How to Clean Your StoveTop

I spent some time this last month, cooking and canning apples like you wouldn't believe. My house was full of apple butter, apple sauce, and apple juice. I have dried apples and frozen bags of apples. If I see another apple again, it will be a miracle :)

However, I spilled applesauce on my stove top and didn't notice it until it was a burnt on, crusty, nasty, yechy mess. I couldn't get it off, no matter what I did. I scrubbed and scrubbed, used Soft Scrub, and Bar Keeper's Friend. I had given up and decided that my stove top was going to be nasty permanently.
I asked a group of friends if they had any ideas and one came back with this one..."Put a fabric softener sheet on top of it then dip a sponge in the hottest water possible and place on top of softener sheet. Let it sit until the sponge cools. It should come of with little effort."
I tried it, and it worked! Golly, gee willekers, it worked!!!
I have heard of using fabric softener for different things, but this was the first time that I used it to clean my stove. Thanks, Amy! You saved my kitchen!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Invisible

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the
phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't
you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of
hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is
it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick me up right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum
laude -- but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never
to be seen again.
She's going ... she's going ... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return
of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a
fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she
stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put
together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked
down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find
that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and
I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was
feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To
Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read -- no, devour -- the book. And I
would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths,
after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the
great cathedrals-- we have no record of their names. These builders
gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They
made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their
building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving
a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a
beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte.
I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you
does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no
cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what
it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of
my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn
pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.
As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could
ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people
willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at
4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table."

That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just
want him to want to come home.
And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
"You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the
world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty
that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

I'm invisible.......

If You Give a Homeschooling Mom a Cookie....

*If you give a Homeschooling Mom a Cookie
*by Sher Birmingham
==================================================================

If you give a Homeschooling Mom a cookie, she'll want the recipe.

She will plan a complete unit study on the History of Cookies.

The family will take field trip to a farm and see where we get eggs, milk and grain.

At home they will make butter out of milk.

The children will want to start grinding their own grain.

Mom will purchase a Bosch Universal Kitchen System.

She will remember she will need a new list of cookbooks.

So she will order An Introduction To Whole Grain Baking w/ CD, Desserts, The Cooking With Children CD, and Lunches & Snacks Cookbook by Sue Gregg, also Whole Foods for Kids to Cook.

Mom orders a 100 lb bag of wheat berries.

Now she will grind her own wheat grain into flour.

The children remember the farm field trip and knowing they can't possibly get a cow they beg for a few chickens.

So to a trip to the library to research how to build a chicken coop and to how to care for chickens.

On the way out the door Mom sees the book, Chicken Tractor, by Andy Lee & Pat Foreman.

They stop by the Feed and Seed to pick up materials and ask where to purchase the chicks.

There the clerk tells them about eggs that can be incubated.

He sells them a book on hatching eggs, eggs, and incubator.

At home Mom and the younger children set up the incubator while Dad and the older children build the chicken tractor.

Back to the library to pick up gardening books and more books on chickens.

The oldest daughter now starts a business grinding flour for the her friend's families.

While her younger sisters are selling homemade cookies to their neighbors.

The boys have started building a new chicken tractor because they want more eggs for breakfast.

That cookie that started this all the homeschooling mom's three year old ate it.

Apples....

Women are like apples. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

October is Fire Safety Month

Since it's Fire Safety Month, we went to the local fire station to see the trucks and talk to the firemen about their jobs. We had such a good time! Nick got to have the paramedics take a "picture of his heart"Aaron and Ka loved to sit in the big engines!
The fireman showed us all the equipment that they need to carry with them in the engine's compartments.
The kids enjoyed taking turns laying on the stretcher in the ambulance.

Wordless Wednesday

OAMC....

One A Month Cooking...

A favorite of many frugal gurus. I tried it a couple of times myself. Really! I spent hours, looking at menus, comparing to sale items at the store, then shopping, cutting, dicing, chopping, frying, baking, and boiling. I ran 2 crock pots simultaneously (not for the weak!) and had all four burners on the stove going. I made a mess like you wouldn't believe in my kitchen. It took me 2 days to dig myself out of it!
And, of course, because I had spent more than my budget at the grocery store to make the extra items out of leftovers (to save me money, doncha know), I didn't have the money to go out to eat like the "experts" of once a month cooking do. I was exhausted, and frankly, sick of food. I had too many smells, textures, and whatnot going on already. And I really didn't feel like making any food for my family. They wound up eating cold cereal for a couple of nights while I recovered.
Once a month cooking is a good way to avoid going out to eat, for those nights when you are too busy running to think about thawing. Pulling a prepared casserole out and just throwing it in the oven is really nice. But getting there stinks!!!
What I have done recently to save money and yet have some "freezer meals" ready is a lot simpler. I have taken an inventory of all the food items in my house. I keep a "master" list with everything on there. When I take something out, I simply cross it off. This way, I can see at a glance what I have in my kitchen at any time. I can plan a meal without starting into the fridge or cabinet and hoping that something would magically appear, steaming hot, nutritious and ready to serve. When I take something out, I will make double or triple and then freeze the extra. At the end of the month, I usually have about 2 weeks worth of meals that take us through and stretch our budget a little more.
Buying things on sale and stocking up are essential. But, having an idea of what you have in your pantry makes meal-making so much more efficient and easy to do. Try it!! Just take a plain piece of notebook paper and divide it into 2 sections...freezer and pantry. I don't usually use "fridge" because that tends to change a lot faster. Then just write down what you have. You can then go through and make up a "meals idea" list with your list of inventory. My picky eaters like have an option of what to have for dinner, and this has settled a few meal time arguments.
It takes a little work, remembering to cross off your items, but you will be able to stay organized. Good luck!

Proverbs 31 for the Modern Woman

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies-- so buy her diamonds.

Her husband knows that she has everything under control and he has nothing to complain about.

She is the source of the goodness in his life -- not the harm.

She selects denim and cotton-poly blends from the discount rack and works eagerly with her hands to remove the price stickers so her children will not know that their trendy clothes were bought on clearance.

She shops at Target and Walmart and occasionally goes all the way across town to Meijer in order to get the best value for her money.

She is up before the sun, pouring cereal and packing lunches.

She considers an old dresser at a yard sale and buys it, and with the money she saved on her grocery bill, she is able to buy paint and new knobs for the dresser.

She sets about her work vigorously; she can carry two loads of laundry and a child without breaking a sweat.

She sells the dresser on E-Bay and stays up late waiting to see how much profit she's made. She replaces missing buttons and mends holds in everyone's clothing.

She donates to the food bank and gives blood regularly.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household -- it's too bad if they don't like the bright red hats and scarves; at least they'll be warm.

She makes the beds and manages to pull together matching outfits for herself.

Her husband goes off to work, where he sits with the other businessman.

She chooses something she's good at and figures out how to make money by doing it.

Outwardly, she is clothed with strength and dignity, even if she's missing an under-wire and she had to grab a longer skirt to hide the huge hold in her pantyhose. She can laugh at the days to come because all the kids' science projects are done, and last year's Halloween costume will be adequate for the school play.

She speaks with wisdom, and consistent instruction is on her tongue.

She pays the bills and makes sure everyone gets to the right swimming lessons on the right day. She does not eat the bread of idleness, because she is on Atkins.

Her children yell, "Thanks, Mom" as they grab their lunch and run out the door. Her husband also says, " Thanks babe, you're the best."

Charm only gets you so far, and beauty is temporary, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her respect wherever she goes.

Monday

ONLY 9 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

$60 a week for a family of 5

Now, I have heard in the past that people who are frugal have spent an average of $40 a week for a family of 4. I used to laugh at that...hysterically!!! Until I was able to get close to an average of that myself. How, you ask? Well, I am going to share with you some secrets that I have learned.


I find myself with $50. I went to the bread store (which was a 20 mile drive, but worth it) and found all their sales. I got whole grain, organic bread for 79 cents a loaf. Tortilla shells for 50 cents a package. I stocked up, and only spent $24. I then went to this discount outlet store near us. They have really awesome sales. I found hot dogs for 25 cents a package, hamburger for .99/lb and bacon for .99 package (no kidding!!!). I spent $26 here. That was my $50 for that week.

The next week, I went to Aldi and found dry goods such as noodles, mac and cheese, some chips, crackers, and "treats" for the kids. I spent $115. I was then able to put the remaining $75 away for our big purchase of a side of beef. Do we skimp on meat here? The answer is a big resounding NO!

But, we do use leftovers. I don't throw much, if anything away. I always try and either make something new out of it, or just have a "leftover" night.
One idea for leftover night is to make up your own "menus" and list what you have for leftovers. Your family can have dinner "restaurant style" and each person picks out their own meal.

If you don't have a bread store or discount outlet store near you, take heart. You can stock up on bread when it's on sale, stock up on meat when it goes on sale near you. So, you eat more chicken one week or more hamburger or more pork. Creativity is the key. You can do it!!!

Empty Me

Holy Fire, burn away

My desire, for anything

That is not of You

And is of me

I want more of You

And less of me



Empty me, empty me

Fill, won't You fill me

With You, with You?

Mohandas Gandhi Quotes

I know, to banish anger altogether from one's breast is a difficult task. It cannot be achieved through pure personal effort. It can be done only by God's grace.

Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.

Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

Action expresses priorities.

God is, even though the whole world deny him. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.


I do all the evil I can before I learn to shun it? Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil too well to give it up.

The real ornament of woman is her character, her purity.

A Night to Remember

All day yesterday, the weather was just weird. It would be dark and rainy one moment, then sunny and windy the next. No other way to explain it, but weird. After dinner, we jaunted over to my daughter's friend's house to see her new glasses. Got poured on. By the time we drove the .2 of a mile home, it stopped. Weird.

Put the kids to bed and started watching a movie with hubby. Hadn't seen this one, and was really looking forward to it. Had no idea what was going on. Around 10:15, we heard the volunteer fire dept/emts from our town driving by. The fire department is about 2 blocks from our house, and we see them regularly. But, for some reason, we could hear their siren. What???!! We never heard it before...then, it hit us...it was the tornado siren! In October???!!!

Hubby and I took off like a flash to see the sky outside. Oh, it was eerie. The wind that was blowing earlier had all but died out. And the sky seemed to scream silently. Karl looked at me and said, "Get the kids!". I ran upstairs and yelled at Ka to wake up and get downstairs, and carried both boys (who, by the way weigh a TON when they are sleeping). I laid them on the couches downstairs and flipped on the TV. The sirens were still blaring at the top of the sound barrier. I went outside with Karl again and felt it. I have never seen a tornado before, and have always wanted to, but I could feel the air. We went to the basement and the kids were terrified. I kept telling them it would be okay, but my daughter, analytical as ever, retorted, "You are just saying that to make us feel better." (ya think?)

After about 10 minutes, I went upstairs and looked outside. Storm chaser wanna be that I am, I wanted to grab my keys and go, but I had to think of the kids. It was over in our area, anyway. A town about 10 miles south of us got hit really hard. There was a house that wound up on the train tracks, and a few buildings effectively relocated or redecorated.

I found out today that the tornado had only been about a mile from our house when it touched down. Man!!! I wanted a chance to see that baby! Hubby works with a guy that was caught in the gym in the town where it hit. He was playing basketball when they felt something weird. When they tried to open the door, the vacuum prevented it. They hid in the bathroom just in time for the roof to go flying off. Amazingly, no one was hurt in all this. I am so grateful that people were all right.

There is this tour, the Silver Lining Tour that will take you through tornado alley for an entire week chasing. I am thinking that next spring, I will have to sign up!!

The Curse of the Credit Card

You walk in the brick building and are greeted with blinding lights. Your eyes try to adjust, but it seems like your brain has burned the bright image until that is all you can see. You stumble along, trying to see all the bright colors that await you, the plasticy smiles of people all over, trying to get your attention. Your nose meets with a plethora of smells, as you are continually sprayed with the latest designer fragrance. You feel dizzy, just looking at all the racks, the brightly colored signs, and all those lights. You, my friend, are in a department store.


With the ease of applying for instant credit these days, and the draw of "$10 off your first purchase", how can you resist that perfect little dress/shoes/purse? Just a quick swipe of a seemingly harmless card and you are off! No cash out of your pocket, no checks to write. And the glee of shopping has hit. After 10-12 more swipes, you are ready to go home. You put your new clothes/shoes/purses in the closet, aware that you might need something else to go with them. Like a place to wear it? So, you get all dolled up with your hot little number, and go out for a fancy dinner. After all, it's just another swipe of your card.

Then, about 25 days later, reality hits. You get the bill. How could 11 little swipes add up to $1,280???? No way!!! You check it over, and yes, there's the dress, that's the one for the shoes, oh, there's the one for dinner. It's all there. Well, you don't have $1280 just laying dormant in your checking account. What to do? Oh, wait! There's the answer! The handy dandy MINIMUM PAYMENT. You can pay $35 today and the rest at another time. So, you write out the check, mail it off, and feel pretty good.
And then, you start the whole process over again. But this time, it's with a new credit card. You can't spend more on the first one, you maxed that out the last time. And before you know it, you get another bill for $1500 and send off the minimum payment. The whole crazy cycle keeps repeating, with shopping sprees to the department store, buying shoes, makeup, cool little gadgets you see on TV, a new TV, a new computer, the latest Apple iPod, a cool new cell phone...

Somewhere along the line, you became $10,000 deep in credit card debt! How did this happen? You really don't have much to show for it...the clothes went to Good Will some time ago, the shoes no longer "in style", the TV at the dump for the broken screen, the computer outdated and the iPod upgraded several months ago. You are not alone. Many people are in your predicament. The minimum payments are getting out of control, and you are buried. One missed paycheck away from bankruptcy.

So, you refinance your house. You get a little higher of an interest rate, and of course, you no longer have equity, but you are out of the credit card debt. The collectors can stop calling you now. Well...maybe. Like a lot of people, you go out and spend wisely. You only put things on the credit cards that you NEED, like gas and groceries. Well, your 10 year old really NEEDED to have some new shoes for school, and that trumpet rental payment was due again. Your son threw a rock into your kitchen window, only to realize that it wasn't open and you needed to get a new window. Now, you are able to justify all your expenditures. Before you know it, you are now deeper in credit card debt, with no home equity to help you out.

You try and make arrangements with all your creditors, which seems to satisfy them for the time being, but you know that you are hopelessly out of control. Now, hubby comes home and tells you that his overtime that you have been counting on has been cut. And they are laying people off left and right. Not to worry, you can always pick up a second job. But, you don't know when you are going to be able to apply, let alone work. With school activities, and sports, laundry, grocery shopping, house cleaning, plus your own full time job away from home, you are already exhausted. How are you going to do all this???

Again, you are not alone. Many, many people have been in your shoes. Myself included. There is a way out, and you don't have to file bankruptcy. The steps are simple, executing them somewhat difficult and living that way long term a commitment. But, it CAN be done.
First thing to do is to stop using the credit cards! They are hurting you, not helping you. Then, you need to prioritize your debts. You need to pay off whatever you can. Start with the smallest balance, then work your way to paying that off. Once that is paid off, then use that money towards another one. Don't forget to plan for savings, even if it's only $5 a week. You need to have something to fall on in case of an emergency so that you don't fall back into the credit card trap.
If you find that they are more than you can handle, then possibly a debt counseling agency is the way for you to go. Please be sure to read all the fine print before you sign. Some are actually cheaper than others in regards to fees they charge.
Once you have your credit card debt paid off, you can begin to focus on other debts. Being debt free does take time, effort, and a lot of sacrifice in the beginning, but the benefits are so worth it. There is a time for credit cards. But, don't use them for credit. You can very easily fall back into the trap that you have spent time and energy getting out of.
If you do decide to use a credit card again, try this trick: Every time you pull it out to use, subtract that amount from your check book balance. When your bill comes, you will have already accounted for the money out from your budget. Then you can pay your bill in full. The best thing to do is not to use credit, but use a debit checking card. They look and act like a credit card, but without all those fees and interest charges since they withdraw money directly from your checking account.

Wednesday Bargain Hunting

Well, the kids and I had been going through our closets recently. As you may have guessed it, they had outgrown most of their winter clothes from last year. Of course, our budget for clothes is nearly non existent at this time. What's a dime savin' diva to do?

You get together with a bunch of other families and have a clothing swap!!

You find a place to have it, put up some tables for different categories such as infants, 2T, 3T, boys/girls, accessories, shoes, coats, you get the idea. Then you have people bring their gently used, outgrown clothing. They in turn, get "bucks" to spend at this "store". We had priced each item as $1 and .50 for shoes, and $5 for coats just to make it easier. After people bring their things in, you determine a fair price and hand them their bucks. And you let people shop. We had also accepted cash if people didn't have enough "bucks" or they had brought other people in to shop.
My darling son wound up with 7 pairs of pants, my daughter found "the dress of all dresses"(it has a lot of twirl factor), and I found a coat for my 3 year old.

At the end of the store day, we gave things away to whomever needed them and the money went towards a missionary. Good bargain hunting, I'd say! Stay tuned for more ideas you can use to save $$$$$!

Wordless Wednesday for real this time!! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Yeah, I know that it's only Tuesday, but I just had to laugh at this "oldie, but goodie".

Monday, Monday, Monday

"Oh...it looks like someone has a case of the Mondays!!"
That would be me. Mondays are usually busy for us. School in the morning, band for daughter after lunch, then trying to fit more school in the afternoon, nap for the 3 year old, then TaeKwonDo for son after dinner. Run, run. Usually, I don't mind the schedule myself, and the kids do enjoy their activities. Today was different.

As a spur of the moment thing, last night, I decided with a friend that we wanted to go see a movie at the dollar theater. They have "family day" on Mondays and the movies are only 50 cents. Cool, that fits into my budget :)! We saw that Pixar film, Ratatoullie. It was so cute! I laughed, I cried...

You'd think that would have made my day fun! Well, yeah. And so was the fun that I had visiting with my friend after the movie. But, something was missing....

Have you ever felt like you were spinning around and around in circles? That your day was in a downward spiral and you were helpless to stop it from going completely out of control? That was me today. For some reason, I just couldn't get a grip. I felt like I was frazzled beyond belief.

Then it hit me. Like a ton of bricks. Yeooowch!!! I forgot to sit quietly before my God and let Him fill me with peace. That's why God commands us to "Be still!" (Psalm 46:10). We need to let Him be God. When the Psalmist said "He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23) he was saying that we need to just relax. We get so busy with all the things there are to do for God, that we forget to spend time WITH God. We are out being God's little managers of His universe. Too busy to spend time at the feet of Jesus. Now, I am not saying that we aren't supposed to be out there, doing what He has called for us to do, but what I AM saying is simply this:
With all the things that there are to do in a day, week, month, year, we need to get right back down to the basics. Prioritize. Take out what isn't really essential. For those of us who are called to homeschool, maybe it means not doing certain activities. You just can't fit in three prayer groups, 2 field trips, 2 church services, dinner at a friends, counseling time, and homeschooling, family time and God all in one week. It just doesn't work, no matter how you try and get it done.

Go back to the heart of worship and let it be all about Jesus. Sure, field trips are nice, but do you really need to do all the things that other homeschoolers are doing? Sure, prayer groups are wonderful, and corporate prayer is essential for the spiritual battle, but do you really need to try and fit in three different ones? What are you doing to sit at the feet of Jesus and just "be still"?

We need to focus more on Mary, not Martha. Sure, what Martha did was awesome, wonderful, and even necessary. We would applaud her for being able to juggle all her activities. She was would probably be able to homeschool six kids at different grade levels with seven basic subjects, speak Latin, Greek and 5 other obscure languages, have all her kids playing several instruments, and being the den mother in boy scouts, leader in girl scouts, have all the fund raisers under way for 4-H and any and all sports activies. We would marvel at her ways of being frugal and shopping at seven different stores just to buy all the sale items. She would hand sew all her family's clothes, have a huge garden that produced enough veggies to take to the nursing homes, and always be dressed to the tee and a perfect size six.
Whew!!!! I am exhausted just thinking and writing about this!!! Martha sure loved Jesus. But, she was so busy FOR Him, that she didn't spend time WITH Him. And then, there was Mary.

Mary probably didn't have a "perfect" homeschooling schedule. She probably spent time reading, and maybe playing with her kids at the park on a warm sunny day rather than doing math. She would be the type that maybe didn't have the "in" haircut or clothes. She would be clean and have her kids all dressed in nice clean clothes. Maybe her garden produced a lot of veggies because her kids worked in it, too. I would imagine her saying "NO" to a lot of things outside her family life because it would take away from what was really important. Sitting at the feet of the Master. Mary sure had it all together, didn't she? When you look at the story, you realize that Mary did the only thing that mattered.

That's where perfect peace comes in. When we sit at the feet of Jesus, and ask Him what our schedule should look like. He will tell you if you should be going on a field trip, or if your kids should be involved in all those extra things, if you let Him. And you aren't going to get that direction unless you stop running and just "Be still!".

So, stop reading this and get over there with God and let Him tell you what He has in mind for you today!!! And thanks for being here with me, too!

Unit Studies

Ok...we're going to take the plunge!!! We are putting away some (1/2) of our "textbooks" for our homeschool and taking a giant leap of faith to delve into unit studies. I have been inspired by reading Valerie Bendt's book, "How to Create Your Own Unit Study". I have been looking for a way to get my kids more excited about learning history and science and couldn't find "the" book. I think this may be the way. If it works out, we may incorporate our spelling and grammar into this as well...next year. I need some time to acclimate myself into this. My children are so far advanced from their grade level in so many areas that it's been difficult. Hubby thinks that this will be cool.
It incorporates a lot of reading. Real books from the library or our shelf. My kids like to read, and that will make this fun. However, our study on the Pilgrims may be more of the Indians for my son, but that's okay, too. At this point, whatever it takes.
What are some of the ways that you homeschool your kids? Has that changed from the beginning of the school year? How about last year?

Thankful Thursday

Things I am thankful for today...


An extra quilt to cuddle with on chilly days
A slobbery kiss from a 3 year old
The smell of banana bread baking
A techie hubby to fix my computer
An artistic 9 year old to cover my fridge with artwork
A loving 7 year old to make my day with warm hugs
To live in a land of freedom to homeschool
To be able to worship God any time I choose
To be alive and have another day to serve God

Wordless Wednesday

Lion of the Tribe of Judah

For a long time now, about a week, I have been trying to figure out how to use this picture on my blog. Do I use it as a Wordless Wednesday thing? Or how about a really cool lesson from my soap box? I think I will just leave you with this...

In that day, the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent. Leviathan that twisted serpent: And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea. Isaiah 27:1

Sunday Sayings

A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.

Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.

Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID that he just whipped out a quarter?

Ever notice how irons have a setting for permanent press? I don't get it.

I have an answering machine in my car. It says, I'm home now. But leave a message and I'll call when I'm out.

I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time.

I think it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.

I went to a general store but they wouldn't let me buy anything specific.


I wrote a song, but I can't read music. Every time I hear a new song on the radio I think, "Hey, maybe I wrote that."

If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?

Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories.


THANKS TO STEVEN WRIGHT FOR HIS HILARIOUS COMMENTS!!!

Nick's Green Belt Promotion!!

Yessirree!!! My "baby" got his green TaeKwonDo belt today. He worked so hard these last couple weeks to really get it right. Unfortunatly, our camera (which is old enough to go into the Smithsonian for digital cameras) eats batteries, and we only got 2 pictures. But, we have the memories. It was beautiful. He really did a nice job. Yeah for Nick!!!
Nick was all about focus with that board today!

Like a twig!!!

WannaWaves

We had the most fun today of any school day that we can remember! Splash Universe opened up in Northern Indiana, just a mere 30 minutes from us. They had their grand opening today, but gave the homeschoolers in the area (who happened to be on the ball enough to RSVP quick enough) a FREE day...we got in for 4 hours, had pizza, hot dogs, fries, and pop all FREE. The kids had such a blast! My three year old and I even went down their huge "Vortex" slide two times! I think I was screaming louder than he was! It was definately the most fun of all days! However, I realized how out of shape I am. I laid down for a nap when we came home, and when my friend called, it HURT to answer the phone. I realized just how close we were to burnout already today. Nothing like spending 4 hours getting soaked to cure that! :)
Of course, being the homeschooling mom that I am, I couldn't resist a "math lesson" on the way home. We discussed the amount of money the place spent on us, adding the price of the food and multiplying it by the number of people we heard were there. Had to do SOME school....

Worldless Wednesday...almost

Hubby's twin!!!!

Say What???

Some people have asked me how my husband supports our family. Well, to be honest, his main job is as a computer techie in charge of new product development. However, taking dares for money has it's benefits. Since he has long hair (techie style), the guys at work often tease him. One of them offered $20 if he would wear his hair in pony tails. Since he always goes a step further than required...

Erma Bombeck Quotes

I used to enjoy reading Erma Bomeck...even as a teen. I hope these pieces bring as mile to your day!

Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?


Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely.

My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?

There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, "Yes, I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams." Then they put the box away and bring it out once in awhile to look in it, and yep, they're still there.


There is one thing I have never taught my body how to do and that is to figure out at 6 A.M. what it wants to eat at 6 P.M.



When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".