Olivia is memorizing Psalms 23 for her Awana class. I thought I'd let Lindsey say it with her, just to help her get a head start, and to give her a little harder work.
So...here is Lindsey's version:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He made me lie to all the green pastors, and He made me steal water."
Nov. 23, 2009 - Where in the World are YOU? & Exciting New Blog Entries, Promise!
It was such a great honor to be nominated for the Best New Blog Award at the Homeschool Post. I really appreciate those folks who voted for me! One thing I was really excited about was having some new folks find my blog & maybe start reading it regularly & I hope I did!
If you are checking my blog you may be wondering, "Where in the world is she?" Well, if you have checked out our blog much you know we are Christmas tree farmers & this week & next week are our absolute most busy times of the year! So I am busy making wreaths, delivering wreaths & trees, feeding hungry men, helping set up tree lots, etc.
I will be back to blogging soon & have so many exciting blogs to share with you! Including...dum,da,dum...a virtual Christmas Tree Farm tour. I have been snapping photos as I worked & plan to show you how we make wreaths & how we harvest trees so you & your kids can take a field trip on my blog & see the inner workings of a tree farm without fighting the mud which is about 3 feet deep at my house right now!
So if you are following my blog, please don't leave me now! I will be back soon!
Michelle over at Scribbit has the grand-daddy of all give aways going on right now!! Just by entering (no strings attached) you can win this incredible HP TouchSmart 600 PC!! In case you have no clue what that means (like me for example)...here are some of the features.
The HP TouchSmart 600-1055 is a desktop PC where you can touch the screen to manipulate information. It comes with all the features you normally get, with the bonus of being able to pinch, rotate and drag things anywhere you want with your own fingers.
built-in adjustable webcam, wireless modem, microphone and premium speakers
wireless keyboard and mouse
HDMI gaming console so you can play your Playstation, X-box or Wii in HD
23" HD 16:9 screen plus HDTV tuner with a remote
capabilities for viewing Blu-ray discs plus viewing or burning DVDs
750 GB hard drive
TouchSmart Live TV, Windows Media Center and Windows 7 software
For your chance to win, simply head over to Scribbit and enter. You may do so by clicking HERE!
I was just checking out the Humanist website link, that someone passed on. In bold letters down the middle of the page, it stated; "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Probably? So, they can't say for sure. It reminded me of Pascal's wager, when he said that he couldn't lose by being right with God.
It seems they are launching a very scathing and intolerant mission. Their aim is to have creationism banned and faith schools stopped. They say they are fed up with children being indoctrinated! Hang on a minute, just what are they doing with their children and propose to do with everyone elses? Err, it couldn't be indoctrination could it?
What exactly does the term indoctrination infer? Well, here is the dictionary definition- 'to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view.' So what they are actually doing, is 'indoctrinating', or trying to indoctrinate EVERYONE into THEIR way of thinking, to the exclusion of all others. The hypocrisy is blatant. They will not be happy, until every faith school and home school is banned and children with religious parents are taken away.
Hang on a minute! the definition of religion states this; "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." So, their belief in Darwinism and the origins of the universe could be ascribed to a religion. So much for their neutrality in the matter. There has been no proof for this and it still remains as a theory. Of course you would need faith to believe what Darwinism teaches. We can see the evidence for a creator all around. The Bible states 'The fool hath said in his heart there is no God'. I think that says it all.
Here is the link, in case you would like to check it further.
I have been working hard on Christmas and getting everything ready, so I can sit back and relax in December......well, hopefully!
Here in the UK councils are taking the Christ out of Christmas, as it may just be offensive to other religions, but can we celebrate Christmas without Christ? It seems people want to have the gifts, without acknowledging the great giver of life and of gifts. We would not be here on Earth, if it was not for God. He created us and it is an afront to him, when we think we can carry on our lives without him.
What is life without God? It is empty and barren. If we do not believe in anything, then our life is meaningless.
Whether we celebrate Christmas, or not as Christians is under hot debate. However we choose to celebrate as a family, to focus on the great gift God gave in giving us his son, so that we might have our sins forgiven and inherit eternal life.
What is our motive when we give, do we give so we can receive? Do we give joyfully. Some preachers preach that if you give, then God will reward you and very often people give, just for the reward they might receive from God. It doesn't work like that, as the motive has to be selfless, it has to be without the thought of any return. I am sure everyone would give if they thought they were going to receive a definite return!
For all my homeschooling friends who think ObamaCare will solve their financial and health insurance woes, think again. It may give you temporary relief for your financial headache, but it may also invite government nannies into your home to improve your child's well-being and health.
HR 3200 that passed the House of Representatives, currently has a provision for funding states that implement a "voluntary" home visitation program for parents with young children or who are expecting. (See Sec. 1904 sec. 440)
The intended purpose is to " improve the well-being, health, and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of high quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children."
"Health and safety inspectors are to be given unprecedented access to family homes to ensure that parents are protecting their children from household accidents.
New guidance drawn up at the request of the Department of Health urges councils and other public sector bodies to “collect data” on properties where children are thought to be at “greatest risk of unintentional injury”.
Council staff will then be tasked with overseeing the installation of safety devices in homes, including smoke alarms, stair gates, hot water temperature restrictors, oven guards and window and door locks.
The draft guidance by a committee at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been criticised as intrusive and further evidence of the “creeping nanny state”.
Where are the safety devices for the "creeping nanny" who keeps sticking her nose into our personal lives?
Why homeschoolers support this bill or President Obama is beyond my understanding.
We spent the week being Pilgrims; doing things the old fashioned way and learning some new ways of doing stuff (or in some instances, attempting to do new things).
On Monday we made a drop spindle from a cd, pencil and paper clip. I was told by a spinner that you could make this contraption and then spin dryer lint into thread/yarn. Yeah...well ours kept bunching up, tearing, falling apart etc. I finally added some shredded cotton balls to give some longer fiber to the lint and that seemed to help a wee bit.
I taught the girls how to make homemade yeast bread as well. We attempted this last year, and the girls worked OH.SO.HARD on it, only to find that my yeast was a dud and the bread didn't rise. So this year I bought fresh yeast, and set them to work.
We also made homemade butter by using heavy whipping cream. The process is simple, if you'ld like to give it a try. First set the cream out and let it come to room temperature. Pour the cream into a glass jar (with a proper fitting lid) and then shake like crazy for 15-20 minutes. It seems as though nothing is happening and then suddenly POOF a large lump of butter forms and the excess water begins to swish around.
Books we read:
Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation, by Diane Stanley Sarah Morton's Day, by Kate Waters Stories of the Pilgrims, by Margaret B. Pumphrey A Great and Godly Adventure, by Godfrey Hodgson
Thursday was our monthly homeschool activity day. In my Native American class we studied the Iroquois. We studied on the "Three Sisters" (this was the only tribe in the book that I could remotely tie to Thanksgiving!) We made our own string of wampum beads for trading. We also completed three more pages in our Native American Dictionary and marked our maps to show the areas that the Iroquois lived in.
This is our last week of Co-op until January; freeing up that extra day a week is going to help me to push further ahead during the next month. Monday will be the last day of ballet until January as well (as they go into full rehearsal mode for the Nutcracker).
Head on over to Weird Unscocialized Homeschoolers to read about everyone else's Weekly Wrap Up.
I have written in several entries about my love of playdough. It's hard to beat the stuff from the store because nowadays it is so cheap &, unlike when we were kids, soft right out of the can! However I absolutely LOVE homemade salt dough! We had not made any in 3 years so only my oldest even remembered doing it. It is one of those things that you need to do every once in a while if for no other reason than the wow factor! It is so easy & your children will be so impressed that you can make playdough yourself! I call it Mommy magic- you've got to always keep them a little amazed at the things you can do!
My absolutley favorite part of salt dough is playing with it right after you make it & it is still warm; it is really a delight to all the senses!
I had lost the recipe for the kind we made 3 years ago which we all loved but I found it recently in a wonderful book that I am really enjoying. It is Kids Create by Laurie Carlson. I highly recommend this book for basic craft recipes & fun simple ideas to do with your children- things like what you did as a child before every craft came from Oriental Trading!
This recipe calls for 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup salt, 2 teaspoons cream of tarter, & food coloring. You put all the ingredients in a large saucespan & stir contantly with a wooden spoon over medium heat. The soup will magically form a ball at which point you remove it from heat & turn out on a lightly floured surface to knead & cool.
Another thing I love about homemade dough is making your own colors! These are the 4 colors my boys & I made recently. To get these eye popping colors I recommend using bakers food coloring (for cake decorating.) Mine is in a gel form & although a little expensive I have used the same few bottles for years on everything from salt dough, to cakes, to mashed potatoes! We store our dough in recycled peanut butter jars & do not keep ours refrigerated (although that is what the recipes says to do.)
B1 & I played today. I can't imagine anything better for finger dexterity & the imagination!
This was HH's supper plate that we had waiting for him when he got home- strawberry, blueberry, pear, french fries, ham, cheese, & bread- yummy!
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"Each time he said, My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 -------------------------------------------------------
I am a mother of four beautiful blessings from the Lord and will gladly take all that He will give me! I have strong support from my husband and his love and encouragement give me joy in our journey. This is our family's 5th year of home education. We're walking in the grace to raise our children in a loving Christ-centered atmosphere so they can develop and mature into men and women used for Gods Glory. We base all our learning foremost on the Word of God and intertwine rich literary classics for a living book structure. Charlotte Mason, Ruth Beechick, Unit Study - Notebooking -Lapbooking, we do it all! Natural learning experiences are plenteous living in a rural area...watch out frogs and crayfish! Were members of several state and local Homeschool groups and enjoy meetings, field trips and additional learning opportunities with them. We also love "milking" our annual passes to the Childrens and Science museums, Zoos, Busch Gardens/SeaWorld, Historic Battlefields and whatever else we can get into!
Were licensed therapeutic foster/adoptive parents and are seeking God's will and his best in that and every area. I'm also a life long "professional" college student, always picking away at college classes in various disciplines (currently finishing up degree in Education). I'm also a Licensed Nurse (when the mood hits me :o) I enjoy Joyce Meyer, Ruth Beechick, Clay and Sally Clarkson, Raymond Moore, and This Old School House Magazine.
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I have written in several entries about my love of playdough. It's hard to beat the stuff from the store because nowadays it is so cheap &, unlike when we were kids, soft right out of the can! However I absolutely LOVE homemade salt dough! We had not made any in 3 years so only my oldest even remembered doing it. It is one of those things that you need to do every once in a while if for no other reason than the wow factor! It is so easy & your children will be so impressed that you can make playdough yourself! I call it Mommy magic- you've got to always keep them a little amazed at the things you can do! 
Another thing I love about homemade dough is making your own colors! These are the 4 colors my boys & I made recently. To get these eye popping colors I recommend using bakers food coloring (for cake decorating.) Mine is in a gel form & although a little expensive I have used the same few bottles for years on everything from salt dough, to cakes, to mashed potatoes! We store our dough in recycled peanut butter jars & do not keep ours refrigerated (although that is what the recipes says to do.)
B1 & I played today. I can't imagine anything better for finger dexterity & the imagination!
This was HH's supper plate that we had waiting for him when he got home- strawberry, blueberry, pear, french fries, ham, cheese, & bread- yummy!
