Dec. 7, 2007 - Heloooooooo...
WOW! its been ages since i posted to my homeschooling blog! Life has been busy... what can i say!? anyhow, just wanted to hop on quick and make sure my blog doesn't get deleted! i do, actually intend someday to post something meaningful, LOL
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Mar. 2, 2007 - Loooong time!
Gosh, i haven't written in a LONG time!! what can i say... its been busy around here!!! i went through a rough period about 3 weeks ago where i was totally sick of being off track and stuck... schooling 3 with a new baby has been really a challenge. So at that point i sought help from the wonderful well trained mind board, They so rock! and developed a plan. We start our day with breakfast, then do all the housework because as much as i wanted to put school first, I learned that if the house is a mess i'm completely distracted and useless and angry, so that's a problem! Ok, so we do breakfast, cleaning then start on math with the little kids, Alex (11)helps Chloe (5)with her math, and I(31 hehehe) help Nik(8) with his math I help nik with his reader, and he moves on to do spelling time on the computer. Then we start between the lions, possibly having a brainy baby or two before then for Leif (7 mos) and sometimes anna (3) who often hangs out at the table and plays with the middle kids manipulatives. While between the Lions is on, Alex and i work on his history, Sonlight, and science, Apologia general science. Its not perfect but its something, and pretty good for a crisis year which is what i consider this year to be with the depression issues and a new baby and everything... NEXT year hopefully will not be, and i've bought Winter promise 4th year history to do which is much more age flexible than sonlight, so i have high hopes! Anyway, more later.. gotta run...
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Dec. 10, 2006 - breakfast/lunch meals during the week
I'm contemplating signing up for this... any opinions?? our breakfasts and lunches are BOOOORRRRIIING!!!!
Kid Approved Meals
Weekly Breakfast and Lunch Menus Moms and Kids Love!
BTW, if you sign up for their free newsletter you get sample recipes whenever it comes out and a free ebook :-)
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Dec. 4, 2006 - Teach magazine: gratitude
Wow, this issue could not have come at a more fitting time.. as society has all but erased thanksgiving, and replaced it with the free for all, MUST HAVE NOW atmosphere of the secular "christmas" I personally am struggling to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and not focus on the wants and "gotta have's."
This issue included as most do, inspiring articles from a variety of people, from the legendary Marilyn Boyer, by whom i've vowed to someday own everything written. She's just THAT insightful, to a woman named "Heidi St. John, who I JUST was reading as I perused my homeschool group's newsletter which i am in charge of submitting, is going to be speaking on keeping the spark in marriage in february! I thought that was pretty cool! Anyway, this month's issue included an article about how to organize your pantry, and WHO couldn't use help with things like that! I tell you, i was not raised to be a homemaker, not by any stretch, and nearly EVERYTHING i do learn is either the hard way by experience or by magazine articles from experienced moms like Lorrie. I completely recognized myself in an article by Jenny Silliman, about generousity, and having a "i have to protect every cent of my husband's income or we are destined for certain poverty" kind of attitude about giving.. wow! that's a whole nother post, but suffice to say, i appreciated the wake up call. Finally, the last article in the magazine was "12 things i would not change." It included things like, i would not have any less children, i would not read my bible any less, etc. very very great in terms of BIG PICTURE, which for me is so crucial.. i tend to get bogged down in the drudgery of everyday life, and really benefit from a big picture every once in a while. I already see items in that list that i don't do nearly enough. I am going to try to improve that, and prioritize. I don't want to leave this life knowing i settled for the good, while neglecting the best!
Thanks Teach magazine for another great and inspiring issue!
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Oct. 2, 2006 - Homeschool Estore
Hey all! thought i'd post my banner for this site... they are offering affiliates 25% so we are homeschool fundraising, for everything we SHOULD have bought by now but haven't quite been able to make it happen! so if you are needing anything from there, please consider using my link!! also don't forget to check back every monday for their freebie.. this weeks is really good! thanks!! my link is this and i'll include the banner too, which updates the freebie each week i think!
http://www.homeschoolestore.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=230&affiliate_id=203
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Sep. 29, 2006 - Another bad day
And the hits just keep on coming.... ok, in all fairness, there's been a LOT of good days in the last month... i only seem to post, on the really bad ones... its not so much a really bad day really, as it is the culmination of a lot of stressful circumstances... our car, the one dh uses as a commuter car just had the clutch go out yesterday.. which means he's using our 30 yr old van as his commuter car, granted, works not very far away but that van is on its last legs and its what gets our family of 7 to church and grocery shopping, so its very very essential... which makes me nervous and scared. the post baby finances are a nightmare... just trying to hold on till tax return time, or at LEAST jan 1 when we can take out our post tax savings from his work plan, but then next year at this time of year we will be in the same predicament... but it beats throwing more money into overdrafts and payday loans! ugg... we start to get ahead and it doesn't even make a dent into the big picture.. it seems so hopeless...
And as for me.. i'm doing OK, if i can manage to remember my st. johns wort.which i haven't because i'm on antibiotics for mastitis, which i've had for the 4th TIME since leif was born 2 mos ago... i'd been able to fight it off without antibiotics till this time when the fever and aches and not to mention boob situation just would not go away. But i think at this point i'm just plain too rundown... the nonsensible side of me just plain feels like i'm going to drop dead at any given point from exhaustion but the realistic side of me knows that exhaustion is never that merciful.. that i'll end up floating around in this state of walking dead for at least the next 6 months. i'm only 2 months into the new baby thing, and i'm cooking now, a little, which for my family is definately a good thing.. they've subsisted on junk for FAR too long... but i'm already sick of the just barely squeaking by perspective, in EVERY area of life... its getting really really old! i'm just having one of those "i want my mommy" moments, but then its like, "oh yeah, i dont' have one!" she's ALIVE, she just plain doesn't want me anymore, why i torture myself with stuff like this is beyond me... just because its TRUE doesn't mean i have to dwell on it, right??? hopefully i'll manage to post an entry on a good day, because i'm thinking anyone reading at this point, thinks i'm a completely insane loser embedded in self-pity, which is not entirely true! if you knew me in person, you'd probably like me :-)
Off to serve lunch!
R
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Sep. 2, 2006 - bad day
dh is working another saturday... this one voluntarily... trying to dig out of the "just had a baby" financial pit. he promised it would be a short day. It's not! So here i am, trying to pick up the slack again... house is a disaster... kids are unruly and wanting to go places and do things that we just plain can't afford... dh's mood level is beyond foul... last sunday i was awakened from a nap i was taking... which was only because i was on my second bout of mastitis that i've had in the 4 weeks (as of last weekend, he's 5 weeks now) that Leif has been on the outside, and i was resting in hopes of fighting it off well enough to not have to get antibiotics (and pay for a co-pay, and have dh miss a day of work....) well, i was awakened from my nap to hear dh completely flipping out at nik, who is 7 because he was playing with the hose, dropped it and it started shooting in the front door. ok, so bye bye rest... had a long talk about it, dh agreed to calm down a bit.. but his mood level still sucks. and today i've reached that point... that point where i can't just keep covering everything... trying to be nice to the kids because i know dh won't be... trying to keep everything under control, keep the ants out of the kitchen and the moths out of the pantry.... (yes my house is a mess but its NOT as gross as it sounds form that last statement, REALLY its just been a rough couple of weeks in regard to insects!) i am completely and totally burned out and i have absolutely no one to turn to. all my friends either have a bazillion kids, live too far away etc. adn for the first time, Andy is unavailable too. i keep making alex my oldest cry, he's really sensitive... but i just need space... i'm sitting here at the computer listening to praise music, trying to find some peace and its just not happening... i feel so totally abandoned... i am NEVER having a child again. This totally sucks, my life is falling apart and i'm totally alone.
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Aug. 18, 2006 - STICKERS!!!
Looking for stickers for scrapbooking, or more obscure stickers to use for notebooking? check out this place
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Aug. 14, 2006 - Do you ever just feel...
USED. Like if you did actually succeed in working yourself to death from the constant onslaught of MESS and careless junk scattering, that they might notice you were gone... but only because their laundry piled up enough??? Or maybe its just the PPD rearing its ugly head... sigh...
Rebecca (who WAS going to scrapbook while the baby sleeped but now gets to CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN, only to have it remessed in a matter of minutes)
:-( :-( :-(
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Aug. 14, 2006 - So much has happened...
Wow its been a long time since i've blogged!!!!!
First and foremost, our little Leif was born July 29th. I promise i'll blog about that more later, but i've got so much on my mind i thought i'd unload here!
My Father in law just left this morning. He'd been up since last saturday to visit, planning it to coincide roughly with Leif's birth. He stayed with us and we have had a whirlwind week, crazy but fun. Being 1-2 weeks postpartum i probably shouldn't have been running around so much but honestly, being out and about really helps me immensely ward off the postpartum depression which i get every time, BAD, each worse than the next. I've been doing REALLY well this week but as real life approaches, dh going back to work wednesday, i'm getting nervous. I'm planning to take ST. johns wort and regularily exercise and TRY to eat well, which is not exactly easy with a newborn and 4 other little ones to take care of...
Anyway... Danny, my FIL, left this morning and i was so sad :-( it was a really great visit. Honestly, family has started to feel like a pain in the butt to me... not my immediate family of course, but the extended family. It seems like just one blow after another... insults, criticism... etc. My dad tries but he's just not in a place where he can be the kind of grandpa i want for my kids, just too much of his own life interferes with that... he REALLY tries though. and Andy's mom... sigh... she doesn't like me. She also doesn't visit, so we have minimal conflict, but its not exactly the best relationship we have either.... but danny is about the perfect grandpa ever... he tags along with us, but doesn't mind if we stay home, he really ENJOYS the kids and as a result they have all developed a close relationship with him, this time, even more than the last two times, which were also good. Well, anna to a lesser degree... she's having a REALLY hard time with Leif, she just has to work through her little 2 yo issues, LOL, but chloe was so upset she cried when grandpa left... me too... for the absolute FIRST time i started to think about the possibility of moving closer.... before the can o' worms aspect completely overruled the other parts, but lets face it, we aren't getting any younger and neither are our parents.. They'll probably be needing us eventually, and that's really hard to manage from a distance. I must say the Lord has a way of working on me and my attitude on different issues adn i think this week its clearly the extended family issue... i've been awfully hard hearted on the family issue and really, for good reason. I've been really badly hurt by family, and its hard to just go back for more, you know? I kind of see us as starting a whole new family a HEALTHY family free from sexual and physical and emotional abuse, and built on a foundation of Christ centered ness, all of which is totally new to us. But we DON'T live in a vaccum, and while it breaks our hearts that some of our family doensn't know God in any way, and some minimally, it is excting to see that some of them DO! and exciting to see Him drawing us closer becaues indeed, God is a God of reconciliation, and that's a powerful thing. Its been a wrenching day, and its not even noon yet. it is however time for some MAJOR Housework, so i should run, more about my sweetie later!!!!! :-)
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Jul. 6, 2006 - My affiliate link to knowledge quest maps
If you'd like to purchase this incredible resource, i'd very much appreciate if you used my affiliate link!
target=_top>Click Here!
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Jul. 5, 2006 - My patriotic belly
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Jun. 15, 2006 - New ultrasound pics and details on our sweetie
Hey all! its been a long time.... busy... anyway, i just got back from
my appts with the neonatologist and midwife, and here's my update on my
not-so-little guy!
First of all, his kidney problems haven not improved. one is fine but
the other has enlarged as well as having an enlarged renal pelvis. it
measures between 8 and 9 mm with the upper limit being 7, so its
definately big. I'm going back for another ultrasound at 39 weeks,
(i'm 35 weeks tomorrow) if i'm still pregnant, which i hope he'll be
born already because he's REALLY big. But so far i'm at least able to
still deliver naturally at home... since the amount of amniotic fluid
looks good it doesn't look like he'll need prebirth intervention, which
is GOOD. He will need to see a ped. within the first couple days of
being born but that's not so bad. He may or may not need surgery soon
after birth, depending on how bad it is and how he responds to it... so
far it looks like he's peeing ok, so that's a good thing. We are grateful that its not worse than it is and that he's otherwise doing great.
Size- he's BIG. Well, i tend to have big babies anyway, so we've yet
to see if he's really big for being one of my children, and lets face
it, he's the 5th child and a boy so of course he's going to be big.
He's measuring at 7 lbs 1 oz so far so if that's correct and i go to
term, that's still only like 9 and a half lbs which i'm sure he'll be
at least that big. so... that's it i guess.... OH yeah, he's a beauty
:-) attaching pictures
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Jun. 15, 2006 -
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May. 3, 2006 - Preschool at home
(note: i posted this on the sonlight boards but thought it might be useful to others being that i put literally HOURS into researching all this wanted to share the wealth :-)
So, in light of the preschool thread, i thought i'd post another idea
for those of us with 2.5-5yo's. First, to explain... i decided to do
something different when i realized that its my older children, ages 10
adn 7 who get FAR more attention during the day, and hence the youngers
act out and just generally don't get as much as they otherwise would
were they not part of a large family, etc.
So I embarked on a mission to find a preschool program i could do with
my little ones, so they'd be more filled and hopefully, as a nice bonus
would be a little more cooperative about me doing school with the
olders, without me having to stick them in front of the tube every
day!!!!
Basically, online i found 3 major cagegories of preschool stuff.. 1.
lots of free stuff you can print out to use to teach preschool concepts
free but not well organized.. 2. preschool curricula you can buy, such
as kidcrafters which has all the ideas you need and is nicely organized
but supplies are not included. 3. All encompassing kits that include
craft supplies along with the curriculum.
Links--
Category one links
http://www.kinderprintables.com/dailyprintables.htm
http://www.daycareresource.com/preschoolprintables.html
http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/index.html
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_printables.htm
Category 2 links:
http://www.kidcrafters.com
http://www.reachforthe-stars.com/
http://www.childcarelounge.com/diva/DIVA.htm free sample on the site
Category 3 links:
http://www.carolscurriculum.com/
http://www.earlybeginnings.com/sample.html
this one has a sample 3 days which is $10 but it doesn't tell you
shipping is another $7 or so until AFTER you have been charged.. ticked
me off, but the sample came today, its nice!
http://cubbiescurriculum.com/kitcontents.htm this one has samples too, i ordered one, hasn't come yet, just ordered over the weekend
https://www-secure.funshineexpress.c...bcat.asp?ID=24 This one looked good.
http://www.preschoolcurriculum.com/
https://preschool-program.com/index.html
http://www.leap-learning.com/ this one has samples too, ordered it not here yet..
http://www.funsteps.com/ i "think" this is the one that clearences their curricula from past months at 50% off.. one of them does that!
http://www.creativediscoverieskits.com/ this is probably my first choice, sight unseen... no samples though...
http://mothergoosetime.com/
if you are confused as all get out, this site puts many of these on one page and compares them!!
http://www.childcarelounge.com/articles/compare.htm
So anyway, i'm trying to decide what to do... i have a friend with
Kidcrafters, so i'm thinking of using that. have to print out
everything though, and buy my own craft stuff, leaning toward doing
that ahead of time. I'm having a baby in July and want to be prepared
with stuff to do that doesn't need a lot of prep time...
Still thinking though about those remarkably tempting kids that include EVERYTHING!!!! :-)
Rebecca
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Apr. 18, 2006 - Free membership to HSLDA
Its entirely possible this may be old news, but someone posted this link on an email list i'm on and its an aweseome deal, its a free trial membership to hslda through Aug. 15th
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Apr. 17, 2006 - Check out this site
FREE medieval maps from knowledge quest! the whole set of the medieval age ones!!!
check this site every monday they have a new freebie posted every week, or just join their mailing list and they'll email and remind you. Also, you will start with a $5 credit which there are lots of things under $5 that look great!
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Apr. 14, 2006 - My mommy makeover day
Ok, so i had to jump in here with a mommy makeover post to mirror, or would that be contrast? my buddy Teresa's www.homeschoolblogger.com/teresamatz recent blog.. She's having a bad day. I'm having one of the best days i've had in ages. Honestly its been a brutal week. My youngest external child has been having some serious issues with hitting, others as well as HERSELF if you can believe that... and every night this week i've ended the day feeling like i've been hit by a truck, the parenting thing has just been THAT intensive... more on that later... but anyway, today....
We left for mops, under less than ideal circumstances, for sure... but all arrived safely, albeit with the addition of a 3yo shadow of teresa's. She behaved very very nicely though, so that was good, and we got to mops and i proceeded to completely pig out on all the munchies :-D To be honest, the whole makeover thing seems really petty and stupid to me, but i was trying to have a good attitude about the whole thing. I painted my fingernails, and i do admit it was nice to not mess them up right off the bat like i did the other one time i painted my nails since i've had children. So then we did the mary kay thing. I really liked the skincare part, but still now, like 5 hours later i feel like i have a layer of dirt on my face. That's totally what it feels like! and my eyes itch. But i'm a massive sucker for freebies and totally scored a tube of hand lotion and a mini satin hands set, which was SO totally what i've needed, i've got little cracks all over the back of my right hand... i just completely forget, and then can't FIND the hand lotion, so it was great to get a new one and hopefully i can start repairing the hand thing as well as the cracks in the tips of my fingers, well, not really cracks, more like peeling. So anyway, for me it was a welcome break from the children, who have really been testing my patience this week. (Ok, just anna, the rest of the children have been fine!) Then we went to mcdonalds, which was soooo awesome, didn't have to cook lunch in my messy kitchen!! and While my children were mildly misbehaving, we are going to be having a talk about thatl. As much as it isn't fair, we DO in large part represent to the world homeschooling and large families, and we all need to behave as such. I was REALLY grateful for the respite. With teh weeks chaos, the housework has really gone to pot... need to get on that... anyway, So i got home and found my dh home for lunch, which happens occasionally, but we don't know when, and unfortunately, he'd finished almost all his lunch. but i asked him what he thought of my makeover and he said... "you look the same" i was like gee, thanks! and he said "No, i just mean you have enough natural beauty to not NEED makeup." Whata guy :-D :-D Then Anna and i sat at the computer singing along to U2 very loudly, and we just had a blast.. I'm afraid the happy anna party might just be over, perhaps she's getting bored. Doesn't like it when i type, that's for sure. But anyway, i just had to type this because it cracked me up that the two of us (Teresa and I) could have such a differnnt take on the same event!
Next goal DECLUTTERING!!!! i so need to do this in a massive way, EVERYWHERE in my house and i don't have the faintest clue where to start or what to do.... sigh....
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Mar. 30, 2006 - I wish i could figure out how to put this in the top!
But alas, i'm a computer dufus :-D
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Mar. 29, 2006 - Teach magazine
Hey all, i wanted to post this quarter's review of TEACH magazine. TEACH, or To Encourage And Challenge Homemakers and Homeschoolers, which can be found at www.TEACHmagazine.com. I reccommend you go to their site because they have a free e-zine and if you subscribe for two years, for under $40 you get $60 worth of freebies or $70 worth (the addition of a Diana Waring audio) if you do by April 1, which is coming up soon now. So anyway, some GREAT deals are to be had with the 2 year subscription! So now, on to the magazine itself!
Each magazine is themed. This month's theme is "beauty" The articles contained fall within 4 categories, "Godly Women, Godly Mothers, Homeschoolers, and Homemakers." I really like the diversity of articles... its not "just" a homeschooling magazine but has more breadth and depth in a variety of issues that we as Christian women tend to face. I particularily liked Elisabeth Elliot's article entitled "Two Marraigeable People" which talked about some of the dating faux pas made by young people that cause pain and heartbreak. I recognized SO much of my own mistakes in this articles. Another article contained a daily schedule from a mom of 6, which i always enjoy being a mom to a growing family, sometimes feeling overwhelmed and not sure how to make everything come together during the course of the day to get stuff done! We definately have Chaos issues around here! I also was impressed by the article "God Blesses This House But He Doesn't Clean It" subtitled, "Are you losing your Marbles over chore training?" Which my answer would be a resounding "YES!!!!" The marbles is a play on words suggesting the use of marbles as a token system of reward/punishment. I've been wanting to do something similar for AGES and i'm excited to get a plan delineated for me to accomplish that. As much as I try to build a sense of self-motivation, and self-control, it seems that my children seem to really need a more tangible reminder of what needs to get done.. In a way that concerns me but in another way, i'm thinking that the building of habits will be valuable enough to justify the token system.
So anyway, these are my favorite parts of this quarter (spring 2006) of the TEACH magazine, which can again be found at www.TEACHmagazine.com I'll posta review and highlights of the next issue as well.
Rebecca
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