lunchtime. :-) Hope you all had a nice Mother's Day too!
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Apr. 12, 2007 - Crazy weather!!
Put away the capri pants and short sleeve shirts, and get out the flannel lined jeans again, it's SNOWING outside!! You never know what to expect this time of year in Western Colorado. When we woke up this morning, it was raining outside. The rain turned to snow soon enough. I didn't think it was cold enough... Sigh. The kids are excited! Seems like pretty wet snow here, so it may not stick. I hope not, I have to go to the library today! Better get going... need to "do school!" I am SOOO glad that I don't need to BRING my daughter anywhere for school. We like our relaxed mornings! We did get up early to do Pilates! Have a great day out there in blogland!
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