Just Living Life

Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T21:28:00.000-06:00

From my family to yours, have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

(back l->r ) Nikki, Tabbi, Sammi
(front l->r ) Kassi, Bekki

Patrick, Jessi
Baby William

Happy Birthday to my Nikki

2011-11-18T10:01:00.000-06:00

16yo today

SNOW!! :-D

2011-11-09T11:52:00.000-06:00

We were dusted with snow last night. I *love* snow!

Sprints At My House

2011-11-01T22:25:00.001-05:00

I have five daughters still living at home. Every year since 2005 I've participated in National Novel Writing Month. The past four years my now 18yo has done it with me. In 2009 & 2010, all the girls did it with me. This year, again we are all challenging ourselves to write a novel in thirty days.

At any given time through the day, a girl can be seen in any area of the house, writing. To boost our word counts and keep our inspiration high, we have several 20 minute sprints throughout the day. Sprinting is a flurry of keyboards clicking and pencils scratching on paper. I set a timer on my computer and we write without stopping until the fog horn sounds. Afterwards we declare our word (or page) boost and discuss where our stories sit. It is incredible fun.

The video is not staged but I did get caught at the end. :o)

Pumpkin is Carved

2011-10-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

Literature in the Loft

2011-10-25T16:09:00.000-05:00

The Best Thing I Did to Inspire My Writing

2011-10-19T20:30:00.001-05:00

I *love* to write but some months ago I found myself stuck. I just couldn't write. I would look at the blank paper, pen in hand and come up with a fat load of nuthin'. So I put everything away, no pens, no paper, no books about writing, no blogs about writing, no talking about writing, nothing. I didn't even open a text file. Instead I spent my writing time reading. Just reading. I wasn't reading as a writer but reading as a civilian. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Now that National Novel Writing Month is close, I'm ready, energized. My writing batteries are full. I'm inspired, my wheels are smoking at the starting line. I am a happy, happy person.

Today I got my writing areas ready for work. Bring on November.

my writing area in the living room

my writing area in my bedroom

Five kids & all their stuff comfortably (and creatively) in a space 10' wide & 18' long

2011-10-10T12:56:00.001-05:00

The girls came up with a plan to make more space in their bedroom. They sketched out the plans, showed it to Otis and we made arrangements to build. We started Saturday morning. We finished Sunday evening. Scroll slowly and see if you can guess before you get to the bottom. :o)

Before, Side A

Before, Side B

Finished, Side A1, right

Finished, Side A1, left

Finished, Side A2, right

Finished, Side A2, left

Finished, Side B

We still have to put up some sheet rock, paint and find some area rugs but for the most part, this project is done. Whew! What a weekend!!

November is THE month this year

2011-10-01T11:52:00.000-05:00

National Novel Writing Month starts on November 1st. Write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is being released November 8th.

Who chose this release date?? Don't they know about NaNoWriMo?? Do they not care that casual gaming addicts are also writers??

But there is a solution to Activision's apparent lack of consideration to the other arts ...

Oh, yeah, baby. This drink is pure energy in a bottle, at 120mg of caffeine per 20 ounce bottle, it's all the fuel a person would need to write a 50,000 word novel in a month AND defeat Makarov in his bid for world domination.

Bring on November!!

Win a Kindle and over $100 in writing craft books

2011-09-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

Just go to K.M. Weiland's site and follow the directions.

Be sure to check out her new book, Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, only $2.99 on Kindle.

Perfect timing for the National Novel Writing Month challenge.

Enjoy!

The Boy

2011-09-17T11:50:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures of my grandson. He is happy and healthy and talking a lot now, sometimes in words we can understand and sometimes no. In March he's going to be a big brother, too.

Being a grandma is one of the best gifts from God.

A Little Chilly This Morning

2011-09-06T08:52:00.000-05:00

Even the dog thought so:

Refrigerator Recap

2011-09-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

My husband was home for nearly a week two weeks ago and had to deal with the tiny new refrigerator. He got first hand experience with all the problems I've been complaining about- the shelves in the door keep falling off and dropping the food all over, the doors wouldn't seal, because of the circulation pattern I couldn't use the freezer and the ice-maker takes THREE days to fill the tiny bucket, three days unused. I had other complaints but those were bigger ones. I was resigned to live with the problems, thinking 'you get what you pay for.' My husband said "Oh, no, I work hard for this money. It's going to pay for good stuff" and visited Lowe's yesterday. He explained he wasn't happy with the product and chose something better.

Weeell, it's Labor Day weekend so Lowe's is having a sale. They gave us a full refund for that little fridge and for about $150 more we got a comparable replacement for the fridge that died AND a four year warranty!!

To Recap:

We went from this....

To this...

To THIS!!!

I am SO happy with it! And extremely thankful my hubby stood for the value of his dollar.

Finishing the Living Room

2011-08-28T10:31:00.002-05:00

After painting I was on a roll! The living room looked beautiful and I didn't want to stop!! A new couch would have been nice but the bank account would have complained loudly so I settled for a trip to the thrift store. While the paint was drying we ran out to the local DAV and picked up four wall pictures for $0.99 - $1.49 each. My 15yo found beautiful lace curtains for $1.98 each. We grabbed three. At Walmart we bought three curtain rods for $0.97 each and miniblinds for each window, $3.?? each. Ready to see the results of our two day work binge?

Before

After #1. puppy wanted to be in the pic so I told her to smile pretty :oD. that's 15y dd's craft table

After #2, with some daylight. my computer.

After #3. my sewing machine & the entertainment center

Not bad for two days work! The only thing that needs to be done is to touch up the white on the ceiling.

The room looks so much bigger! And it almost looks like a *real* house.

Painting the Living Room

2011-08-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

We needed a change, a very cheap change, so we shopped the Lowe's mistint paint section. We found something that looks peachy and another that looks pale, pale yellow, only $10 each!! The peach is going in the living room and the other will go in the bathrooms.

before

after (kinda looks pink but it's peachy)


before

after

Bad Storm Last Night

2011-08-19T13:23:00.000-05:00

Thankfully no damage to our house. Our outdoor chairs and swimming pools tried to escape though.

rain so heavy we couldn't see out the front door

someone else's shed in our backyard

daylight shot of shed

Homeschool Spot of the Day

2011-08-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

My littles decided it was too nice outside to have school on their beds.

Books, Books, Books!!

2011-08-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

We use a lot of books in our homeschool. Every so often I go through the list and move things around, add (especially after a library sale!) or subtract some titles but this is the master list. :o)

English

Climbing to Good English books 1 – 8

Research in Increments

English Handbook

Math

Rod & Staff Math Grade 1 – 8

Consumer Math

Reading / Literature

First Steps

Days Go By

More Days Go By

The Original Mother Goose

The Christian Mother Goose

Little Bear series by Else Homelund Minarik

Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel

Busy Times

More Busy Times

Climbing Higher

The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter

New Friends

More New Friends

Dotty Dimple Series by Sophie May

Bobbsey Twins Series by Laura Lee Hope

The Voyage of Dr. Doolittle by Hugh Lofting

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Nesbit

The Story of Dr. Doolittle by Hugh Lofting

Misty Treasury by Marguerite Henry

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Baum

Alice Through The Looking Glass by Carrol

A Child's Book of Stories

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Henry

Andersen’s Fairy Tales

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

Trumpet and the Swan by E.B. White

Stuart Little by E.B. White

Peter Pan by James M. Barrie

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Pyle's The Wonder Clock

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Robin Hood by Pyle

Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

Treasure Island by Stevenson

Tales from Shakespeare by Lamb

Five Little Peppers by Margaret Sidney

A Wonder Book by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Kidnapped by Stevenson

Gulliver's Travels' by Johnathan Swift

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Call of the Wild by Jack London

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Gentle Ben by Walt Morey

Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit

Bambi by Felix Salten

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Little Britches series by Ralph Moody

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Pollyanna by Porter

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Aesop's Fables

The Earth Sea Trilogy by LeGuin

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien

Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Adams

Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

The Once & Future King by T.H. White

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Pickwick Papers by Dickens

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Verne

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Ann of Green Gables Series by L. M. Montgomery

Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch

Le Morte d'Arthur by Malory

Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

Legends of Charlemagne by Thomas Bulfinch

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill

The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Sir Nigel by Doyle

The White Company by Doyle

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Utopia by Sir Thomas More

Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

The Prince & the Pauper by Mark Twain

The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Paradise Regained by John Milton

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The DragonRiders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The House of Seven Gables by Hawthorne

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

Complete Books of William Shakespeare

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Hugo

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Verne

The Invisible Man by Jules Verne

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Stevenson

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury

Christy by Catherine Marshall

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Divine Comedy by Dante

The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway

The City of God by Augustine

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

1984 by George Orwell

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Dollmaker by Arnow

Bleak House by Dickens

The Iliad by Homer

The Odyssey by Homer

Poetry Anthologies

Favorite Poems of Childhood

Poems Every Child Should Know

Random House Book of Poetry

Favorite Poems Old & New

World Book of Poetry

Social Studies (History, Geography, Government, Economics, etc)

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston

Stories of American Life & Adventure by Edward Eggleston

Fifty Stories Retold by James Baldwin

Thirty More Stories Retold by James Baldwin

The Beginner's American History by D. H. Montgomery

Little House in the Big Woods by Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Wilder

Farmer Boy by Wilder

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Wilder

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Wilder

Little Town on the Prairie by Wilder

The Long Winter by Wilder

These Happy Golden Years by Wilder

The First Four Years by Wilder

History of the United States by Pollard

The Seven Little Sisters Who Live On The Round Ball That Floats In The Air by Jane Andrews

Books by Jean Fritz

Fifty Famous People by James Baldwin

Each and all: or, How the seven little sisters prove their sisterhood by Jane Andrews

The Child's Story of the World by Hillyer

Elementary Geography 1 by Charlotte Mason

Trappers and Traders of the Far West by Daugherty

Told Under the Stars and Stripes

Builders of the Old World by Gertrude Hartman

Dear America series

A Story of the Golden Age by James Baldwin

Elementary Geography 2 by Charlotte Mason

American History Stories Volume 1 - 4 by Pratt

Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall

This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall

Elementary Geography 3 by Charlotte Mason

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? By Maybury

Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard J. Maybury

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

Justin Morgan had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

Trial and Triumph by Hannula

Hero Tales book 1 – 4 by Dave & Neta Jackson

Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster

Story of the Greeks by H. A. Guerber

Story of the Romans by H. A. Guerber

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

A Child's History of England By Charles Dickens

Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused? by Richard Maybury

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

The Story of Mankind by Van Loon

Johnny Tremain by Forbes

Foxes Book of Martyrs

Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

South: the story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 expedition by Sir Shackleton

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

The Prince by Machiavelli

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, & James Madison

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates by Patrick Henry & John DeWitt

The Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

The United States Constitution

Democracy in America by Tocqueville

As a Man Thinketh

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Civil War by Hansen

Books by David McCullough

Defiance by Tec

Ben Hur by Lew Wallace

The Shake 'n Bake Sergeant: True Story of Infantry Sergeants in Vietnam by Jerry S. Horton Ph.D.

Blackhawk Down by Mark Bowden

In The Company Of Heroes by Durant and Hartov

The Robe by Douglas

Bible / Character

Beginner's Bible by Karyn Henley

Day by Day Begin-to-Read Bible

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Day by Day Kid's Bible by Karyn Henley

Complete Book of Bible Stories by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

Egermeier's Bible Story Book by Elsie Egermeier

The Children's Bible by Golden Books

King James Bible

~**~ ~**~ ~**~

Children's Treasury of Virtues by Bennett

Little Pilgrims Progress by Helen Taylor

Beautiful Girlhood by Hale

Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald

Book of Virtues for Young People by Bennett

Beyond Beautiful Girlhood Plus Companion Guide by Shelley Noonan & Margaret Sangster

Ourselves by Charlotte Mason

Our Countries Founders by Bennett

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

The Home at Greylock by Prentiss

Female Piety—The Young Woman's Guide Through Life to Immortality by James

The Book of Virtues by Bennett

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Stepping Heavenward by Prentiss

In His Steps by Charles Monroe Sheldon

The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

More Than a Carpenter by Josh MacDowell

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges

All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

My Utmost For His Highest, Devotions by Oswald Chambers

The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

The Attributes of God by A. W. Pink

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

Confessions of St. Augustine

Hinds’ Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

Science

CLP Nature Reader 1

Keeping Well for Little People

Arthur Scott Bailey's Animal Books

• Sleepy-Time Tales: the Tale of Fatty Coon

• Tale of Brownie Beaver

• The Tale of Cuffy Bear

• The Tale of Freddie Firefly

• The Tale of Old Mr. Crow

• The Tale of Sandy Chipmunk

• The Tale of Tommy Fox

• The Tale of Solomon Owl

• The Tale of Timothy Turtle

• The Tale of Major Monkey

Books by Clara Dillingham Pierson

• Among the Forest People

• Among the Farm-Yard People

• Among the Pond People

• Among the Meadow People

CLP Nature Reader 2

Stories that Mother Nature Told Her Children by Jean Andrews

The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton Burgess

The Burgess Animal Book by Thornton Burgess

The Seashore Book by Thornton Burgess

CLP Nature Reader 3

Wilderness Ways by William Joseph Long

Ways of Wood Folk by William Joseph Long

Secret of the Woods by William Joseph Long

Squirrels & Other Fur Bearers by John Burroughs

The Story of Inventions by Michael J. McHugh and Frank P. Bachman

All About Famous Inventors and Their Inventions by Fletcher Pratt

CLP Nature Reader 4

The Story Book of Science by Jean Henri Fabre

The History of a Mouthful of Bread by Jean Macé

CLP Nature Reader 5

The Fairy Land of Science by Arabella B. Buckley

Through Magic Glasses by Arabella B. Buckley

Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley

Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton

War Inventions by Charles R. Gibson

School of the Woods by William J. Long

The Sea Around Us by Rachael Carson

The Life of the Spider by Henri Fabre

The Lay of the Land by Dallas Lore Sharp

Rural Hours by Susan Fenimore Cooper

William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood by Thomas Henry Huxley

The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin

The Circle of Seasons by Teale

Six Easy Pieces by Richard P. Feynman

Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruf

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Our National Parks by John Muir

The Life of the Caterpillar by J. Henri Fabre

All Creatures Great and Small by Harriot

Encyclopedias / Reference

Getting to Know… Nature's Children

Childcraft How & Why Library

The New Book of Knowledge

Encyclopedia Americana

All Through the Ages by Miller

Handbook of Nature Study by Comstock

Exploring Nature With Your Child by Shuttlesworth

All of the school bookshelves lining the girls' hallway:

from the left

from the right

Bookshelf in the girls' bedroom:

A Fly on the Wall

2011-08-08T11:34:00.001-05:00

Many years ago, I was asked what it's like in our home- all the girls, the singing, the playing. Well, I was pulling the videos off the camcorder last night when I remembered that request and switched it on really fast to catch this. Come, listen to this video and be a fly on the wall of my house!

(All of my girls share a room: ages 18y, 15y, 14y, 11y, 9y. They were chatting and singing before bed.)

A Yummy Summer Breakfast

2011-08-02T11:49:00.001-05:00

During the summer months, my kids want to get outside first thing in the morning to play before the heat hits. I have to be ready with a quick breakfast or they'll race out the door without it!

This morning we had drop biscuits, homemade butter, homemade buttermilk cream cheese and jelly.

Buttermilk is super easy to make and keep on hand. All you have to do is buy the smallest buttermilk carton from the store and poor it into a large sterile jar. Stir it very good. Cover it with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and let it sit overnight. By morning it should start to thicken. It will almost look like yogurt when it's done. Screw on the lid and refrigerate it. It will keep for a long time. When you've used nearly all of it, refill the jar with milk, stir well, cover and leave out overnight again. See? Easy!

Butter is just as easy as buttermilk. All you need is whipping cream, a big jar, cheesecloth and a few extra sets of hands. Leave the whipping cream on the counter overnight. Sterilize your big jar and pour the room-temperature whipping cream into it. Screw on the lid very tight then start to shake, no fast, just consistent. The liquid will start to get chunky, keep shaking. The chunky liquid will suddenly turn solid, bathed in a thin milk. Set up a strainer with a layer of cheesecloth inside. Carefully pour the contents into the strainer, keep the liquid for a recipe requiring milk. Rinse carefully, wrapped in cheesecloth, allow to drain then keep it in a glass jar in the fridge. You can stir in some salt if you want but we prefer it plain. Mmmmm!

Buttermilk cream cheese is so close to store bought, you'll almost be fooled. Pour 2 c of homemade buttermilk into a large mixing bowl. Boil about 3 - 4 cups of water. Pour the boiling water into the buttermilk, stir a few times them let it sit for a while. It should look like two separate substances now. Line a wire strainer with some cheesecloth and slowly pour the mixture in. Let it drain for a while, until nothing drips out and there isn't any in the remaining "cheese". Scoop the cream cheese into a small glass dish and serve.

homemade butter on the left, buttermilk cream cheese on the right

Buttermilk drop biscuits are simple and versatile little things. They can be dumplings in soup, topping for Shepherd's pie, a sweet breakfast or quick lunch.

Mix together 4c flour (we like 3c unbleached white, 1c wheat), 1 t sea salt, 4 t baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 2 T sugar (reduce or omit in dumplings or Shep's pie). Optional: Put 1 t of your favorite sweet spice- cinnamon, allspice, etc. Cut in 1 c softened butter. Stir in 2 c buttermilk. Don't overbeat it! Drop by tablespoonful on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 12 - 15 minutes, until tinted golden. Allow them to cool slightly then slather with homemade butter or cream cheese and jelly.

Oh, My Sam

2011-07-28T10:15:00.001-05:00

My Sam is 18 today!! Happy Birthday, Babe!!!

maybe this year she'll learn to button her shirt correctly - lol!

My Poor Refrigerator Has Croaked

2011-07-19T15:32:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. My fridge, that I've had for 12 years, has died. I tried everything to bring it back to life but it couldn't be resuscitated.

old faithful

Unfortunately $500 doesn't get very much refrigerator anymore and it probably won't last as long as my old one.

tiny noob

First Day of School

2011-07-11T16:37:00.001-05:00

In June we took a week long break that turned into a five week break. That's okay because we needed it.

Today was our first day back.

only four little scholars this year

where 9yo decided to have school (??)

Garden Pictures

2011-06-14T18:15:00.000-05:00

Our garden has really taken off this year. We planted: green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, green peppers, acorn squash, butternut squash, watermelon, strawberries (now 3 years old), raspberries (now 2 years old), lettuce, carrots, and blueberries. (I think that's everything.)

Hello, New Friend

2011-06-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

2003 Chevy Suburban 1500 4x4

May our friendship last longer than your predecessor and take us on many grand adventures.

Saying Goodbye

2011-06-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

My van, a most excellent gift from God sent in 2004, has suffered catastrophic failure. The oil smells strongly of gasoline and the motor has spun a main bearing. I'm very sad at the passing of my van. It has hauled my family safely for 7 full years but it's God's timing. We've had the van seven years TO the DAY.

Through my tears I watched as dh pulled out the subwoofers:

they went in easier than they came out!

The Dixie horn and extra loud dual horns were a bit easier to remove:

My beautiful van stripped down to it's original form:

Goodbye, Dear Friend. I look forward to enjoying your successor.

God is Greater Than...

2011-05-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

God is greater than-- being 6 weeks premature, pneumonia, sepsis, the ECMO machine, a grade III intraventricular hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, a ventricular-peritoneal shunt, and fine motor delays.

Three times in twenty-four hours of her birth, I was told to say good-bye to my precious baby. Daily for eight weeks I was told her future quality of life was questionable. Monthly for five years I was told she would never be a normal child.

But God is greater. :o)

Happy 14th birthday, Tabbi!!!

A Birthday

2011-04-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

My baby is nine today!!

A Graduation

2011-04-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

Many, many things have been happening here. Hopefully I'll get to post about some of them soon but for now.....

My Sam has finished the full course of work required to graduate our homeschool. I'm so proud of her! Join me in a victory dance!

The Boy is ONE Year Old Today!!!

2011-02-05T17:38:00.000-06:00

The Boy is ONE

The Boy and his mommy

Grandma Suzy made a special cake for him

Mmmmmm!!!

"Whatever you're thinking, this cake is MINE!"

Precious Face

cake was mutilated pretty good

Auntie Nikki and me giving him a sponge bath

Opening presents

"Look at all the presents!"

Grandpa Otis and Grandma Chris (me) with the Boy

Making the Best of the Snowy Week: Demo & Rearranging

2011-02-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

My four youngest girls are quite a little group. They want to spend nearly every moment together crafting, sewing, reading, telling stories. This week they decided to "rearrange" the bedrooms so they could all be together. The "rearranging" process meant taking down a wall that dh & I had just rebuilt two years ago. We gave them to go-ahead but with the warning that it would be permanent, we were not putting that wall back up- ever. They agreed and proceeded to empty the two small bedrooms, carefully remove the wall so we could reuse the materials and fill the now bigger room with their beds. They also moved their biggest sister still at home into her own room, a room that was a sewing/craft/storage room. There are some things still needing a home and my room needs reorganized to accommodate some miscellaneous stuff that needs sorted, otherwise the job is done, just three days after it started.

Okay now for some before and after pictures:

Before #1 (outer walls)

After #1

Before #2 (dividing wall)

Before #3 (little girls' room)

After #3

17yo new room

Winter Pics

2011-01-27T10:11:00.000-06:00

We've gotten a lot of snow in the past two weeks....

Which is useful for TWO things....

Snow Ice Cream......

And snow women....

Happy Birthday to my Bekka!

2011-01-02T10:26:00.001-06:00

My Bekka is ELEVEN!!

The Boy Came for a Christmas Visit

2010-12-18T16:05:00.000-06:00

We exchanged gifts before dd and dsil went grocery shopping. We got to watch the boy for a few hours while they were gone.

The Boy's First Christmas

Family's First Christmas

"I think you have something on your face"

Nap time on Auntie Sam

Cheeseburger for lunch (AC/DC jacket from us for Christmas)

Being a grandma is the *best* feeling, aside from being a mom, in the world. I suggest everyone try it at least once. :o)

The BEST Potpourri

2010-12-04T12:45:00.000-06:00

Being stuck inside with the door shut against the bitter cold wind can make the house feel stuffy and the air seem thick.

Try this to clear it out:
Peel two large oranges*, tear the peels into small pieces
Put the peels in a small saucepan** with just enough water to cover
Sprinkle some cinnamon in the water, stir
Set on the stove (or wood stove) on a small burner at the lowest setting
Enjoy the sweet smell! :o)

*you can also add a lemon peel
**you can also use an electric potpourri crock

Check it through the day to add more water, turn off and cover with a lid at night, lasts about three or four days.

Smells great and not full of weird chemicals to inhale!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Lots of helpers

Tree (w/o flash to see lights)

Lots of good food (and leftovers for the weekend)

Hope you and your family had a wonderful day, too. :o)

Happy Birthday

2010-11-18T12:43:00.000-06:00

This gorgeous young woman is FIFTEEN today!!

What a goof!!

The Boy Came for a Visit

2010-11-09T18:53:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since the grandson was over for a visit.

He played and squealed and tried to get outside:

Ate a sucker:

And finally tired himself out:

I can't believe how big he is now! He's nine months old this month!

Yesterday: A Little WriMo Pau Wau

2010-11-05T15:54:00.001-05:00

More Junior WriMo Pictures

2010-11-04T17:51:00.000-05:00

8yo - Goal 30 pgs; Current 4 pgs

10yo - Goal 100 pgs; Current 14 pgs

13yo - Goal 130 pgs; Current 4 pgs

14yo - Goal 140 pgs; Current 16 pgs

17yo - Goal 30,000 words; current 11,124 words

Excellent work my little WriMos!!

Junior WriMos at Work

2010-11-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

National Novel Writing Month Begins....

2010-11-01T11:57:00.001-05:00

Power Snack

Awesome XPS Desktop

Yummy Caffeinated Drink

Candle Light

Writing Hat

Comfy Pants

Writing Gloves

Let's do this!

NaNoWriMo 2010 Prep #3

2010-10-17T20:51:00.002-05:00

So you have a group of people and a few places for them to visit and explore. Now you have to lay down the path, map out the route through your novel.

Here are some plotting websites that have helped me through my previous NaNo novels:

Notecarding: Plotting Under Pressure by Holly Lisle

Snowflake Method of Plotting by Randy Ingermanson

Phase Plotting by Lazette Gifford

how Jim Butcher writes

Write it out in detail or just list a few scenes and make up the rest in the frenzy of November. Work on the path your characters will follow through your novel. Good luck and have fun!

My Writing Area

2010-10-12T22:08:00.001-05:00

This is where I get my work done. :o)

NaNoWriMo 2010 Prep #2

2010-10-10T13:21:00.000-05:00

So you've spent the week thinking about who your story is about. You've probably got a few places in mind-- where your character starts out, where they visit and where they end up. This week flesh out those places.

The most complete resource I've found for fantasy world building is found here.

If you're writing a story set in the "real world" you need a place for your characters to live, shop, work, get coffee, attend church, etc. Search online or through magazines for real photos of these places. Tape them in a notebook or make a sort of scrapbook with notes about places you'd like to send your characters.
~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~ ~**~

Have you bought the NaNoWriMo guide book yet? What about the Novel-Writing Kit? Donated to the NaNoWriMo site? Bought a t-shirt or mug? Time is short! Get your gear today!

Young Novelists at Work

2010-10-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

My littlest girls are filling out their Young Novelist Workbooks in preparation for National Novel Writing Month.

It's That Time of Year Again

2010-10-04T17:03:00.001-05:00

Have you always wanted to write a novel but never taken the time for it? Well, now is the time. November is National Novel Writing Month: summarized simply as "fifty thousand words in thirty days".

This week take some time to think about what you want to write. Start by thinking about what kind of book you like to read. Make a list and let the list grow into a story you'd like to tell.

Good, page-turning stories are about interesting people going on a grand adventure that dramatically changes them. Who is in your story?

Answer these questions about you major characters:
The 100 Most Important Things to Know About Your Character

If any plot ideas come to you while creating your characters, jot them down so you don't forget.

Some sites to see:

National Novel Writing Month Young Writer's Program - for the kids
yWriter - a FREE word processor that breaks your novel into chapters & scenes
Seventh Sanctum - the ultimate generator site
Forward Motion - to help writers get published
Serendipity - name generator
World Building Questions - build a believable world
Learn to Write Fiction - TONS of great information

I hope you try it. The whole experience is addictive and not one you want to miss! :o)

Way to Go, Misha!

2010-09-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

Misha ran over 11 hours, for a total of 83km, raising $94,742 for www.TheRandomAct.org. Awesome work, dude!

Random Acts - a video message from Misha Collins (HQ)

2010-08-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

First Camping Trip of 2010

2010-08-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Unexpected time off work and a temporary dip in the smothering temperatures drove us to the campgrounds this week. It was *fantastic*. I really needed the time away.

Day 1

Setting up camp (no, the pizza was not cooked on the fire)

Inside: we brought the two mattresses from dh's truck bunks and bought a queen air mattress, sleeping was much more comfortable

Our first visitors

Silly before bed

Day 2

Time for breakfast: traditional egg and sausage burritos

Cleaning up

Play time at the lake

Friendly butterflies

And frogs

And lizards

After showers was lunch time

Walking a trail before supper

See no evil, Speak no evil, Hear no evil = Have No Fun!

Beef stew for supper

Telling tales and drinking hot cocoa before bed

Day 3

Beautiful morning

Waiting for breakfast (grilled pop tarts- don't look at me, kid's idea)

The heat was already melting us when we drove out of the campground at ten in the morning. The cool-down was fleeting but we appreciated it to the fullest.

Now we're making notes of what to bring and do and change for next time. :o)

Give a "Happy Birthday"

2010-07-28T12:17:00.001-05:00

to this gorgeous young lady! My Sam is 17 today!!! (and a bit upset with me for catching her with her mouth full of cake. HA!)

Back to School

2010-07-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

School went back to the full work load today. We usually wait until mid-August but this year is just really, really hot. If the girls are stuck inside they may as well be working! :o)

Our school year is broken into 'before Christmas' and 'after Christmas'. Before Christmas we go five or six days per week. After Christmas we cut back to four days per week.

This year's daily schedule:

8yo

Math- one lesson

Bible- one story

Climbing to Good English- one page

Writing- ten minutes, any subject

Reading- literature- ten minutes; history- ten minutes; science- ten minutes

10yo

Math- one lesson

Bible- one story

Climbing to Good English- one page

Writing- fifteen minutes, any subject

Reading- literature- fifteen minutes; history- fifteen minutes; science- fifteen minutes

13yo

Math- one lesson

Bible- one story

Climbing to Good English- one page

Writing- fifteen minutes, any subject

Reading- literature- fifteen minutes; history- fifteen minutes; science- fifteen minutes

14yo

Math- one lesson

Bible- one story

Bible- copy from Proverbs

Writing- thirty minutes, any subject

Reading- literature- thirty minutes; history- thirty minutes; science- thirty minutes

16yo (17 in 9 days!!)

Math- one lesson

Bible- one story

Bible- copy from Proverbs

Writing- one science related research paper written per week

Reading- literature- thirty minutes; history- thirty minutes

Find employment

Two New Additions

2010-07-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Meet Rocky (left) and Milo (orange), two of four kittens born under the neighbors house.

Easy Steps for Menu Planning

2010-07-10T23:07:00.002-05:00

Easy Steps for Menu Planning

1. Think about the foods you and your family like.

2. Take into account your budget.

3. Decide how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.

4. Make a list of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals based on the above steps; try to come up with at least two weeks worth so you can mix them up and have a good variety.

5. Search the internet and cookbooks for recipes that fit your time and money budget.

This is my rotating menu. Every Thursday I fill out a menu for the next week, noting all the ingredients, then I go through the kitchen to see what I need and make a grocery list. Quick and easy! :o)

Breakfast

Oatmeal

~ with brown sugar and butter

~ with brown sugar and peanut butter

~ with white sugar and vanilla

~ with white sugar, butter and cinnamon

Cold cereal

Malt-O-Meal

Cream of Wheat

Eggs and toast or biscuits

French Toast

Pancakes: The Mix- 12 c flour + 2 tbsp salt + ¾ c sugar + 1/3 c baking powder = store in fridge in air tight container. To feed 8 mix: 3 c of the mix, 2 c milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp oil. Cook on griddle. Syrup: in sauce pan heat- 4 c brown sugar, 2 c boiling water, ¼ c light Karo= heat to boiling, stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Remove heat and add 2 tsp maple flavor. Store in mason jar in fridge.

Biscuits & Gravy

Egg & sausage or bacon burritos

Lunch

On tortillas:
~peanut butter
~cheese
~refried beans & cheese

On bread:
~pb&j
~tuna salad
~Hormel Naturals Chicken or turkey & provolone cheese
~grilled cheese
~grilled peanut butter

On crackers:
~ham
~cheese
~ham & cheese
~tuna salad

On the side:
~cottage cheese
~applesauce
~fruit

Supper

sloppy joes: 2c ketchup + ½ c pickle relish, mix with 1 ½ lb cooked hamburger, heat through

meatloaf: mix 2lb hamburger + 1 finely chopped onion + 1 egg + 1 sleeve crushed saltines + 1 tsp garlic powder + 1 tsp salt; shape into a loaf; bake 1 hour at 350. Mix 1 ½ c ketchup + ¼ c brown sugar; spread over meatloaf and bake another 30 minutes.

lasagna: store bought

baked chicken: salt and pepper chicken pieces, cover, bake 1 hour at 350; for something a little different, spread on some barbeque sauce and bake uncovered the last 15 minutes.

tater tot casserole: mix 1 large can cream of mushroom + 1 lb cooked hamburger + 2 cans of french cut green beans; spread in 9x12 dish cover with frozen tater tots; baked 1 hour at 350.

shepherd's pie: Boil 4 peeled & quartered big potatoes. Saute 1 chopped onion in a little butter, add 2 c veggies. Cook 1 1/2 lbs hamburger then add 1/2 cup beef broth, boil 10 minutes. Mix veggie blend and hamburger. Place in baking dish. Make masked potatoes with boiled potatoes, spread over meat/veggie mixture. Bake 30-45 minutes at 400.

homemade pizza: dissolve 2 ½ tsp yeast in 1 c warm water, add 1 tsp sugar + 1 ½ tsp salt + ¼ c oil + 1 ½ c flour, mix until smooth. Add 1 ½ c more flour. Knead until smooth. Press into two greased 12 inch round pizza pans. Let raise 20 minutes while you prepare your toppings. Arrange toppings like this: sauce, thin layer of cheese, meat/veggie toppings, more cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 400.

mock chicken fried steak: use meatloaf recipe above but shape into patties; dip in milk, then flour seasoned with salt & pepper. Fry in a thin layer of oil until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes per side in an electric frying pan on 350.

enchiladas: mix 1 lb cooked hamburger, 1 diced onion, 1 large can refried beans; spread in flour tortillas with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, roll tortilla. Coat the bottom of a 10x14 pan with spaghetti sauce (or enchilada sauce), place rolled tortillas, cover with more sauce, sprinkle with more cheddar cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 350.

nachos: mix canned nacho cheese sauce with half a can of milk and 1 large can of refried beans (and 1 lb cooked hamburger if you have it). Ladle over stack of corn chips. Top with sour cream, salsa, shredder cheddar, and/or tomatoes.

elbow spaghetti: cook about 3 c elbow macaroni; cook 1 lb hamburger; mix together, add spaghetti sauce. Top with parmesan.

chicken strips or nuggets: slice or cut up chicken meat; dip in milk then in flour seasoned with salt & pepper. Fry in a thin layer of oil until no longer pink, about 8 minutes per side in an electric frying pan on 350.

OR Breakfast for Supper:

french toast

pancakes

biscuits & gravy

egg & sausage or bacon burritos

bean & cheese burritos

On the Side

green beans

baked potatoes

greens salad

california blend (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots) veggies

stir fry mixed veggies

homemade fries

corn on the cob

country beans (Bush's)

mashed potatoes

supper breads

cornbread

bread sticks

rolls

A FUN and PRODUCTIVE Weekend

2010-06-13T20:31:00.001-05:00

Dh had some unexpected time off so we tackled a very big job that has been on hold for years.

Day 1 6/10/10

Day 2 6/11/10

Day 3 6/12/10

"Seating" the Countertop

Day 4 6/13/10

Finished, except for flooring (still have to find one I like) & paint (can't decide on a color I like) and we still have to build uppers to go above the stove. Those things will get done eventually but dh is back on the road now.

My ginormous bookcase had to be relocated:

Whew! Looong days and haaaard work but SO worth it!!

Summer Schedule

2010-06-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

Well, we are into our full summer school schedule. From May 31 through July 4 we are in uber relaxed hot-weather homeschool mode-- no research papers, no history, just---

8yo, 10yo, 13yo: one lesson of math, one lesson of Climbing to Good English, one Bible story and one story from Pathway Readers

14yo, 16yo: Bible reading, Bible copywork, and one lesson of math

lots of time outside, gardening, crafting, etc.

My Two Favorite Cookbooks

2010-06-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

I have quite a few cookbooks, mostly from the thrift stores but two stand out and get the most use.

#1 Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book copyright 1961-- $0.50 from the thrift store

I *love* these cookbooks. Why? Because everything is made with real ingredients. There are no references to velveeta, margarine, egg powder, sugar substitute or other fake food products.

First Harvest

2010-05-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Anti-Procrastination Month Project #2

2010-05-23T15:51:00.001-05:00

Another project I've been procrastinating:

Before

After: looks much nicer hunh? I haven't got all of my books on it yet.

Birthday Time

2010-05-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my miracle daughter. She's THIRTEEN! Wow!!

My house now has four teenagers in it. :-O

Anti-Procrastination Month Project #1

2010-05-13T17:59:00.007-05:00

In case you didn't know, May is Anti-Procrastination Month.

The projects I always push off deal with organizing. Organizing in this little house is a lot of back and forth, room to room work. Like to organize the living room, I need space in my bedroom for the things that are displaced. To organize my bedroom, I need space in the shed. See? The inconvenience of needing each room to be multipurpose I guess.

Anyway, my first project this Anti-Procrastination May was to organize my writing/crafting/schooling/bill paying/planning/general office work area. It only took about an hour but involved stripping & taking down a shelf in my bedroom to relocate to the living room for the books I use daily at my desk.

Before

After (the date on my camera is off, pic was taken today)

Look What My Van Did....

2010-05-13T08:28:00.006-05:00

....this morning!

If we weren't walking by faith before, we sure are now! lol

Baby Talk

2010-05-10T10:46:00.002-05:00

(video taken Mother's Day, 2010)

A Little About Our Homeschool

2010-05-04T12:03:00.003-05:00

I was asked, on a homeschool message board, about our homeschool method. This was my answer:

Long story short, when I brought my two oldest home I thought homeschooling was simply school taught at home. (Simply?!) After the first year I knew things would have to change. I had two little kids that would eventually join the school room and had no idea how I would teach four levels of at least five different subjects (little did I know that two more would come along in the next few years!). Finances demanded that school cost less than nothing. I studied and studied and studied all the different methods of homeschooling finally choosing the methods I liked best then taking the pieces that worked for our family (and budget). The ones that stuck with me the most were Ruth Beechick, Charlotte Mason and Dr Robinson.

Basic philosophy: I believe that to learn about something you read & write about it so to learn to read, you read; and to learn to write, you write. Every child progresses differently and I will give them all the room they need to grow into a new task.

I made a list of books that I feel are important then divided it into levels. I don't like “grade X” so I place the girls at a level based on their ability to write. They started with McGuffey Readers but two years ago I found Pathway Readers and changed (the books from grade levels 1 through 3). Once they've finish the first grade Pathway Readers they start on the booklist in addition to the Readers.

I started with just one sentence of copywork per day at about five years old then added more as they showed improvement. As long as they are in the Pathway Readers they copy from it. When they move on to the booklist-only they copy from the current reading book. Copywork is daily. I do use the Climbing to Good English series because it's gentle, common sense, and written to the student. I found them the same time I found Pathway. My children love to write stories, they always have a notebook near them to record their ideas. I don't grade them but if they read the stories aloud I give my thoughts on how a sentence sounds or comment on what punctuation should be changed, little things. Their spelling is almost always right on the mark from so many years of copywork.

I don't "teach" spelling. The kids learn to spell by reading and copying and writing. That's all, nothing from me save when they can't figure something out and have to ask.

All the girls, from 8 to 16, have copywork daily. I look over the littler girls' work and point out the general location of any mistakes but it's up the them to find it by comparing to the original. The older girls look it over themselves. My girls are always writing something, when the tv is on they have a notebook at their side, they even sleep with it close.

If they get stuck on a word they come to me and we piece it out by sound:

8yo: "How do you spell "thick'?"

Me: "What do you have so far?"

8yo: "t h."

Me: "What sound comes next?"

8yo: thinks a second, saying the word in her head "i"

Me: "Then what?"

8yo: "k?"

Me: "That's the right sound but it's two letters this time."

8yo: "ck!" scribbles it down and goes on her way

That's a spelling lesson here. The next time she needs the word she doesn't need me.

A few years ago I used a combination of copywork and dictation (my two oldest being my guinea pigs). A week would look like this:

Day 1: copy a selection from McGuffey Reader

Day 2:take dictation, correct anything wrong

Day 3: copy same selection

Day 4: take dictation of same selection,

Dictation might be a necessary step for some but my girls just don't need it. Reading followed by copywork, with their own writing on the side, is all the spelling they have needed.

Science and history have always given me grief. The textbooks were dry and boring, I couldn't focus past the first paragraph. If I couldn't pay attention how could my kids? I learned about whole books from Charlotte Mason and Ruth Beechick. After that I kept my eyes open at the library sales for good, old science and history books. I've got things by Genevieve Foster, children's science books by Isaac Asimov, I've found tons of free books online. It's amazing what's out there if you look. Still, I couldn't rely on such scattered findings so I invested in a good set of adult encyclopedias, children's encyclopedias, and nature books, all from either the Salvation Army Thrift Store or library sales.

When the girls are finished with the second 2nd grade Pathway reader, they start on my history and science reading list. History starts with Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Eggleston. They copy any people, places, dates, anything interesting. Science starts with Christian Liberty's Nature Readers book 1. They read a section and copy any words that are bold, looking up and copying the definition afterward. As they get older and their abilities improve they choose a subject for science, look it up in our reference books or at the library, and write about it. When they finish the nature readers, research is the main part of our science. At first they copy key sentences which is teaching the taking of notes, eventually they just take notes which will lead to writing a full report.

The littler girls have two Bibles-- one ability-level story Bible and one large print King James for memory work and study. They read their story Bible every day. We have devotions and memorizing together. My favorite resources for the littler girls are Sword Fighting and Day by Day Devotions. The bigger girls have only the KJV. They have a reading plan that I printed off the internet. They read then write a summary. Each girl is given a memory verse at the beginning of the week (I use Scriptures at Your Fingertips by Merry Graham & Rachel Bye & Parenting with Scripture by Kara Durbin) that they must memorize and recite by the end of the week. The scriptures I choose are usually for a problem they've been having or character trait they need to improve but I don't tell them that. I let the scripture convict them. :-D

Nature study is a part of our science. Charlotte Mason really made me fall in love with the concept of learning from the outside (Home Education Part II Out-of-Door Life for the Children). Every year at the school sales at Walmart we buy a bunch of composition books. Monday through Thursday the girls note the weather. Friday on our morning walk we take extra time so they can sketch something. We live in town but near a college with a big grassy area and pond plus our backyard is timber. Further into the timber is a small run-off creek but we only go when dh is home because there is a bobcat living back there. In past years we've kept ant and worm farms, right now we have a tomato worm from last year still in his cocoon and, in another jar, a rotting piece of wood with slugs and snails in it. In the fall we collect the colorful leaves and keep them in a group sketchbook. In spring and summer we keep a small vegetable garden and a few pots of flowers. We don't do much more than keep the daily weather journal in winter and do more of the science reading instead.

A peek into our day:

Monday through Thursday

1) breakfast, morning walk

2) Independent studies, younger girls, in any order

*weather journal

*Bible story

*Math, graded & corrected

*Climbing to Good English

*Pathway and Reading

*Copywork

*History (M, W) or Science (T, Th)

2) Independent studies, older girls, in any order

*Bible with summary

*Math, graded & corrected

*Copy from Proverbs

*Reading from booklist

*Copywork from reading

*History (M, W) or Science (T, Th): copy facts from resource or write summary

3) Group work (if you want to call it that)

*Memory verses

*devotions with the little girls

*a sign (sign language) of the day, if you want to call that school :o) I just announce it in the morning.

Chores are immediately after school, then snack, then they are free to go outside and play with their friends. When the temperatures really start to rise, school will be pushed to start after lunch so the girls can play outside before the heat hits.

Friday

1) morning walk and nature study

2) library trip

3) grocery shopping

I still change and add things, for variety or if it's really good. I finally found a math I like the same time I found Pathway. It's Rod and Staff. Last year I found a book called Research in Increments that I'm going to give to my 16yo soon to help her learn to write formal reports. Right now I'm looking at Learn to Write the Novel Way. I might use it next year with my two older kids to mix it up, make things a little different. I use All Through the Ages to find more history books to add to the list. I bought Keepers of the Home this year for more ideas when the cold hits again. Being a resource not a week by week book it'll be easier to implement as any spare time will do.

Morning Nature Walk

2010-04-29T14:32:00.003-05:00

Our nature walk a day early:

A Frog Peeking at Us

Frog Eggs

Feeding the Geese

Tadpoles

A Few Nature Journal Entries

On the walk back home we saw a snake too. Fantastic day!

A Birthday!

2010-04-27T10:22:00.003-05:00

My darling hubby is 39 today.

Happy Birthday, My Love!

Current Tour Of My Home

2010-04-21T13:07:00.002-05:00

Have fun touring my home!

Bookshelves, My Desk beside the couch in the living room.

Down the hall (above photo on the right), first doorway on the left, dds 8yo, 10yo, 12yo bedroom, literally wall-to-wall beds:

Next doorway on the left is dds age 14yo, 16yo bedroom:

(from the doorway)

(toward the doorway)

At the end of the hall is the kid's bathroom:

Okay, back through the living room to the kitchen.
Right side:

Center:

Left:

Pantry (where the furnace used to be):

Down the hall (center kitchen picture at the right) on the left is dd 18yo & her son William's room.

Continuing down the hall is the laundry room:

Left side (grey basket is kitchen towels that need to be bleached, the blue basket is for bath towels, grey bucket is laundry soap):

Directly in front of the dryer, right side, most of my cleaning ingredients:

(at the right of the photo is our back door)

At the end of the hall is my bedroom:
my bed

little girls' dressers, taken from the doorway

Other side of my room

My bathroom (to the right of second pic of my bedroom), taken from the (broken) tub, that blue 'curtain' is a twin sized sheet we put up to separate the toilet from the sink so more than one littler kid can be in there at a time. (Michael the cat's back at the lower left)

And that's my house. Hope you had fun. Have a blessed week!

floorplan:

A Birthday in the House!

2010-04-20T12:57:00.004-05:00

My baby is EIGHT today!

Quickly updating

2010-04-14T19:39:00.005-05:00

Got another e-nudge today (thanks, Mary :-)) and realized I hadn't posted in over a month. Wow! Who knew that being the grandma to the new baby would take so much time. */wink/*

Baby Boy is getting big and starting to chat with us.

Aunty Sam and Aunty Nik are the ones behind the camera.

We've been doing some major spring cleaning. Got rid of a lot of junk, took the plastic off the windows, removed the cobwebs from the textured ceilings.

We started our daily morning walks again. Not sure exactly how far it is but we stop on the overpass and motion for the bigrigs to honk at us then come back. I think it's a little over a mile round trip.

My heart has been beating normally most of the time. There is still a weird little flutter that pops up every now and again but nothing like it was. */whoot!/*

I've been making summer school plans; essentially we ditch everything but math, nature science and Bible study. I'm using a new Bible study with the little girls that involve crafts (OT & NT).

We pretty much know what we want to plant in the garden this year but we have to wait until we can buy more dirt for the boxes. :-/

We've pulled out the camping checklist and are making notes on some convenience things we'd like to buy. Can't wait to go camping. It's so peaceful and fun.

Baby Sounds

2010-03-04T14:44:00.005-06:00

Half awake:

And lastly-- Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers!! (with Aunty Sam)

First Car Ride

2010-02-26T22:11:00.005-06:00

Here is Little William waiting to be put in the car for his first ride to his other grandma's for the weekend. Isn't he sweet?
He's grown about an inch in length and gained almost two pounds.

I Love Being Snowed In

2010-02-21T14:41:00.004-06:00

The snow is still coming down.....
Everyone is sitting in their jammies, just doing their own thing; humming and singing can be heard in all directions, beautiful voices joining every so often to complete a chorus....

Baby William listens intently, taking it all in...

These days are my favorite.

Baby William Otis, One Week Later

2010-02-16T15:58:00.004-06:00

I didn't clarify earlier that Little William is named after his grandpa -- Otis. :o)Awww!

Before We Left the Hospital Today

2010-02-06T15:51:00.005-06:00

William opened his little eyes wide to take a gander at all these girls gathered around him:

Dd got ready to feed him as we left.

More Pics of the Wee Boy

2010-02-06T06:45:00.004-06:00

I am so proud of my daughter. She labored naturally with only a quarter shot of a demerol type relaxant early on. She breathed with me and called to me when the contractions got bad but she stayed strong. She kept getting asked "do you want an epidural?" and I kept getting asked "are you really the grandma?" HaHaHa! The daddy was squeamish so I got to cut the cord! What an incredible experience. As if having your own kids doesn't make you proud enough, watching them have their kids makes you that much more.

Labor time from beginning to end= 9 hours; just like mine with her. Dd only wants two kids though, not six. */shrug/* psht... Go figure.

Side note: This is the first morning in a week I've woke up without skipping every sixth beat of my heart.

Please Welcome

2010-02-05T22:13:00.002-06:00

William Otis O...
5lb 12oz
18in long
born at 7:39 pm February 5, 2010

Not Afraid

2010-02-04T11:30:00.003-06:00

More like angry, bubbling rage, right in the center of my chest. I hate that I am the cause of even more difficulty to my family. Yes, that means dh is making me go to a doctor for my heart. It starts the miss-beat in the morning as soon as I get up and doesn't stop until I take one of those "9 hours in la-la land" lorazepam (yes, dh makes me take the evil pills). Just one visit to the doctor is going to take next weeks budget for groceries, just the walk in the door fee. I'm sure they are going to want to do extra tests and labs and a prescription. What do I do about that, how do I pay for it? I bet that doctor doesn't go home to an empty fridge and only potatoes, spaghetti and tuna in the pantry. Just want to stand outside and scream "F*CK!" then curl up into a ball and never look out again.

We're stuck and I can't figure out how to get us unstuck.

Spent the Morning in the ER

2010-01-31T23:50:00.004-06:00

I woke up with a fluttering in the rhythm of my heart. Every few minutes it was missing a beat. It's happened before but I put it off to being awake for 56 hours. This time there was no cause. I just woke up feeling funny. The ER took blood, an xray and ekg. My heart is fine but was going from 60 to 90+ every few minutes. Unfortunately it didn't skip once while they were listening (of course). The doc said "anxiety". Hunh???! My stress isn't any more now than the day dh and I got married. I'm pretty laid back. We've always had this battle with money, it's not new. One step forward, five steps back-- that's how things go here. The doc prescribed lorazepam that I will never take. Hate to break it to him but the only anxiety I experienced today was after I got to the hospital, when I started thinking "how the hell am I going to pay this er bill?" He's guessing and I'm not a lab rat. I've felt like someone socked me in the chest all day. After a nap, my heart started the same fluttering miss-beat. After being awake an hour it seems to be gone but I still feel like someone punched me in the chest. Dh was supposed to leave for SD today, more money we've lost. He'll have to leave tomorrow but I don't want him to. I don't want to be alone if something happens. I'm rambling now. Gotta get to bed because it's midnight. Love to my honey. I wish you could stay home with me.

Severe Cold + Vehicles = Bad Bad Things!!!

2010-01-17T22:39:00.006-06:00

(two weeks ago)
-17 degree temperatures are not good for:

2000 Dodge Vans (my idler pulley, the bearings froze and the belt melted the plastic pulley)

Or semi-trucks (neither the block heater nor the anti gel chemicals in the fuel could stand against the temps; dh's fuel gelled up so badly we had to have the poor thing towed)

Wait a minute! I thought sucky-2009 was over! What's going on here?! I hope the rest of 2010 shapes up! */sheesh*/

Drinking to Remember

2010-01-03T18:29:00.000-06:00

Yummmmm!

The flavors of my childhood are back. :o)

Too bad they aren't permanent. :o(

A Birthday Today

2010-01-02T13:31:00.001-06:00

This little angel is 10 today !!!

Love the Season

2009-12-30T17:33:00.003-06:00

but *really* glad it's over. Thanksgiving to Christmas is my favorite time of year but by the time the first of January rolls around I'm glad it's over. I'm thinking toward 2010 now, more than ready to leave 2009 behind.

Settling In

2009-12-24T02:16:00.005-06:00

for a comfy, cozy weekend with my family.

Praying for all those who can't be home for the holidays.

Have a Merry Christmas!

My mistake... NOW it's cold!

2009-12-09T16:58:00.003-06:00

Negative number wind chill, single digit temperature. */shiver, shiver/*

Dh made it as far as the Missouri City rest area on his way back from Rapid City....and had to stay there until after ten this morning because the plows weren't running through the rest areas. He finally got moving and should be close to the distribution center now. He saw vehicle after vehicle off in the ditches, mostly 4x4s and SUVs.

Brrrr! It's COLD!!

2009-12-07T11:35:00.005-06:00

Wind chill of 11 degrees!! But our fire is oh-so warm. */contented sigh/*

Dh is on his way up to Rapid City, SD where the low for tomorrow is -5.

The kids have been after me to make a new house cleaning routine so today is as good as any to work on that.

I also have two different stories, one fantasy and one science fiction, brewing in my head. I'm not ready to write anything on either yet but almost ready to start a brainstorming session on one or both.

Well, I'm off to get some work done. Have a blessed week!

Thanksgiving @ Our House (and a bit on the day after)

2009-11-27T17:02:00.010-06:00

Getting the Turkey ready, about 10am

Then the pies (Thanksgiving, Christmas & Easter are the only days we get pie so we make a lot)

While the kids & Daddy played Disney Scene It

As I assembled the side dishes (green bean casserole, yams, rolls) the kids put the tree up and decorated it

Time to make mashed potatoes so I enlisted some help

The turkey was done at 3:30pm and we ate while watching The Santa Clause

What was your Black Friday purchase? This was mine....

Wishing Everyone

2009-11-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Finished Pantry

2009-11-25T23:49:00.003-06:00

Because of the holiday and no deliveries Thursday dh got home early this morning, about 2am. Yay!

Today we were able to dig all the pieces to the pantry out of the shed and put it together.

Isn't it gorgeous? I love it.

I DID IT!!!!

2009-11-21T23:32:00.002-06:00

It's done! I finished! Actually *finished* the story!!!! WooHoo!!!!

I've reached 50,000 words in years past but the story was never finished. This year is a new type of win for me-- 50,000 *and* finished.

Oh boy, my wrists hurt.

Another NaNoWriMo Almost Over

2009-11-20T23:38:00.004-06:00

I'm to the point that I just want it over but I'm sad to see it go. Does that make sense? Anyway, I've got to write 9611 words till the end and the book is plugging right along where it should be, beginning "Act 3" tomorrow. My thoughts have already started turning toward new novel ideas, non-NaNoWriMo ones that will be thought out and planned.

Well, I'm off to get some sleep as I've only gotten two, two hour stretches of zzz's in the last forty-eight hours. Insomnia (stress?). */sigh/*

Happy Birthday to Nikki!!

2009-11-18T13:29:00.001-06:00

She is 14 !!!

Whew! I did it!

2009-11-16T23:54:00.004-06:00

My goal was to hit 30,000 by the end of the day and I did!!!

30,046 words - 60% done - WooHoo!

It's such a fantastic feeling to meet a goal you've set for yourself!

Now I'm off to read some before sleep.

Look What We Woke Up To!!

2009-11-16T11:25:00.002-06:00

It's so beautiful!

I *LOVE* snow!

Writing to Keep from Thinking

2009-11-15T19:27:00.004-06:00

Meeting my word count has been almost too easy this year. Thinking about why, it's because of the financial difficulties we've been having. Anyone who reads my blog knows that we've been going through some uncomfortable things. Nearly $1000 in repairs and about $3000 in pay over the last four weeks have not fixed the truck. The bills are behind, very behind; the savings is gone; the shelves & cupboards are empty. We can't afford more repairs, the shop has gotten it all already. Money doesn't go into the maintenance fund without driving but the truck isn't safe to drive. The maintenance fund is what pays for repairs on the truck. Nothing gets paid unless the wheels on that truck are turning. */argh!/*

Dh left today on faith. Faith that God wouldn't leave him stranded somewhere, faith that something good will come from all of this.

I write. If I don't write I try to see an end to all this mess. I have panic attacks when I think too far ahead: catching up the bills, rebuilding savings, paying property taxes, Christmas, filling the food shelves */sigh/*. The panic is out there, just to the back of my mind, circling, prowling, waiting for me to drop my defenses. Writing has helped keep it back. I do *not* however recommend going to such extremes to participate in National Novel Writing Month. :-S :-)

Keep writing, we are half way through.

Better Every Day

2009-11-08T23:34:00.003-06:00

I hadn't written anything in so long I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish NaNoWriMo this year but I'm getting my word-goal done faster every day. Yay!

NaNoWriMo tip:
change your font color to white or 10% grey (mine is grey) that way you can't see what you are writing and your inner editor can't gripe about how crappy it is. :-)

Keep writing!

Found My Timing

2009-11-07T00:06:00.003-06:00

It's taken a few tries but I finally found my timing. I work really well under the pressure of a ticking clock. Knowing this, I've started my writing countdown at 10pm because I have to update my total for the day before midnight. I set the alarm on my phone and write, write, write until it goes off at 11:55pm. It's working really well, keeping me on my fingertips. I've been making my words plus some. Whooot!

Another trick I'm using:

a penny on the backspace so every time I try to go for it I bump the penny instead. It's taking a while but I'm getting used to it.

This is the Master Chief watching me type (making sure I get my word count in for the day?)

Resistance is Futile so Give It to Someone to Hold for Ransom

2009-11-04T21:22:00.005-06:00

*/teeth grit/* */muscles straining/* Must res....

*/pulling/* */fighting/* Must resist....

*/slapping the wayward hand/* Must resist pla....

*/hands case to dh/* */dh runs far and fast/* Must resist playing HALO! Need to write!

It's going okay. I had an outline and characters and most of a plot but when Nov 1 rolled around I opened a word document and went "duhrrr". The ideas stalled, the pictures in my head turned to static and my fingers just froze on the keyboard. It was a struggle but I just started typing, nonsense and random things that popped into my head. Now it's flowing a little easier. */holds up pinched fingers/* Little easier.

Back to writing!

Had to do it again! Look! Look! Look!

2009-11-01T11:54:00.003-06:00

The truck died at the fuel pumps this morning, sizzling through a 50 amp fuse and starting on an 80. Dh called me to come move him so I grabbed 16yo dd and the camera.

If You're Ready

2009-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

And even if you're not,

press the red button to shut off your inner editor

press the green button to start the journey.

6 Days, 12 Hours

2009-10-25T11:36:00.002-05:00

Until National Novel Writing Month. 50,000 words in 30 days. Are you ready?

I'm ready. Sort of. Maybe a little not ready. */wink/* */grin/*

I haven't written a word since August-ish (?). :-/ I'm practicing by writing 1000 words per day on a given subject.

I've broken up November with word count / content goals, like this:

Nov 1 - 7: 12,500-- introduce characters in their "world" then wreck it and make them move to a new "world"

Nov 8 - 14: 25,000-- characters meet new people and learn to live by the new "world's" rules; introduce the bad guy and decide on a plan to defeat the bad guy, the first show down is a big fat failure

Nov 15 - 21: 37,500-- a new plan is formed and new things need to be found to kill the bad guy, main characters go head-to-head with the bad guy and seem to fail

Nov 22 - 30: 50,000-- the good guys win but with casualties, they start picking up the pieces and try to return to an ordinary life

Okay, enough procrastinating, back to it.