A few weeks ago, my friend Jodi posted on her blog about a "postcard from God". She shared it because, not only was it special to her, but she felt that God was prompting her to share it with someone who needed it. I felt that it was meant for me - I needed it right then - and I need it right now.
Jodi was sweet enough to share the postcard with me so that I can share it on my blog:
The greatest man-made invention, in my opinion, isn't the steam or gasoline engine, or the computer, or even airplanes. I think it's the mattress. The kind the would make Goldilocks very happy, not too hard, not too soft, but just right.
I'm incredibly fond of my bed, made up of a mattress. If I no longer had a computer I wouldn't cry. If flight became a thing of the past I wouldn't worry. If I had to start walking everywhere I would probably grumble and whine, but I would get used to it. However, if I lost the use of a good mattress, I don't think I'd ever get over that.
You may think that I'm a hard-core blogger, but I put more time and effort into being a napper. Sleeping at night is only intensive training for my napping, and like a runner after a good, long run, I find it to have been hard work but well worth it--it gives me a rush. It can be exhilarating and then my body is ready for a good nap to recuperate.
Before the modern bed was invented, people had to sleep on poky straw or feathers. Quite a problem for those with allergies and deadly for those with asthma. Before that it was soft dirt or hard dirt, but I doubt there was ever any "just right" dirt. That's why the bears lived in a house and slept in beds. It wouldn't have been the same story if Goldilocks had wandered into a cave and tested three different bear wallows.
I completely and totally love my bed and all of the cozy comfort that it has to offer. It's just fills my heart with joy to crawl under the covers and snuggle down. Waking up in the morning is most painful. At least I have naps to look forward to.
To whoever invented the modern mattress, I am truly grateful. I wouldn't be half the napper I am now without it.
When I was asked to review this product for TOS Homeschool Crew, I had never heard of Educaching. I had heard of geocaching and knew it sounded like fun, but educaching was new to me. I agreed to give it a try and write this review in exchange for receiving a free copy of the teacher's manual.
The website for this product is www.educaching.com. At the website, you can view frequently asked questions, look at national standards information (which may be particularly useful for public or private school teachers), download a sample lesson, and more. You can also order the teacher's manual for $32.00 either online or by calling 567-202-0035.
The teacher's manual includes a training section to help the teacher learn more about how to use a GPS with students. It also includes 20 lesson plans, worksheets that are needed to go along with each lesson, and even information about how to obtain GPS devices including grant writing basics. (Homeschooling families should only need one device.) It is recommended that teachers purchase the teacher's manual before buying GPS devices. There are some features that are helpful to have on your GPS, and the manual gives more information about those features. If you already own a GPS, though, it is probably sufficient! If you are in the market for a new device, definitely take a look at the manual first.
I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about this curriculum at first. I just wasn't sure how it would/could work in a classroom or homeschool. I have found, though, that the curriculum is not only fun, but it is well-planned and easy to implement too! If additional materials are needed (such as field guides for the sample lesson on the website), suggestions are given for those as well. I know I prefer for that kind of information to be included so I don't waste time (or money!) looking for what I need or buying things that aren't useful. To have these "extras" included in the manual was definitely great for me!
Another thing I personally like about the Educaching curriculum is that it is produced by a company, SDG Creations, Ltd, which is made up of a team of Christian men and women whose mission is to glorify God. (SDG stands for Solo Deo Gloria. In English that means Glory to God alone.) In fact, on their website under "About SDG Creations, Ltd, it says:
We are told in the Bible, book of Jeremiah, chapter 22 verse 16 that to know God is to defend the cause of the poor and needy. It is the desire of the SDG team to bring glory to God and come to know Him better by pressing out this verse in our personal lives and with the fruit of this business endeavor with Him. This verse best describes what SDG Creations, Ltd., and Educaching is about.
Well, someone just asked what was new in my neck of the woods-hardly have had a chance to notice cuz I have been awfully busy. Betwixt the TOS reviewing, HSing, life, illnesses, working on a couple side projects and such-well, it has been a very crazy fall.
I have been nominated for 2 different categories for the HS Blog Awards, and I am very tickled to have made it to the final round-you can go to The Homeschool Post to vote for the blogs of your choice...there are quite a few awesome ones listed there.
Always trying to get something up on my Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer -my main blog-so if you are looking for me-those are the places you'll find me.
Sure hope all of you have had a lovely fall and are gearing up for the holiday season without panic (like me)-LOL.
Free Holiday Idea Book from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Posted By Wendy
This is just a quick post to let you know about a holiday idea book that The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has made available free. You can click on the banner in my sidebar to get your own copy, or you can click the link here: http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Digital-Supplement/Thanksgiving&Christmas.html. I just downloaded my own copy, and I can't wait to take the time to read through it. I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas ideas and recipes!
I'm terrible sorry that we haven't been posting in a couple of week.
It’s November and everybody is busy. Powerline Productions is no exception. The test kitchens are going full tilt and the employees are running around nonstop. Meredith is gearing up for a talk at a local homeschool support group and I am preparing for a family trip to Virginia. Our college students are finishing up classes with big projects and starting to prepare for finals and our homeschool students are straining to get their work done among the distractions. This morning has been beautiful. I was able to swim a mile, enjoying the sunshine all the while. I’ve enjoyed a delicious lunch of steam asparagus and leftover baked ham roll-ups. (If you’re interested in trying them, the recipe is at the end of this blog.)
In between making a batch of chocolate turtles and a batch of truffles I had a moment to look out the window at Big Daddy, our 300 year live old oak tree and his leaves were still. I was enthralled. I couldn’t take my eyes off those beautiful green, still leaves. (Yes, I realize that an oak tree with green leaves in November might be shocking to some of you. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in Florida or because he’s a Live Oak Tree, but Big Daddy doesn’t shed his leaves until March when the new ones force the old ones out.) We are experiencing a great deal of wind in Florida today as Tropical storm/depression/whatever-their-calling-it-now Ida is wreaking havoc on the gulf. They haven’t been strong winds, just constant. I don’t think there has been a moment in days that Big Daddy has been still. The air has been some-what like my life, busy. Big Daddy and his still leaves reminded me to take a moment.
We take time to homeschool our kids and that’s good. We take time to feed our families and if you have teenage boys like me that’s very good. We take time to study The Word or Praise the Lord and that’s extremely good. How much time do we take to just be with Him? How much time do we take to consciously appreciate the gifts He has given us? It’s time to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. Then it will be time to buy gifts for everybody to show how thankful we are for the gift of God’s son. Don’t be stressed by it. Take the time you need to really be thankful, even while you’re making the preparations. Enjoy the smells of the food while it’s still cooking. Enjoy the bright colors, lights, and music of the holiday season. Keep your eyes open to see and appreciate when the wind stops blowing.
Baked Ham Roll-Ups
Ingredients
2 (10oz.) pkg. chopped spinach
2 cups corn bread stuffing mix
2 cups sour cream
24 slice ham lunchmeat
4 cups milk
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cups sharp grated cheese
pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cook frozen spinach as directed on package and drain. Combine with stuffing mix and sour cream; mix well. Spread each ham slice with about ½ cup spinach mixture. Roll and place seam side down in 9x13 inch Pyrex dish. Dissolve cornstarch and milk well in saucepan and heat. Add butter, cheese, and pepper; cook till thickened. Pour over ham rolls. Bake, covered, 15 minutes, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm on top of the world, excelling as a wife and mother, ordering my home and tasks with ease, accomplishing more than I imagine possible. I am confident and energetic. I feel like an achiever and a conqueror.
Those moments of grandeur are fleeting. All too often they are followed by mediocrity -- days of chaos and struggling to keep all the plates spinning without dropping anything. Weeks when I am rushing from one task to another -- or simply wandering around somewhat aimlessly, overwhelmed by all that I SHOULD be doing. In these moments, I am merely persevering.
In the moments of grandeur, those near-perfect days when I am feeling that maybe, I might be, almost, just a little bit of a Super Mom -- I think I am doing it all. I am the great one. I have my act together.
But when the chaos returns, and I'm trying to figure out what I've done wrong -- I have to admit that I am not SuperMom. I can't maintain the grandiose days forever. I am merely an imperfect human relying on God's grace.
Everyone has revolving (and evolving) moments of grandeur and mediocrity. It is just life. And life is much less about me than I often believe. It isn't really about what I'm doing RIGHT or what I'm doing WRONG. It's not all about my success and failure.
So in these days of mediocrity, disorder, distraction, and even laziness -- I am once again humbled, but also hopeful that the more organized and productive days will return. I like those moments of grandeur more than the days of just trudging along.
But I persevere, each and every day -- even when I'm not in my most glorious state. Even when I'm merely mediocre.
Galations 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Hebrews 12:1, 2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, ane let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith ... "
1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that our daily life may win the respect of outsiders ... "
We found out today that we are going to have a baby. We are thrilled. We have tried the last 3 years for a baby and we quit trying. We are expecting a new baby on June the 13 of 2010. I have PCOS so just to get pregnant is in it self a challenge.
Holiday Hunt Week1 - Enter to Win a 12 Days of Christmas Devotional!
Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in
Contests
Attention, Super Sleuth Homeschool Moms!
Join our Holiday Hunt!
We're holding several holiday scavenger hunts here on HSB. Once a week for the next three weeks, you'll have a chance to join in the fun each week! (One entry per family per week, please.)
All of the entry details and clues for the first week are below, so please read them carefully.
The Prize!
The prize is this wonderful Christmas devotional--The 12 Days of Christmas: A Guide to an Old Tradition with a New Purpose by Linda Coates and Leslie S. Kelly
The 12 Days of Christmas helps families discover that Christmas Day is the kickoff for the celebration, not the final affair. The twelve-day adventure begins on December 26. In it, you will learn more about the tenets of the Christian faith through wonderful stories and meaningful activities, and create new traditions to last you and your family a lifetime. By uncovering hidden meanings in the old classic Christmas song, Linda and Leslie bring you a new and exciting way to finish one year and begin the next.
You have until midnight EST Friday, November 13, 2009, to send Tan your answers.
At that point, we will conduct a random drawing to determine a winner from this week’s submissions to receive The 12 Days of Christmas by Linda Coates and Leslie Kelly - a Christmas devotional.
Again . . .Each week one winner of our random drawing will win a copy of the beautiful Christmas devotional from Linda Coates and Leslie Kelly, entitled The 12 Days of Christmas: A Guide to an Old Tradition with a New Purpose.
Each day of this devotional has scripture, discussion questions, activities, a prayer, a devotional story, and points to ponder. Your family will delve into the true meaning of Christmas, starting with Day 1-December 26. This is truly a beautiful and meaningful way to celebrate the birth of Christ.
"Whose birthday is it anyway? Have you ever wanted more from the Christmas Season? The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just another Christmas book. It is a way to recapture what has been lost in the hustle and bustle of Christmas so that this year it can be different. This inspiring book will help you discover that Christmas Day is the jumping point for the real celebration, not the final affair . . . The Twelve Days of Christmas is a beautiful way to finish one year and begin the next and to celebrate Christ's birth by giving our gifts to the One who has given us the greatest gift of all." Tate Publishing, http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60696-260-2
1.This company is known for their quality films. Find two that films or one film collection on their site that your family would enjoy. List their url/Web address.
2.This company was voted #1 by Homeschool.com in 1994. Provide their url/Web Address
3.See if you can find who sells the book The Big Book of American Trivia, Over 3,000 Questions and Answers. Please send us their url/Web address.
4.Go here for some amazing photos of birds, bears, and other critters. Send us the url/Web address.
5.Find a wide selection of construction or farm machine on this site. Tell us which one is your favorite and send us the link to one of your favorite machines. (Must include the link.)
6.Find Sketchy Adventures, it’s free! Send us the url/Web address.
7.The author of this website has traveled to 46 states and several Canadian provinces to encourage home educators over the past twenty years and look forward to lots of fruitful ministry in the future. Please send us their url/Web address.
Okay Fans, you can do this! Be sure to email your answers to me at thogate@thehomeschoolmagazine.com to be entered into this contest.
Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in
tamingchaos
This week is home economics week on The Front Porch.
Home Economics in the schools is really an institutionalized attempt to replicate the home, so as homeschoolers we have the perfect environment to impart "home ec" in the same, effective way that life skills have been learned through the ages--passed down generation to generation, parent to child, in daily "on the job" training.
As we tame the chaos of meals, clutter, cleaning, budgets and mending, we can apprentice the children alongside us. Relationships are strengthened, they absorb valuable skills. Additionally, household efficiency is increased as the whole family shares in the work!
Homeschoolers have the luxury of being able to learn home-economics in context as a natural part of life. There are great curriculums to help lend a systematic approach or provide additional dimensions to the natural family-style training, but the beauty of home-economics in the homeschool is the seamless practical application aspect.
As you tame the chaos, draw your children along side you--whether they are 18 months or 18 years. Gradeschoolers can help calculate costs as you shop in the grocery store and get an idea of living within a budget. Give a small child a button to sew onto his own scrap of cloth as you tackle the mending basket. Make the same muffin recipe three times in a row with your 8 year old, having her do more of it herself each time. (Then do it a 4th time as only an observer, and on the 5th see if she can do it entirely on her own!) Encourage a child to organize a cupboard or drawer that's gotten out of control.
Older children can try their hand at managing a month of meals, and grow into budgeting confidence as they handle finances for their hobbies or entrepreneurial endeavors.
Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five,Dellwrites about home, heart and hearth.
My days are never dull as a homeschooling mother of 4 children. This blog contains views of our life, reviews of homeschool curriculum, book reviews, and helpful hints for homeschooling.
I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas ideas and recipes! 
