We’ve been catching up and throwing out a lot of the clutter in our home this past week, and thankfully it looks as if we’ve done so! However, one thing we won’t ever really get rid of, especially in a large family, is laundry. Everyone has it, but just how much?
THEME
This question was posted at a Large Family Homeschooling fourm, and I thought it would be fun as one of the memoirs.
So share all about your laundry. It’s on very rare occasion that it’s suitable to air dirty laundry. lol
Our laundry, that is a story that never ends. I don't do laundry everyday, I should. Instead I spend about two out of six days a week working on laundry. It does take most of each day though. I am particular with what detergents I use though, we have some friends who are very sensitive to sencts and I try to be careful in that area. I use Tide free and Downey free. There are more others but for our budget and purpose these work.
I do use my dryer alot, but I love fresh sheets off of a line, nothing smells as nice as fresh line dried sheets. But if my towels go on the line, someone is in trouble! I really do not like the feel of line dried towels.
I do love to fold fresh clothes, but if I don't get to them right away, it takes me forever to get to them. But we do have alot of laundry, not as much as the Duggers, but enough for me. Speaking of Mt. Washmore, it is calling my name again. Looks like tomorrow it that day again! ;)
Can you believe there is only 26 letters in our entire alphabet? Only 26 letters that you can create thousands and thousands of words out of, and all those little words make up all sentences, paragraphs, articles, and books we read?
This week use the ABC’s to describe your character, your life, your homeschool, and your family. Next to each letter of the alphabet put a word that describes you or has something to do with you. It was very amusing and a bit tricky. Once you actually get to a letter your mind goes blank!
A~ amazing, so my kids think
B~ beautiful, at least on the inside :)
C~ Careful
D~ daring, when I need to be
E~ energetic
F~ faithful, to the end
G~ generous
H~ happy
I~ intellegent, and intense
J~ jealous, not always but I can be
K~ kind
L~ loving
M~ mother
N~ nurse
O~ open, sometimes too much
P~ passionate
Q~ quiet
R~ real, a reader
S~ safe
T~ trustworthy
U~ understanding, at least I try to be
V~ a Voice for my children, when they need one
W~ wife, to an wonderful man :)
X~ xtraordinary
Y~ younger, than my hubby anyway ;)
Z~ zealous
I had fun with this! Sorry I haven't done more of thes, life just seems to be really busy at time and some things take a back seat. Enjoy looking each week.
We have had an interesting new year. Lets start with new years eve, friends invited us to what I hope will be a new tradition. There was about 40-50 parebts and children. Eating, playing games and having wonderful Christian fellowship. What a wonderful way to start the new year! It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I have had in a long time! My hubby started to lay new hardwood floor New years eve day and we are almost done. On saturday however my hubby hit black ice and hot what he thought was a snowbank and went into the ditch on an angle. What he really hit was a culvert (sp) and totaled our only vehicle. After much prayer and now debt we are the proud owners of a 2000 Pontiac Montana. This is where God directed us and we are happy and content with it. So it has been lots of ups and downs already this year. I am just very thankful that my hubby was protected by God and he was not hurt at all!
The guys talking
Playing everyones new favorite game Settlers of Catan
Some of the guys playing hocket in the snow storm.
Some of the girls snaking and watching a movie. Two of these are mine.
My hubby and a friend laying floor, My hubby is the one with the hammer.
The time will be changing again. I think on Sunday but not sure. Anyhow this is our 10th Homeschool Memoirs so this week it’s going to be about 10 timely facts about you! Write 10 interesting, crazy, weird, fun facts about you! Include facts about you as a woman, a wife, a mommy, a homeschooler, a homekeeper, a taxi-driver, a cook, etc .
Sorry about last week :( , the week got overwhelming and some things went by the wayside, but I must keep priorities straight.
At least 10 facts about me, how do you come up with interesting facts for an ordinary person.....
1~ I am a mutt of sorts, I am part French, German, Indian, and Irish American.
2~ I love winter, it is my favorite seasn, that could be linked to my next fact.
3~ I hate thunder and lightening, that doesn't really happen in winter ;)
4~ If I ever went back to school it would be to become a chef, I love to cook and bake and am always trying to come up with new ideas.
5~ I love the smell of burning candles, not flowery ones, but fruity, and others. I just found one called pumpkin and vanilla, really yummy! I like one called white chocolate too.
6~ I have five beautiful girls an one baby in heaven waiting for me. That may be the only "saved" person in my family at this point to great me.
7~ My parents divorced when I was 12, my mothers sister ended up taking me in and raising me at 15. It was my Aunt who taught me to be a good house keeper and cook.
8~ I have an interesting family, 1 half brother in New York, 1 step brother in halifax and 1 biological brother in The N.W.T. And 1 biological sister in Halifax.
9~ I love Tea!!!! I love the smell of coffee but can't stand the taste. But tea, ooohhh yummy!
10~ I love to learn new things, I am now learning to play piano and crochet.
11~ I almost ruined my husband proposal, I knew he had the ring ( he made try it on to see if it fit). As we were walking along the shore, I told him it was too bad he hadn't brought the ring. It would have been a great place to propose. He had the ring in his pocket.
12~ there is nothing in this world as nice as a hot bubble bath with a good book!
13~ I have been married for 15 years (that is why I am doing 15). When I first met my hubby he wouldn't go out with me because I was lost. He didn't tell me that until after though. He didn't want me to get saved just to go out with him.
14~ This is our 7th year of homeschooling, we had a three year break between year four and five though.
15~ I am a gift person, I love to get and give little unexpected gifts. Just to know someone is thinking of me or to let them know I was tinking of them. It means alot to me.
This week share your favourite spot to study with your kids. There are many places you can sit down to teach, learn, and work, but where do you prefer and why? You’re welcome to include a photo of your study spot!
This is easy! My favorite spot to work with the girls is the kitchen table. This is where we get together to do projects and crafts. Regular work is done at desks in their room, coming to me for help when needed. But it is always fun to come together and have fun. These are some pictures from of the happy fall pictures we made yesterday. They went out in the woods behind the house to gather "stuff" and came back with their bags to make these.
II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
So I thought about this and I figured that since my kids eat the snacks I would ask them what their favorites are. Please don't think they get all of these all the time.
Meghan ~ Any leftover dessert, veggies and dip, homemade biscuts and jam.
Hannah ~ Cupcakes, pudding, homemade cookies.
Abigail ~ carrots and dip, yoguart, apples.
Sarah ~ Homemade pretzels, bananas, watermelon.
Ruth ~ Chips and dip, cucumber slices, grapes.
Mom ~ Vinta crackers and cheese, buttered popcorn, any leftover take out (doesn't happen often)
Summer is officially over and autumn has set in. Where has the summer gone? It has been pretty warm this week but the week before was awfully cold and I do not like it! I was made for hot weather, and living in Indiana you never know if you should wear long sleeve or short sleeve because the weather could change at any moment!
Well schools going and now the cooler weather is settling in. Soon the leaves will all be changing colours. A sure sign summer is gone and autumn is here, BUT! no matter, we have plenty of photos that we’ve taken to capture the memories of Summer ‘08 to cherish forever.
We have had the busiest summer ever! So much to do and so much has happend!
We had three birthdays.
My hubby did pulpit supply for three churches in August.
We went strawberry picking.
We went to Upper Clements Park.
We went to a wind farm, yes that is us at the bottom. These are HUGE!
Visited a old Acadien village set up to show you how they lived and worked in the early 1900's. They had animals, gave us cookies, and tried homemade jam. Not to mention learning about lobster traps and old ways of keeping house.
Played ball, played at the playground, and made new friends.
We went to the Aylesford zoo with family. Some of us even feed the bear.
We sold our old house and bought a new one.
The hardest thing was the passing of my grandmother in early August. This is the last picture I have of her with all of us. Four generations.
This weeks theme I a fun one, we are to make a list of our favorite things~
Wow, my favorite things, there are so many........ where do you start?
1 ~ I love my God, my hubby, my girls, these are the most important people in my life and those who God has entrusted to me. It seems funny, but these people are my whole world. My hubby is my best friend, my mentor, my encourager and my corrector of sorts to keep me on track. Many times when I get discouraged it is these closest to me who direct my path back to where it should be focused.
2 ~ I love to do crafts, I am not always good at it. I love to work with my hands. I do crochet, starting to knit, I love to cross-stitch, some scrapbooking. And arounf christmas we always try to learn some new thing to put on our tree.
3 ~ I love to cook and bake, don't get me wrong, I don't like to clean up after myself, but I love to search and find new recipes. I have a habit of trying new ones when we get company and one of these days this will make me look bad! ( ;) )
4 ~ I love to read, I have books upon books of historical christian novels, but my love of reading doesn't stop there. I always lug home a pile of books from the library that will include picture books from all over the world, history books, information books and even some biographys.
5 ~ My time is limited and I am not always able to visit as often as I should or would like to, or even to leave little words of encouragement, but I love to visit my friends blogs and read how they are doing. I willnot make a list because I don't want to leave anyone out, but you know who you are ;) .
6 ~ The last thing I will include is the desire to learn new things, some I have mentioned before like piano and working on this blog. If you fail to learn new things how do you pass on more to your children? So I am constantly looking for new things that appeal to me to teach to my girls.
I look forward to reading all of your lists that I can. God bless and have a great day!
Titus 2:13 - 15
Looking for that blessed hope, and that glorious appering of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gae himself for us, that he might redeem us rom all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all autority. Let no man dispise thee.
Something new? Let me think.....We always used A.C.E., well except that one year. We used a variety of things to fill in gaps for my oldest when we brought her home from public school after grade 6. We just reallt like the program for us. It is a good fit.
But something new.....Oh! I did order a new thing this year and a Home Ec. course from Christian Light. I want to teach my girls the proper way to arrange and take care of a kitchen. To make grocery lists, to live on a budget and it cook and sew. this course covers it all. myself, am anticipating the cookbook I ordered to go with it :D.
As well as regular pace work I have added some projects to fill in what I consider gaps. We do book reports, and lapbooks on different subjects. My older girls are right now doing a project on a Prime Minister of their choice and an over view of the others in Canada.
So far the year is going really well and we are excited about the rest of it!
As for me, I am still learning piano for the first time in my life, and instead of leaning on all my friends for help with my blog ( which I know they would help) I did all the changes for fall all by myself. And my hubby likes it :)
Psalms 149:1
Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
This was something that took me a long time to understand in my house. I wanted to be one of those free and easy homeschoolers that would spend hours working on one thing and I pictured in my head all of my girls watching, smiling. Looking at me with love in their eyes, eyes that said, isn't my mom the greatest! So now that we know how prideful I am :D. I'll tell you how it realy happened. I tried to be the mom I wanted, but God had different plans I tried to start something only to have it break down and fall apart ( can you see my pride slipping away ;) ). After much prayer and talking things out with my hubby we dcided to make a schedual and see where that put us. The change was incredible! My kids were sitting in their seats and working, they were getting the work done and their attitudes improved so much!
All I had to do was make a schedual and put them into a rotine. It is not what I wanted, but it worked for my kids. Every year now we make a new schedual and new chore chart for the girls. Some jobs fall into their allowance, some are just to contribute to the family. The routine helps them to know what is expected from them and of them. It also helps mama keep her mind intact ;) .
I pray you all have a good week. Happy Homeschooling!
Wow, I meant to do this yesterday, but we had a family day and that is more important. It was a fun day though.
Back to topic, We have settled into using A.C.E , put out by School of Tomorrow. Most of this pace work will be done in the mornings though. After talking with my hubby, we have decided to require book reports by all of the girls, more for the senior grades, less for the younger. We will also be requiring about 5 projects a year per child. These will be in different forms depending on the child. such as my two older girls will have three written papers and two hands on projects. My middle daughter will have two written projects and three hands on. My two younger children will have one written project and four hands on. We our really excited about doing lapbooks this year.
Some of our topics will include ~ our Province, Canadian Prime Ministers, Flowers from seed to bloom, catapillers and butterflies, Canada and her Provinces, amoung others. We are very excited about this year and are looking forward to next Tuesday, our starting date.
Praying you all have a great year.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding than silver!
