Weekly Wrap Up...

Weekly Wrap Up:  link up with: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Praying for this week:
Health! For the last week we have all been miserable with a winter cold. The kiddos are finally on the mend but I, for some reason, am holding on to this cold. Now, I hoping a good housecleaning, once I'm up to it, will help keep hubby from catching this cold, and from any of us catching it again!

Also, praying for those who have so little and are out in this cold weather.

Thankful for this week:
For a warm home and the items we need to care for our family when they are sick. When the kids decided to all get sick at the same time, I was happy that I had everything I needed to properly care for them. With so many struggling, and many not able to get to medicine or proper food, I am truly blessed to have all I need for my family.

In our homeschool this week:
Not much! We spent the week, just being sick. Though, Wild Thing did put in a few Magic School, and Bill Nye science tapes we had. We also, watched a few episodes of a family living "of the grid" in Alaska. Then we decided to have a little sewing lesson. Lady Bug made a hat for her great-grandma. Wild Thing made two cat nip pouches for the cats. And Little Man made two pillows, one for me and one for him. So I guess we still had some learning, just not the typical lessons.

With a sore throat and voice that is trying to leave me, I couldn't even read to the kids. Normally, when someone is sick, that's when we catch up on our reading. Not this time!

In my life this week:
I was sick. I took care of my kiddos, and kept up with dishes, mostly. That's pretty much it! I didn't even read much. I'm going to have to amp up the excitement next week to make up for lost time!

In our house this week:
Laundry is pilling up.
The dishes are only getting washed once a day, if that.
The pets are convinced we have become part cat, spending the day laying on the floor in the sun rays, watching tv all day, and napping off and on.
The toys are making their way to our living room, yet, not back to their home in the boys' room.
The floor is not vacuuming itself!
School work is sitting left undone and neglected.
Ugh, next week is going to be so much fun!

Our nature walk this week:
This is an area we have neglected terribly. I think the last nature walk we had was in late November. For nearly a month before Christmas, we had at least one of kiddos sick. Which meant we weren't able to get out in the cold. We also had a few weeks that were extremely cold. No one played outdoors! Then, Christmas came and we were so busy, we didn't make time to enjoy our nature walks. January hit and we were trying to get back into a "normal" daily routine, and now we're all sick, again.

I think I am missing our nature walks more than kids are. They don't seem to excited to get back to our weekly visits to the nature center. I may have to change things up a bit to get them all excited once again.

Just for me this week:
Not much. I really want to get back into a good workout schedule. But, as I often do, I keep putting it aside and telling myself, "tomorrow." Which of course tomorrow never comes. I'm going to just have to say, "TODAY!" But not until I'm better and can cross the room without coughing!

How was your week?

Things I Never Expected In Our Homeschool Journey

Things I Never Expected In Our Homeschool Journey

1. To argue with an 8 year old boy about some dinosaur facts...only to find out he was right the entire time!

2. To learn right along with my kiddos.

3. To enjoy re-reading my favorite books as a child...over, and over, and over!

4. To spend entire days on the floor, stairway, or under the table (aka: fort) doing school work.

5. To learn enough about bugs, dinosaurs, and sharks, that I feel I could have a degree in animal science.

6. That watching my children read their first words would be so amazing that I would be reduced to tears!

7. That our mental health day trips (spur of the moment trips on days when school and life are just not working) would turn out to be some of our best memories.

8. That laundry, cooking dinner, visiting grandparents, camping, fishing, and enjoying a day at the museum, all count as learning!

9. Our time spent outdoors would be just as, if not more, important that the academic lessons.

10. I never imagined how my children would bond, as they spent each day together learning, arguing, playing, and loving each other.

11. The talks that my pre-teen daughter and I would have because of our choice to homeschool.

12. The enjoyment I would get out of teaching my children and watching them learn.

13. That I would have to earn a science degree to fulfill my 9 year old son's thirst for science.

14. The videos we would watch all in the name of homeschooling. And the amount of information we would learn form those.

15. That we would end up trying every method of homeschooling there is.

16. That I would end up planning unit studies complete with awesome field trips and activities.

17. The amount of cuddle time we would have as a family for reading.

18. The wonderful discussions the kids and I would have over lunch.

19. The way (some) family and friends would reach out to be involved with or help our homeschooling.  

*20. I never dreamed homeschooling would completely change my life, forever. And that I am truly thankful for.

List it Tuesday Link Up- Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers:

Sunday Savers...

If your like me, you like to save!

What do I like to save?
-money on the grocery bill
-money on clothes for three busy kiddos
-time
-our stuff. I try to make sure that what we do have, continues to last and work well for us!
-and my sanity!

This post will be devoted to ways to save. I hope to have a Sunday Savers post each Sunday with ideas on how to save everything from money to the life of your household appliances.
Here we go...
Remember these are just my thoughts and ideas, no magic formulas or promises of great fortune in the future. Just my thoughts. Enjoy.

Save on the grocery bill:

Coupons are great, but to really save using coupons DON'T use them alone. Wait until the item is on sale and add the coupon (if your grocery store allows it). 

One thing I have learned, but not mastered just yet, is to only shop store sales Then buy in bulk!
For those that can shop weekly, take the time to go through the sale ads and purchase primarily what's on sale. By only buying what is already on sale, and combining coupons, you will save quite a bit on your grocery bill. What this means is that you make your weekly menu plans from what you already have in your fridge and pantry, only purchasing a few things needed for the week that are not on sale. Those items would be things like milk, bread, and eggs, or other things you use and finish quickly but can not stock up on.

It takes some planning, learning to stock on food, and time to go through the sale ads, but it's worth it. And, no, I'm not suggesting you make shopping a full time job and go to the extreme coupon shopping like you have seen on tv. Normal people don't have that much free time or patience to have a full-time job planning and shopping to save money.


Save on the clothes:

Clothes and kids! Saving clothes from such violent destruction with boys is nearly impossible!
My boys have managed to take a brand new pair of shoes or jeans and destroy them in a single day, sometimes less! Plus, they grow so fast that a pair of jeans that fits this month is likely to not fit in two weeks! With a track record like this, I refuse to pay very much for the kids' clothing.
 I shop at thrift stores and clearance racks! I have also been very lucky to have friends who pass clothes down to my kiddos.
Anyway, here are a few ways to save a little cash on clothes.

-Shop thrift stores:
I have found some great deals on clothes for my kiddos. Paying $25-$30 for a pair of jeans for my boys that are going to skid across the kitchen floor or slide down the driveway in, is just not for me!
Paying $2-$5 for a pair of jeans or walking out the door with 6 pair of jeans for the kids for under $30, is for me!

-Shop the season end sales:
 Buy the size you think they should fit into by the following year. Even with guess work, this has worked great for us. There will be times, something you bought doesn't quite fit by the next season,  when that happens, either hold it aside until it fits or hold it for the younger sibling. And if that doesn't work find a friend with children that size! Someone always wins!

-Recycle worn and torn clothing:
I like to sew. Which has been very handy, as I have been able to repair and re purpose many of the kids' clothes. All three of my kiddos are very tall and thin, so finding pants that fit around the tummy and aren't up to their knees is a challenge. Many times I have made pants for all of my kiddos and each year I make shorts for my long-legged daughter. Trying to find shorts that are a decent length that will fit a very tall and slim pre-teen, is nearly impossible. So we make shorts for her each year. You can see a past post here of shorts made for my daughter.

Even if you don't sew much, you can still make some fun things with old clothing.

Take some lace or fun material to add to the cuff of a pair of pants for your daughter to add a little length is they still fit around the waist! This has often saved us just another month or so until summer when she is wearing short for months.
Holes in the knee? My boys love the flame and camo patches we found. It adds color and a little more life to the pants.
We all grew up with cut off shorts. Well, we do the same, just add something to the edge to dress it up and the kids have a new fun pair of shorts. Easy!

There really is so much you can do, to add a little life to clothes. I'll try to find some photos next week and share more ideas!

Save time:

This one is harder. We are of a very busy, go, go, go society. Everyone is doing something or going somewhere all the time. Even when many of us are home, we are busy on the computer, phone, ipad, tablet, or watching tv. We are busy working on bills, doing laundry, taking care of kids, animals, and spouses. It's difficult to find time to be alone or just relax. But if we are to truly care for our self, we must take a break and make good use of our time.
For this I only have two tips:

#1- TURN IT OFF!
Turn off the computer (wait, not until you're done reading this)
Turn off the tv
Turn off the iPad
Turn off the phone (yes, you will survive)
Turn off the tablet
Turn off the kids' video games (they too will survive, even if they don't believe it)

Think about how much time you spend with these items. If you added it up for an entire day, week, or month you would see just how much of our lives we spend on technology and away from the outdoors and the lives of our family.

If you spend 1.5 hours a day on these items, you spend:

10.5 hours a week  (that's an extra work day)
45 hours a month  (that's a full work week)
547 hours a year  (that is way too much of your life)

It may not feel like that much, but when you add it up, it's a huge part of your life.

I'm not saying never enjoy the technology we have, but limit yourself. Decide what is acceptable for you and keep it to that limit of time. I try, not always very successfully, to keep my tech time to after the kids are in bed or when they are otherwise occupied. Even then, I could do much better.

Our family, at least the kids and I, have tech-free weeks. Here and there, I will tell the kids it's a tech-free week, and for that entire week, we don't turn on the tv, video games, or computer. I LOVE TECH FREE WEEK!!! I'll admit the first day or so can sometimes be rough if they have had too much tech time recently, but after that we all enjoy it. We all spend more time outside, read more books, we even pull out the board games and have a great time. After that week, I try to limit very strictly, the amount of tech time we all use. It has been just what wee needed many times. My goal is to have tech-free week, once a month. I'm still working on that one though.

#2-GET OUTDOORS!
If you get outside more, you will feel better, you will have more energy, and you will be more clearheaded! It may not help your laundry get done, or your bills paid, but it will make you feel better and that will help you to be more focused and able to accomplish what you need to.


Save your appliances and household items:

Dishwasher & Coffee pot

We have very hard water in our area, so the dishwasher and coffee pot are not always very happy. With the amount of calcium and minerals in our water, the build up on these items can be excessive.

I have found that instead of using rinse aid in the dishwasher, place some (1/2 cup) vinegar in with the dish soap, it helps to keep the build up down and helps with the dishes as well. Plus, it rids the dishwasher of any odor that may come about due to specks of food or other washed off but left in the drain pipes of the dishwasher.

Same with the coffee pot. Washing it out isn't always enough. So, once a month or so I'll run a pot of water and vinegar through and then rinse it well. It helps with the build up, and the staining. (check your coffee pot, some say not to use vinegar)


Saving your sanity:

As I am still working on this one, I will just suggest this:

-Spend the day really playing with your kids. Jump rope, ride a bike, toss a ball, get down and build with the blocks.  Be a kid for the day and remember what it was like to just enjoy life!

-Take 15 minutes EVERY DAY to do something JUST. FOR. YOU!
Read the Bible, lay in the sun, take a walk, sit in the car with the radio on and sing along, draw or paint, enjoy a few minutes with a hobby you enjoy, read, or simply sit in the grass (or snow) and watch the clouds (or night time stars) and just BE.

-Live in the moment. Don't focus on the future, don't dwell on the past, just enjoy this moment right now!

-Think positively. Negativity is contagious, so is positivity! So share!


Saving is something we can all do better with. Whether it's money, time, or sanity we can all work to save what we need.
It just takes effort and the courage to keep trying daily!

Homeschool Our Way...

After the first few years of homeschooling and trying to stick to the schedules and routine of different curriculum's, we have moved into a very eclectic style of homeschooling. We've used many different resources and methods from different curriculum's and styles of homeschool. We have tried just about everything. Which as busy as it made our homeschool at times, we have also learned what works and what does not work for our kids. I have also found that I have a hard time sticking to another's set schedule or curriculum plans. Call it the rebel in me, but I'm not the best at following rules or plans of another. So we have gone from a strict curriculum schedule to a Charlotte Mason style, to unschooling, to unit studies, and everything else in-between.

 In this journey of discovery, I have found that we do best with a unit study style of learning. Meaning, that we pick a topic or time in history and focus much of our attention on that topic. Wild Thing especially learns much better this way, since he typically hyper-focuses on one topic at a time anyway. I feel that when we are able to dig deeper into one area of study and not have to divide our attention into many other areas of study, the kids and I all learn a great deal more. Yes, I am learning right along with my kiddos.

In December we decided to start, in January, a unit study based on Colorado history, important people of Colorado's history, and mining in Colorado. I spent quite a bit of time researching the books at our library to see what we could use. I also planned out a few field trips that would go along with our unit study, and some hands-on activities as well. We will read through many of the books, or skim through them, and use any other resources we can come up with.  My mom even joined in and has begun the process of gathering items and planning for us all to build a model of an old mining town.

With such a great library system here, I was pleased at how many books I ended up finding for our unit. One of my favorite books so far is a book of photographs dating from the late 1800's to the early 1900's in Cripple Creek and Victor. It has some amazing old photos and writings explaining mining and life back then. It's great for the kids to be able to see these photos as the towns looked long ago so that when we travel there in a few weeks, they will be able to have a visual comparison of the town then and now. Another favorite so far is a book of important people in Colorado's history. It has just a few pages about each person, so instead of trying to pick one person to focus on this time we are learning little bits about many people.

Along with the books, I have been looking for some documentaries on mining and life during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. So far I have not found what I'm looking for but I have found a few short videos online about mining during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Wild Thing also found a series on Netflix about gold mining in the Bering Sea. Which was interesting to watch, as I had never thought about mining from the sea floor. . This is the part I enjoy, where the kids are able to learn from so many resources; videos, fiction and non-fiction books, trips, internet, and even family members. True learning at it's best.

Along with building a model of an old mining town we will be taking a trip to a mining museum here in town. We will possibly re-visit the Ghost Town museum that is near by as well. Then, at some point we hope to sit down with my grandpa and great uncle who worked in a mine years ago, and listen to their stories and ask some questions. This will count not only for school history, but it will be a great lesson in family history as well.  In a month or two from now, we have plans to travel to Cripple Creek and enjoy a personal tour with a worker from one of the active mines.  A tour, I will add, that may include watching one of their mining explosions. We are all excited to see something, even if it is the side of a mountain, get blown up. Not that I'm all that happy with the mining process, but it is still part of  our life history and future and I think it would be good for the kids to really understand where some of our society's resources come from.

That, not in a nut shell, is a bit about our homeschool at the moment.
I did not intend on writing a book, but if you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed learning a little about our homeschool. I will post pictures soon of our different field trips and hands-on projects.

Happy New Year...We made it!

        December has come and gone and we are now enjoying the beginning of a new year!

We made through December! Yippie! December is a busy and often hectic month. This year we just didn't get into the Christmas spirit as we normally do. With hubby's crazy work schedule and our going, going, going, we never felt like we were able to stop and relax and really enjoy Christmas.
But, that's ok. The kids still had a good time, and in spite of all the craziness we did spend most of Christmas day together.

I set blogging aside for Christmas and the New Year so that I could focus on our family and other priorities. It was nice, but I miss my blogging/journaling, so I'm going to try to get back on here a few times a week.

For now, I'm going to post a simple list of our December happenings. Enjoy!

In December:

*We (Colorado) did not enjoy the multiple days when the temps were below *10. I think it was almost two weeks of extreme cold. I like the cooler weather, but when it's too cold for the kids to get outside for even ten minutes, it's too cold. I even broke down and took the kids to McDonald's just so they could play in the play area! Blah, I don't even like McD's. But when Mama's patience is running thin due to kiddos running up and down stairs and jumping on the couch repeatedly it's time to do whatever necessary to help the kids run off some energy.

*We finished up our homeschooling for the year by the second week in December. To be completely honest, we finished a few things and I just said, "Were DONE!" to the rest. Reminder for December 2014, adjust school plans so that we enjoy the ENTIRE month off of school. No brain is functional that close to Christmas!!!

*I got baptized! 
Being baptized is something I have been thinking about for a long time. I'm not sure why I waited so long to re-commit my life to God, but I'm glad I did. It's a great comfort to know that I am His, and that He has been and will always be here for me.

*Wild Thing earned a few more belt loops in Cub Scouts and participated in a puppet show and Court-of-Honor with his pack. As his pack is changing over to something else and meets quite a distance away, we have withdrawn from that pack and will possibly be looking for a pack that meets much closer to our home.

*The kids all enjoyed their last Kung-Fu class and hope to continue with the class soon. I am  still trying to decide how much to allow the kids to do. They all want to do EVERYTHING! But mom has to be the bad guy and not let the kids run wild and join every club they hear about.

*Wild Thing and Lady Bug had a great fencing tournament, and they each got a medal for participation. They both are hoping to continue with fencing after this month. We'll just have to see!

*We enjoyed a family Christmas party with extended family. The kids love this event each year when they get to spend and evening with many of the cousins, and of course the gifts they all get makes it even better. Even the gag gifts!

*Lady Bug and Wild Thing each had a Winter Showcase at their Homeschool Enrichment Program they attend once a week. It was a fun morning with games, pizza, and the most talented one-woman theatre show I had seen. It truly was quite amazing how this one woman was able to put on a show and entertain a crowd with only herself, a few props, and involvement and imagination from the kids in the audience.

*Christmas came and we all enjoyed the day. Though, with all the hustle and bustle and hubby having to go into to work late on Christmas day, I realized a day or two later that we missed some of our favorite traditions. I have a book of the story of Christmas that I have read every Christmas since my daughter was born, that we forgot to read on Christmas day. We also didn't remember to bake a cake for baby Jesus as we have done each year, and as we did when I was growing up.
I was sad to see that we allowed our busy lives and schedules to take away from our enjoyment and the magic of Christmas. But it was a good reminder of just how important it is for us to slow down and make sure our priorities are straight.

*I spent a lot of time planning our new unit study for January. We are going to be working on a unit study learning about Colorado, mining in Colorado, and the important people of Colorado. I will share more at a later date, but I have to say that I am excited about this unit study. I have found a quite a few great books, and even a few videos that will aid us though this unit. We also have some fun field trips and activities planned. Trips such as going to the local mining museum, a trip to an old mining town up the mountain, and an interview with family members who worked the mines way back when. I'll share our journey in upcoming posts.


*The kids and I were given a surprise gift just a few days after Christmas.
What we thought would be an afternoon downtown touring some place or museum turned into a trip up the mountain to enjoy an incredible, yet very cold, tour of a wolf refuge. For those who know me, know that wolves have been very dear to me for as long as I can remember. So this was a very special surprise.

The tour was great. We were able to see a lot of beautiful, safe, and healthy wolves. Yet, the tour wasn't all. I was given the gift of being able to go in and sit with the wolves and have some pictures taken. As a young teen, I was given the opportunity to visit with some wolves on two different occasions, yet even now, I have to tell you that each time was absolutely amazing.

 Everyone has their "home" and I can't explain how at home and comfortable I feel with these amazing animals snuggled up next to me. Don't laugh, but it's almost a spiritual feeling for me. There is just something about wolves that makes me feel connected to the earth, life, and myself all at the same time.

*We rang in the New Year with grape juice, noisemakers, and little fireworks. We allowed the kids to stay up and watch the ball drop then run outside with their fireworks and let the neighborhood know it was 2014!

Overall, I can't complain. We made it through another year of changes and trials. We are still together as a family, we are all fairly healthy, and happy, and for that I am thankful.

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

I can only share a few photos since most of what I have taken is still on my camera. But here are the ones I have ready to share.

Navi is the black male wolf.
Tala is the smaller light colored female wolf.
Both beautiful, and very sweet.

For a moment I felt like I had a large furry guardian angel over my shoulder.

There's nothing like cuddles from a wild animal such as a wolf.

Kisses from Tala.
Such a sweet and gentle creature.

Tala just finishing her howl!

Even as cold as it was, and though I could no longer feel my toes, I could
have easily sat there all day with these animals.

So that was our December and Christmas in a nut shell.