Wingbeats and Reflections

~A Balanced Homeschool~

2012-01-30T19:50:00.000-05:00

After a few hours of sifting through work that has been completed, work still needing to be finished/started, materials that need replacing as well as those we have on hand, making 10 week lesson plans for three out of four children and ironing out some of my time management issues...my hand is very cramped! Here is our plan for the remainder of the school year:

Gamer will continue his daily work: Math, Science, U.S History & Language Arts. For literature I had him choose six classics from a list I created. As he finishes each book, he will give me a written book report on each.

Princess and SportsFan will continue their daily work: Math, Science, Writing & Language Arts. I also had them choose six classics from lists I created and as they each finish a book they will give me an oral book report. I also added U.S Geography to their schedules on Mondays and Wednesdays and we are going to return to using Story of the World for history on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'm in the process of requesting library books online that align with upcoming holidays as well as our history studies and I am also in the process of planning a few field trips (something we have been sorely lacking over the past 18 months).

I think we are off to a good start! :)

~Life is A Balancing Act~

2012-01-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

It's not unusual for me to have a lot of things going on at once-- parenting four children, homeschooling, household responsibilities, extra-curricular activities, etc. Lately (an by lately I mean for the past year or so) I've had additional things added to my plate-- my health issues (which means weekly lab appointments and multiple doctor appointments with various doctors), working from home, continuing to care for my grandmother as her dementia progresses, and a laundry list of other things that come up day to day. I used to be great at balancing everything and making time for everyone and everything, but lately I feel like my time management skills are lacking. Since I'm about to add "return to school part-time" to my already overflowing plate, I need to sit down and devise a plan so that I can accomplish everything that needs accomplishing over the course of a day and/or week.

The children are home Monday mornings through Friday evenings and they are with their dad Friday evenings through Monday mornings. We have an OK school routine right now, but it could use some tweaking. We currently work in 10 week sessions and then we take one week off (more during the holidays and summer). This routine works, but I'm finding that the older boys are slacking off when it comes to getting their work done during the week so, this is certainly an area I need to pay special attention to. We haven't participated in any classes, field trips or outings this year partly due to scheduling conflicts so, this is another area I need to improve on.

Household responsibilities are not very evenly split right now amongst the children and I think it's time to reevaluate our current chore list and dish out additional chores now that they are older. Currently their only chores are to clean their bedrooms, take care of the dog, empty the dishwasher, trash and recycling, Princess wipes down the upstairs bathroom (I deep clean it on weekends) and the older boys do their own laundry. I'm planning to create life skills courses as part of our homeschool curriculum that will also require them to do such chores as cooking, simple household repair, simple car repair and maintenance and lawn and garden maintenance as part of the course. I'm thinking that a color coded schedule with time frames to work with each child might help.

Baseball season will be under way very soon and I am on the board of our local Little League. Gamer will be playing not only Babe Ruth baseball (a step above Little League), but he is also going to play for the local high school as well! Sportsfan and PoohBear will be playing Little League and Princess would like to take swimming lessons. I think that a color coded calendar may help organize each person's activities and personal schedules.

I'm not planning to go back to school until September so I have some time to work out our current schedule and get into a routine before I add that into the mix. For now I have to learn to balance what is currently on my plate in a workable manner. Once I have a system created and in place, I will post details here :)

Living la Vida Loca!

2012-01-19T01:27:00.000-05:00

I am certainly living la vida loca (a crazy life)! Between being a (newly) single, work-at-home-mom (writing for Suite101.com and Yahoo!), homeschooling, parenting and raising four children, my own health issues and caring for my grandmother I feel like I am spinning around in circles constantly and thus, I have no time for blogging. Here is an update on me and my life for anyone still left reading:

Writing- I have been writing for Suite101 for a couple of years, but over the past year I have had to kick it in to over drive in order to create an income for myself since my separation and divorce. This has been interesting and I also took on writing every now and then for Yahoo as well as Suite101. I am also finally making headway on the book I have been writing for years now about being a motherless mother. Stay tuned on that endevour! :)

Homeschooling- I now officially have a homeschooled high school student! Gamer turned 14 this past summer and became a 9th grader this past fall. He toyed with the idea of entering high school, but in the end decided that he preferred to stay home and homeschool. In addition to playing baseball for the local Babe Ruth league, Gamer will also be playing for the local High School so our schedule is going to get even more hectic (if that is even humanly possible!).

My health issues- Last March I was rushed to the E.R and, after a very frustrating turn of events while there (they took horrible care of me and almost killed me!) I was diagnosed with multiple bi-lateral pulmonary emboli which, in plain English, means that I had several blood clots in both of my lungs. This was a very serious discovery and I am very, very lucky to be alive right now. After one week in the cardiac unit and a long recovery process, I was just recently told by my cardiologist that I have made a full recovery! I still remain on blood thinners (coumadin) for a while longer, but hopefully soon I will be weaned off of them so that I can fully resume my normal life.

Caring for my grandmother- My maternal grandmother has lived with me since November 2009 and I have been her full time caregiver since then. This summer (July) she became ill and I had to take her to the E.R, where she was diagnosed with a blood clot in her lung and then later one in her leg. She has been in a nursing rehabilitation center ever since the end of July, with a brief 48 hour return home at the end of August that resulted in two falls and a trip back to the E.R in order to be readmitted to the rehab center for further therapy. Because of her dementia and for her general safety since she is still not fully rehabilitated, I am now having her undergo a neuro-psychological evaluation to determine her competency so that I can move forward and place her in long-term skilled nursing care.

So...Phew! That is what I have been up to all of this time. I did update some of the items along the left and right sides so be sure to take a look. I will try to come back more often and post, but I can't make any promises.

Happy 2012 Readers!

My Goodness!!

2011-09-27T01:38:00.000-04:00

Goodness, it's been ages since I've posted anything! The past eleven months or so have been a whirlwind of major life changes which have been all consuming. Certain little things, such as blogging, have had to take a back seat. Now, hear I blog, nearly a year since my last post and a (tiny) bit more settled into this new life.

I am now a single (a.k.a divorced) homeschooling mama. This new voyage has presented plenty of ups and downs over the past year, but the seas appear to have calmed, finally.

It's September and it's time to jump back in to our homeschooling lives. Now that I have a high schooler, we have a whole new set of homeschool related challenges to navigate.

I have also been trying to amp up my freelance writing on Suite101 and have recently become a contributing writer for Yahoo.

The seasons feel as if they are passing at warp speed these days, no matter how much I try to "stop and smell the roses" there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day or enough "me" to go around. I'm learning to be less Type-A and a little more go with the flow. I can't promise to post as often as I once did, but I will try to post with some regularity.

Happy Autumn!

~~A New Year~~

2011-01-18T11:56:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a bit late with the New Years wishes but Happy 2011!! I'm doing some sprucing up here, around the house and with my personal life (which is why I have been M.I.A). I've been studying for my real estate salesperson license which is difficult to do with a house, four children and a grandmother to care for 24/7.

I have lots of pictures to upload and since it's a blustery, snowy New England day, it's the perfect day to stay indoors and accomplish the things that always get left off of the ever growing to-do list :)

The Stockings Were Hung...

2010-12-08T23:49:00.000-05:00

...by the chimney with care...

putting the finishing touches on Christmas decoarting around the house this week. How about you?

~~A Gorgeous Autumn Day~~

2010-11-12T18:23:00.000-05:00

~Day of Remembrance~

2010-11-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

Remembering those that have given their lives to serve our country, and thanking those that have served and are still serving... THOUGHTS ON VETERANS DAY

~General Douglas MacArthur

It is the SOLDIER, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the SOLDIER, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the SOLDIER, not the campus organizers, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the SOLDIER, who salutes the flag, who serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag. AMEN.

(Learn more about patriotic holidays here)

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." ~ Helen Keller

Also remembering my mother:

Coral

born October 8, 1959

died November 11, 1998

Happy 13th Birthday Gamer!!

2010-08-29T01:34:00.001-04:00

Summer Nights

2010-08-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have absolutely loved this movie since the first time I saw it when I was about 9 years old!

Hope your summer nights are filled with love and you're having a blast! :)

A Day in the Life of A Housewife

2010-08-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

50's Housewife is having a link party..the theme is "A Day in the Life of A Housewife :)

Today, started off as a rather ordinary day:

Get the kids up to take care of the dogs

Breakfast

Morning chores

make a to-do list for the day

Gamer had a baseball workout at noon so Nick and Gamer went off to that while I took SportsFan, Princess and PoohBear off to run errands with me:

Post office to mail a few prize packages from the bookfair

Library to return movies we borrowed ( I love that we can "rent" movies for free at the library!)

A trip to the sporting goods store for SportsFan

A shopping trip to get SportsFan some much needed new jeans

(We also threw in a trip to Dunkin' Donuts for some much needed caffeine! lol)

Then it was back home to try and get some of my to-do list accomplished:

scrub down all of the kitchen cabinets (they are white so they collect dust and dirt easily)

Thoroughly clean the kitchen including dusting the ceiling (I use a swiffer for this...the family thinks I'm crazy! lol!)

Re-organize the boys' bedroom ( I try to do this every 6 months or so to all of the bedrooms)

Then of course there were the normal, everyday things on my to-do list:

laundry

dinner

sweeping

etc.....

I'm also trying to get everything organized so that we can get back into our normal school routine. We've been on a bit of a break and it'll be nice to get back to our normal rhythm and routine.

Now, it's just about 8 p.m. and:

I'm waiting for Gamer to come back from practice number two

I've just sent all three younger children to get themselves ready for bed (pj's, teeth, wash up, etc)

I may make myself a little end of the day treat...maybe ice cream....maybe cookies....maybe both! lol

I'm going to settle down and watch about an hour of t.v and then off to bed to try to finish Eat, Pray, Love, maybe get back online or maybe just call it a night and get a good night's sleep to prepare for another busy day tomorrow :)

Calling All Book Worms!!

2010-08-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

Massachusetts Home Learning Association (http://www.mhla.org/) is the oldest statewide homeschool advocacy organization in Massachusetts. Since I happen to sit on the board of this organization, I'm going to use my blog to shamelessly plug our upcoming fundraiser.

Now, mind you, in the 20+ years that MHLA has been in existence we have done very little, if any, fundraising so, as you can imagine, the tank is running on empty for this all volunteer organization.

We have teamed up with Barnes and Noble for a bookfair! What better way to raise a little money than to ask homeschoolers (as well as friends, family and neighbors) to shop for books?!

The best part about this bookfair is that anyone, anywhere in the country can participate!

Here's what you can do to help:

1. Friday August 13th shop at your local Barnes and Noble store

2. At check out, present the cashier with our special bookfair voucher

3. A portion of your purchase will then be donated to MHLA's fundraiser!

If you can't shop in a local store on August 13th, that's OK! Our bookfair is also available online from August 13th through August 18th! All you have to do is enter our bookfair ID number (10214633) when you checkout online!

If you have a new plastic BN Educator Discount Card, then you can use your 20% discount online as well as in-store. Combine that with the MA Tax Free Weekend (this Saturday & Sunday) for extra savings!! All the while helping MHLA in their fundraising efforts.

We have many fantastic events planned for the coming year but these plans can only be realised if we have the funds necessary to orchestrate them.

If you planned of purchasing books this summer, please consider doing so as part of our bookfair fundraiser.

Summer Time

2010-08-09T16:53:00.000-04:00

This summer has been filled with baseball (LOTS of baseball!), playing in the pool, camping, s'mores, movies, day trips, days at the beach, birthdays (SportFan turned 10 and Gamer is turning 13!) and so much more!! It has certainly been a fun-filled (packed!) summer!!

Now it's nearing time to get back to start planning for the upcoming "school year". Usually I sit down with the kids about this time of year and we set some goals for the coming months. I've already started my cleaning and organizing of the school closet (an upcoming post for sure!) and sold some unwanted books to make room for new purchases.

There will still be lots of day trips, time in the pool, and of course, baseball but, it's also time for me to get my ducks in a row :)

Sprucing Things Up

2010-08-04T01:42:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the disarray as I dust off the cobwebs and play with the Blogger features, updating things here and there :)

Happy 10th Birthday SportsFan!!!

2010-07-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

10 years ago today, at 3:48 p.m., our second son, SportsFan, was born weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and 20" long. Now he is nearly as tall as me, wearing men's size shoes and such a little man :) My, how time flies by!!!

6 months old

6 3/4 yrs old touring the firehouse

Being silly!! :)

Something is very funny!

My Sweet (and in this picture, very tired!) "little" boy!!

Happy 10th Birthday!!

Mommy Rhapsody

2010-07-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

Mommy Rhapsody from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

I thought this was hilarious! Enjoy! :)

Sum, Sum, Summertime!

2010-06-23T14:47:00.000-04:00

We have unofficially decided that we are on summer vacation. I had originally planned to keep on truckin' through this week but the weather has been calling us outdoors and so it's time to put the books away (for now) and take advantage of the glorious New England summer that is upon us :) Here are just some of our summer break plans:

lots of playing in the pool
visits to the beach
weekly $1 movies at AMC/Loews Theaters
weekend camping trip
Sportfan's 10th Birthday
Gamer's 13th Birthday
Free Fun Fridays
See a Paw Sox game (this is what the boys have chosen in lieu of a party)
visit from my sister and nephew from upstate New York (we are looking forward to this since we don't see them often!)
Beginning our third year of Girl Culture next month :)
The MA Home Learning Association bookfair
Strawberry picking
Blueberry picking
Peach picking
Summer reading (keep watch for our lists!)
S'mores by the firepit

Throw in some baseball, playdates, craft projects, lazy days by the pool, home projects, lots of ice cream eating and that's our summer in a nutshell :)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

Best Stuff on Earth!

2010-06-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

I don't typically buy very many cleaning products. I like to use homemade, natural cleaners because it's cheaper, easier and better for you. One day last week however, I was faced with melted red crayon dye all over an entire load of Sportsfan's laundry! Sportsfan and Gamer wash their own laundry and they are supposed to check pockets and make sure that nothing goes in the wash except clothing and soap. Well, this time a crayon accidentally made it in to his laundry bag and thus, into the washing machine and dryer!

I immediately went online scouring the internet for tips on removing these red splotches from half his wardrobe. I came across a frugal web message board where it was suggested that using a mixture of Oxy Clean stain stick, Oxy clean and your regular detergent would remove the stains.

I figured it couldn't get any worse so dabbed all of the spots with the stain stick (above), let them sit for about 5-10 minutes, loaded up the washing machine with warm water, oxy clean powder and our regular detergent (Trader Joe's brand). I decided to let everything presoak before washing it. Round nuber one of washing produce good results but the red dye now faded to a burnt orange....so I repeated the steps again. Round two--stains were GONE!! 100%, Completely GONE! I couldn't believe it!!! I have never been so happy doing laundry before, lol!

Move over Snapple--I have officially declared Oxy Stain Stick gell The Best Stuff on Earth!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T18:24:00.000-04:00

In Preparation for Memorial Day

2010-05-25T19:13:00.001-04:00

I received this as an email message one day and wanted to pass it along since it's an appropriate message (and one that shouldn't be forgotten) as we approach Memorial Day.

It is the VETERAN,

not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN,

not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN,

not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN,

not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN,

not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN,

not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who

salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN

who serves under the Flag,

I'd be EXTREMELY proud if this email reached as many as possible. We can be very

proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

~ Thank you to all of the men and women who have served and died for this country. We are forever endebted to your service. Thank you to all of the men and women currently serving. May you return home safely.~

Simple Skirts

2010-05-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I hosted my monthly Simplicity and Frugality meeting and we made a "5-Minute Skirt". A skirt in 5 minutes you say? Yes, that's right 5 minutes to sew a skirt! Now I have to admit, it took us quite some time to figure out the pattern because we couldn't find the fold over elastic that is mentioned in the pattern so we had to resort to flat non-roll elastic. Because of this, we weren't sure if we needed to take our hip measurements into account, thus the confusion :) So, being the adventurous one (lol), I decided to just give it a go! Turns out we worried for nothing and the skirts turned out fabulously!! Very simple.

Here are some other sites I have been saving but haven't tried yet:

And here is the skirt I made.........

Let me know if you try it!!

Happy May Day!

2010-05-01T07:35:00.002-04:00

`Tis May, the elfish maiden, the daughter of the Spring,Upon whose birthday morning the birds delight to sing.They would not sing one note for you, if you should so command,Although you are a princess, a princess of the land.- Robert Fuller Murray, A May-Day Madrigal

Happy May Day everyone!!

This was our past attempt at May pole, which proved to be a difficult task!! It look a LOT easier than it actually is!! Trying to orchestrate which way everyone was going and then executing that plan...it wasn't easy!!

We ended up tangled quite a few times!!

But soon everyone got in the groove! :)

You can learn more about May Day ( or maybe gather up some craft ideas for next May Day) at any of these links:

* The Holiday Spot

*About.com May Day Crafts

* May Day Crafts at Kaboose

Spring Is In Full Swing!

2010-04-21T20:10:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything, huh? Spring is certainly in full swing around here and for my family that means baseball, baseball and oh, did I mention baseball? Gamer has already had his first game and Sportsfan and Princess will have their first games within the next week. PoohBear will be playing Jr. T-Ball this year and I can't wait to see how that goes!

Other than that I have been busy taking care of my grandmother who lives with us and was recently diagnosed with dementia...that and homeschooling, keeping house, spring cleaning inside and out.....Phew!

Today we had fabulous weather...sunny and near 70! Quite a switch from the cool early spring days we've been having (mostly rainy days at that). Since Nick took a few days vacation we decided to clean the car (it really needed it) and then we loaded up the kids and the dogs and went for a hike at a local state reservation. Tomorrow we will be getting some much needed yard work done and then hopefully by the weekend Nick will get around to finishing our wood floor project (it's only been 3 months now,lol) and finish it off with the molding.

Now it's time to have a cuppa tea and settle down with the kids to watch American Idol :)

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T06:28:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter

April

2010-04-01T18:12:00.000-04:00

Happy April Fool's Day!

Today is the first in a series of beautiful spring days ahead for us here in the New England! Today's sunshine and warmer temperature is a welcome change from the rawness and pouring rain we've been having. I know the saying goes "April showers bring May flowers" but I honestly hope we don't see another drop of rain for a while. So many homes and towns are flooded beyond belief!!

Sunday is not only Easter but it's also Opening Day at Fenway!!! My in-laws will be over for Easter dinner (pork roast with veggies, pizzagena, cookies and desserts) and once the day's events have been cleaned up, Nick, the kids and I will all settle down and watch the Red Sox game together :)

On another happy note...I just found out that the next HP movie--Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1-- is set to premier on November 19, 2010!!!!

So now, I bid you farewell and leave you with some spring quotes :

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring.

Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?"

- Edward Giobbi

"The first of April, some do say,

Is set apart for All Fools' Day.

But why the people call it so,

Nor I, nor they themselves do know.

But on this day are people sent

On purpose for pure merriment."

- Poor Robin's Almanac, 1790

"Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!"

- Thomas Blackburn, An Easter Hymn

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"

- Mark Twain

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

- William Shakespeare

March Goes Out Like....

2010-03-31T12:46:00.000-04:00

Sheep

It appears that after the rainiest March on record in over 50 years, March is going to go out like a lamb here in the Northeast. Today is going to be a mild 50 degrees with chance of occassional light showers. March came in with snow and is going out with rain...and LOTS of it!!! It looks like April is going to start off beautifully though with temps in the high 60's and upper 70's the next few days!! Perfect weather is expected for Sunday-- sunny and 75 for Easter and Opening Day for the Red Sox :) Great weather for everyone with flooding to hopefully dry out!!

And now I'm off to our American Girl book club with Princess. Have a great (dry) day :)

Vernal Equinox ~ Happy Ostara!

2010-03-20T08:11:00.003-04:00

At 1:32 this afternoon spring officially ushers in in the Northern Hemisphere. The vernal equinox, also sometimes called the spring equinox or Ostara, marks the rebirth of the Earth and Mother Nature. Most of us at this point are longing for some warmth and sunshine after what seems like endless cold, dreary,silent, icy days. With spring comes the miraculous transformations and rebirth of the Earth, the return of light and warmth, of activity and sound. As the sheer beauty of spring fills us with delight, she brings her message of hope and renewal, of rediscovery and grace. Spring is my favorite time of year!!!!

The ancient called this festival Ostara (also Eostra or Eostre) after an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess of that name. The word for the Christian festival of Easter has nothing to do with Christ at all; it dates back to this ancient goddess, and the eggs and bunnies and baby chicks are all Ostara fertility images.

The vernal equinox celebrates the balance of light and dark; this is one of two days in the year when day and night are of equal length (the other being the Autumn Equinox). At this equinox, a shift takes place from the earth energy of winter to the airiness of spring. This is the time to honor the birds as they return, honor the ritualization of rebirth by planting seeds and decorating with symbols of the season: flowers, nests and eggs, sprouts or green wild plants , feathers and pastel colors.This is a great time to buy some flowering spring bulbs such as tulips, narcissus, hyacinth and daffodils :)

Here are some great Ostara websites to check out :

"Hark, I hear a robin calling!

List, the wind is from the south!

And the orchard-bloom is falling

Sweet as kisses on the mouth.

In the dreamy vale of beeches

Fair and faint is woven mist,

And the river's orient reaches

Are the palest amethyst.

Every limpid brook is singing

Of the lure of April days;

Every piney glen is ringing

With the maddest roundelays.

Come and let us seek together

Springtime lore of daffodils,

Giving to the golden weather

Greeting on the sun-warm hills."

~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Spring Song

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-12T08:09:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again...time for Spring Cleaning! I am a list person so I like to make a master room-by-room to-do list for all of my spring cleaning tasks. Since we just moved into our house right before Thanksgiving, we haven't built up any clutter and so the purging and organizing part of my spring cleaning will be that much easier this year :) Here is my master spring cleaning to-do list:

Kitchen:

clean inside and outside of cabinets and drawers
replace shelf liner in cabinets and drawers
scrub all counters,shelves and backsplashes
clean exhaust fan and filter
remove all window screens. Wash screens and windows.
repaint trim on windows and doorways
check refigerator water filter. Replace if needed
deep clean refigerator and freezer
clean oven
wash valances
clean and freshen garbage disposal
replace batteries in smoke detector
clean ceiling fan

Each Bedroom:

change sheets from warm winter flannel to cool cotton
vacuum and flip mattresses
wash curtains
thoroughly dust, sweep and wash all surfaces
clean closets- packing away bulky winter clothing, slowly bringing out spring/summer clothing
purge toys,games,etc from the kids rooms. Donate/freecycle immediately
clean ceiling fans, replace lightbulbs if needed
clean air conditioner filter, vents, etc so they are ready for hot summer days
remove all screens. Check for damage, replace if needed. Wash screens and windows.

Each Bathroom:

deep clean all surfaces
paint both bathrooms
wash shower curtains; replace ahower liners if needed
make necessary repairs/maintenance such as caulking around tub and fixtures, flushing drains, etc...
clean and restock cabinets
remove vent covers and wash; clean inside

Laundry room:

wash inside and outside of the machines
vacuum inside the dryer vent
wash walls and floors
repaint walls
reorganize cabinets and shelves
add some shoe cubbies and coat hooks (the laundry room is also my mudroom coming in from the backyard)

Living Room:

dust ceiling fans and all light fixtures
clean air conditioner vent and filter so that it is ready for hot weather
remove everything from the bookshelves, dust and reorganize
clean fireplace and redecorate mantel for spring
touch up paint as needed
vacuum and thoroughly clean all furniture
remove window screens and repair as needed. Wash screens and windows

Dining Room:

dust chandelier; replace bulbs (I'd also like to change the globes but it isn't necessary)
take down winter decorative plates and replace with spring themed plates
dust all surfaces
remove window screens and repair if needed. Wash screens and windows.

Front Entry:

finish flooring (we put new hardwood floor in the living room and dinig room and it will continue to the entry)
Fresh coat of paint
replace closet door (it's broken beyond repair!)
Dust all surfaces
remove shoes that no longer fit/are not being used and store away/give away
clean light fixure
fresh coat of paint on the front door (inside and out)
replace the peep hole (it's cracked and we can't see out of it)

Office area:

dust and thoroughly clean all surfaces
reorganize desk
fresh coat of paint

School Closet:

purge, reorganize and restock
dust all shelves

Basement:

remove trash (donate, freecycle and/or craigslist)
check furnace filter
change batteries in smoke alarm
replace lightbulbs as needed
replace broken pull chain lights
organize workbench/tool area (Nick's project)
organize items in storage
move our remaining storage items from old house (my inlaws' across the street) to new house

Yard Work:

sand and protect the back deck, stairs and railings
rent the proper equipment to turn over all soil, remove rocks and level the yard
put up a fence ( with dogs, kids and a pool we have to have one!)
fix rear walkway
plant grass/landscape
put up the pool
put up the basketball net for the kids
clean storage area
refurbish an old table which we already have and use it as a potters table
purchase patio furniture (some simple sling chairs and a fire pit)
purchase part of Nick's outdoor dream kitchen (shh!! It's a Father's Day present :) )

Car:

have oil changed
check/change air filter
thoroughly clean inside and outside
stock the back with extra clothes, potty wipes, and extra sippy cup and first aid supplies (baseball season is just a couple weeks away!)

Community Service

2010-03-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to stop by and say "Hi!" this morning before we head out to the St. Jude's Radio-a-thon this afternoon. I will be back with pictures later :)

I'm also working on a spring cleaning post and hope to have it up by this weekend.

~Stay Tuned! :)

Homeschooling

2010-03-04T16:24:00.001-05:00

While visiting Lady Lydia's blog today, Home Living, I read her most recent article The Importance of Home Schooling. She gave permission to share her article and "spread the word" and while I do not agree with everything she says (mainly her religious perspective on homeschooling), I do think it is an important sentiment to pass along.

"God gave parents the job of teaching their children. Some may not obey their training, but it is still the parents job to train them. We dont homeschool our children just because it gets good results or it works, but because we believe the Bible teaches parents to do it, and because it is best for the children. We are responsible to disciple them, which is much different than just teaching them facts.

Discipleship is a way of life not just a 30 minute family bible hour - nor can you pass on a way of life on the weekends - its not something the Sunday-school teacher can do. The way to pass on a way of life is to share a way of life - when you sit in your house; when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. It takes time to pass on a way of life - and time is so hard to come by; but if you won't take the time, there are people who will.

Allow me to introduce you to John Dewey.

John Dewey is known as the father of Progressive Education. He wrote that teachers needed to counteract the influence of the home and the church on children, which he said produced children who were too individualistic and not socialistic enough. He put farm families under particular suspicion because their children were often rugged individuals that the state had a hard time re-educating to be socialists. He is one of the original signers of the Humanist Manifesto, which denies God, creation, the soul, the sacred, and life after death, among other things. It requires religions be "reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows" to suit the Humanist agenda. It also requires that all human associations must be controlled to conform to the humanist manifesto.

He went to the Soviet Union and wrote back glowing reports of what he saw. He admired their efforts to dismantle the traditional family and use schools to indoctrinate children to think of themselves as belonging to the state -- bragging that schools were "the ideological arm of the revolution."

He attained international influence over China, India, Russia and the United States, insisting that schools become the tools of a new socialist agenda. The National Education Association - which works out his legacy today, made John Dewey their honorary president. Education as we know it today, remains the legacy of this man who hated the traditional family and hated the church, and who passionately fought for the right to make children the property of a new socialist state which was his idea of heaven on earth.

He wrote :
"I believe that ...the teacher always is the prophet of the true god and the usherer in of the true kingdom of god. "

One of his ilk wrote,

"The Bible is not merely another book, an outmoded and archaic book, or even an extremely influential book; it has and remains an incredibly dangerous book. It and the various Christian churches which are parasitic upon it have been directly responsible for most of the wars, persecutions, and outrages which humankind has perpetrated upon itself over the past two thousand years. I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith…These teachers must embody the same dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach…The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new—the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism, " John Dunphy (The Humanist magazine, Jan/Feb 1983)

There is a reason that we have lived through a century of war in the schools.

There is a reason that the National Education Association advocates things that have nothing to do with reading writing or arithmetic.

There is a reason that the NEA demands children be trained to accept homosexuality and homosexual marriage. There is a reason that the NEA demands that children be indoctrinated to accept condoms, promiscuity and abortion rights as part of life.

There is a reason that the NEA demands funding to take children from the home at earlier and earlier ages -- now even from infancy, all the way through age 18, for eight hours or more every day. They are making disciples for a way of life; for their own atheistic Kingdom of God. It is a way of life for which their founding fathers passionately fought.

Why is it that the church is losing so many young people?

Because the one who makes the disciples gets to keep the disciples.

And the one making disciples is the one who has the children all day long, from infancy to adulthood. So who is really serious about making disciples?

Let's do the math:: two hours a week on Sunday, plus family bible hour every night - and you're up to nine hours a week of discipleship for Jesus.

Compare that to forty hours a week by the NEA.

Close to 20,000 hours of indoctrination by the time children are 18.

Parents say, "He left home and just fell away from his faith."

Could it be possible that he left home and realized what he was really being trained to believe all along?

Perhaps he left home and his real training - his real discipleship kicked in.

I know time is hard to come by. Perhaps you say, "I would love to spend more time with my children, but how can I do it?" I don't have the answer for that. All I have is certain knowledge that if you fail to take the time with your children, if you fail to pass on your way of life to your children, there are others who will use your children to pass on their way of life.

The one who makes the disciples gets to keep them.

A man cannot serve two masters, the Lord warned.

Living by what John Dewey taught makes Children disciples of a New World Order.

Now I know that you all know nice teachers who are trying to do their best - I do too.

But I'm talking about the larger war.

You may know a nice school teacher;but the larger effort to dismantle the traditional family is not so nice.

The staff trainings on homosexuality are not so nice.

The court orders banning prayer at football games are not so nice.

The iron curtain that has descended over public schools is not so nice.

The lawsuits, the intimidation, the accusations - the war to get access to our children -is not nice at all.

I ask you today - to make disciples of your own childrenby sharing a way of life with them, the way Jesus shared His way of Life with His disciples.

The National Education Association will not pass on the faith to your children.

They adamantly affirm and pledge not to.

I urge you, if you are serious about passing on the faith of Christ to your children,to bring up your children yourself.

You're really bringing up generations to come.

Hillary Clinton wrote a book entitled

"It takes a Village to Raise a Child."

One homeschooling mother wrote,

"I have seen the village and I don't want it raising my child."

God wisely has the best plan for children, taylor made. Each child has a parent that he can bond with and be discipled by. Who will disciple your children?

Notice: The above is a part of a collection of information compiled to show the dangers of public school. Please print this information, reproduce it, spread it around, post it on your blogs, link to it and help save our nation from the anti-God indoctrination that is targeted at our children. Homeschooling is not expensive, and can be done without spending a cent. In fact, there are a lot of free homeschool material sites on the web. And, even if you cant have all the materials, just having your children at home with you makes them smarter and healthier and more bonded to you. The most important thing is to make your children loyal to their training, and honoring to their parents. This will be erroded in the public schools.Children dont need peers: they need parents."

March Comes In...

2010-03-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

...like a lion, and this is certainly the case here in New England this March 1st. As we say goodbye to February , and the rain we've had this past week, March blows in with a bit of snow, colder temperatures and a reminder that spring is still a few weeks away. Here are some March links and activities:

Now it's time to update the books in the sidebar and make my early spring to-do lists.

"The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.

When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here."
- Author Unknown

Freezer Cooking

2010-02-28T12:52:00.005-05:00

Years ago, I tried to do what many call Once A Month Cooking with very little success. Perhaps it was my lack of dedication to the concept or maybe, just maybe, it could have been that I had 3 children 5 and under which kept me from the task. Whatever the case may be, I am trying my own version of it again and putting the Food Saver that my mother-in-law bought be for Christmas to good use! With baseball season right around the corner and my sister-in-law giving birth to her first child, I have been cooking up a storm lately preparing meals for both of our freezers!

Here's what will be in our freezers when I'm finished (some things are just for my family, some are for both):

Minestrone Soup

pumpkin muffins and mini breads (great for on the go snacks)

lasagna

manicotti

meatloaf

mac and cheese

chicken cacciatore

Teriyaki chicken tenders (can be eaten as tenders or on skewers with pineapple....really yummy!!)

tomato sauce

cooked chicken strips for quick quesedillas,chicken, broccoli and ziti, wraps or salads

marinated steak tips (uncooked)

Have you ever tried a version of this method? Were you successful? Do you have any recipes to share... I'm looking for more ideas :)

Growing Family

2010-02-25T23:17:00.004-05:00

This gorgeous little bundle of sweetness is my very first neice! Born last night at 6:48 p.m. to Nick's sister and her husband (their first child).

Congratulations to the new mom and dad!

Her cousins can't wait to meet her :) (and Auntie can't wait to spoil her :) )

Another Change

2010-02-18T18:06:00.002-05:00

Ok all of that hot pink was getting to me, lol! What do you think of the new background? How about that header up there that I custom designed??!!

While you contemplate my changes (and my obviously short attention span!lol) I am off to make dinner.

~Have a wonderful night!

A Second to Catch My Breath

2010-02-16T16:57:00.004-05:00

As I type, I am standing in my kitchen, new laptop on the counter next to the cook top, making dinner, having a cup of tea and trying to catch my breath. The past two weeks have been jam packed with (happily) hosting my sister-in-law's baby shower, redecorating Princess' bedroom as a birthday present to her, hosting Princess' birthday party, Valentine's Day (which included a morning breakfast and movie date with hubby and then an afternoon potluck with friends) and Nick renovating our bedroom (we're half way there!!)!!! Phew! Just typing all of that (while stirring the pasta and checking on the ham, lol) makes my head spin!

I know that this craziness isn't permanent but that it will soon give way to a new type of craziness. Soon we will have less time at home and most evenings will be spent at a baseball field. I think this is why I tend to hibernate in the winter, because I know there will be less time for home repairs and projects come spring.

The boys have just filed in from shoveling and dinner is just about done so I guess that's my queue to leave cyber world and get back to the real world. I hope you all enjoy your evening :)

Home Makeover

2010-02-09T22:43:00.003-05:00

In lieu of presents, Princess has asked that Nick and I paint and decorate her bedroom as a birthday gift to her. So, for the past two weeks she and I have been hunting down the best bargains, the perfect paint color and the "must haves" that were on her decorating list. Yesterday, armed with rollers, brushes, a fresh can of Olympia Premium no VOC paint and my ipod, Princess and I began preparing her bedroom for it's makeover.

The results......

She LOVES it! It does look great if I do say so myself :) The wall color is called Cyan.

The bedding (purchased at Walmart)

new green fur throw
new purple fur throw pillow
new turquoise fur thow pillow
new reversible comforter and sham set (striped on one side, solid blue on the other)
new set of coordinating sheets

The curtains were purchased at Lowes. The panels are the same color as the wall and have small round sequins all over them. Very pretty in the sunlight and at night they look like stars in the moonlight. The valance, also from Lowes, is light blue and green with bluish-green beads.

New (clearanced at Lowes) pulls for the ceiling fan so that she can now reach it! lol! A blue gem and a crystal :)

and coordinating storage boxes which I picked up today at TJ Maxx.

We also put a shoe organizer on the back of her door to hold all of her American Girl clothes. American Girl sells one for about $40 but I purchased one at Walmart for $7 :)

We still need to purchase a little scatter rug and we have a cork board project to work on tomorrow during the snow storm.

Next up....the master bedroom. Stay Tuned! :)

~ Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun~

2010-02-03T17:12:00.003-05:00

1954 7-Up Ad

This past Monday night, Princess and I headed out in our pj's to our monthly Girl Culture get-together. We both felt so awkward leaving the house in our pj's; we were so glad it was dark! lol

Since it was a "pajama and a movie" night, we enjoyed Shirley Temples and snacked on popcorn. Before the movie, we celebrated this month's birthdays by singing to the birthday girls and having a slice of cake. Then it was time to get comfy in our sleeping bags and settle down to the Lindsay Lohan version of The Parent Trap. We moms agreed that we prefer the older version starring Haley Mills :) We only got half way through the movie because it was getting late so we are going to continue it next month when Princess and I host :)

We have done so many wonderful things this year centered around friendship! Here are just a few:

S'mores and a (chilly) swim at the lake at sunset
Friendship bracelets
Friendship frames
Learning to knit squares for a friendship blanket (this is an ongoing project)

We have March, April , May and June left to our second year of Girl Culture~ our "year of frienship" and it is flying by. I love that I have this time with Princess :) (which leads me to an upcoming Mitten Strings Monday poast about one-on-one time so stay tuned!)

February

2010-02-01T04:20:00.000-05:00

My Valentine

"The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within." - William C. Bryant

I can't believe that January 2010 is over and we are ushering in February already! February is looking like it is going to be a busy month for my family with a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Princess' 8th birthday, doctor's appointments, PoohBear's preschool co-op, hosting our homeschool group's 7-10 year old activity night and so much more! Tonight Princess and I are off to our monthly Girl Culture meeting in our jammies :) I know, I know, I just posted about the pajamafication of America but *this* is a pajama party. Just us ladies in our pj's, eating snacks, watching a movie and having some much needed (and enjoyed) girl time :) I will be sure to come back and tell you all about it as well as our most recent simplicity meeting where we made pajama bottoms (hmmm, do you see a theme?) For now, I'll leave you with these February themed links to peruse and let's hope that the groundhog doesn't see his shadow tomorrow. I am aching for spring!

February Fun Facts

Special (and some silly) Days in February

February Crafts

February Lessons, Theme Units and Activities

The Pajamafication of America

2010-01-29T21:51:00.004-05:00

In Pajamas

OK, I don't usually vent here because I like to keep things positive and fun but I can keep silent no more!

When did it become not only fashionable but socially acceptable to wear your pajamas in public?! I'm sorry but if you are over the age of 6 months you should not be sporting fuzzy jammies, or any jammies, in public!

More and more lately I see ladies of all ages, from young school aged girls to teens to grown women of all ages, parading themselves around town in pajamas. One day, while out running errands, I was stopped at a light . As I sat there waiting for the light to turn green I watched a grown woman, possibly mid to late 30's, cross the street in front of me in hot pink flannel polka dot pajamas, a big sweatshirt and fuzzy black slippers (with about 4" of snow on the ground) while carrying her Dunkin Donuts coffee and talking on the phone. Not only that but her hair was neatly done and she was wearing makeup. Why spend the time on hair and make up if you are just going to go out dressed like a slob?

It was bad enough when this fashion trend of laziness became all the rave amongst pre-teen and teen girls but why do grown women need to follow? Do they really have such little respect for themselves (and everyone else) that they can't take 5 or 10 minutes to put on appropriate clothing before leaving the house?

Ladies, I'm all for comfort but this is just absurd!

New Look!

2010-01-24T15:02:00.003-05:00

I felt it was time for some changes to my blog. What do you think of the new look? I found this background and header at Simply BlogIt Backgrounds. They have so many cute backgrounds & headers to choose from!

For now, I'm trying this one on for size. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment :)

A Simply Splendid Weekend

2010-01-17T18:53:00.005-05:00

Most of my winter weekends are spent running errands for the coming week and catching up on housework (spring and summer weekends are spent at baseball fields). This weekend however was different. Since we moved in to a new home just before the holidays, I haven't had much time to decorate the way I would like. Sure I've hung some valances and a few pictures and we are completely unpacked, but I haven't had much time to spend making this space feel like home. So, this weekend I set out on a little adventure! Armed with a hot cuppa Dunkin' Donuts decaf tea and my GPS I set out to find local antique and thrift stores that I had yet to discover.

And discover I did!! I stopped in this quaint little antique shop not far from me. It's a shop I've passed often over the years on my way to or from something and I've never had the time to stop in--at least, not the child-free time required to peruse such a beautiful little shop :) And what a treasure trove this shop turned out to be!! Beautiful antique books (oh how I absolutely love antique books!), lovely china tea sets, exquisite pieces of furniture-- everywhere I turned, I spotted a new treasure to admire. The shop owner was a lovely older man who was extremely helpful. After I commented on what a beautiful shop he had, he kindly directed me to the linens where I found these...

Aren't they lovely?! Seven pieces for $10.

I love the hand sewn lace on the three above and the hand embroidery on the one below.

My next stop was a local thrift store where I found these two cardigan sweaters:

I like the white pearl buttons on this simple black cardigan...plus it'll go with anything! :)

And this hand woven beige cardigan with pink glass buttons looks like it will be cozy on cold New England days.

After a day of bargain hunting I was starving so Nick and I did something we very, very rarely do--we went out to dinner, just the two of us! We went to Chili's for the 2 for $20 dinner deal they are running right now. It was a great way to cap off a great day :)

Today, Nick and I slept in and had a lazy morning, just the two of us (well, four of us if you include the dogs, lol). Then we went to the local home improvement bargain outlet to see what they had for new carpet. Not finding anything we liked, I dropped Nick off at home (he had a baseball clinic to run) and then I went to Barnes and Noble for the Educator's Discount Week. I didn't end up purchasing anything but I did grab the names of a few titles that I want to check and see if the library carries before I buy them and I also was able to sit and thumb through some beautiful magazines I had never seen before. Here's what I looked at today:

MaryJanes Farm~ This was a beautiful ladies magazine filled with vintage clip art, articles on organic farming/gardening, DIY projects for the home and so much more!
Romantic Homes Magazine~ The title of this magazine says it all. It is an absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful magazine!!
Country Living Magazine~ I may be a city girl but I *am* a New Englander and there is just something so charming and simple about (some) country decor.
Victoria Magazine~ a magazine for all things antique and pretty :)
Outdoor Kitchens ~ Nick is requesting an outdoor kitchen for Father's Day, complete with grilling area and stone pizza oven (yes, he has high hopes, lol).
Sew What! ~ Simple skirts patterns and instructions
Sew Everything Workshop
Handmade Home
Victoria: Romantic Country Style
Country Living Cottage Style

And now, my readers, it's time to sit and relax with a nice hot cuppa tea and my knitting.

I wish you all a simply splendid week :)

Blog Housekeeping

2010-01-11T17:07:00.004-05:00

American Housewife

I'm doing a bit of blog housekeeping this week, especially to the book lists. Check back soon :)

~Enjoy your week! :)

Happy Birthday PoohBear!!

2010-01-06T21:34:00.004-05:00

My little poohbear celebrated his 4th birthday this past Monday. I can't believe my "baby" is a big four year old boy!!

On Sunday afternoon we celebrated with friends and family with a fish themed party. We played Go Fish and the kids won prizes of Sweedish Fish, we played Pin The Fin On The Fish (a game Princess made up for this occassion, similar to pin the tail on the donkey), we had a fish pinata filled with gummy worms and gummy fish and then the kids went fishing (a little magnetic fishing game) and won a real goldfish!

On Monday, PoohBear decided that he wanted to go bowling so bowling we went :) He has the cutest little dance he does as the ball is rolling down the lane towards the pins and he yells "sssttttrrrrriiiiiikkkkkeeee!" much like an umpire at a baseball game! (Can you tell where he has spent most of his life? lol)

After bowling it was home for dinner and decorate-your-own-birthday cupcakes :)

Let Them Be Little

Country Song By Billy Dean

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

Let them be little

Out With the Old and In With the New....

2009-12-31T20:30:00.002-05:00

Year that is :) In a couple of hours we will say goodbye to 2009 and a new decade will dawn. What will 2010 bring?

Children with Lanterns at Midnight

Merry Christmas to All

2009-12-24T07:52:00.002-05:00

Image courtesy of Allposters.com

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Joyeux Noel and Felize Navidad to you all :) I could also wish you a merry Christmas in American Sign Language but unless you can see through your screen and into my home ( which I hope never happens!), you'll have to take my word for it :) LOL!

The word "Christmas" originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038."Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa. In early Greek versions of the New Testement, the letter X (chi), is the first letter of Christ. Since the mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ. Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

No one knows the actual date of Jesus' birth. The New Testament gives no date or year for Jesus’ birth. The earliest gospel – St. Mark’s, written about 65 CE – begins with the baptism of an adult Jesus. This suggests that the earliest Christians lacked interest in or knowledge of Jesus’ birthdate.

The year of Jesus birth was determined by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, abbot of a Roman monastery. His calculation went as follows:

a. In the Roman, pre-Christian era, years were counted from ab urbe condita (“the founding of the City” [Rome]). Thus 1 AUC signifies the year Rome was founded, 5 AUC signifies the 5th year of Rome’s reign, etc.

b. Dionysius received a tradition that the Roman emperor Augustus reigned 43 years, and was followed by the emperor Tiberius.

c. Luke 3:1,23 indicates that when Jesus turned 30 years old, it was the 15th year of Tiberius reign.

d. If Jesus was 30 years old in Tiberius’ reign, then he lived 15 years under Augustus (placing Jesus birth in Augustus’ 28th year of reign).

e. Augustus took power in 727 AUC. Therefore, Dionysius put Jesus birth in 754 AUC.

f. However, Luke 1:5 places Jesus’ birth in the days of Herod, and Herod died in 750 AUC – four years before the year in which Dionysius places Jesus birth.

Joseph A. Fitzmyer – Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and former president of the Catholic Biblical Association – writing in the Catholic Church’s official commentary on the New Testament, writes about the date of Jesus’ birth, “Though the year of Jesus birth is not reckoned with certainty, the birth did not occur in AD 1. The Christian era, supposed to have its starting point in the year of Jesus birth, is based on a miscalculation introduced ca. 533 by Dionysius Exiguus.”

In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.

The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday.

Christians had little success, however, refining the practices of Saturnalia. As Stephen Nissenbaum, professor history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, writes, “In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been.” The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.

The Reverend Increase Mather of Boston observed in 1687 that “the early Christians who first observed the Nativity on December 25 did not do so thinking that Christ was born in that Month, but because the Heathens’ Saturnalia was at that time kept in Rome, and they were willing to have those Pagan Holidays metamorphosed into Christian ones.” Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681. However, Christmas was and still is celebrated by most Christians.

There are some truly interesting documentaries on National Geographic and The History Channel that discuss the history of Christmas, Christianity and Jesus' birth, life and death. These historians and archaeologists have unearthed so many historical artifacts and if you love history, like I do, you may find these documentaries and the websites below fascinating :)

History Channel "History of Christmas" videos
The History of Christmas ( a very thorough history)
How Merry Christmas is said around the world

So, how did we come to symbolize Christmas with evergreen trees and wreaths, yule logs, mistletoe, gift-giving and Santa Claus?

Mistletoe and Holly -200 years before the birth of Christ, Druids used Mistletoe as a sign of winter. Kissing under the mistletoe originated during the Saturnalia celebration and later became a primitive marriage rite. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in Christmas celebrations because of it's pagan roots and suggested the use of holly as a suitable Christmas greenery.
Pointsettia - native to Mexico and brought to America by America's first Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Pointsett, in 1828.
Christmas Tree- originated in Germany in the 16th century and the custom was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Germans in the 1820's. You can find the history of the Christmas tree here.
Candy Canes- candy canes have been around for centuries but it wasn't until around 1900 that they were decorated with red striped and bent into the shape of a cane.
Santa Claus- the original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century and became widely known for his generosity to the poor. The Romans held him in contempt and he was imprisoned and tortured. When Constantine became emperor of Rome, he let Nicholas free. When Constantine became a Christian, he convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 and Nicholas was a delegate to the council. It was the Dutch who kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore composed his famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which was later published as "The Night Before Christmas." Moore is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man in a red suit.

Although Christmas is celebrated by many Christians as a religious holiday, it's pagan and secular roots however, mean that it can also be celebrated in a non-christian way. My husband is a "non-practicing Catholic" ( whatever that means! lol) and if I had to put myself in a box I'd put myself in the one marked atheist (the history of religion fascinates me though). So , how do we celebrate? We concentrate on family, good-will towards others, Santa Claus, decorating with evergreens and candles and gorging ourselves on tasty holiday foods and treats! :)

Today will be spent putting the finishing touches on presents and making cookies for the dogs: Koko and Alex ( our dogs), Pebbles ( my mother-in-laws dog who is also Koko's daughter) and Lexi (my sister-in-law's dog) :)

Tonight, we will join my in-laws and my husband's extended family in celebrating the Italian way- a feast of seven fishes with pasta and meatballs for those of us who don't eat ( or can't eat) fish and plenty of desserts!! My mother in law makes the BEST Italian cookies in the whole wide world and we all look forward to them every year ( Nick has already been up there sneaking into the cookie stash and sampling this year's batch to make sure they are safe for the rest of us, lol!!!). Some of the family members we will see tonight will not be here tomorrow so the children will open presents tonight from Noni, Auntie Candy and Michael and Auntie Jenn and Uncle Tommy. Before bed, the kids will sprinkle their magic reindeer food, which the elves left for them, on the snow covered front lawn, we will read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, leave our cookies for Santa and this year the elves have requested a piece or two of chocolate :) Then it will be off to bed :)

Tomorrow morning, after everyone is awake and the children have opened their presents, I will make breakfast for all of us and my in -laws. We spend a very quiet and relaxed morning together just playing and enjoying our new items and then in the afternoon we finally get out of our PJ's and the six of us go to the movies! This year I think we are going to see the new Chipmunks movie :)

And so, I bid you farewell for now and a Merry Christmas as I leave you with this quote:

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

~Charles Dickens

The Magic of Christmas

2009-12-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Is there a Santa Claus? This was the title of an editorial printed in the September 20, 1897 edition of the New York Sun. The question was posed by eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon to which writer Francis Pharcellus Church replied "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

Little Virginia was the daughter of Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, who was a coroner's assisstant on Manhatten's upper West Side. Virginia had begun to doubt the exisitence of Santa Claus because her friends told her that he did not exist. So, one day in 1897, Virginia decided to ask her father if Santa Claus truly existed. Dr. O'Hanlon suggested to his daughter that she write to the New York Sun, assuring her that "If you see it in The Sun, it's so."

Here is Virginia's letter to The Sun and the editorial response :

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"VIRGINIA O'HANLON."115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T05:15:00.001-05:00

Sun Halo at Winter Solstice

Credit & Copyright: Philip Appleton (SIRTF Science Centre), Caltech

"Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider."- Yule Lore

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurrs today, December 21st, at 12:47 p.m. EST, and marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. On this date, the dark triumphs, but only briefly. The Solstice is a turning point and from this point on our daylight hours will grow, if only by fractions of a second each day, building up to the Summer Solstice.

Many of the customs associated with the Winter Solstice (and therefore with other midwinter festivals such as St Lucy’s Day, Saturnalia, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years and Twelfth Night) derive from stories of a mighty battle between the dark and the light, which is won, naturally, by the light. Other traditions record this as the time a savior (the Sun-Child) is born to a virgin mother.

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures all over the world. No one really knows how long humans first recognized the Winter Solstice and began heralding it. The Egyptian and Persian traditions merged in ancient Rome in a festival known as Saturnalia which was celebrated from December 17th to December 25th, during which all work was put aside in favor of feasting, lawlessness, gift giving, decorating homes with greenery, letting go of grudges and equality between rich and poor, master and slave.

Christ’s birthday was not celebrated on December 25th until the 4th century. Before then, December 25th was best known as the birthday of the Persian hero and sun-god, Mithra. The myth tells that he sprang up full-grown from a rock, armed with a knife and carrying a torch. Shepherds watched his miraculous appearance and hurried to greet him with the first fruits of their flocks and their harvests. The cult of Mithra spread all over the Roman empire. In 274 AD, the Roman emperor Valerian declared December 25th the Birthday of Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun.

Everywhere we look, especially here in the North, we are confronted with winter's motionless grace: water turns into stone, forming ice, and the world is transformed in to a snowy white wonderland. There is also a special silence about winter. The snow seems to muffle the sounds of any birds that haven't left us and hushes everything around us. Nature is powerful and it certainly doesn't hold any of that power back during winter. When a big snowstorm hits, as it just did here in New England, we mere humans are forced to stop and wait rather than continue on our hurried ways to run just one more errand.

Tonight, we will celebrate the Winter Solstice by having a candlelit dinner of pork roast with homemade scalloped potatoes after a day of playing outdoors in our winter wonderland. Then we will enjoy some hot chocolate by the fireplace while we read some Winter Solstice and Winter stories before tucking in to bed.

It's no surprise to me that no matter what one celebrates at this time of the year, the general "reason for the season" is to follow the message that nature is sending us and what so many of us desperately crave this time of year: more sleep and rest, more silence, more time at home just spent dreaming and being peaceful and spending time with loved ones :)

Wishing you a peaceful winter :)

"In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, Long ago."
~Christina G. Rossetti

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-20T21:07:00.002-05:00

The first winter storm hit us late last night and didn't stop until late this afternoon!
So how much did we get hit with for our first storm of the season? 11"!!! And there is more snow predicted for Wednesday and Friday!

While it's pretty to look at I have to say that I am not a snow person. Born and raised in New England and I hate snow, always have, even as a kid! There, I said it...my name is Leigh and I hate snow. (lol!) My poor little min pin, Alex, hates it too. Even with her winter coat on and the little pathway that hubby shoveled for her, she wimpered, whined and shivered today when we had to take her out to go potty. Poor little thing :( Our other dog, Koko, doesn't like it but she will go out, do her businees and get right back in to the warm house and her cozy bed :) The children of course love the fact that we have snow! We have playdates scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday and I'm sure there will be snow ball fights, snow forts, sledding, snow angels and any other kind of snow play they can think up! I on the other hand will be inside watching through the window with a nice hot cuppa tea and getting the hot chocolate ready for the little frozen bodies as they stagger back inside :)

~Warmest Wishes to you all

Delicious!

2009-12-17T19:33:00.003-05:00

I made these cinnamon rolls, which I saw on 50's Housewife's blog, tonight for dessert. They are the most delicious things I have ever tasted!!!! SO bad for you, so sugar filled and oh so yummy!!!!!! These would make great gifts for friends and neighbors :) I made some to eat, some to give away and some for the freezer to enjoy on a cold winter morning.

If you try them, let me know what you think :)

Simple Pleasures of Home

2009-12-17T12:34:00.004-05:00

Pretty glasses and tea service arranged nicely in the China cabinet

My new apron :)

A knitting project I'm working on for my soon-to-be-born neice (my first neice!)

Pretty kitchen items on display

Homemade baked goods for the family (these are apple pies)

Children's artwork proudly displayed

The Socialization Myth Debunked

2009-12-16T11:15:00.002-05:00

As homeschoolers, we are often met with the question "What about socialization?" or "How will they make/have friends?" (or many variations of the same question). It seems people think that the only place a child can possibly socialize with other humans is within the confine of an institutionalized government run school building. As anyone who has ever met my children can tell you, they are anything but unsocialized! lol

Today, the Washington Times puts this argument to rest with this op-ed piece:

*The Washington Times*
December 14, 2009

*Washington Times Op-ed—Socialization not a Problem*

*by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President*

One of the most persistent criticisms of homeschooling is the accusation
that homeschoolers will not be able to fully participate in society because
they lack “socialization.” It’s a challenge that reaches right to the heart
of homeschooling, because if a child isn’t properly socialized, how will
that child be able to contribute to society?

Since the re-emergence of the homeschool movement in the late 1970s, critics
of homeschooling have perpetuated two myths. The first concerns the ability
of parents to adequately teach their own children at home; the second is
whether homeschooled children will be well-adjusted socially.

Proving academic success is relatively straightforward. Today, it is
accepted that homeschoolers, on average, outperform their public school
peers. The most recent study, “Homeschool Progress Report 2009,” conducted
by Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, surveyed
more than 11,000 homeschooled students. It showed that the average
homeschooler scored 37 percentile points higher on standardized achievement
tests than the public school average.

The second myth, however, is more difficult to address because children who
were homeschooled in appreciable numbers in the late 1980s and early 1990s
are only now coming of age and in a position to demonstrate they can succeed
as adults.

Homeschool families across the nation knew criticisms about adequate
socialization were ill-founded—they had the evidence right in their own
homes. In part to address this question from a research perspective, the
Home School Legal Defense Association commissioned a study in 2003 titled
“Homeschooling Grows Up,” conducted by Mr. Ray, to discover how
homeschoolers were faring as adults. The news was good for homeschooling. In
all areas of life, from gaining employment, to being satisfied with their
homeschooling, to participating in community activities, to voting,
homeschoolers were more active and involved than their public school
counterparts.

Until recently, “Homeschooling Grows Up” was the only study that addressed
the socialization of home-schooled adults. Now we have a new longitudinal
study titled “Fifteen Years Later: Home-Educated Canadian Adults” from the
Canadian Centre for Home Education. This study surveyed homeschooled
students whose parents participated in a comprehensive study on home
education in 1994. The study compared homeschoolers who are now adults with
their peers. The results are astounding.

When measured against the average Canadians ages 15 to 34 years old,
home-educated Canadian adults ages 15 to 34 were more socially engaged (69
percent participated in organized activities at least once per week,
compared with 48 percent of the comparable population). Average income for
homeschoolers also was higher, but perhaps more significantly, while 11
percent of Canadians ages 15 to 34 rely on welfare, there were no cases of
government support as the primary source of income for homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers also were happier; 67.3 percent described themselves as very
happy, compared with 43.8 percent of the comparable population. Almost all
of the homeschoolers—96 percent—thought homeschooling had prepared them well
for life.

This new study should cause many critics to rethink their position on the
issue of socialization. Not only are homeschoolers actively engaged in civic
life, they also are succeeding in all walks of life. Many critics believed,
and some parents feared, that homeschoolers would not be able to compete in
the job market. But the new study shows homeschoolers are found in a wide
variety of professions. Being homeschooled has not closed doors on career
choices.

The results are a great encouragement to all homeschooling families and to
parents thinking about homeschooling. Homeschoolers, typically identified as
being high academic achievers, also can make the grade in society.

Both “Homeschooling Grows Up” and “Fifteen Years Later” amply demonstrate
homeschool graduates are active, involved, productive citizens. Homeschool
families are leading the way in Canadian and American education, and this
new study clearly demonstrates homeschool parents are on the right path.

*Michael Smith is the president of the Home School Legal Defense
Association. He may be contacted at (540)338-5600; or send email to
media@hslda.org.*

When Men Wore the Pants

2009-12-16T00:31:00.004-05:00

Dockers unleashed a new ad for it's khaki pants that has many people in an uproar. Personally, I rather like the ad :) I'm married to a real man, I'm raising three sons to me real men and a daughter to marry a real man. What's so wrong with men being men rather than the watered down version of "men" that our genderless, leaderless society now tells them they have to be?

Here is what the ad says that has so many people outraged:

“Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well. Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never crossed the street alone. Men took charge because that’s what they did. But somewhere along the way, the world decided it no longer needed men. Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khaki’s and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny. But today, there are questions our genderless society has no answers for. The world sits idly by and cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street. For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes. We need grown-ups. We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and untie the world from the tracks of complacency. It’s time to get your hands dirty. It’s time to answer the call of manhood. It’s time to wear the pants.”

What do you think?

Around the House at Christmas Time

2009-12-15T10:55:00.004-05:00

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-12-14T06:31:00.000-05:00

The Storyteller, 1874

The next chapter in Mitten Strings for God is Stories. As a mother who finds it difficult to make up stories on the fly for her children, I find this chapter inspiring. Here are some of my favorite parts:

" 'Make one up,' they would press. Too hard, I would think to myself. As an editor, I know what goes into a story--and I was pretty certain that I was not a storyteller. Surely by the time I was able to work out a beginning, middle and end in my mind; figure out the characters, the moral and the plot; and begin the tale, the moment for storytelling would be past." (pg. 69-70)

"The truth is, I didn't have the nerve to tell stories to my children. I felt I lacked the spontaneity, imagination and wisdom necessary to make up stories off the cuff, and I was sure I didn't have the time to work out a full-blown narrative in advance." (pg. 70)

"I began to look upon the world itself as the raw material for stories. Suddenly, the moon, the stars, even the raindrops sliding down the windopanes, all became imbued with life. Something deep within me was aroused. Storytelling, I realized, was not only a way to reach out to my two sons, but also a pathway back into my own intuitive wisdom." (pg. 71)

"We must make a space for stories, clearing away some of life's clutter so that we can listen with full attention to an inner voice. A candle helps create that ritual space; somehow, a flame invites inspiration while also reminding teller and listener alike of the sacred nature of this work. The internal storyteller is there, but she needs breathing room." (pg. 71)

"When we cultivate the special story modd;when wespeak the earth's truths in the form of a story;when we give voice to the hidden relationship between the human world and the natural one, we awaken our children to the connections between all of life." (pg. 71-72)

"The stories we mothers can tell are different. They are food for the soul, and they nourish us, the storytellers, as well as the listeners. Telling a story is really a way of breathing deeply with our children. Taking that deep breath, exhaling and putting ourselves at the mercy of something universal, we allow our own voices to become instruments of our souls." (pg. 72)

"When we tell stories to our children, we reweave our connections to nature, to the spirit world and to our own sense of holy wonder--connections that are too often broken down by our culture's surfeit of noise and activity." (pg. 76)

"Someplace deep within me, I carry every story I have ever heard, every story I have ever lived, every story I will ever need." (pg. 77)

I have always soaked up the written word -- it's food for my soul. I have always been a writer, whether it be personal journals, notebooks filled with poems or creative writing assignments when I was in school. For me, writing is like my art work-- it's a way to creatively and freely express myself. Storytelling on the other hand, well, that's a horse of a different color :) I can, and do, read to my children endlessly. We have spent many days sprawled out all over various pieces of furniture in the livingroom for hours on end as I read aloud, their eyes wide while they cling to every word. However, I lack the talent for storytelling. Like the author, I understand the mechanics of what it takes to write a good story. Sure I can dream up a good beginning, middle and end complete with fictional characters, setting and plot but, that takes time! I have actually written several short children's books for my children, complete with illustrations but, a story out of thin air on a whim?! I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it! lol! I tell them the story of the day/night they were born on their birthdays but that's about as far as my storytelling skills have taken me. So, for now, I rely on the written word, whether penned by me or any of the millions of fabulous authors and glorious storytellers available to us.

How about you? Do you possess the art of storytelling or, like me, do you rely on the written word?

Sending Holiday Wishes

2009-12-09T16:22:00.003-05:00

I sat down this afternoon with a hot cup of tea, my address book and a stack of "seasonal" cards (some were Christmas, some were just plain ol' winter cards and some were PoohBear's birthday invitations). In addition to sending cards to friends and family this year the children and I are also sending cards to our wounded men and women who are spending their holidays at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. Each child wrote a message inside the cards they chose from our stack wishing them a Merry Christmas, thanking them for their service and a get well message :) Hopefully the weather will be decent enough tomorrow for me to get out to the post office and send them all off!

If you'd like to send cards to our wounded soldiers the address is:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue N.W.

Washington DC 20307

My holiday shopping is 98% done! I think tonight I might start wrapping so that spying little eyes are less likely to get a sneak peak of what's in store for them :)

Deck the Halls

2009-12-02T11:47:00.003-05:00

The tree is up and decorated, the house is "decked" inside and out...

...even the dogs are ready for Christmas :)

I addressed all of the Christmas cards today. I'm still working on a few of the handmade gifts I have going and my shopping is about 95% done! :)

Did you see the "Cold Moon" last night? The next full moon, the Blue Moon, comes at the end of the month.

I hope everyone's December is off to a good start. The kids and I are off to the library today to choose some holiday books and cd's! Speaking of books...I'll be updating the book baskets (on the left) shortly :)

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-11-30T14:59:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a (mostly) quiet day and a great dinner if I do say so myself :) So now, here is the next installment of Mitten Strings Mondays. This week's chapter is Wants and Needs. What a great chapter to discuss as we begin the holiday season! Here are my favorite exerpts from this chapter:

"The fact is that try as I might to stay centered and focused on what's really important, the world sometimes does win. At times, I feel on te losing end of a tug-of-war: on one side, the desire to live simply, without fuss; on the other, the lure of social events, beautiful; things to buy, new places to go." (page 65)
"We know full well that our children are not yet able to distinguish wants from needs. This is why they are such easy prey for advertisers: children want what they see, and the media is one long enticement - to buy, to have, to get." (page 65)
"But many of us are just as confused as our children. We fail to distinguish real needs from wants, and we focus on what we don't have rather than on the abundant gifts that are already ours. When we are consumers, we teach our children that it is good to consume. When we try to resolve conflicts of buy happiness by spending money, we teachour children to look outside themsleves when they feel needy. Unfortunately, many of us feel so overwhelmed by the media's demands for our attention, so inundated by consumer goods, and so buffeted by the pace and complexity of our lives that we have little sense of our own genuine needs from one moment to the next - let alone those of our children." (page 65-66)
"On the other hand, when we pause long enough to give thanks for the abundance of daily life, when we feel good about what we have right now, we teach our children a valuable lesson: We help them accept that they can't have everything they want, and we reassure them that they do have everything they need." (page 66)
"Right now I have everything I need. When I honor life's gifts with my children, I teach them abundance and strengthen their faith that their own needs will be met." (page 67)

This chapter offers a lot to reflect on. What am I teaching my children when I shop for those craft supplies I just have to have or that beautiful new tea set when I already have a perfectly good one at home? How can I better handle squabbles between my children about what is "fair" when they want something that they feel they need (more computer or video game time, another snack, etc)?

I have a saying on our bulletin board "Fair is when everyone gets what he or she needs, not necessarily what he or she wants." But how can I help them to better understand the difference between wants and needs? As a family, we often discuss the basics that every human needs to survive-- food, clothing and shelter. At this time of year, and especially in the current economic climate, my husband and I find that we not only remind the children more often about needs and wants, but we also remind ourselves. It's so easy to get caught up in the "must haves" of the holiday shopping season-- the latest gadgets, the biggest light display, the "best" gifts for family and friends.

If our goal is to live more simply, no matter the economy, we have to be able to discern wants from needs. This is not only true during the holiday season but 365 days per year and in every aspect of our lives. Do our children really need all of these extra-curricular activities and classes or do we just want them to stay active and involved in things that will look good on their "resumes"? Do we really need a new car or can we get by a little longer fixing the one we currently have or maybe down sizing to one car for a while? Every day our lives are riddles with choices and in making these choices, we must determine which are wants and which are needs in order to set the best example for our children.

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-11-23T06:48:00.000-05:00

After a much needed blog break so that I could get my new house in order, I am back with the next installment of Mitten Strings Mondays. For this next chapter, Secret Places, I am simply going to post my favorite exerpts from this chapter.

"The best ones are the ones that children discover on their own, the ones that are imbued, from the very first, with a sense of ownership and mystery; places that no adult would ever think to go, that are hollowed by the shapes of small bodies and furnished by wild nature and rampant imagination." (pg 58)
"Our contemporary landscape does not always allow for such places. The yard crews are told to clean out the corners, the brush pile is carted off to the dump, the hedges are clipped. Inside, the closets are packed with stuff-- our possessions spread into every available space, cluttering our homes and crowding our imaginations as well. But surely every yard, every home, has within it some small place that can be left alone- a cupboard under a stairwell, a basement nook, a patch of dirt behind the garage, a clump of ragged bushes-w here a child can be allowed to cozy up with a book and a pillw, or to dig in the dirt, or simply to make believe, in peace and dignity."
"As adults, we furnish our homes and groom our yards and plant our gardens. But long before that, we endow our secret places. The cup, the spoon, the book, the trowel, the polished apple saved for later...In choosing these places, and things that go in them, we learn about who we are and what we love. We learn about the power of place, how to partake in the world's subtleties and secrets, of the human need for sanctuary."

Do your children have secret places? Did you have a secret place as a child?

Getting There

2009-11-15T19:25:00.004-05:00

Homemaker, First Issue DIY, Decorating Magazine, UK, 1959

I just wanted to check in. The new house is just about unpacked and organized! I should be back to regularly posting by next weekend :)

I'm Baaaaaaccckkk!

2009-11-12T14:48:00.003-05:00

Well we are all moved in and just about all unpacked :) I've spent the past 12 days scrubbing things clean, unpacking and organzing our new home. Oh and painting!! :) It's been exhausting but fun. I'm enjoying having a much larger kitchen to cook in but I am having a hard time getting used to the electric cook top and electric oven. I've already warned the family that there is going to be a trial and error period and some food may end up a bit....er.... over cooked while I learn how to use these new appliances :)

Now it's time to leave cyberspace and get back to unpacking and organizing.

~Happy Halloween~

2009-10-31T07:36:00.003-04:00

A Happy Halloween, Boy with Dog and Jack-o-lantern

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

A gentle breeze rustling the dry cornstalks.

A sound is heard, a goblin walks.

A harvest moon suffers a black cat's cry.

Oh' do the witches fly!

Bonfire catches a pumpkins gleam.

Rejoice, it's Halloween!
-Richard Anderson

And also..

HAPPY SAMHAIN!!!!

October 31st is "Day of the Dead" or Samhain (pronounced Sah-wen)-the Celtic New Year. This is the only earth-centered holiday that also falls on the same day as a major cultural holiday ( Halloween). Much of Halloweens imagery comes from Samhain's pagan roots, but with a negative twist. Rather than viewing spirits as a loving reminder of our beloved dead, our culture typically transforms them into something frightening with no reverence for death, our ancestors or our own inner wisdom. In our family, rather than purchasing store bought popular-character-of-the moment costumes, we encourage our children to be resourceful and imaginative and come up with their own creative costume. Ideally, they wouldn't choose to emulate a "character" but sometimes it does happen, just in a more creative nature than if we went to the store to purchase a pre-made costume. This year, Princess is dressing up as a vampiress, Gamer as "a mish-mash of scary things" (which really make him look like an escaped mental patient! lol), Sportsfan as half Frankenstein-half Vampire and PoohBear as a dinosaur. All of the costumes (except PoohBear's) were designed by the kids, mostly handmade or recycled with very few purchased items :) I'll have pictures later after trick-or-treating :)

Halloween is, and always has been, my favorite holiday!! As a child I remember crunching in the leaves beneath my feet as we walked from house to house trick-or-treating and being mindful of every sight, sound and texture around me. Now, as an adult, I think of this night as the perfect opportunity to connect with everything and everyone around me around me, to open myself to my own intuitiveness and hear my own inner voice.

My Samhain altar is always the same year round except that some items are changed to reflect the season.
Pictured above: The candle from our wedding with a picture of my mother, Nick and I ( which I lit as we entered our reception and it burned all during the reception, closely watched of course :) ), my mother's urn with the "Grandma" ribbon from her casket, some fall leaves and there is a small pumpkin but it wouldn't fit in the picture :)

Since Samhain marks the end of the harvest we will put the garden to rest today and thank the Earth for all it has given us while we prepare it for the cold winter ahead. We will decorate the front door so that it looks inviting for tonight's festivities. Then, after dinner, we will be off trick-or-treating. I love watching my children trick-or-treating and responding to the wonder of the night, especially when they are little. We aren't typically outside after dark and nightfall has a way of making our familiar neighborhood a little eerie (in a magical way though, not in a scary way) and certainly different when lit by flickering jack o' lantern candles and Halloween lights.

So, how will you spend today and tonight?

~Moving~

2009-10-30T16:37:00.003-04:00

(photo courtesy of all posters)
We have been packing away over here getting ready for our big move on Sunday to a bigger house.....just across the street from where we are now!! :) I will be M.I.A for the next few days and I'm not sure if I'll be "up and running" by Monday to post the next chapter of Mitten Strings but I will try. I do not like being without the computer for too long so after the tv (for my football fanatic hubby) and the coffee pot, the computer will likely be the next thing on the list to be unpacked and connected :)

~ So happy friday, happy weekend and Happy Halloween!!

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-10-26T06:16:00.001-04:00

This week I'm going to discuss chapter seven~ Play. I wholeheartedly agree with every word of this chapter--so much so that I have almost the entire chapter underlined! Here are the sentiments I feel are the most important in this chapter:

"So much of the structure that we impose on our children's lives is really intended to make our own lives easier. We don't want to give up our freedom, and so we fail to grant our children theirs." (pg 53)

"But children need time that is utterly their own--time to take up residence in their own lives, time to dream through an afternoon, time to play with the kids next door, time to wake up to their own pleasures. Above all, they need some time when we adults aren't calling the shots." (pg 53)

"I grew up in a typical New England town, where it didn't occur to anyone to plan their children's days or even to keep too close an eye on them when they weren't in school. My childhood seemed-to me then and for many years afterward-completely uneventful. But now, raising children of my own, I consider my childhood rich indeed, for I still hold within me those feelings of freedom and self-reliance, and memories of summer days strung together like beads on a string, all of them mine." (pg 55)

"Today, my husband and I are raising our children in a pretty New England suburb. But the landscape of childhood has changed drastically. Ours is a work-driven culture, fueled by the anxieties of two-career families. We overschedule our own days and keep our children yoked to the calendar as well. There are lessons, organized sports, and playdates; videos, computers and electronic games to fill their hours in between. All too often there is no such thing as "down" time, or even an opportunity for children to experience the satisfaction of engaging in ordinary activities--brushing the dog, washing the car with a hose, walking to town for an ice-cream cone." (pg 55-56)

" Perhaps we adults have lost the fine art of lollygagging, but at least most of us mastered it as children. We knew what it was to be bored and to find something on our own to do; we knew what lonliness felt like; and we discovered that there is value in being alone sometimes. Left to our own amusements, we found resources that we didn't know we had." (pg56)

"If we plan all of their days for them, how will they learn to navigate through the idle shallows of their own lives, much less seek out and bask in those calm waters?" (pg 56)

"A child's sense of time and purpose bears no relation to our own, and these kids are in no hurry to get anywhere. To them, a day without a schedule is a day of possibilities." (pg 57)

Now, it's one thing for me to read something in a book and say to myself "Yes, self, this makes absolute sense! I agree 100%!" and it's an entirely different thing to take the attitude presented and live it. I like to think that I do live as described in this chapter, but as in all aspects in life, there's always room for improvement.

We do not overschedule our children's lives-- academically or recreationally. Nick and I agree that one activity (ie sport, interest-based class, recreational activities, etc) per season is more than enough, especially when you begin to multiply that times four children. We do this for our own sanity as well as for the preservation of their childhoods. As for all of the fabulous educational activities, classes and opportunities that are constantly poppig up for homeschoolers--we pick and choose very wisely. We are never out of the house for more than two "education related activities" per week and even that would be a lot for us!! We have a routine, a rhythm to our days and if I am conscious of that and honor that when presenting ideas to the children or scheduling and signing-up for activities, our lives are much simpler :)

I watch everyone around me with chaotic schedules, rushing from place to place and overlapping activities but at what cost? Time to just play, hang out with friends and do what kids do has to be penciled in weeks in advance or else it just doesn't happen. We find it hard to catch up with our friends and just have a day hanging out because everyone else seems to be moving at a million miles per hour. When we do carve out the time to just hang out and play with our friends we all love it and no one wants to leave (adults included!lol!) :)

There's so much more I could say about the value of unstructured, unplanned, no-parental-involvement -allowed play and it's benefits for children of all ages and stages. I'd like to hear from you though. What do you remember most about playing when you were a child? Are your children able to enjoy the same freedom of play that you did as a child?

~Happy Birthday~

2009-10-24T09:39:00.000-04:00

Breakfast in Bed, Husbands and Wives Birthdays, USA 1940

Another birthday...and while I am not getting breakfast in bed I have already had a pre-birthday lunch out alone with Nick and we are going out to breakfast (something that very rarely happens!) I had been hoping to go to the members-only Harry Potter exhibit at the museum but it's sold out for the entire weekend. We are going to see an IMAX movie instead and perhaps Monday we'll see the special HP exhibit. After the museum it's home for cake with my inlaws and then hopefully a very relaxing remainder of the day since this past week was very busy and the week ahead is going to be even busier since we are moving in 8 days!!!

So here are some birthday quotes I'd like to share with all of you:

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. ~Jennifer Yane

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. ~Lucille Ball

One to-day is worth two to-morrows. Author: Benjamin Franklin

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. ~Larry Lorenzoni

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age. Author: Thomas B. Aldrich

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. - Jack Benny

And if you are a history buff check out On This Day which gives you historical events that occured on any date. Here's another one I found called The People History :

What Happened in 1978 (the year I was born):

1978 Following on from the oil crisis Japanese car Imports account for half the US import market. The first first ever Cellular Mobile Phone History of Mobile Phones is introduced in Illinois and Space Invaders appears in arcades Launching a Craze for Computer Video Games . Sweden is the first country in the world to recognize the effect of aerosol sprays on the Ozone Layer and bans the sale. The Serial killer David Berkowitz, "Son of Sam," is convicted of murder after terrorizing New York for 12 months. 1978 is also a great year for movies with Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind all showing in Movie Theatres around the world.

Cost of Living 1978

How Much things cost in 1978

Yearly Inflation Rate USA 7.62% Year

End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805

Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%

Average Cost of new house $54,800.00

Average Income per year $17,000.00

Average Monthly Rent $260.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas 63 cents

1LB of Bacon$1.20

Dozen Eggs 48 Cents

Technology
Illinois Bell Company introduces first ever Cellular Mobile Phone System
Space Invaders Launches Craze for Computer Video Games
The first computer bulletin board system BBS is created
98% of all American homes have a television
First Test Tube Baby is born in England a girl Louise Brown, from in vitro fertilization

Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )In Vitro Fertilisation England "the First test tube baby is born"

Popular Culture 1978
Popular Films
Grease (my all time favorite movie!)
Saturday Night Fever
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
National Lampoon's Animal House
Jaws 2
Heaven Can Wait
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Revenge of the Pink Panther
The Deer Hunter

Popular Musicians and songs
Bee Gees with " Night Fever and Stayin Alive "
Paul McCartney and Wings
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
Rolling Stones
Commodores with " Three Times a Lady "
Boomtown Rats

Check out our Television Programmes From The 70s whenever possible we have included a trailer to jog your memory. Series trailers and more information are found on the decade they started.
Popular TV Programmes
Happy Days
Little House on the Prairie
The Rockford Files
Good Morning America
Jim'll Fix It (UK)
Saturday Night Live
Wheel of Fortune
Charlie's Angels
Quincy, M.E.
The Muppet Show
CHiPs
The Love Boat
Three's Company

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-10-19T03:55:00.000-04:00

I'm finding it rather difficult to write about the next chapter in the Mitten Strings Mondays series since this section is about TV. TV, or electronics in general, seem to be such a big part of our lives. While we do monitor the content and quality of what our children (and our family in general) are watching, seeing and hearing, we don't always monitor the quantity.

While I could never take the drastic measures that the author has taken (tv/electronics free lifestyle), there were sections of this chapter that spoke to me:

"Our lives are a series of choices. Some we deliberate over, others we make automatically. But as we begin to live our lives more consciously, with more attention to the details, we become increasingly aware of just how many decisions we do make in the course of every day--from what we toss into our grocery carts to the images we allow into our living rooms." (pg. 44)
"Once we see our homes as sanctuaries from a hectic world, then television begins to feel more and more like an unsavory intruder, robbing our rooms of life and meaning, stealing our time, and preying on our souls. When it comes to TV, less really is more. Or, as my son Henry has advised me: 'Just say that TV fills your head up with other people's ideas, which means you don't have so much room for your own. Also, it's a waste of time.; Words of wisdom from a product of the counterculture." (pg. 51)

I do wholeheartedly believe that our lives are a series of choices and everything that makes up our daily lives is just a series of one decision after another. I am careful to choose wisely what I allow into our lives and, especially, into our home. From clothing, to music, to literature, to movies, to tv shows, to the computer, to activities, to friends, to the latest gadget or toy-- it's all a matter of deciding what you will allow to invade your family life and the sanctity of your home.

On the second point I've listed I only half agree with what the author is saying. While I do believe that our homes are meant to be a sanctuary from the outside world, I do not entirely agree with her views on television. As homeschoolers we use movies, media coverage of current events, and educational DVD's as part of the learning process. I am a visual learning and while I enjoy devouring books, sometimes you just have to see something to really understand and grasp it.

We have pretty strict viewing guidelines in place (compared to most mainstream families we know) in our house and if Nick and I haven't previewed something first or aren't familiar with it, then it isn't allowed until we have had a chance to view it ourselves. We utilize the DVR option on our cable box so that we are not a slave to the tv schedule.

Still there are areas where I would love for our family to improve when it comes to "screen time"-- video games, while extremely censored in our home, have taken over! We have tried many "systems" and methods to limit screen time but it never seems to work long term. We do have several rules in place for use such as all chores and school work must be done first and no handheld video games are allowed at social gatherings (such as homeschool & non-homeschool activities, classes, families gatherings etc). Still, I am a busy homeschooling, work-at-home mom who is caring for a home, husband, four children and an elderly grandmother and sometimes I don't take notice of how long they have been playing playstation or Wii.

So what are your thoughts on this chapter? What are your family rules about tv? Do you have any tips for reducing screen time?

Mitten String Mornings

2009-10-12T05:00:00.001-04:00

(previously published)

This morning I am recovering from a late night out with my Mitten Strings book group :) This time around the topic was ( supposed to be) the chapter on simplicity. However, lol, we enjoy each other's company so much that we just get talking about everything and anything!! It was a beautiful evening none the less. We met in my friend Mary's backyard in a screened gazebo lit with candlelight and soft white lights. It was a beautiful setting and the weather was equally as pleasant :)

Since we discussed everything but simplicity ( lol) I'd like to discuss this chapter here. Simplicity is something that I have been trying to incorporate more and more and yet still struggle with! Here are some of my favorite parts of this chapter:

pg 35~ "So often, it seems, we are the ones who make our own lives more complicated than they need to be. We set the bar too high, take on too much, turn small doings into big ones."

pg 37~ "What message do our own excesses send to our children? In our efforts to create special occasions for them, are we losing sight of what's really important?"

pg 38~ "Once again I was reminded: If I pause long enough to listen to my own inner voice, rather than heading some external call to go, see and do, I make better choices for us all.

Over the past 3 or 4 years I have been attempting to downsize and simplify our lives in every way possible. As homeschoolers it is very easy to get caught up in the "need" to go, see and do that Ms. Kennison talks about on page 38 ( above quote). There is always some great field trip or class going on that we just have to go to because it would be a great experience for the kids. Or so we think. I know with my kids, when we have a full schedule the only thing we experience is overload! Misbehavior happens more than it normally would, attitudes rear their ugly heads and I become a drill sergeant in order to keep our schedule and get us to these "great experiences." The past two years I have learned to say no more often that I used to. We don't need to attend every field trip or activity that our homeschool group offers. I have also taken back our mornings. Over the past 6 months I have not let anything intrude on our mornings, not even a great homeschool class or opportunity. My children are still young ( though Gamer likes to think he's grown, lol) and soon enough they will be teenagers with schedules of their own. For now, while I still can, I'd like to keep things simple and give them as many experiences as possible in the comfort of their own home :)

Simplicity goes beyond our lives as homeschoolers though. Holidays and birthdays are my biggest issue right now and have been since Gamer was born. No matter how hard I try to simplify our lives, there is always an extended family member waiting in the wings to undo what we have tried so hard to put in place. Every holiday on the calendar seems to be a gift-giving one. Whether it be the gift of candy, money or something material, from PoohBear's birthday just after New Year's to Princess's birthday the week of Valentines and on through Christmas there seems to be a constant conveyor belt of "stuff" coming into our home.

Here are some of the ways I have attempted to simplify our lives. This is in no way a complete list. As our children grow and our lives change, this list will evolve as well :) I'm also including things I would like to change :)

Household

declutter- get rid of as much unused and unwanted stuff as possible. We use freecycle a lot as well as passing down old clothes to friends, donating things to charity, etc...

reduce- this is not the same as decluttering, lol!! I have actually paired down the amount of toys and clothes my children have in order to make cleaning up easier. How many changes of clothes does anyone really need anyway?? I do laundry every day so I leave my children with 8 changes of clothes ( this includes socks, underclothes, pj's, pants/shorts and shirts)

Holidays/Birthdays/Celebrations

Keep holidays simple and meaningful; focus on family and friends , traditions and rituals rather than gifts and outlandish celebrations.

We have a family gift giving rule for Christmas- Something they want, something they need, something to play with and something to read :) This has really helped us to keep things as simple and not go overboard :)

Birthdays are a celebration of life and should honor the "birthday person." We like to keep things simple but I know we could do better :) Our parties are almost always at home (we've had very few exceptions) with homemade cakes and the kids just playing and having fun.

Celebrate the little things! It is my goal to celebrate more of the "every day stuff" with my children because I don't think I do this with them enough. I make an effort to celebrate the seasons with them and all that each season encompasses, we do small celebrations for their half birthdays once they are old enough to understand what a half birthday is, lol! Princess and I will soon have a mother-daughter group and I plan to do more mother-daughter things with her to celebrate that special bond women share. I need to think of more things like that to do with my boys. Things that celebrate them, their interests and help us stay connected :)

As I said, this is by no means a complete list but since this has taken me then entire day to compose, lol, it will have to suffice for now :)

Life Lessons

2009-10-10T20:46:00.003-04:00

Einstein-Wisdom

This was sent to be by a friend of mine today and I wanted to pass it along. ~ Enjoy!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more :

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement sta rting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive ever yone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.>

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.>

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Remembering~

2009-10-08T20:32:00.002-04:00

~My mother on what would have been her 50th Birthday~

A Bit Confused??!!

2009-10-07T17:18:00.003-04:00

I just found this little guy (or girl) poking around by the trash cans in broad daylight.

Hmmm....looks to young to be a Mama looking for food. Perhaps an abandoned young one?

I Won!!!!!

2009-10-05T18:28:00.002-04:00

I posted here at the beginning of September that I entered a curriculum review contest. Well I just found out tonight that I won one of the prizes!!!! It is the most fitting prize too!!!

~MY PRIZE~

Miller's Ultimate Art Kit
A full set of professional quality supplies from Miller Pads and Paper valued at $107.99. This kit includes 12 Ticonderoga core-lock Color Pencils, 12 Prismacolor or Rembrandt Watercolor Pencils, 3 Artist Pens in 3 sizes, 3 Artist Erasers, 5 Blending Paints, 12 Jackson Tube Watercolor Tubes, 3 White Synthetic Artist Brushes, Artist Color Wheel, 4 General Drawing Pencils with Kneaded Eraser, Ebony Pencil, 12 Soft Chalk Pastels, 1 Metal Sharpener w/canister, 9x12 Watercolor Pad, and a Free Pack (100 sheets) of Drawing Paper.

I'm so happy!! I've never won anything in my life!! Well except a $10 door prize one time but generally speaking I never win any contest I enter, scratch tickets, the lottery....nada!

I can't wait for all of my new art supplies to arrive :)

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-10-05T05:30:00.001-04:00

Ah! I feel sort of hung over but mostly refreshed today, LOL! Last night was a very late night at our Mitten Strings meeting :) The topic was the chapter on peace. Here are some of my thoughts and favorite passages:

pg 19- "So often we bemoan our children's hyperactivity and short fuses. But what kind of example do we set for them as we race from here to there ourselves, trying to accomplish more, have ore, experience more, in the course of the day?"

pg 20 - "As a mother of two lively boys, I am forever seeking a balance in our family life between activity and stillness, sound and silence, society and solitude."

pg 20 - "Many days we simply throw a handful of balls up in the air and start juggling: work, school, music lessons, swimming lessons, volunteer work, playdates for the kids and social obligations for Mom and Dad, school meetings, housework, homework...The list goes on."

pg 21 - "When I am feeling rushed, overworked, and stressed, that quality seeps into the very air around me; everyone else is on edge, too."

The first quote above ( from page 19) really speaks to me as a homeschooling parent. It's a wide misconception that homeschoolers are secluded from society and never leave the house. Most, if not all, of the homeschooling families I know ( including my own)will tell you that they find it difficult to balance being out of the house and being home. This is not because of a lack of activities outside the home, it is because of the overwhelming amount of activities outside the home! We are often overscheduled and on-the-run... The complete opposite of the "socialization" misconception. In my family, we have had years when we were out for at least one activity 5 days per week. The fact that we were almost never home made my then 7 year old Gamer ask me "Why is it called homeschooling if we are never home?!" This was when I began to re-evaluate just how much time we spent in the car and out at activities. I would often get our homeschool support group's monthly newsletter and R.S.V.P to things that sounded like wonderful learning experiences and a great way to expose the children to a variety of information and experiences. Often times I found I had to fight to get the kids out of the house and pretty much drag them to activities. I began thinking-is this really worth the effort? These busy years are usually followed by a few months ( and sometimes an entire year) where we become homebodies and pick our activities wisely ( or at least try to). However, something...some great opportunity or activity always comes along and throws a wrench into this plan...into this peacefullness. And I alowed it to happen! I finally feel like our family has reached a state of balance and peacefulness with regards to our schedule. More recently, through reading books like the De Mille's A Thomas Jefferson Education and the Moore's Successful Homeschool Family Handbook, my reasoning for doing less and taking our life back and being home more has only deepened. Why do we need to be involved in every book club, game day, park day, field trip, neat class, etc? The answer is, we don't! I on't need to expose my children to everything life has to offer just to prove to society that we aren't the stereotypical homeschoolers that are locked away in our house all day. We like being home and that's one of the reasons we homeschool so why was I trying to go against that? The only thing I was accomplishing was driving myself crazy and exhausting my children and myself! Last year we slowed down tremendously. We are very choosey in which activities we partake in and which we decline. Just recently I've taken this a step further and have claimed our mornings as our at-home time. I just don't feel accomplished ( for lack of a better word) if I am not up, dressed, house cleaned, at least one load of laundry done, etc in the morning. If we are rushing off to an activity in the morning ( even 10 or 11 in te morning...it's still morning!) then nothing gets done in my house or with my children and I feel like I am playing catch up. Thinking back to the quote on page 19 : "But what kind of example do we set for them...?" Do we always need to be trying to accomplish more? Do we always need to be experiencing more? To me this was definitly a very thought provoking passage.

The first quote that I took from page 20 ( above) is something that I think I have finally accomplished ( except for the sound and silence part, LOL! Not too much silence in this house with four children and two dogs! LOL). Rigt now, we are a bit busy because it is the start of the Little League baseball season. This means that Gamer and Sportsfan have at least one practice per week plus 2-3 games each per week. Princess plays TBall which is only on Sundays. Basically this means that all spring we spend nearly every evening and weekend at a ball field. This is fine with us because it is short lived and it is something my children ( and the rest of ourfamily) thoroughly enjoy. With taking back our mornings it is forcing me to say no to things that I would have normally said yes to just for the "exposure factor." Now I think- Do my children truly need/want this? Is it something they are passionate about? How much effort will I have to put forth? How much of our time will this consume?

The quote on page 21 speaks directly about how peaceful we feel and how our peacefulness ( or lack of) sets the tone for everyone around us. I think this is so true.! Just like our mornings set the tone for the rest of the day, so to does our attitudes set the tone for the rest of our family and those around us. If we are greeting the day and those in our day with peacefulness, then those around us will feel that, soak it all in and go forth through their day with that same feeling and attitude.

There is a quote at the end of this chapter " In stillness, we find our peace. Knowing peace at home, we bring peace into the world." These words reminded me of two quotes that I read elsewhere. One is from the book Buddha Never Raised Kids & Jesus Didn't Drive Carpool by Vickie Falcone: " The most important gift we can give another person is our own inner peace." The second quote that Ms. Kenison's words reminded me of is this one:

If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.

If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

~Lao-Tzu

Chinese Mystic

I wish you a peaceful day :)

Preserving the Home

2009-10-01T18:37:00.004-04:00

Victorian Home ~ George Bjorkland

Today, Lady Lydia at Home Living published this post entitled Preserving the Home (which I really enjoyed) and has granted me permission to post it here. I have been reading Lady Lydia's blog for almost two years and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading her posts and articles about traditional family life and traditional values. Not to mention the beautiful artwork :)

~Enjoy!! (P.S. Please be sure to leave your thoughts on this subject)

"Remember how the women of the past were able to come home from church and serve a big meal to company? I used to wonder how in the world they managed it, and why it seemed so difficult for the modern homemaker, who has so little time. This question was answered during gardening: they had convenience foods, which they preserved from their gardens. While it was quite an intense operation to do this during certain times of the summer, they only had to do it that one time, and there would be convenience foods for the rest of the year. Potatoes could be put up in jars, and later just opened, poured into a pan, and heated. Other foods, like plums and grapes, could be dried, and later put into pies.

When the freezer was developed, people learned to pre-bake pie crusts and breads, for the winter. They could also freeze the green beans and brocoli that they blanched and put into freezer containers. This was their fast-food. It was hard work, but the whole family, even the men and boys, participated in some ways. Grandmothers were engaged to take care of little ones and keep them from being underfoot in the kitchen, and sisters and aunts could help with cleaning and laundry and meal times.

Fishing was a big deal in the old days, too. Our parents preserved fish by creating a method of letting smoke preserve it, or canning it in a special canning set. This was an intense job but yet the time seemed leisurely. These people liked doing it and I suppose the happiness they felt at knowing that they were providing their own foods, made up for the time-consuming effort.

Preserving the home is very hard work and requires that a woman go over her territory regularly, checking attiudes and reminding the family members of their duties and their beliefs. It means that they watch out for influences that would cause disharmo ny, disorderliness and disloyalty. It means they watch the moods of their children and correct errant thinking. Contrary to popular belief, we are supposed to control the home. We are to guard it, and direct it. Like preserving food, it takes some intense moments, but if we are alert and send out reminders, both by what we say and what we do, we can come closer to preserving the family and home life.

There are other things, that though material in nature, contribute to preserving the home. One is cleanliness and another is doing things at the time they need to be doing. Letting something "go" can only make it worse, so when something has to be looked after, is the time to do it. When preserving food, it has to be processed just before it gets too ripe, and should be canned or frozen or dried the day it is picked. Each day that goes by, and the riper it gets, the more likely it will lose its goodness and attract bacteria. In preserving the home, we have to take responsibility to see that the home is guarded and guided. It does not mean that the woman has to do every single thing herself, but that she sees that it gets done.

I did not sew a special dress or apron for food preparations of harvest (canning, freezing, drying, collecting), but I did learn what was needed: clothes that were cool, and aprons that looked like the berries or tomatoes, that would hide stains for a while.

Preserving the home means also that we cling to certain beliefs about marriage, parents, children and others, even though the prevailing culture wants to interfere. It means we do not listen to everything around us that tries to crack our system. It means that we do not fear to guard our marriages and our children, even when others try to break down our beliefs with the temptations of money or things or temporary happiness.

The produce from the garden has to be treated carefully, kept clean and pure, and preserved to be eaten when it is needed. Putting time into the preservation of your home life will pay dividends later. It might not be easy to establish your freedom to be a home guard and home guide, but the effort will pay off, if you do not give up.

There is surely a lot more to preserving the home, and I am sure others can contribute some things I have not even thought of, to this discussion."

Mitten Strings Mondays

2009-09-28T05:21:00.002-04:00

(previously published)

Last night was my Mitten Strings For God book study meeting. I love these meetings. I always come away feeling renewed and refreshed as a mother. This meeting we discussed the chapter Mornings. I wanted to share some of my favorite sentiments from this chapter.

Perhaps it is a beginning we take for granted, or don't even recognize as such.
For these first waking minutes can affect the quality of the entire day, determining the way things will go for each one of us.
If I am conscious enough to honor this process-greeting my husband and children with hugs and kisses and gentle words-then each one of us may actually experience the sense of renewal that each day offers.

I personally find mornings to be a difficult time of day. This chapter on mornings is what I strive for but it is currently not a reality in my home. I used to be a morning person prior to having SportsFan ( baby #2). He was a "high maintenance" baby and we were lucky if he slept in 45 minute spurts...'round the clock! This lasted until he was about 3 ( and during this time we also had a new addition, Princess, who nursed 'round the clock!). I don't think I have ever caught up on the sleep I have lost and so I always feel behind in the sleep department. I was never one that required much sleep until I had more than one child, lol. I don't mean this as a complaint because the upside of becoming a late riser is having children who creep into bed with me, one by one, in the wee hours ( and not so wee hours, lol) of the morning. I love this cuddle time. i love the fact that they feel comfortable enough and welcome enough to climb into bed with me.

The difficult part is when they begin arguing just as I am cracking my eyes open to greet the morning. I don't like greeting them in the morning by reprimanding them. It does set the tone for the rest of the morning and, depending on the situation I am waking up to, the rest of the day. I truly believe, and have experience proof of this belief, that if our mornings go smoothly then the rest of the day follows suit and the same is true for the opposite.

I have tried setting the alarm in order to wake before the children and hopefully avoid the chaos we were used to but someone always seems to beat me to the punch. If I set the clock for 7:30, at least two of them will be up before me. So I set it for 7:00 and within 5 minutes Princess is out of bed. I set it for 6:45 ( after all, I am up pretty late cleaning, emailing, reading, etc...that's when I'm at my best) and Princess was awake when I got out of bed! It seems I just can't wake before the children and have that peaceful morning time to myself to collect my thoughts, read, do yoga, workout, prepare for the day, etc. This is just the reality of my life right now and that's fine. :) There is a country song out on country radio right now called "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins :

You're gonna miss this.

You're gonna want this back.

You're gonna wish these days, hadn't gone by so fast.

These are some good times, so take a good look around.

You may not know it now...but you're gonna miss this.

The end of this song is a Mom with two little ones, one baby is crying and one is screaming ( lol) and she has a repair man in the house. She keeps apologizing to him for the noise ( she also has her dogs barking at the same time,lol) and he says "They don't bother me, I've got babies of my own..one's 36 one's 23." and then he says "It's hard to believe.." and then the chorus ( above). Every time I hear this song i seems like we are having a difficult day and this last part of the song really brings tears to my eyes because it's true!! One day all of this Dailiness and all of the blissful and chaotic mornings will be gone and I will miss it! :)

I'm going to leave you on this beautiful spring day with one last quote ( with my personalization's in parenthesis) from the chapter on mornings :

Someday our boys (children) will decide that they have grown too old to climb in bed with Mom and Dad for cuddles before the work of the day begins. Till then, though, I will cherish this morning ritual, our small universe of four (six), the sweet comfort of embrace.

Celebrating the Autumn Equinox

2009-09-22T05:43:00.000-04:00

Wiccans, Druids and Neo-pagans celebrate Mabon, Buddhists celebrate equality of the equinox, the Norse celebrate Winter Finding, the Asatru celebrate Winter Nights, the Japanese celebrate Higan-e, Roman Catholics celebrate Michaelmas, the British celebrate the Feast of Avalon and the Greek celebrate Greater Eleusinian Mysteries. No matter who we are or where our people came from, our ancestors had many magical ways of honoring the autumn equinox, when the day and night are of equal length and the world finds balance for a breath of time. After this equinox the nights grow longer than the days, so it is traditionally a time to look inward, take stock, give thanks for the harvest, and prepare for the time of dreaming.

In a world that is often so terribly out of balance, it can be both healing and heartening to celebrate this special time. This is a time to celebrate the abundance we already have and to open up to the possibilities before us. This is a time when your past experiences take seed, regenerate into wisdom, which is reborn within. It's also the time to ponder the necessity for fallow periods...Just as a field needs to lay fallow to support new growth, so do we!

The idea of a harvest festival is nothing new. In fact, people have celebrated it for millennia, all around the world. In ancient Greece, Oschophoria was a festival held in the fall to celebrate the harvesting of grapes for wine. In the 1700's, the Bavarians came up with Oktoberfest, which actually begins in the last week of September, and it was a time of great feasting and merriment, still in existence today. China's Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the night of the Harvest Moon, and is a festival of honoring family unity.

Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox:

Make a dream pillow-stitch two 7" square pieces of fabric together and fill with 2 cups of some sound sleep, deep dream, better dream-recall herbs such as hops, lavender flowers, rosemary and rose petals

Find your balance- sit or stand quietly with your eyes closed, breathing deeply and be mindful of your body. How does your body feel? If you are standing, do you feel balanced or are you swaying? Now try to this standing with your arms spread to both sides so you are forming a t. Do you feel balanced now? Now bring your hands to your heart center and be mindful of whether you still feel balanced. Let this be a gentle reminder to you of the grace, beauty and balance that comes with the Autumn Equinox between day and night, light and dark, activity and rest.

Go for a nature walk and enjoy the changing scenery

Decorate your home with the colors of the season ( reds, oranges, browns and yellows), the symbols of the season ( corn, sheafs of wheat, squash and root vegetables, scales a yin-yang symbol, one white candle and one black candle, wine, vines, grapes, apples, pomegranates, God's Eye, corn dolls, nut shells, baskets, etc)

Plan a harvest meal giving thanks for all you have been blessed with. Some foods you may want to incorporate are a honey wheat bread, apple butter, stuffed grape leaves, cranberry sauce, pumpkin bread, squash pie, an Autumn beef stew loaded with root vegetables, roasted butternut squash soup, warm apple pie, etc.

Create a Mabon Alter using symbols of the season

Invite prosperity into your life with Prosperity Candles which you can create with an unscented candle in a harvest color ( yellow, orange, brown), your choice of essential oil (cinnamon, orange or ginger), something to inscribe the candle with ( pencil, stylus, etc), pinch of dried sage, basil or dill. Inscribe your intent upon the candle ( ie money to pay the bills, extra fun money, $ symbol, etc), anoint the candle with your essential oil and focus your intent into the candle drawing abundance to you, rub a pinch of one of the herbs listed above into the oil ( all of those herbs are connected with money) and as you do visualize how you will be using the money that comes your way ( will you pay off debt? Enroll in a class for personal growth?) Light the candle and meditate on the flame and allow the candle to burn out on it's own

Learn the story of Demeter and her daughter : Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox.

Learn the story of Inanna: The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways -- stripping herself of her clothing and earthly possessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory.

We are going to spend the afternoon on a nature hike with friends, looking for signs of autumn. I will also read the story of Persephone and the Pomegrantate Seeds to the kids while we snack on some pomegranate. Dinner will consist of roasted chicken, corn, and a salad using fresh tomatoes from the garden.I'll be back with pictures of my family celebrating the blessing of the season :)

How will your family celebrate the Autumn Equinox?

Mitten String Mondays

2009-09-21T05:05:00.000-04:00

I'd like to go back to posting Mitten String Mornings on a weekly basis so I've decided that every monday morning I'm going to do just that :) I'll start first with previously published posts from the Mitten Strings for God book club meetings I used to attend. ~Enjoy!~

I spent last night with the most wonderful, warm and fascinating group of women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We met last night for our first book study meeting on the book Mittenstrings For God by Katrina Kenison and it was quite interesting. Here we are, this group of homeschooling mothers and we are studying a book about savoring the small moments in our daily lives with our families. Essentially the book is about spending time with our families. At first it struck me as odd that a group of homeschooling parents would be discussing a book about spending more time with our families when we already spend 24/7/365 with our children! However, as the discussion progressed and evolved I saw how this book could help every one of us. I learned that, although we don't often talk about it, we are all struggling with how to strike a balance between being a wife, mother, teacher, housekeeper, chef, taxi driver, playmate and an individual. One mother mentioned a very valid point that while we do homeschool and spend a great deal of time being around our children, sometimes it's difficult to find the time to spend that quality time with them. Whether it's playing a board game or showing true interest in what they are excited about at that very moment when they call "Hey mom! Check this out!"

Our book study is going to meet every three weeks and after last night I am so excited to see where our next discussion leads us.

Curriculum Review Contest

2009-09-12T18:08:00.002-04:00

Successful Homeschool is having an amazing contest right now. All you have to do is write a review of a homeschooling curriculum you have used and you are entered to win one of many fabulous prizes ( I sound like a game show host, don't I? LOL!) Check it out...contest ends Sept. 25th!

I submitted an entry. Wish me luck! :)

First Art Class

2009-09-11T20:03:00.004-04:00

Today was our first art class of this new fall semester and it went great! I did a little recap of middle ground, background and foreground with the class before moving on to learning how to "see like an artist". What does this mean? Well artists tend to notice light and dark, details and subtleties that non-artists might not pick up on. They have a trained eye. Since today's projects was to paint a landscape using watercolors and we were outside at the lake, I chose a focal point for everyone (a tree). Next I had everyone squint while looking at the tree and take notice of any changes--sharpness, light, dark, shapes, background, foreground, etc. We talked about color value and how to achieve this using watercolor. Then it was time to paint...

PoohBear's painting of the lake

SportsFan's landscape of the Lake

Gamer's painting of a local church and the cloudy gray sky we had today.

Princess's painting of a dog walking by the lake and someone in a boat out on the lake.

Next week we are going to meet in the woods for shadow photography!

~Happy Weekend everyone! ~

(I'm off to a huge book warehouse sale very early in the morning!)

School at the Beach

2009-09-09T22:50:00.004-04:00

Although today was a beautiful yet crisp 62 degrees, the kids and I went on a beach scavenger hunt as part of our Ocean unit study. First we gathered together on a blanket and read What Makes An Ocean Wave?. Then I handed out pencils and the scavenger hunt list and we were off in search of our items!

Both Gamer and SportsFan found crab legs

PoohBear made a list of what things can be found at the beach : Sand, crabs, clams, water and shells. I then asked him which things were living and which things were not living and we marked them down. He then went off to chase the seagulls :)

Who made these tracks?

Perhaps they did?!

After about an hour of so our toes were numb and the wind really started to pick up so we decided to listen to our hungry tummies and head back home for lunch :)

Our first official week of school is just about over and it is going fabulously! Friday is our first art class of the year and we will be painting with watercolors by the lake. Saxon Math seems to be working out for all of the kids. We still have some kinks and bugs to work out in our routine but I am certain everything will fall nicely into place in the coming weeks as we become more comfortable with being back in the groove of things after such a long stretch (which we are not accustomed to).

~Happy almost weekend!~

~A New Homeschool Year Part 2~

2009-09-01T05:30:00.000-04:00

Good Housekeeping, Sept 1926

"By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And Autumn's best of cheer."

~Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885

I absolutely love fall and although it is not officially fall yet (not for a few more weeks), it is apparent every day that fall is creeping it's way in. My tomatoes are just about ready to be harvested after a very wet and dreary first half of the summer. The mornings are cool and the night air is crisp. It makes me want to bake and cook and organize!

Tonight's menu:

Breaded Turkey Cutlets with mashed potatoes

and homemade Apple Cobbler for dessert

I had promised a breakdown of our homeschool plans so here is part two!

~History~

one chapter of Story of the World per week beginning with Earliest People and working through Ancient Egypt, India, China, Africa, Greeks and Romans. Watch for book updates! :)

~Science~

Oceans & Ocean Life (Sept)

Water Cycle (Oct)

Meteorology (Nov)

The Human Body (systems, senses & diseases) (Dec & Jan)

Chemistry (March)

Electricity (April)

Astronomy (May)

Matter (June)

M.I.T classes: Flashlight building, Lego Car Rally, Motorized Lego Car Rally, Quiz Boards, Sensational Sculptures

~Art~

Watercolor Landscape at the lake

Shadow photography

Decorate pumpkins for the fair

Draw Main St. in perspective ( we will be sitting outside in the center of down drawing)

Ancient Chinese lacquer bowls

Abstract painting on canvas

~Language Arts~

*Watch the side for book updates! :)

~Foreign Language~

numbers

greetings

introductions

basic expressions

telling time

talking about location

colors

clothing

breakfast

weather

transportation

days of the week

months of the year

seasons

occupations

table time

ordering a meal

telephone

around the neighborhood

at home

family

feelings

sports & activities

body parts & actions

While PoohBear is right in the thick of the hands-on projects and story time, I have picked up a bunch of little craft projects to keep PoohBear occupied when the older kids need me to focus on them. I bought him a green canvas bag for $1 at the craft store and each day I will have something new for him to do in there. I'm also going to borrow the Literature Kits from the library. The older kids always liked these when they were younger because the contain puppets, music, lots of picture books and sometimes an activity.

So that is our year in a nutshell! Tomorrow morning , after breakfast, I will be sitting down with each child individually as they plan out their educational goals for the next six weeks. We will also need to make a library trip this week to gather up the books we will need in order to begin our first official day of school ( mean it's time to crack open those books!) on September 7th.

~ Happy September!~

Happy Birthday Gamer!!

2009-08-30T21:33:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it but Gamer turned 12 years old yesterday!!!! Time sure flies!!!

There were only a couple things he put on his birthday list but there was one very special thing that he especially wanted...

...an iPod nano. Since our family new he was saving up for this special item, they gave him iTunes cards, gift cards and cash towards his sought after treasure. So today I took my very happy twelve year old son (who is only an inch and a half shorter than me mind you) to buy his very own iPod nano (pictured above. He chose black so it doesn't exactly photograph well, sorry).

~A New Homeschool Year Part 1~

2009-08-22T15:25:00.003-04:00

I finally had a chance to sit down last night and plug through all of our new curriculum, resources, activities, etc and begin planning our upcoming school year.

Since we believe that learning occurs ever day of every season of every year of your life, we typically do not confine "book work" to the public school September- June schedule. However, with the death of my uncle this past June and my attention and energy being pulled away from the children in order to care for my grandmother this summer has really left us with little more than occassional reading time and some quick field trips.

So our first official day of cracking open these nice new books will be September 7th this year.

I spread everything out on the dining room table last night, grabbed my homeschool planning notebook, my calendar and a glass of water (it was brutally hot!) and got down to business :)

And just what is on our agenda?

History

Story of the World Volume 1- Ancients
Lots of library books (which I will be sure to update here we move along)
Various History Channel movies such as Gods and Goddesses

Geography

Through SOTW Activity Guide
Games
Puzzles
Trail Guide to World Geography
Trail Guide to U.S Geography
Visual Manna Teaching Geography Through Art

Science

M.I.T Classes for the older boys
What Your 2nd Grader Needs to Know
What Your 4th Grader Needs to Know
What Your 6th Grader Needs to Know
Science Interactions (Glencoe)
Science Horizons (Sterling Edition)
Science Kits
Biographies of Scientists

Character Education

Self chosen community service projects
Family Reading (such as 365 Manners Kids Should Know and A Call to Character)
Reading the biographies of heroes as well as great men and women throughout history

Art

Two 6-week semesters of weekly art classes (one fall and one spring)
Name That Style
Read biographies of various artists

Music

Music families
beat
notes
pitches
staff
musical scale
Play Piano in a Flash (Princess)
Beginning Rock Guitar for Kids (older boys)
Listen to various composers for kids ( like Beethoven's Wig--fun and funy!)
Read biographies of various composers

Language Arts

Writing Strands
Vocabulary from Classical Roots
Elson Reader
Pathway Readers
Dolch Sight Words (as spelling lessons)
copy work
Grammar story books (such as Punctuation Celebration)
Reading Classic literature as a family
personal reading from home and public library

Math

Saxon Math 5/4
Saxon Math 6/5
Games (such as Monopoly and Life)
Biographies of Mathematicians

Foreign Language

Drive and Learn Italian
Berlitz Italian Travel Pack

Phew! Now this is just our list of resources, our plans will have to wait for another post on another day :)

August Girl Culture

2009-08-13T18:30:00.005-04:00

Last night we kicked off our second year of girl culture with a fun night at the beach.
The weather was a bit questionable throughout the day but luckily the rain held out and we were able to play at the beach.

The girls started off at the playground while the moms set out blankets and snacks.

Then...some very brave (or crazy, lol! just kidding) members of our group decided to go for a swim despite the chill in the air and the massive clouds overhead.

I asked Princess to stay closer to the shore since I wasn't prepared for swimming. She rolled up her pants and decided to try to catch some of the lake fish in her sand bucket.

Then it was time to warm up by the fire (which we created with sternos, lol), sing happy birthday to this month's birthday girl, enjoy s'mores and thumb through the scrapbook I put together for our group as we rememberd all of the fun activities from our first year together.

I can't believe it's been a whole year since, after being inspired by The Mother-Daughter Project, this group began. This coming year is going to be all about friendship and all of our activities will center around this central theme. It's such a great group of mothers and daughters, Princess and I are so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful female influences and I can't wait to see what this second year will bring us.

~Stay Tuned!~

~August~

2009-08-11T11:27:00.004-04:00

Rest from the Summer's Heat

"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a constant state of inelegance."

~Jane Austen

Every once in a while, Mother Nature lets us New Englanders know that yes, it is still summer! After a very comfortable couple of days with warm sun and gentle breezes, we are now experiencing 85-90 degree days and high humidity. I don't care much for the heat and this weather has me longing for the comfort of Autumn.

Speaking of Autumn, our narrative assessments and education plans have been sent in and we have received our "approval" to homeschool for another year :) Even thouh we are relaxed, year-round (for the most part) homeschoolers, I do love the routine and rhythm that "back-to-school" time seems to usher in. I also love the sales!!

Just look at this beautiful stack of new notebooks that I bought for just a penny each!! I love new notebooks almost as much as I love books in general, LOL! The clean, crisp pages just waiting to be filled with the written word....*sigh* :)

We have some new plans for this school year as well but, they will have to wait for now. The kids would like to cool off in the pool and so I am off to read a book under the shade of a tree and supervise the pool :)

~Casino Night~

2009-08-10T17:59:00.002-04:00

Saturday night, Gamer and Sportsfan had their poker themed birthday party. Here are a few pictures, as promised :)

The table was set up with the boys folding cardtable & the suitcase of poker chips were distributed ...

... the dining room was decorated with all sorts of card and poker themed decor...

...and everyone had a blast playing cards for hours, drinking root bear and enjoying candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars (with the disclaimer that these are just candy and that smoking is very, very bad for you!)

Now we have Gamer's family party on his "official" birthday at the end of the month and then we are done with birthdays until October (when we have four!!)

Time to turn my attention towards planning and organizing for the coming school year (more on that later) :) For now though, the kids and are are going to settle down with some ice cream and nice cool drinks and continue reading Inkheart before we see the movie.

~ Happy Monday!~

Full House!

2009-08-07T18:49:00.002-04:00

A few years ago Gamer and Sportsfan decided that since their birthdays are only 30 days apart and they share many of the same friends they would have a joint birthday party. This year's theme is poker. Tomorrow night my dining room table will be transformed into a poker table as eight tweenaged boys sit around drinking (root)beer, eating snacks and pizza and playing poker for candy.

So what sort of cake does one serve at a casino birthday party for 9 and 12 year old boys?? A poker table cake of course! LOL.....

This cake has taken me the better part of two days to complete but it was so much fun!! The cake itself is a single layer yellow cake which I then covered in green and black rolled fondant. The table legs are plastic pillars which are hot glued to a cardboard cake board and covered in black rolled fondant. I cut each of those chips out of rolled fondant as well. I think I had the most fun with the cards which are also made from rolled fondant and then I used edible markers to draw on them.
I'll be back over the weekend ot ler you know if the cake was a hit or not :)

WonderFULL Weekend

2009-08-04T16:06:00.006-04:00

That's an intentional typo in the title of this post because we did have a full and wonderful weekend :)

It all started on Friday when we visited the Children's Museum.....

We took an art class...

Played with water and shadows....

Played games and played with bubbles...

It was a long day and extremely crowded so we are planning to go back in the fall once tourist season is over and the school year begins :)

Friday night I hosted my monthly Simplicity and Frugality meeting. This month's topic--Homeschooling on a Budget!

I bought fresh flowers for the table and set up plenty of fresh, cool summer snacks as we settled down to discuss out topic ( more on that in another post)

On Saturday, Nick and PoohBear transformed the livingroom into a campsite, complete with tent, s'mores and two "bears (one was named KoKoBear and one was AllieBear, LOL... our two dogs!) They had to be careful not to feed the bears any s'mores! :)

On Sunday morning, Gamer and I headed off to M.I.T for his Electric Vehicles class (he's taking a summer semester through their HSSP program). Every Sunday while Gamer is in class I have two whole hours to myself!! :) I usually sit outside, admiring the gorgeous campus and Boston skyline while I read a book, enjoying the fresh air and peace. This week I decided to take some pictures!

Above is the courtyard, below are some sparrows that decided to join me on the step. That's my leg in the lower right corner. I couldn't believe they came that close and just sat!

The building itself is quite exquisite with it's marble walls and stone columns. Such beautiful architecture I could help but snap tons of pictures!!

(The amazing architecture even makes something as simple as an elevator look grand!LOL)

There are dedications and quotations etched into various walls through out this building.

On Monday, while I was out taking care of my grandmother, Nick and PoohBear decided to rip up the parquet flooring on our back mudroom. The floor really needed to be replaced since it was buckling from the water the kids bring in from the pool. Nick decided to use up the tile we had left over from our bathroom project. Today he is going to grout and then I can repaint :)

While Nick was tiling the floor, I was painting the livingroom! I went with a color called "Coffee" on the walls and the trim is "Vanilla Sugar" which really is just a warm

beigy-white. What do you think?

Today, I reorganized the top of the entertainment center since I had to take everything down anyway to paint. The painting in the middle is the one I painted for Art class. It's going to be mounted on the wall and I'm going to mount two more paintings (which I'm still working on) on either side of it. Of course I'll have pictures when I'm done!! :)

So, that was our WonderFULL weekend! Now it's time to start looking towards our upcoming homeschooling year, clean out our supplies and refresh what needs refreshing and begin planning :)

~Summertime~

2009-07-29T22:34:00.003-04:00

we love to go shoeless on green grass
mother Earth loves to tickle our bare feet
-- From the Bellybutton of the Moon

We have been spending the majority of our days in the pool this past week. Look at my little PoohBear!!! We couldn't even get him to leave the ladder last summer!! He's getting SO big!! Now he likes to sit on the float and, well...float! LOL! And he also likes to flip himself over to his tummy and "swim like a little fishy"

The older kids are enjoying playing Marco Polo and diving under the water to retrieve whatever PoohBear throws in for them :)

We've also been taking advantage of the "dollar movies" that our local theatre runs ona weekly basis all summer long. It's a great deal for 5 people to go to a movie for only $5 total!!! We bring our own snacks and enjoy a movie one morning per week.

Oh and we are also going to take advantage of some Free Museum Fridays that are coming up!!

So what's on your agenda for the few remaining weeks of summer?

Happy 9th Birthday SportsFan!!!

2009-07-29T13:51:00.002-04:00

Happy 9th Birthday to my silly, funny, loving, cuddly boy!!

Meeting Jonathan Papelbon

2009-07-25T17:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, the kids and I met Joanthan Papelbon (pitcher for the Red Sox) at a local sporting goods store where he was signing autographs. He signed a baseball of Gamer's, SportsFan's little league hat, PoohBear's Spiderman hat and a photo of himself for Princess :) He's really sweet and allowed one of the mom's from our baseball league to take about 7 or 8 pictures of him with the team! He was only supposed to stay and give autographs to the first 150 people but he stayed way past 150!!!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

2009-07-18T18:01:00.003-04:00

I very rarely have time for a hair cut. I know it's sad but, oh so true!! I have had long hair almost my entire life -- except for a really bad Dorothy Hamel when I was about 3!! LOL! A couple of year ago I started donating my hair to Locks of Love and since I was in desperate need of a hair cut I decided today was the day! I was without children for a small window of time and so off I went to the hairdresser....

...to have ELEVEN INCHES of hair cut off!!!!!

OMGosh I feel bald now!! The braids above are both from today! Because my hair is so incredibly thick the hairdresser parted it into two pigtail type braids, each equalling 11"!!

When all was said and done I had a total of 12" of long, thick hair taken off today which is being sent to Locks of Love so they can make a wig for a child that needs it :)

Wingbeats and Reflections

*~*A Balanced Homeschool*~*

~Life is A Balancing Act~

Living la Vida Loca!

My Goodness!!

~*~A New Year~*~

The Stockings Were Hung...

~*~A Gorgeous Autumn Day~*~

~Day of Remembrance~

Happy 13th Birthday Gamer!!

Summer Nights

A Day in the Life of A Housewife

Calling All Book Worms!!

Summer Time

Sprucing Things Up

Happy 10th Birthday SportsFan!!!

Mommy Rhapsody

Sum, Sum, Summertime!

Happy Father's Day!

Best Stuff on Earth!

Wordless Wednesday

In Preparation for Memorial Day

Simple Skirts

Happy May Day!

Spring Is In Full Swing!

Happy Easter

April

March Goes Out Like....

Vernal Equinox ~ Happy Ostara!

Spring Cleaning

Community Service

Homeschooling

March Comes In...

Freezer Cooking

Growing Family

Another Change

A Second to Catch My Breath

Home Makeover

~ Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun~

February

The Pajamafication of America

New Look!

A Simply Splendid Weekend

Blog Housekeeping

Happy Birthday PoohBear!!

Out With the Old and In With the New....

Merry Christmas to All

The Magic of Christmas

Winter Solstice

Winter Wonderland

Delicious!

Simple Pleasures of Home

The Socialization Myth Debunked

When Men Wore the Pants

Around the House at Christmas Time

Mitten Strings Mondays

Sending Holiday Wishes

Deck the Halls

Mitten Strings Mondays

Mitten Strings Mondays

Getting There

I'm Baaaaaaccckkk!

~**Happy Halloween**~

~Moving~

Mitten Strings Mondays

~Happy Birthday~

Mitten Strings Mondays

Mitten String Mornings

Life Lessons

Remembering~

A Bit Confused??!!

I Won!!!!!

Mitten Strings Mondays

Preserving the Home

Mitten Strings Mondays

Celebrating the Autumn Equinox

Mitten String Mondays

Curriculum Review Contest

First Art Class

School at the Beach

~A Balanced Homeschool~

~~A New Year~~

~~A Gorgeous Autumn Day~~

~Happy Halloween~