A Facelift

There are several small projects we're tackling while Jamey is on winter break and several motivations involved.  One is that while certain arrangements of areas have worked well in the past, a growing family necessitates change.  Another motivation is to make areas easier to live in/more functional.  A third is the desire to rid our home of things we no longer need/use.  For us, this means donating them to a thrift store that supports MCC with it's proceeds or taking the items to consignment.  Another reason may be the fact that Jamey and I have been watching episodes of Hoarders lately (via Netflix) and while we are not hoarders, the show does point out the illogical thinking that's involved in keeping things you will not use/need (in a reasonable amount of time).  Others could make much better use of most of it.

Living in a 120-year-old house with little closet/storage space makes making these challenges...well...challenging. Especially when we're committed spending very little money to make these changes happen.

The project we started with was our laundry room.  The picture below shows the room in full-use mode.  I don't have a before picture, but imagine there is no shelving above the washing machine.  The shelves are what we added.  Where else am I going to store roller skate and blade boxes, gift bags to reuse, beach toys beach towels, and my tool box?

Over the past couple weeks, we focused on our mud room.  If this room was truly just the back door where only family and very close friends entered the house it would be one thing, but no one uses our front door (except the UPS man).  This means it matters very much to me how the mud room looks.  It's impossible to keep everything in it's place when you have three children at home full time.  That goal was let go by me years and years ago.  I DO care what the very first room visitors enter might look like.

For years, two coat trees held our families coats, bags, umbrellas, etc. just fine.  Lately, as you can see below, it wasn't working as well.  The coat trees began to look like really tall piles of clutter.  It also made getting into our outer/unheated mudroom (where we keep potatoes and squash and Jamey's outdoor work clothes) nearly impossible to get to without rearranging everything.

Our solution was to install two sets of hooks- one higher for grown up things and one lower for the kids.  Jamey and I each have four hooks above and each child has two.  Each hook has places to hang two items, so this gives us ample space.  The shelf gives me some space to display a couple things that will hopefully make the room more inviting.  The giant box is our shoe box.  Only wet/snowy boots are allowed to set outside the box (now under the kid's coats).

Between the doors, Jamey installed a set of two hooks to hold our egg basket and recycling bag.  Our grocery bags hang on the door knob of the outer mudroom door.

I'm thrilled with the change.  It's easier to find what I'm looking for and the kids can hang up their things without knocking other peoples things onto the floor.  We can get in and out of the outer mud room with ease.

Now, on to the next mini project- the office. Pin It

Catching Up

Well, I feel as if I've been away for a month, but it's only been a week or so.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  Can you believe it's over already?  This high-speed-time-passage seems to be quickening every year.  I try and try to move out of the fast, passing lane but time keeps propelling me on.  It's one more reason to be deliberate about our lives and time, don't you think?

Before I head off on a high-speed-time-passage tangent, I'll get to my point(s)- a few things that have been bopping about in my brain and life this past week.

1) My Thanksgiving to Christmas Plan was semi-successful.  I held off baking cookies until the middle of the month.  I managed to exercise regularly (some video routines, mostly walking on the treadmill).  I was less than stellar with the "no eating after dinner" goal.  The snacking was generally healthy (oranges, pistachios) but still, I fell a bit short.  Often.  Do I regret devising the plan?  Goodness, no!  I'm an optimist through and through.  I'm most pleased with the fact that I've been exercising regularly again and am aiming to keep it up.

2) Instead of making New Year's resolutions, I tend to just set a couple goals for myself for the year. For the past few years (if not more) I've wanted to make scripture memorization a priority, but haven't.  None of my excuses are good ones- I've just been lazy and undisciplined about it.  Can you tell what's coming?  This year, I am committing to scripture memorization and I believe God has lead me to a strategy and a group of women who have the same goal.

A couple months ago, I discovered that Beth Moore has a blog.  Did you know that?!  Well, I was thrilled to find it.  A couple weeks ago, she started talking about a scripture memorization plan that she launched last year that she is doing again this year.  I devoured every word and am all revved up and ready to go.  You can read the post that got me hooked here and the most recent post with the guidelines here.  My goal is to memorize 24 verses (of my choice) in 2011.  Do you need a little boost too?  Join me!  It starts on Saturday (New Year's Day).  There is nothing to do before then but read the two posts I linked to above to get ready.

3) I wrote about the Odes Project a couple months ago.  Well, I was thrilled that Jamey gave me the The Odes Project Volume One CD for Christmas.  I cannot say enough about this.  I'm more of a hymn girl than a praise girl when it comes to worshiping through song, but the contemporary music that has been written to accompany these amazing texts is prayerful, tasteful and moving.  I am also not a raise-my-hands-in-the-air kind of girl, but let me tell you.  My hands have been freely reaching upward (as the hair stands up on outstretched arms) as I hear and sing along to these early Christian verses of praise.  I highly recommend Volume One.  Highly.  Highly, highly, highly.

4) We had a wonderful Christmas, dividing our time between both families.  Jamey and I took advantage of free {family} childcare and went out to dinner (Thai) and a movie (The Dawn Treader) to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.  I go back and forth between feeling as if it was only a little while ago that we started dating to feeling as if we've been together forever.  Like any marriage, we've had plenty of ups and downs, but through it all we're committed and feel incredibly blessed to have found each other.  Have I ever told you that story?  Hmm...a future post maybe.

5) As we will soon enter a new year, I'd like to say how thankful I am for you.  I've been so fortunate to get to know some of you through emails and blogs and a couple of you (you know who you are) have blessed us recently and I want to say thank you.

You are my lifeline in the midst of a very home and child-centered existence.  I don't know what I'd do without you.  Well, I'd probably blog anyway but it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Pin It

An {Atypical} Christmas Wish for You

I don't know how often I'll be posting over the next week or two.  I'll have the urge to, but I might just go on and fight that urge, allowing myself to relax into the Spirit of the season.  But before I sign off for a little while I wanted to share something with you.

It's not Christmas-y in the sense that we're used to, but it's focus clearly along the right lines.  At a time when our eyes are drawn to that precious Babe in the manger, let's look ahead at the same time.  Let's allow our vision to expand and take in the whole picture of God's plan- His plan for His Son, this world, and for us in the midst of it all.

A new (and already dear) friend of mine shared this prayer with me in a group setting not too long ago.  It is a prayer that was written by a missionary, found only after he was martyred.  You can read more about his story and how my friend, Kim, came to learn of it here.  

My Christmas wish/prayer for you is that you can make parts of this prayer your own, releasing the pulls and pressures of this world to align yourself with the One who was and is and is to come.  I will warn you-  this prayer holds power.  I feel it every time I read it- I get the chills and tears well up in my eyes.  Also, I beseech you to read it out loud (if you're not in a public place- hey- maybe even if you are).  There is such power in the spoken word.  


Merry Christmas, friends.

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. 
I have the Holy Spirit power. 
The die has been cast. 
I have stepped over the line. 
The decision has been made—I’m a disciple of his. 
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. 
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. 
I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. 
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. 
I now live by faith, lean on his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. 
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. 
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. 
I am a disciple of Jesus. 
I must keep going until he comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until he stops me. 
And, when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me. 
My banner will be clear.

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Those That Made the List

This year I told myself I would only make a certain number of Christmas sweets.  If you know much about my heritage, you know that setting a limit to sweet-making this time of year could be akin to torture.  It actually wasn't as torturous as I imagined, though.  If I really want to simplify Christmas and leave time freed up for contemplating the true meaning, I need to back off.  The backing off felt good.


Choosing what I would make was the torturous part.  I succeeded in holding off making anything until this past week, but that gave me a full two weeks after Thanksgiving to ruminate about which treats would make my short list.  And because it would be a short list, I decided to stick with our family's favorites instead of trying anything new this year.

After agonizing, emailing friends and discussing it with my sister I finally hung the prized list on the fridge.  I felt like I was hanging up one of those class or race rosters where, in this case, cookies and treats of all sorts would surround the posted list checking to see if their name appeared and in what order they would be made if it did.  Some would turn away hanging their sweet, albeit inadequate, heads.  Others would stand proud.

Those that made the list follow...

Caramel Corn

Peanut Blossoms with Dark Chocolate Kisses

Haman's Ears

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies with chocolate chunks (my very favorite cookie)

Lemon Bars

Gingerbread Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

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December Garden Activity

You wouldn't think that there is that much going on in the garden in December.  It's been cold, cold, cold here and we've even seen about a half inch of snow twice already.  Even so, there is some activity happening and I thought I'd share it with you.

1)  Jamey planted garlic last week.  Last year, we didn't have our acts together and by the time we were ready to plant it, the ground had frozen...solid.  Jamey planted them in trays of sand in a cool place inside and they did sprout and we did transplant them out in the spring, but not all of them did well and the bulbs were sad in size.

This year, we ordered new bulbs of the California Early White Garlic variety, so we're giving them a try.  The cloves were nice and big, so we're hoping they produce nice, big bulbs.  There is nothing more frustrating that peeling teeny, tiny garlic cloves.

2) We're putting the garden to sleep under many layers of cover.  Jamey has been moving round bales of straw into the garden and several neighbors and friends have been donating their fallen leaves to the task.  All this organic matter will break down and add nutrients to the soil.  Our garden started out a bit clay-y in some areas 6 years ago when we moved here, but the soil is benefiting from all the mulch and is coming along nicely.

3) The chickens have been let loose in the garden.  During this time of year when they bugs have buried down deep, the soft garden soil is a dream for these chickens.  They scratch around, eating up grubs and depositing their own fertilizer every where they step.

Our kids have been having a good time making igloos out of opened tomato cages, straw and leaves.  You can see Sam poking his head out the "window".  This igloo has since been taken over by squatters.  Who knew chickens enjoy forts, too?

4) Next on the agenda is to trim the asparagus fronds.  In the past, we've done this in the early spring, but our most recent issue of Mother Earth News states on page 23,

"In early winter, after several hard freezes have damaged your asparagus fronds, cut them off and compost them to interrupt the life cycle of insects and diseases.  Fertilize the bed with a 1-inch layer of rich, weed-free compost or manure topped with 3 inches of straw, rotted sawdust or another weed-free mulch.  Clean spears will  push up through the mulch in spring."

I'm not going to argue with Mother Earth News.  Are you?

Soon, Jamey and I will need to sit down for our annual garden meeting.  It sounds so business-like, as if we wear formal clothing and sit across from each other at some long, board room table.  Instead, we're usually sitting on the couch with our cold feet tucked up under blankets referring to garden maps, notes and the canning journal.   Almost the same thing, right?

It seems ridiculously early to be thinking about next year's garden.  I'm still suffering from canning flashbacks.  I'd like them to fade a bit more before I have to turn my mind back to the garden, but if we do that, we'll be ill-prepared and will be kicking ourselves come spring.  I don't enjoy kicking myself very much, so I'll surrender and think about the garden...even in December.

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Citrus for Christmas

Jamey gave me an early Christmas present last week...a box of citrus fruits- lemons, oranges and tangerines.  Unless you understand how strict we are are about only eating fruits and vegetables in season (in our home), you may not comprehend how excited I was about this gift.  For special occasions, like the Advent season, we sometimes celebrate in extravagant (for us) ways.

 The window sill above the kitchen sink.

He packaged the fruit in a wooden crate that he made from old, broken apart crates he found in our barn, abandoned there years ago.  Isn't the picture gorgeous?  Ah, to be sitting outside on a warm, balmy day.  I forget what that's like just about now.  Your kitchen thermometer reading 56 degrees can do that to you.

I've been enjoying my fruit immensely.  I've even shared some with the kids- making them fresh-squeezed orange juice for breakfast when they were showing signs of colds and coughs.  Lemon bars are made, sampled and in the freezer waiting to be added to cookie trays.

 

We don't do a whole lot of Christmas decorating other than our Christmas tree, a mini tree in the school room, lights strung here and there, nativity scene, and paper snow flakes in the windows.  I like the idea of natural decorating (Amy over at Homestead Revival is talking about this) and remember sticking cloves in oranges when I was a girl.  So, the other morning, the kids and I made new memories.  I added some pine cones from a neighbor's tree and created a centerpiece for our table.  And, don't worry.  Jamey wasn't offended that I turned some of them into decorations:-).  I think I like the scent of citrus fruit as much as the taste.

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Calling All Talented Readers

Good Thursday morning, all.

As some of you may have noticed, I have so much fun showing off your wares through my Etsy mini at the right hand side of my blog.  It looks like this...

I've come to know most of these shops through getting to know new followers to my blog. If  I see I have a new follower, I click over to visit their blog (if they have one) and sometimes discover that they have incredible talent and sell their creations on Etsy.

There's one problem.  I don't always have a chance to check up on each new follower and I know some of you don't follow (which is a-okay with me) and/or don't have an Etsy shop, but do promote your talents elsewhere.

So.  Here's where I'd like to ask you a favor.  If you have an Etsy shop or another website of sorts where you sell your creations (whatever they may be), please leave me a comment below with your Etsy shop or website link or email me (thyhand123@gmail.com).  I want to make sure I'm representing all you good folks.

Don't forget to check back and find out what your fellow readers have been busy creating.  For a little while your shops will be listed at the top of the right margin.

An Opportunity to Give:  The Mercy House ("Mercy House exists to provide alternative options for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya. The Mercy House will aid them in nutrition, housing, prenatal care, counseling, Biblical teaching and job skills for sustainable living".) is holding a Silent Auction on January 17th via We Are That Family blog to raise money for their maternity home in Kenya, Africa.  They are still looking for donated items to be auctioned off.  Read here for more details.  Maybe you can donate an item or use some of that money you haven't been spending (:-)) to place a bid yourself.


Have I told you lately that I think you all are the sweetest, kindest, most generous and supportive readers out there?  Well, I think you are and I just needed you to know that.

Have a wonderful Thursday! Pin It

Jesus & Football

I'm not quite sure how I feel about putting Jesus' name in the same title with football, but that's a whole other post.  If the men in your life are anything like the men in mine, I imagine you've been either watching or hearing quite a bit about the sport lately.  Personally, I would have never put Jesus and football together, but someone else has made a comparison that hit home (sorry, wrong sport) for me.

The excerpts below have really challenged me and I wonder if they might challenge you, too.  I know we all might be "challenged" enough right now with everything that comes with this time of year, but I want to challenge you in a different way.  A way that has the power to bring you life, love, freedom and purpose.

The sections below are from David Bryant's book, Christ is All!  Some of this may sting.  It stung me.  But, you know what?  I'm a big girl now and I need and long for the Truth.  I welcome a sting if it will bring me closer to where God wants me to be.  This is moving me in the right direction.  Bryant writes (I bold-ed certain parts of the text)...

"In so many of our churches, I fear, Jesus is regularly deployed as our mascot, as if our life struggles were something like a football game.  Once a week on Sunday, Jesus is presented as if He were something like a mascot, trotted out to the field to cheer us up, to give us new vigor and visions, to reassure us that we are "somebodies".  We invite Him to reinforce us for the great things we want to do for God.  He rebuilds our confidence.  He gives us reasons to cheer.  He confirms for us over and over that all must be well.  We're so proud of Him!  We're so happy to be identified with His name.  Enthusiasm for Him energizes us- for awhile.

But then, for the rest of the week, He is pretty much relegated to the sidelines.  For all practical purposes, we are the ones who call the shots.  We implement the plays, scramble for first downs and improvise in a pinch.  Even if we do it in His name, we do it with little reliance on His person.  There's scant evidence that we think of ourselves as somehow utterly incapable of doing anything of eternal consequence apart from Him.

As contradictory as it may seem, many of us have redefined Jesus into someone we can both admire and ignore at the same time!  To be our mascot, we're redesigned Him to be reasonably convenient - someone praiseworthy, to be sure, but overall kept in reserve, useful, "on call" as required.  We've come to Him as far as we need Him, and no further.  If we insist on Jesus coming along with us as a helper in our games and excellent adventures, we inevitably tame Him as our mascot."

Ouch.  Please read on. 

"Psalm 110 pinpoints the single greatest reality unfolding around us today: the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The drama of His increasing kingdom interprets both the front page of our newspapers as well as the front lines of our missions.  From the viewpoint of Psalm 110, we can see that peoples and events everywhere are being woven into Christ's reign, whether they know it or not.  No matter how far from the center of divine activity people appear to be, Christ engages every human domain.

Taking a cue from Psalm 110, World Christians rise to serve Him every day, willing and ready "from the womb of the dawn" to volunteer freely to be with Him wherever He is engaged.  He does not commandeer, instead, they volunteer- to serve Him and to fulfill His global purpose.

We obey Christ Himself.  We refuse to give our allegiance to programs or projects or personalities that may be related to Christ's global cause, but which are often, at best Christ-like, and at worst nearly Christ-less in their focus and impact.

We're not merely copying Christ or simply trying to do what He would do.  Rather we are determined to join in with what Jesus is actually doing, pressing His Kingdom forward in this hour.

We've been summoned to be part of a narrative far greater than we could have imagined- a larger purpose, a longer story, a higher calling.  We've stepped into something rooted in ancient history, contending with a more formidable enemy, and fulfilling a far more glorious purpose, one that invites all the earth into eternal transformations.  Our story is about a Lion who reigns supreme, portrayed as a Lamb at the center of the throne of the universe (Rev. 5:5-14).

God loves His Son and has a wonderful plan for Him...and He loves you enough to give you a place in it."

Here's the challenge for me, as I see it:  To invite Jesus out of His mascot costume and to stand with me every step of every day for the rest of my life.  To seek to align my choices and purposes with His.  To contribute to God's plan, not just pick and choose what I'd like from it as if I was at a buffet.  

Lord, give us the strength to withstand the temptations to only look to You when it's convenient for us.   Help us to learn to know You better, to love You more and to align our lives with You and Your amazing, unfolding plan.  Amen.

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My Crock Pot Recipe

 (To find out who won Saturday's drawing, go here.)

Yes, I really only have one recipe.

I know, I know.  Some of you are gasping for breath because you love your crock pots and use them regularly.  I think my crock pot is great.  I just don't tend to make food in it.  Instead, it sits on the very top shelf of one of my cabinets and gets brought down only once in awhile during the colder months for one recipe.

Years ago when the adult siblings (and their spouses) of my husband still exchanged gifts, I bought the Fix It and Forget It Cookbook for my sister-in-law.  Before I wrapped it, I very gently turned the pages and copied down a few recipes I thought we would like.  Even then, I greatly under-used my crock pot and thought these recipes would inspire me.

I tried a couple of them over the years and the only one I come back to over and over is the Venison Stew Recipe.  If I remember correctly, the actual recipe notes that you can use beef instead of venison if you like.  Jamey doesn't hunt, but occasionally friends give us deer meat which we readily accept.  This is one of our favorite ways to eat it.

My hope is that my crock pot doesn't ever start talking to your crock pots.  I don't want him to feel bad.

Venison Stew (from Fix It and Forget It)

1 1/2 pounds venison (or beef) cubed
2 tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 rib celery (I leave this out)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
12 ounces stewed or canned tomatoes, undrained
10 1/2 ounces beef or chicken broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. parsley
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca or tapioca granules

Brown the venison in oil over meat heat.  Transfer to your crock pot.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

I sometimes don't get everything in and going 8-9 hours before I want dinner, so I cook it on high for an hour or so, then turn it down to low.  Occasionally, I top the stew with dumplings.  Below is a very simple recipe.

Dumplings for Venison Stew

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup milk

Combine until just mixed and dollop spoonfuls on top of stew in crock pot.  Increase heat to high, cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of a dumpling comes out clean. Pin It

Just Another 24 Hours in the Homeschooling Life

Mary Grace put forth a challenge to record a day of our homeschooling lives.  Join in the fun if you like.  Here's mine....

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

The day begins (kind of) around 3:30 or 4:00 am when Miriam wakes up crying, then screaming.  She's 18 months and still wakes up once a night to nurse.  This frequency increases when we're away (like we were over Thanksgiving) so this week was when I decided she needed to be broken of this sleep-interrupting habit.  While Jamey is the one that goes over to comfort her, as always, it's the Momma who hears her fuss turned scream each time he leaves and has to re-awaken him (he falls asleep when his head hits the pillow) to ask him to go back over.  All this to say, it was a good hour of listening to fussing turn screaming until all was quiet and I fell back asleep. (I'm happy to report that after a few nights of training, she's sleeping through the night- and so am I!)

Around 7:00 am, Sadie wakes me up, asking for breakfast.  I lay in bed a good ten minutes until I can will myself up and dressed.  Sadie plays with Miriam in her crib until I can get to her.  Sam has gone downstairs.  Somebody ate a yogurt without asking around this time that I find later (empty) hidden in the bathroom trash.  I nurse and change Miriam and we head downstairs, passing all the suitcases that sit in the hallway yet unpacked.

There is no breakfast.  I start to mix up baked oatmeal only to find there is not enough brown sugar.  I attempt to use stevia powder while everyone is fussing at me that they are hungry.  While it's baking, I dice up and brown venison for the crock pot.  We eat the oatmeal and heap crushed strawberries on top because the stevia version is less than stellar.  Edible, but not very good.  I should have thought that one through a bit more.

Clean up kids and commence to putting together dinner in the crock pot. This takes longer than expected and is interrupted by Miriam falling off the bench (twice) and me needing to take out to the chickens a bunch of turned vegetables from the crisper.  The phone rings at the exact moment a neighbor stops by to drop something off.  Way too many dishes get washed and, finally, the kitchen is in order.  I have no idea what time that was.

We all head into the school room to listen to the CD of Christmas songs the kids are to be learning for the offertory that Sunday.  I open the CD player to find a bunch of salt in it.  Thus begins about an hour long inquisition as I try to determine who the culprit is.  I turn the CD player upside down.  I shake it.  I vacuum it.  I blow in it.  CDs will not play.  I just bought this CD player this fall and while it wasn't expensive, we do not have money to throw around.  I lose it and begin crying.  Like a baby.  The day before one of the children was too impatient with the DVD player and broke that.

A friend stops by to drop something off.  I hope she cannot tell how upset I am at the moment about the CD player incident.  Finally, under the threat of no TV until the guilty party confesses, someone fesses up and is punished.

We practice our songs without the CD.

The kids watch PBS for a half hour while I fix lunch.  We eat lunch.  I clean up.  Sam is put to work completing his handwriting and spelling (he's read ahead in his independent reading, so he doesn't have to do that today).  I check email with an 18-month old on my lap.

I nurse Miriam and lay her down for her nap.  Sam and I check handwriting, quiz his spelling, do language arts (research on Marco Polo), and Math (which includes a quiz, learning about perimeter and area and reviewing multiplication).  Sadie is playing with plastic people and dancing around the kitchen to Christmas music.  Sam reads the Bible passage out loud and practices the poem he's memorizing (Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson) while I trim Sadie's hang nail and apply a band aid.  I read Sam and Sadie history, two Aesop's fables and several sections of science (how reptiles and amphibians are different, aquatic amphibians, etc.).  I quiz Sam on Science.  They make sea snakes out of clay to add to their ocean boxes (dioramas).  We have no read aloud chapter to do today because we read ahead last week. 

Sam and Sadie want to make Christmas trees out of paper, so I set them up with supplies and rearrange bookshelves to make a better spot for their ocean boxes to sit on display.  They spy that it's time for afternoon TV, drop what they're doing and disappear into the living room.  I put away school books, try not to think about the mounds of laundry sitting on the floor of the laundry room and jump in the shower before Miriam wakes up and after giving Sam and Sadie the "do not open the door for anyone- not even Daddy because he has a key" talk.  In the shower I imagine what it must be like not to homeschool.

After the shower, I check my email, banish both children to couches with books when they cannot resolve an argument turned fight.  Miriam is awake.  I get her up, thankful that I have supper already taken care of.  Jamey calls to say he'll be late.  Lovely.

I set the table expecting to have to eat without Jamey.  I decide to add dumplings to the top of the stew.  I read Miriam a couple books and referee disputes.  Jamey gets home a bit earlier than he thought (Praise God!).  Sam and I listen to his geography songs while the dumplings finish cooking since we forgot to earlier in the day.

We eat dinner and the kids don't complain too much.  Miriam actually eats some vegetables.  I finish eating and have just enough time to change, pick up a few groceries and get to my Tuesday night class at 7pm. (I love this class (and will tell you more about it soon) and am so sad that it's almost over.)

I get home around 10:00 pm.  Jamey and I talk about our day for about 10 minutes.  He falls asleep on the couch next to me and I unwind while watching The Office reruns and check my email.

My head hits the pillow around 11:30 pm and I vow that the next day I will not allow any of our children to damage any of our remaining electronics.

Just another 24 hours in the homeschooling life. Pin It

I Think I'm In Love

 This drawing is closed and the winner is.... Karen!  Please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) so I can send you your $25 Amazon gift card code.  Happy searching with swagbucks, everyone! 

Okay.  I wasn't going to post today.  I've got bathrooms to clean, a treadmill to walk on and a shower to take before a neighborhood Christmas party tonight.  But, I couldn't resist.  If you haven't gathered by now, if I find something I love, I talk about it.  And I am on the verge of in love with Swagbucks.  Here's why...

1) I purchased 90% of our Christmas presents from Amazon two weeks ago using Amazon gift cards I earned with swagbucks.  I did not stand in lines.  I did not sit in traffic.  I did not have to change out of my "in for the evening" clothes.

2) Since we were able to buy so many gifts this way, we were able to give to several charities/mission agencies this Christmas instead of choosing only one.

3) Thanks to my referrals and the way I've set up my bookmarks, I don't even think about the fact that I'm searching swagbucks until the little swagbuck pops up showing me I won more.

4) The swagbuck folks are introducing all kind of cool features, one of which is their FREE Trade In Books option (you pay no shipping).  I was intrigued by this option because I hate selling books.  Some, I donate, but the others I know I could earn some money for.  Often, my consignment shop won't take them and if I try to sell them on eBay, I usually earn pennies after the fees they charge and the piddly amount the book sold for.

Well, I tried swagbuck's program the other day and it was easy as pie.  I earned 900 swagbucks (they will be credited once they get my books) which is the equivalent of $10 in Amazon gift cards.  Here's how it works...

~ Log in to swagbucks (or, if you haven't signed up, sign up here).  Click on the "Earn" button at the very top and in the drop down, click on "Trade In".  Choose "Books".

~ Now, run around your house like a mad woman (or man) and pull together a stack of books that are only gathering dust.

 photo courtesy of swagbucks.com

~ Type in the ISBN numbers (one at a time) from your books and see if they are accepting them.  If they are, click "Sell", then go back and add more books until you're all booked out.  They do not take all books and their swagbuck values varies.

~ Once you've entered all your books, follow the instructions to finish your "order" (even though you're not buying anything) and print out the shipping label.

~ Box up your books, slap on the shipping label and take it to the post office.  That's it.  You don't pay a dime.  There's no requirement to buy books back.

5) If you've read all the way through this post, you are either considering signing up for swagbucks or you already have.  If you have already signed up with me (all your referrals have really helped me earn!), I want to do something nice for YOU.  So, if you've signed up with me in the past, I want to give you a chance to win one of my $25 Amazon gift codes to copy and paste into your next Amazon order.  Just leave me a comment telling me you've signed up (with a way to ID you) and I will draw a name this coming Tuesday, December 7th.

Happy Swagging, everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

For more tips and information on signing up and using swagbucks, click on the tab at the top of my blog called "Swagbucks".

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Geography Songs (With Video!)

I wouldn't be surprised if you all completely forgot that we do school at home.  It's been forever since I've written about anything school related.  I'm thinking my monthly post last year was a better plan than this 'post about school when I think about it' plan.  It's not that I don't have things to say about school, I just forget to say them.

But!  I can't ignore this.  My sweet 7-year-old, Sam, has been doing such an excellent job learning his Geography Songs that I wanted to share it with you.

Let me back peddle a second and remind you that we are using Sonlight for the first time this year (Core 1+2 with Advanced Readers, for those of you who want to know).  We are enjoying it immensely.  It took a little getting used to because of the sheer number of books we crack open each day, but the well-roundedness that comes from so many sources is priceless.  And, I must say that I didn't think much about it when I was looking into Sonlight originally, but this curriculum helps your kids have a global/cultural perspective on the world and life in general.  And we love that.

I already shared about the book Window on the World.  Geography Songs by Larry and Kathy Troxel adds another element to our awareness of the world outside our door and across the oceans.  Countries are grouped into regions and set to music that reflect that part of the world.  The CD includes all the songs and the book holds the words to the songs as well as maps that aren't labeled with country names (but there is a key with the list of countries off to the side so you can find the names and locations easily) so you can practice locating the countries on the maps.

The book and CD also include songs for memorizing the United States, the provinces and territories of Canada, the planets of our solar system, information about many famous landmarks throughout the world (pictures and descriptions in the book- no songs for these) and Geography fill in the blank song tests in the back of the book.

The video I'm about to share with you is of Sam singing the first section of songs he's memorized.  This section is actually five different songs strung together.  We're almost through learning all the songs for Africa, so I'm going to wait and share those with you another time.  For privacy purposes, I only show the book and CD, so this isn't the funnest thing to watch, but it is fun to listen to so make sure your volume is turned up.  I apologize that the camera is moving a little.  These songs are catchy.

Listen and watch here.

Thank you Sonlight and Geography Songs!  We're having a blast and I'm learning my countries, too. Pin It

My Cousin, The Fiber Artist

I want to share something with you for two reasons.  First of all, because I think it's really cool.  Secondly, because it has purpose.  And, it's purpose is to make us think.

Have you ever seen a quilt made of dollar bills?  Or an oven mitt with an automatic weapon stitched on it?  Well then.  It's about time you meet fiber artist Amanda Gross (my lovely cousin) and her Domesticated series.

In trying to write a description of her work, I decided that she explains herself and her work most eloquently.  It's important that you take time to read this so you understand her pieces.

It makes you think, doesn't it?  The peace that most of us experience daily in this country compared to that of so many other regions of the world does make us complacent.  At least it does me.  Can you even imagine if instead of your children rushing to the windows when they hear a low flying plane to get a glimpse of it (as mine do) that you and your children would, instead, hand in hand race from your home or village to seek shelter with your heart pounding in your ears?

This is what Amanda's pieces make me think about.  Women, just like us, who want to do their best for their families and communities are instead living in fear, wondering what the horrors of war might do their loved ones and themselves.

Regardless of our stance on whether or not wars are justified, I think that she makes a very good point.  Let's not desensitize ourselves as to how war affects others- the soldiers, the victims, the witnesses, the contributors.  Whether we sew the images on our aprons or not, let's not ignore this.

Let's get our knees and pray.

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