We have moved! I feel that homeschoolblogger is too confined for me and I need to stretch out a bit. I am going to try it out at Blogspot.com to see if this is a better fit for me and our homeschool journals.

Please stop by and visit.

Blogger Friend School
Part 1

Pick two people that you admire. They could be family

members, friends, or even people you don't know

personally but admire from afar. For each person, pick

one special gift that they have been given. Perhaps

someone has the gift of compassion or humor, or

perhaps someone has the gift of being a leader or

artist. Please share what their gifts are and tell us

how they use their gift.

This is fairly easy for me!
My first person is- Steve Irwin. I admire Steve Irwin because he was enthusiastic, compassionate, and full of life for his work and educating others about the importance of protecting the wildlife. Steve had an amazing gift for reaching our heart's through his TV shows and taking us to places we could only hope of visiting, and meeting animals we may never see in our lifetime. I admire the work he did!

The second person is- my Grandmother. My grandmother (Carol) has always been a huge part in my life. She has been there for me through the good times and the bad. She was raised very poor in Oklahoma, married and raised a family in Michigan. She was always there for us when my mom was a single mom and she helped provide for us when our mother couldn't. She really is more of a mom to me than she is a grandma. She is compassionate, kind, and most importantly- she is a loving woman who is always there to support me.

Part 2- At first I wasn't going to do this- but just realized it-

I know now what I want to share-

I just finished making a new wreath for my front door. I was blessed with the talent of working with natural and artificial florals to create unique things. I also have a lot of patience for this and for my children and hope to one day teach my daughter the floral skills that I have.

I think I need a change. Homeschoolblogger is really difficult for visitors (that are not registered with homeschoolbogger) to use. It will not allow them to use their names, it must be anonymous. Why? Who knows- but I think it is unfair to those who stop by and can't leave their info for us users.

Do you know of another blog site that is user friendly for both visitors and users? Suggestions are welcome. I also want an easy blog that will allow me to view everything and able to easily change the layouts, fonts, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Thirteen Random Thoughts 1. I desperately need to work on scrapbooking the kids photos into albums for our family for Christmas. 2. My son has a loose tooth that he thinks is coming out right now! 3. My dishwasher isn't draining right, it leaks all over my floor. My husband tried to dump CLR in it, but that didn't help. I really hate dishwashers, I prefer to wash dishes by hand. Did I happen to mention I have this thing- I wash the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher, basically use the dishwasher to sterilize and rinse, thats it! 4. I don't have a dish rack either, so now I have to resort to leaving my clean dishes on towels on the counter! 5. I have two vacuums that need to be fixed, I think they are clogged, so that leaves me with my Kirby, if it wasn't for my Kirby I would be real upset about the other two crappy vacuums. 6. I need to find a good system for organizing and concealing my scrapbook stuff. It really isn't appealing to the eyes. I have it all organized, just wish I could conceal it and make it look pretty. Is that possible? 7. Did you know that Russia is on the continent of Asia? Yeah, I learned something new too. My kids and I are doing a study on Asia. The study is interesting and we enjoy it. 8. Can't help but wonder how our butterflies have lived as long as they have. The biological society said they would live two weeks after they emerged, well they emerged like Nov. 17th and they are still alive! Wonder if we are doing something really good here to keep them alive that long. 9. There is a mouse in the garage. Did I mention mice scare the crap out of me? My husband and I had a neighbor over the other night, we were in the garage for a few minutes, and a mouse ran across the floor! I screamed and startled the neighbor. Hubby caught it, neighbor let it go by accident. Hubby put down decon- well it is still running around. What the heck? 10. My Bengal Holly- (half asian leopard half domestic cat) well little Miss Holly believes she is human, she tries to eat right off my dinner plate. She won't do it to anyone else, just me. 11. It is really cold outside, only 18 degrees. Spring can't come fast enough for me. I really enjoy being outside! My bones ache in the cold temps. 12. Cartoons- why can't they have cartoons for our kids like we had as kids. The cartoons now a days are too violent, bad language, and seem too mature for kids. Bring back- Carebears, Strawberry Shortcake, Smurfs, Flintstones, Rainbow Brite, etc. 13. I really want a scrapbooking hide-a-way for all my things. Do they make one? I will be honest- I suck at scrapbooking, been doing it less than a year, but I am learning. I need something to conceal my scrapbooking supplies and make it look all nice, neat, and pretty! This is really on my mind can you tell?




It was November 17th when our butterflies started to emerge from their chrysalis, we were told they would only live two weeks. Well, low and behold, the butterflies are still alive as of  today December 5th! Not sure how we got so lucky for them to live a little longer than the normal, but I am proud to say all are doing great!

We did have one deformed one that didn't survive but a week, it was deformed because the chrysalis fell to the bottom of the habitat only a few days before it was to emerge, that was a crucial time for it to fully form and it wasn't strong enough to survive long. We were really surprised it lived as long as it did.

This project taught us all a lot. We watched the complete life cycle of the butterflies, and as they age, we see their wings become a little tattered, it is interesting to watch them.

The hermit crabs are not as active as they were the first week, all that shell swapping must have worn them out a little. They seem very relaxed now, some even digging deep into the sand, not to molt as they still have their shells on, but it appears they are digging down because they prefer the safety of being underground. They enjoy being bathed daily. We originally only planned to have 6 hermits, somehow the company messed up and sent us 11! Well needless to say we were not wanting 11 and we found another homeschooling family that was local who was interested in doing a crustacean study, so they came and got the other 5. This has also been a great learning experience for us.

Our Asia unit study is coming along well. Teaching this study makes me realize how much our local schools slack when it comes to education. I never learned much in geography or history, but with this study, I am learning loads along with my kids. We had no idea how many countries were in Asia until we started this project, and I had no idea that Russia is on the Asian continent. Amazing at this age that we are still learning something new too!

The pleasures of homeschooling is priceless! My kids are healthier and happier, they are more confident again, and are learning more than we could have imagined. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get into the swing of things again, well, it didn't take any time at all. We found our routine right from day one! We get up right at 7:30 am, we start school right at 9 am like the local schools, they get a lunch and recess break at 11, we resume after lunch/recess and finish our work sometime between 1:30 and 2:30. Makes a long day, but literally my kids are learning twice as much now as they were in public schools and love learning again!

Well- if I haven't bored you by now, have a good night.

Happy Holidays!

Blogger Friend School's
Cookie Exchange
The assignment this week is to post your recipe and any family history behind the recipe.

Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients:

1 pkg. Honey Grahm crackers crushed

1 stick of butter

finely chopped walnuts

chocolate chips

butterscotch chips

Coconut

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

Crush grahm crackers in a ziploc bag, in a bowl, combine the crushed grahm crackers and melted butter. Get an 9" x 9" pan, spray with non-stick if needed. Pack down the grahm cracker/butter mix into the bottom of the pan creating a grahm cracker crust.

Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the crust, then sprinkle a layer of butterscotch chips, coconut, and chocolate chips. Then spread an even layer of sweetened condensed milk over the entire top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Once the pan is room temperature, place in fridge prior to cutting. Cut into squares!

My children and I started making the cookies about 4 years ago. Tonight- we made two batches for our assignment. Hope you all enjoy! I know we did. 

Thirteen Things about The Christmas Season I look forward to! 1. The beauty of the fresh fallen snow on the trees and lawns. 2. The decorated homes lit up with many lights. 3. The smell of fresh baked pies and breads. 4. Pulling my kids around the snow in a sled! 5. Building snowmen with the kids! Always fun!! 6. Making snow angels in the yard. 7. Hanging ornaments on the tree with the family. 8. Watching holiday movies- really love the Tim Allen ones. 9. Watching my kids open presents on Christmas morning. 10. Listening to Christmas music while cleaning. 11. Baking goodies with the kids. 12. Christmas break to spend some fun time with the family. 13. Sending cards to people.




So far our "Outside the Box" projects include:

Well that is all for now.

KB Toys is offering a $250 gift card to anyone who signs up 5 friends and they spend only $50 each! Please, help us to achieve our goal and we will also help you get yours too! Go to KB Toys.com now!

It was posted that on Thanksgiving morning, a fellow homeschooling mom has passed away. Lorrie passed away peacefully after she lost her battle with breast cancer. This really touched my heart and hope that anyone who reads this could stop by her blog and offer her family well wishes through this very difficult time.

Thank you Lorrie for being a brave and loving mother! You have touched us all.

Thursday Thirteen Being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought I should make this of people that I am thankful for and who have supported us and our decision to homeschool. 1. My Grandmother- she was very supportive and encouraged us to homeschool after all the problems our children were having in public school. Thank you Grandma! 2. Jessie- my wonderful sister and best friend, she has always been supportive of our choice, since she lived with us for 4 years, she knew everything that went on and totally supported us the entire way. Thank you Jessie! 3. Nicole- my dear friend who encouraged us to make the decisions we knew were difficult but taught us to think of our family first and foremost!  Thank you Nicole! 4. My in-laws- I hate to say this, my MIL and I butt heads a lot, but I appreciate the fact that she doesn't stick her nose in where it doesn't belong and try to tell us what to do or how to do it. My in-laws know they are not here on a regular basis to know what is best for our kids and they have been good about being supportive. Thank you Tom and Luann! 5. Liz- A fellow homeschooling mom I met. Liz supported me in all the ways that the rest of our family has been blinded by. Liz and I spoke for hours on the subject and reassured me that I was doing the right thing. Moral support is a great thing! Thank you Liz- your support has been greatly appreciated. 6. D'Ann- our wonderful neighbor who hopes to homeschool her own daughter in the future. She has been very supportive in our decision. Thank you D'Ann. 7. Mandie- another dear friend, she isn't afraid to voice her opinion and has helped me through the tough times with this decision and has been a great source of support as well. Thank you Mandie. 8. Sheila- another dear friend I have known for 16 years, also been great about helping us with support. Thank you Sheila. 9. Homeschooling groups- a big thankyou to all those in the homeschooling groups that support fellow homeschoolers. 10. HSLDA- a great organization that has helped us and supported us. Thank you! 11. Mark & Marianne- a huge thank you to these two who have become close friends of ours. They have interacted on a daily basis with our family more than our own family members and have supported our decision from the start. Thank you Mark and Marianne! 12. Ann-Marie- a fellow homeschooler who has been great about keeping in touch with support. Thank you Ann-Marie! 13. My husband- last but not least- my wonderful husband who has ultimately been the most supportive in our choice. He only wants what is best for his kids and he is the one that encouraged me to homeschool again. Thank you honey!   I know this is hardly a complete list of all those I should be thankful for, but to those who have supported us along the way- thank you! It is great to know that we have such great friends and family who offer their support to us.   Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!




Well it is almost Thanksgiving, last week we started off reading a book about Christopher Columbus, and another book about the Pilgrim's first Thanksgiving. Then we created our own turkey's with colored paper, and on each of the 5 feathers, the kids had to write things they were thankful for. This was a great way to help them understand why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Since we do not have a bulletin board area, we use the front window to display our work.

Over the weekend, the kids and I were busy putting up the Christmas tree and after their Dad got all the decorations out, we trimmed the tree. Our inflatable snowman is out in the yard. All we have left to do is hang lights on the outside of the house. Unfortunately we don't have the room in the house this year to set up the holiday village.

Today we are going to do our first project in our notebooking! It will be a writing project- their explanation of what Thanksgiving is all about. I am excited to see how it turns out.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

My kids are very close to finishing their cursive handwriting book, so I decided as the next outside the box project will be to have them start writing their own poems, but they have to do it in cursive! This will be challenging for their creative side and test their abilities with their cursive handwriting.

Below are the poems my children wrote today.
My son wrote:

My pet monkey is green,
His name is Mr. Doodles.
People say he is really mean,
but he likes to eat a lot of noodles.

When ever we play ball,
He throws it at my head,
I ran down the hall,

and drop like I was dead.

And when we go to the mall,

then he jumps on the bed,

I took a great big fall,
he just wanted to be fed.

My daughter wrote:

Chloe is my little dog,
She is crazy like a flea.
She eats like a little hog,
and tried to chase a bee.

Chloe is cream and hairy,
she has a very small head.
And black eyes that are so scary,
she likes to sleep on my bed.

She likes to attack her toy,
her toy dog has a cape,

she tries to be coy,

Chloe behaves like an ape!

This is the first poem they have ever written, not to shabby if you ask me. They had a good time trying to write these poems and I am sure they will get better and better as we go. I am hoping we do this once a week.

Hope you enjoyed!

The chrysalis that had fallen has still survived! Here is a few photos of the butterfly still emerging from it. Now keep in mind that the wings are still caught inside the chrysalis so it looks deformed.

We have 4 Painted Lady Butterflies that have emerged from their chrysalis!

We have Chrysalis and within a few days we should see the Painted Lady Butterflies emerge!

Blogger Friend School Assignment #7
BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS

Our assignment this week is to blog about your plans for Thanksgiving Day.....share your day in any creative form.  Please try to include family traditions, your menus, who carves your turkey, do you save the wishbone, the list could go on and on. 

My Thirteen Favorite TV Shows 1. Desperate Housewives 2. Survivor 3. ER 4. ABC's 20/20 5. The Bachelor 6. Three's Company 7. The Crocodile Hunter 8. AMC 9. GH 10. Good Morning America 11. Trading Spaces 12. Explorer 13. Scrapbooking on DIY   Ok- so I am sorry this week's TT is so boring, but I ran out of ideas for this week and didn't have as much time to work on this as I would have liked to. But I made it! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!




My assignment this week from Blogger Friend School was:

"This week's assignment is taking a deeper look into our spiritual lives and the warfare that we are individually facing.  I'd like everyone to seriously think and then blog about a situation in your life where you know that the enemy is attacking you and challenging your spiritual growth.  What area in your life are you feeling burdened or challenged?  The purpose of the assignment is to use this as a tool to arm ourselves better for this battle not to make you uncomfortable.  If this is too personal for you, share an area in your life that you have perservered in a spirtual battle or share your feelings on freedoms in general.

ARM YOURSELVES and take time this week to thank our past battles that have created and protected our freedoms that we enjoy today.  Try to visit at least one fellow Blogger Classmate and leave a comment to encourage them in this battle." 

First I should explain something- I grew up going to church, love my religion, however found myself being outcasted at just 14 years old by my fellow church members. So needless to say, I hold my religious beliefs close and raise my children with my beliefs, however I do not participate in church as I do not believe that is what brings me closer to the lord. To each their own, I do respect everyone's opinion, but I am being honest and hope you can respect that.

My battle was the first time I homeschooled my children, we chose to homeschool for all the right reasons. The problem was the people around us, they constantly had to question us on why, and people would constantly encourage us to put the kids into public school. Finally I broke down and allowed others to talk me into something that I wasn't 100% sure about. I gave it a try, we put the kids into school for two full years. It wasn't until the second year in school that we started to experience heavy problems with many different things on different levels. We realized that our family is different and just because something is right for 9 out of 10 families, we were that 1 family that it wasn't right for.

The thing we had to come to terms with was accepting the fact that others may never understand why we have chosen to homeschool, but ultimately we made a decision we knew was right for us and our children despite what others thought. We are more determined now to stand our ground and not feel compelled to have to explain our decisions. We don't tell others how to raise their children, and we kindly remind them they should do the same. As parents we have to make decisions we feel are right for us and our children.

Our battle was overcoming the peer pressures of public schools and standing our ground to make decisions we know is right for our family.