Nov. 27, 2009 - A Thanksgiving tradition
When my first child was an infant I traced his baby hand to make a turkey for his scrapbook. It was so cute I started doing it every year, and now I have hand prints turkeys from each of my children every year.
It is so fun to see how their hands have grown, and seen how their writing of their name (once they were old enough) to has improved over the years.
Some years I put more effort in (adding feathers, one year I traced their feet for the body and did 5 hands for the feathers) and other years it's just a traced hand with turkey features hastily drawn on!
But I wanted to pass this tradition on to you moms, because it is one I will cherish when my children are grown!
Past years of Andrew's turkeys
Nov. 27, 2009 - Lovely presentation
And today as I served the Thanksgiving meal I was reminded of the importance of presentation!
Cookies may taste good on paper plates (and I am not saying there is not a time for paper plates) but the person getting one of those cookies can not help but to feel special if the cookies are served on a nice platter.
Most of the time I try and serve my dinners in a nice bowl, instead of in the pans I cooked them in. It does make for more dishes, but it makes me feel good to see a nicely presented table, and those who are eating at my table feel special as well.
I pour condiments in small glass bowls instead of putting the jars and bottles on the table.
Pyrex is WONDERFUL! They are pretty glass bowls, but they have lids, so I can use them as tupperware in the fridge for leftovers, they are my baking dishes, and they are still nice enough to serve in!
These star shaped shortcakes were especially fun!
So I want to challenge you ladies this holiday season to dress up your tables a little! Get creative with what you have, and serve your families a beautiful meal!
Nov. 27, 2009 - Freebie for my friends
Well I was looking at them the other day, and decided I would like to share them with all of you. I uploaded them to this album,
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k224/angelnavywife/Bible%20Verses/
so you may feel free to save them to your computers, then print them as 5x7 photos wherever you get your pictures printed. Then hang them in your home where they will inspire you.
You are welcome to give them as gifts but I ask that you do not sell them, as it is against the copyright of the designer of the elements I used.
Nov. 23, 2009 - I am Thankful
*Thanksgiving Week Report:
*This week I am thankful for a three day school week! I did not write in the boys' lesson plan books, each has their own this time around, rather I jotted what was to be done for the next three days on a small piece of memo paper.
*Thursday we will travel an hour to the home of our nearest missionary colleagues for a fun day of traditional Thanksgiving food and fellowship. Looks like we will spend the night and make Friday a shopping day in the Big City. The teacher needs a nice haircut and manicure/pedicure and hopes to get one that day! Besides it's got to be a holiday - it's the teacher's birthday! Yahoo!
I am so grateful for our colleagues and for another year of life.
*The boys are all moving right along with their work. We are really liking the DIVE CD's that go with our Saxon Math books. The two oldest boys are using the CD's which gives me the time to dedicate to the youngest and move between the other two answering any needed questions. It seems to be working very well. I am so thankful!
*For the most part the boys are remembering their 30 minutes of music each day. I have to remind them from time to time. Greyson's keyboard came with our American guest who arrived two weeks ago. It's not the best keyboard in the world but it will serve our purpose for the time being. I am working along G and we are using my old piano theory books. I never got beyond the first books, so I'm hoping that together we will reach the stage of buying the next lessons! It will be a while yet. I remember more than I thought, but have yet to truly memorize the note names and places on the music staff! I'm going to work on it and G will, too! We are both enjoying our time together for this and for this I am happy and thankful.
*W is faithful to practice on his guitar. I hope he can play something at church soon. D needs a little extra incentive to work with his clarinet and the instrument could use a little professional tweeking. We hope to take it with us to the Big City and see if someone can give it a little overhaul. It's gratifying to see them both practice and work on their music.
*I am so very thankful for boys who are not afraid of a little hard work. All the boys went with their Papa and our guest to help with a roof raising of a new church congregation in a neighboring town. All the boys came back good and dirty and stinky sweaty. It's great to take a bath when there's really something to wash, you know! And they all needed good baths! Poor D fell asleep before his turn came, but he got his first thing the next morning!!!
*On another note: Someone recently asked me if I needed help with homeschooling. I said, Well, Yes, I do. Oh, well, what could I do to help? Fix breakfast, wash the dishes, wash and hang the laundry, sweep the floors and mop them, fix lunch, sweep again, get the laundry in and put away, clean up the kitchen from lunch and get all the dishes put away, rake the front yard and sweep around the laundry area, iron, fix supper. I'll do the supper dishes for you, if you can get all that done before you go home. They didn't give me a response and I haven't heard from them since! Mmmm... what did I say wrong?
Neat article about the Census of Marine Life:
Marine Census finds strange creatures never before seen!
This morning we read the article and checked out all the neat animals on the COML website. There's a link for it in the Yahoo article linked above.
p.s.
***Oh, FB people, this was originally posted on www.homeschoolblogger.com/athaschoolforboys , if you wish to see the post in its original form along with pictures and what nots, then go to my HSB blog!***
Nov. 21, 2009 - Pumpkin recipes
Sweet Dinner Rolls
½ cup honey
¼ cup warm water
1 cup milk
1/8 cup melted butter
1 cup cooked pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon salt
3 T orange juice
5-6 cups whole wheat flour
3 ½ teaspoons yeast
Mix all ingredients except flour, then slowly add flour until dough is elasticy and not sticky. Let rise about 1 hour in a warm place, then form into small balls. Place on baking stone and let rise 30 more minutes. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes
Chocolate pumpkin cake
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cocoa
2 teaspoons baking bowder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs plus 1 yolk
375 for 35 minutes. Makes 2 8” round cakes
Fudgy Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
½ stick softened butter
3T milk
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat until fluffy
Pumpkin Bread
2 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
3 cups UNBLEACHED flour
1 ½ ts salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Cream together top (wet ingredients first) then add dry. Put into loaf pan(s) (I make 2 small ones) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
Nov. 20, 2009 - What do YOUR cards say?
"In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened itr and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their contents. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird: "Books I Have Read," "Lies I have Told," "Comfort I Have Given,'' "Jokes I Have Laughted At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "THings I Have Done in Anger," "Things I Have Muttered under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be suprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes there were fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my twenty years to write each of these thousands, possibly millions, of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I cam to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed contents. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. Suddenly I felt an almost animal rage. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took the file at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, slef-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt in my my stomach shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out in shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please, not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.
I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands, and began to cry again. HE walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on those cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written."
Pg. 104-106 of I Kissed Dating Goodbye By Josh Harris.
Nov. 29, 2009 - Skipping School to Fish?
I recently happened upon a post on a homeschooling mother's blog that spoke of how glad she was to be dusting her son's desk and knowing he hadn't sat there much over the course of that particular week. He had apparently been hunting and helping his father with some work around the home. Her evaluation was that it was good that he was doing real man things and learning how to work. She also indicated that his school work could wait when things like this popped up and that he would not get behind from the occasional skipped days.
I have been thinking about this for about two weeks now, since I happened upon the article. Just how often should a homeschooled child be allowed to "skip school." What activities make a school day really "count?" For which reasons should a child not "do school" on a regular school day? Should school days be counted at all?
First of all let me proclaim, that I count school days. We complete 200 official school days a year. We have completed 50 school days as off today. We've got 150 to go to make this school year complete. Each year I make a report card and indicate the subjects the boys have studied along with the texts used and their grades as well as how many school days were completed with our school calendar. Some may think that 200 is too many as many schools now only operate for 180 actual days. But sticking to the "old school" school calendar gives us some flexibility - some days are more productive than others, some days just don't "count" for much!
So what counts as an official day for you?
Here's what makes a day count for us:
1. Having Math.
2. Working for at least two hours.
3. Doing at least three subjects.
4. Official craft day or lapbook day.
5. At least 2 of the 3 are not sick.
Is there a time and place for skipping school? Yes, I believe there is, but I also believe the dust shouldn't gather on the good old school books!
Just my thoughts.
Nov. 19, 2009 - Tracking growth
When my oldest son was 1, we bought our first home. I painted his room all sorts of fun colors, then on the inside of his closet door, I started a growth chart, and when I marked his height, I also traced his hand on to the door. We moved out of that home when he was 4 and my second son was 5 months, and while I am not proud I threw a fit when my husband said I had to leave the door. My sweet sister in law and brother in law worked together to distract him and remove the door and "hide" it in the moving truck anyway!
So I still have my door and we still use and cherish it!
And just for fun here is a peak into his old room :
(this was before I developed my view that too many toys are NOT a good thing for children, and learned to really love simplicity! At 2 years old he had more toys than all 3 of my children put together do now!
)
Nov. 18, 2009 - Twilight Obsession
Here are some Christian reviews of the Twilight series. One of the reviews is by a Cristian woman who was formerly deeply involved in the occult.
A Girl and Her Vampire: The Frenzy over Twilight
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - On the road again...
I only have a just a second here, but wanted to say that we will be driving to Trujillo again tomorrow and next. So, anyone who reads this blog can pray! For a little more current info on our life work, see our ministry blog here:
http://thetuttletribe.blogspot.com
For the latest learning at our house, go here:
http://fisheracademy.blogspot.com
And I have a couple of meaningful posts from my personal study that maybe someday I will have time to post right HERE! :)
Don't get too hopeful though... I'm too busy to be so serious of a blogger!
I am my Beloved's and He is mine.
