Over at Callapidder Days there's a fun reading challenge going on called the Spring Reading Thing 2008. All you have to do is put up your intended reading list for March 20-June 19 and then link back to your post and start reading. There are some fun prizes offered for additional incentive. You can also post reviews of books read, but that's optional.
I'm hoping to read the following:
Face to Face with God by Bill Johnson
Prophetic Evangelism by Sean Smith
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
Revision and Self Editing by James Scott Bell
The Invisible Woman by NIcole Johnson
Experiencing the Resurrection by Henry and Melvin Blackaby
Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
That's about eclectic enough, isn't it? Come join the fun. What are you reading this spring?
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
--Theodore Roosevelt
Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!
This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.
To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it.And good luck!The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!
Seven things I want to accomplish this year (in no particular order):
1. potty train youngest son
2. finish writing novel
3. lose at least 40 lbs.
4. read bible through twice
5. get whole house decluttered and organized
6. make a quilt
7. sew at least 10 articles of clothing
Wow! It's been a great week with so many stopping by to visit the Ultimate Blog Party post. Thanks to everyone who participated. I definitely want to do this again next time and hopefully offer a prize as well.
I know my words cannot honor Him according to His merits: I wish they could. Indeed, I grow less and less satisfied with my thoughts and language concerning Him. He is too glorious for my feeble language to describe Him. If I could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I could not speak worthily of Him. If I could borrow all the harmonies of heaven, and enlist every harp and song of the glorified, yet were not the music sweet enough for His praises.”
--Charles Spurgeon
Today I'm reviewing a new/old book. The collection is fairly recent, but most of the books are old favorites. I'm talking about A Family Treasury of Little Golden Books. This is a compilation of 46 beloved Little Golden Books in one volume. It includes favorites like the Saggy Baggy Elephant, The Tawny Scrawny Lion, and The Little Golden Book About God. The only negative about the book is the truncating of the illustrations. Unlike some of the other children's book compilations, this book does not include every illustration from the originals. However, there are quite a few to enjoy along with the delightful stories, many of which are out of print. While it's not perfect, I'm glad to have it as a part of my family library.
Hey everybody! It's time to party! The 2008 Ultimate Blog Party is now in full swing. This is my first time to participate, but I hope not the last. Be sure and visit the site and check out all the amazing participants.
First, a little about me. I am a 40-something mom with 9 kids, ages 3 to 22, and one adorable granddaughter. I live in Texas, where we have been alternating between fun-in-the-sun and winter wonderland. When I'm not homeschooling or struggling to keep up with the laundry, I like quilts, sewing, knitting, crocheting, counted cross stitch and home dec. I'm also writing a novel, which is why I sometimes forget to write here. LOL I am trying to get better about posting and hope to post some cool pictures soon, so be sure to check back.
Now, back to the business at hand, the Ultimate Blog Party. Not only can you travel around the blogosphere and meet lots of cool ladies, there are also some wonderful prizes being offered. There are so many great ones to choose from, but my faves, roughly in order, are:
58 — Customized 6 Week Fitness Plan
54 — $60 Gift Certificate to Mikarose.com
15 — $50 gift certificate to Kids Magical Wonder
12 — $50 gift certificate to Happy Panda
11 — $40 gift certificate to Good For The Kids
59 — $25 Cash
60 — $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon
117 — $25 Gift Certificate to Target
If I don't get any of those I also like #10($25 gc), 55($23), 39($20 gc), 46($20 gc), 98($20 gc),
91(Burt’s Bees), 100(books), 52(Bag), 116(book and $5 gc), 21(Foot Revitalizer), 79(Skin Care), 90(Fused Glass Pendant), 70(Chocolate), 92(Pearls), 49($10 gc), 102(Fortune Cookie Kit)
Like I said, lots of fun prizes up for grabs and the list grows daily.
Have fun. Make some new friends. And go ahead. Put on some fun music and dance. No one's looking!
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.
-- Agatha Christie
It's been a truly wondrous day today. I ran some errands with my dh and while we were out the latest batch of winter weather rolled in. On the way home, huge snowflakes were falling at an incredible rate. It was a little sad when it finally stopped and the storm blew through. We ended up not getting as much snow as the weather service thought we would initially. Oh well, we are enjoying what we have.
No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office.
--George Bernard Shaw
I decided to talk about a favorite children's book each week. Here's the first installment.
One of my favorite children's books is called The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake. Don't you just love interesting titles? It's written by Nancy Willard. This is a charming story about a girl and her father trying to find the perfect gift for Mom for her birthday. Before it's all over, the girl will learn more about her great-grandmother, solve a mystery and encounter angels. I really like the great-grandmother's books (copywork anyone?) and the Box of Dreadfuls. Combine that with some wacky relatives and you have a fun story.
The illustrations are by Richard Jesse Watson and they are amazing. The angels are very inventive and each page is a visual delight. Each page is filled with color and light and texture. My children adore this book and it's a family favorite to read aloud, but everyone has to see each picture as we go along.
I hope you will enjoy this book as much as my family and I have.
OK, I guess everyone knows the joke about how if you don't like the weather, just wait and hour or two and it'll change. However, as variable as our weather is, this takes the cake. Yesterday morning, I left for church with no jacket, no sweater, no wrap of any kind. Now, for those who don't know me, this is unusual. It has to be at that perfect temperature where it's warm enough outside without being so warm everyone cranks up the air conditioning. I pretty much carry a shawl, sweater or light jacket with me all summer because I freeze in the AC. But I digress. Day before yesterday, it was in the mid-70's and sunny. Yesterday morning, it was shirt-sleeve warm, even for me. Then a front started blowing in. It rained cats, dogs and large beasts of burden all last night along with thunder and lightning continuing into today. What do we have in store now? Snow. Yep. I was out of my coat for two whole days and now we have a 60% chance of snow. Crazy!
I just recently discovered a great new social networking site just for homeschool moms. It's called the Homeschool Lounge and it's terrific. It has groups for every different concern, interest, or homeschooling methodology out there. It's also a great place to meet up with other moms just to fellowship or commiserate. Right now, the founder is running a fun contest on her blog. The winner gets an Amazon gift certificate. Just think...free books! Head over to Less of Me ~ More of Him and read all about it!
If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning.
-- Carl Rogers
Tuesday night my kids were watching the original Yours, Mine, and Ours. In case you're not familiar with the story, a widower with 10 children marries a widow with 8 children and they set about trying to turn it into one very big happy family. The movie is based on a true story.
I caught the tail end of it where they are trying to adopt each other's children. It's very touching, but one part always sticks out at me. The judge is addressing the mom and tells her that some were concerned that one woman couldn't adequately raise that many children. He then says that after investigating, the opposite seemed to be true. The children were well-cared-for, well-fed, dressed neatly, normal and the house was amazing clean. You'll have to watch the movie to catch the snappy dialog that follows.
The first few things always prove the point that love isn't divided, it multiplies. The next couple make me wince a bit. Hmm. The house could use some straightening up. Hmm, again. Some of the kids' clothes are looking a bit shabby. This movie always makes me want to clean the house and yard and weed out our wardrobes. It makes me wonder what sort of image we are presenting to the world at large. I remember several years ago hearing someone comment that they were initially turned off by the homeschooling community because every homeschool family they ever saw were wearing shabby, mis-matched or grossly unflattering clothes.
Don't get me wrong. Image obviously isn't everything, but our outward appearance is the first thing people see and react to. Looking good doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can dress from Goodwill and hand-me-downs without looking like you do. Modest doesn't have to mean frumpy or unflattering. Modest clothing can be in colors that look good on that person and in styles that are appropriate to the person's age and activities. So, take a look around. What does your image say about you and your family?
Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, "No, thank you," to dessert that night. And for what! 
