Simple Woman's Daybook

I know I haven't posted for nearly two months.
Yes, we are still alive!
I think!?!

It has been a whirlwind around here lately. Spring has come and as much as I hoped to settle down and relax, I have once again made sure our plates were full, too full. Oh well, that's what makes life interesting.

I saw this Simple Woman's Daybook post on another blog, and decided to borrow it.
I want to fill you all in on life these last few months, but my brain is on overload and other than answering a few questions, I don't think I can come up with too many coherent thoughts at the moment.
So here ya go...

Simple Woman's Daybook  April 29th

Outside my window...
I see the trees blowing in the wind, and I'm thinking I should get outside and pick up the kids' toys that just may end up in the neighbors yard. I also see my small patch of grass trying to turn green, as the rest of the yard holds fast to the light brown color it loves so much.

I see my garden in desperate need of some attention, and my trees that have somehow survived the winter, no thanks to me!

I also see my compost pile that, at the moment, is a breakfast buffet to the squirrels and rabbits who dare to enter the yard with our ferocious little doggie.

I am thinking...
that I have once again filled my plate to overflowing! I love being busy and having many projects or commitments to keep my attention, yet, I'm feeling the strain of having spread myself a bit too thin and constantly taking on more and more. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a million and two things going at all times. I just might find out how to relax.
One of these days I will learn to say, "NO" and leave some room on my plate for downtime, but until then, I'll enjoy this busy lifestyle and work to make sure I am keeping my priorities in order within all this mess.
Busy bee me, that's who I am.

Hi, my name is Amber and I'm a busy bee.

I am thankful...
for my family, my health (what's left of it), and my friends.
I'm also thankful that as so many are affected by the tornadoes, we are safe in our home.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected.

In the kitchen...
I'm wishing I had a cook! I hate cooking, but I like to eat. My family also likes to eat, and they insist on doing so three times a day! Three times...Every day!

 I know, as a stay-at-home-mom, I'm supposed to be super mom and make wonderful meals, healthy meals, and all from scratch with only the best ingredients and yada, yada, yada. Well, not this mom, not right now anyway. Unfortunately, this last few months I have made very few "good" meals and we have had way too much fast food, which is not only terrible for your health but extremely expensive! We've had too many late evenings when we haven't made it home until well after 6 or 6:30pm. At that point, trying to come up with a meal, cook and serve it in time for kids to eat, bathe and get to bed by a decent time, is just not happening. I'm embarrassed by how often we have fallen back on frozen pizza or a quick run through the drive through.

I am wearing...
As it's still early, and kiddos are sleeping, I'm enjoying the morning in my pj's! Sweats and a sweater. It is spring and we have enjoyed some beautiful days, but this is Colorado and today I am reminded of that by the cooler temps. At least the sun is out and shining bright!

I am creating...
a mess! Actually, I haven't had any time to get much (any) sewing done. My poor daughter is going to get upset if we make it to June and she still has no shorts! My hope to set some time aside in the next few weeks to make summer shorts for the kiddos.
It's very difficult for me to find shorts that fit my daughter well and that are appropriate, as she is nearly as tall as I am but very thin, and all leg! I'm not too picky on what she wears as long as it's modest and clean. With that said, trying to find shorts that fit her well and are decent, is next to impossible, so for the last 6 or 7 years I have been making shorts for her each summer.
I enjoy making something she likes to wear, and she enjoys picking out material and patterns. I laugh at the psychedelic material and patches she picks out, and think how well she would have fit in back in the 70's!
I love that she feels comfortable enough to keep with her own style and not care what others think, or what's "cool" or in "style" at the moment.
This is one of my favorite benefits of homeschooling; each child/teen is free to be exactly who they wish to be without feeling the need to hide any part of themselves!

I am going...
insane, crazy, loco, nuts, to the funny farm. Name it and I've been there or headed there quickly!
That's the joy of my life. It's so much easier when you stop trying to be "normal" and just embrace the craziness and uniqueness that is you!
I have officially given up trying to blend in or do as others do, now I'm allowing myself to enjoy being me, even with my many, many flaws!
God loves me, my family loves me, my friends love me, and to my surprise they all keep admitting they know me or are related. I'm taking that as a compliment!

I am wondering...
how the homeschool project fair is going to turn out.
A few months back, I decided to organize, and run a local homeschool project fair for local homeschoolers.
I set the date. I reserved a large meeting room at the local library. I made flyers and placed them at local libraries and homeschool events. I've talked with the local newspaper and they have ad for the fair in the weekly paper. I have shared our flyer and information with multiple local homeschool organizations, web sites, and Facebook groups. I have poured much of myself  these last few months into getting this project fair planned and set to go.
The fair is open to all ages and projects. We have entries as simple as a piece of artwork from a 6 year old, to books that have been written by teens. We have a model of the human body, photographs, possibly even a few Lego creations, and much more.  For our project, the kids, my mom, and I, have worked on a model of an old mining town to display at the fair. (I will share photos soon)
I wanted this fair to be a fun way for homeschoolers of all ages and skill levels to display and share their homeschool projects.
So far, it's looking like it will be a great time and a great turn out.

I am reading...
I just started this, so I can't say much about the book yet.
So far it seems promising, but we'll see.




I am hoping...

that May goes well. We have so many things going on in May, and I am hoping we can accomplish everything we have planned and still make time to relax and enjoy the spring!

I'm also hoping that we can keep everyone healthy! We have spent far too much time sick these past few weeks, despite my frenzied cleaning trying to kill any cold and flu germs that chose to invade our home.

I am looking forward to...
a possible mini-vacation. We had hopes to head to sunny California this spring, but with finances and hubby's job changing we are not able to make it work this time.
We are planning (hoping) to take a short trip to the Sand Dunes this summer. A couple hour drive, easy camping, and lot's of outdoor time, it should be enjoyed by all .

I am learning...
I can not do everything and take proper care of myself and my family. I am learning to make time to get away ,and recharge even if it's just for a few hours. I'm also learning, or being reminded,  how important it is for hubby and I to get some time away with each other.
We did manage to get out for dinner and a night out with friends a few weekends ago. It was a much needed night out, and helped us re-connect. We are hoping to get out once a month, even is it's just out to the dollar theatre or a to enjoy a walk somewhere together.
 As busy as life is with kids, parents must make sure  to invest in their marriage!

Around the house...
I see too many toys, too much clutter, too many things that need attention, but that's ok. This is our life. One day and one project at a time, right? Someday, I'll look back and miss all this craziness! Even the toys all over the floor.

Quote for the day...
“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

Photo for the day...

This is from our field trip to the Cripple Creek & Victor mine, to go along with out unit study of mining. It was amazing to see the monster machines in action. I'm sure you can guess what job my boys both now plan to have when they grow up!



If you made it though all that, I hope you are doing well and have a wonderful week!

 

Weekly Wrap Up...

Weekly Wrap Up...

 Do you ever feel like your life is a scene from the running of the bulls in Spain?
I do, well maybe not quite so dramatic. But there are days, weeks, and months that I do wonder when the whirlwind of craziness will stop. Then, I stop and remember that this whirlwind of craziness is our life. It's our normal.

So what's been going on in our life lately? A bit of everything!

In the home:
We spent a full week doing nothing and resting due to everyone being sick. The next week was spent trying to catch up on school work, housework, and all the other little things that went undone the week before. Laundry is no fun when it hasn't been done for a week. Even now, I feel like we are still playing catch up.

In our homeschool:
We have continued to learn about Colorado and mining. Our favorite so far has been reading a fictional story about a family making their way to Colorado City during the Colorado gold rush. The kids have enjoyed hearing the names of places they know and are familiar with as well as the little stories behind them.

We had planned to make a trip to the local mining museum this past week, yet due to the snow and cold temps, we decided to post-pone the trip until the weather warms up. A good part of the museum is outdoors and we would like to enjoy the visit without freezing.

The kids are also working with their grandma on building a model of a mining town. Using cardboard and items from around the house. They just recently started but have plans for quite the little town.
Here is the bit they have started so far.

A few little buildings, and the beginning of a water tower. I love that my mom is so open and happy to help out and involve herself in our homeschool journey.

In my life this week:
It has been another off week. The temps here have been below freezing, which means no outdoor playing for the kiddos. Which in turn means that mom is just about to pull out her hair! Our house is comfy but there is no extra space for the kids to run and really play, at least not without breaking something. So when we have a week or so when it's simply too cold to get outside, we all end up with cabin fever and desperately need to get out and run!

With all this indoor time, I have been trying to go through and clean out our school stuff. We have tons and tons of  "school stuff". And, oh my goodness, the books we have could start a small library. I'm not even sure why we go to the library, we have our own private one here at home. Eight different bookshelves of different sizes overloaded with books, books, and more books!

So far all this cleaning out is resulting in a lot of moving things around and not getting rid of nearly enough! I keep telling hubby that we need to sell everything, move into an RV, and travel. He's not interested in that idea at all...yet! I'm not giving up, just working it slowly. Wish me luck!

Homeschool fun club:
Awhile back, after not finding a homeschool group that worked for us, we decided to start one of our own. This summer we had a few families that would meet with us and enjoy an afternoon together.
Simply by word-of-mouth and a table at our library homeschool resource day, our fun club now has 43 families. I figured we'd end up with a handful of homeschool families that were willing to join our group and meet for fun events or tours, but I didn't expect our group to grow the way it has.

It's been wonderful though. We usually meet two to three times a month, and we have enjoyed quite a few events with these families. In the last few months we have enjoyed nature walks, toured a police station (kids even had their finger prints done and climbed on a SWAT vehicle), had a costume Halloween party at a park, spent a few afternoons at the roller skating rink, toured a local museum, enjoyed game nights at our library in a private room just for our group, gone to the art museum, and enjoyed some very simple play dates at the park. For February, we will be enjoying another game night, a tour to the humane society, and another night roller skating.

I'm known for jumping into things a little too quickly and often saying, "yes" to far more than I should, but this is one of those things I'm glad I just jumped in and started. It has been wonderful for the kiddos and myself.

Looking forward:
At the moment, I am really trying to not look too far ahead. I am trying, though not always successfully, to focus on today. At the moment we have nothing big planned or expected in the near future, thankfully. Yet, we do have a special little boy who will be turning the 6 in just under two weeks. Yes, my baby boy is going to officially be a big boy. He says he has been a big boy for a long time, but mama is just not ready to admit it just yet.

The growing kiddos:
My daughter, who is still my baby girl, is nearly 13 and growing way too fast. I am not sure I'm ready for this teen stage and all the changes that are coming with it. But I am enjoying watching her grow and change into such a beautiful young lady.

She has grown, or seemed to have grown, so much in the last few weeks. She is now babysitting and volunteering at our library once a week. As hard as it is to accept that my baby girl is no longer a baby, it's pretty awesome as well. I am enjoying watching her grow and take on more responsibility and yet keep her sweet and playful personality.

Wild Thing, my busy, busy boy! I love that boy so much and wonder at times, if God really thought I could keep up with him and teach him all he needs to know. Because I'm not too sure. I have learned so much from just being his mom. He has taught me to look beyond what we see and find an adventure in everything. He has taught me to really think outside the box, and that there is no such thing as teaching kids all the same way. He has taught me that being the one that's a little different or odd, is exactly what sets us apart and makes us pretty awesome people.

 I'm supposed to be teaching him and yet, he is teaching me far more!

Praying for:
My grandma! I love her and have not been able to see her as much as I'd like. I pray for her each night and that she will be comfortable and know just how many love her!

A dear friend who is dealing with some incredibly tough stuff right now. I pray for God to guide her each day, and for her to have the strength and courage to deal with the stress and struggles. 

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?

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.

Weekly Wrap Up

 

In our home this week:

As this is the week of Halloween, the kids were talking about, thinking about, and dreaming about Halloween costumes and candy!

This year instead of my making them a costume, they each had a store bought costume. Though it was nice to not have to frantically finish a costume the night before the trick-or-treating frenzy, I did somewhat miss making something special and unique for my kiddos. Even though I didn't enjoy spending the money on their costumes, it was nice to just buy them and be done. The costumes didn't cost a great deal but I'm cheep and would have rather spent a bit on material and made a costume that would last a little longer than a few nights. Even with store bought costumes, the kids had a great time trick-or-treating and now have much more candy than should ever be allowed in the house.  

In our homeschool this week:

There actually hasn't been much school going on this week. Lady Bug and Wild Thing did each have their day at the homeschool enrichment program they attend as well as their fencing lesson earlier this week.

Yet, with one little one not feeling well, daddy home from work, and too many errands and projects going on, school was set on the back burner for the week. Believe or not, no one cried one bit about missing school. Imagine that, homeschool kids happy to play hookie from school too!

Next week, we will be back to our normal routine of school and chores.

Projects we worked on this week:

While hubby was home and the weather was still nice we took the time to get some house projects done. The backyard finally was cleaned out and it no longer looks like the field overrun with dry weeds as tall as the fence. The kids are now actually spending time out back and I'm not worried about them getting lost in the jungle of dead weeds. Ok, it wasn't that bad, but it felt like it.

Hubby also finished the sliding glass door we put in earlier this summer. The walls around it are now smooth and painted to match the rest of the room. 

I even sat down and decided on the kids' Christmas gifts from me this year.

Wild Thing has been asking for more camo pants since he has about worn out the last pair I made him. I have just enough material to make another set of pants complete with multiple pockets and maybe a hat or bandanna or camo pants for his stuffed bear. He will also get another pair of properly fitting church pants. Making pants for him is just about the only way to make sure his pants stay on. I can't find pants long and thin enough for him, so luckily I can sew and make him a few each year.

Lady Bug is getting a pink and green polk-a-dot blanket she's asked me to make for her for awhile now, as well as some more doll clothes for her Madame Alexander dolls. She had a dress pattern picked out but decided to wait until spring. Whew, thank goodness. It was a doozie of a dress, so I'm happy to have that off my shoulders until after the holidays.

My Little Man, is getting a stuffed bear and some pants as well.  I found the cutest stuffed bear pattern recently and can't wait to see how it turns out. He's excited about the bear too, so I really hope it isn't too difficult.   

What I am reading:

Not much other than a few blogs and a page or two of a book here and there. My brain has been going so much, I just can't seem to settle down long enough to really focus on what I'm reading. You don't even want to know how long it's taken me to write this post so far. I just can't seem to focus on any one thing for long.

What the kids are reading:

We actually have a few books going at the moment. We are reading, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Apple and the Arrow, and the boys and I just finished, The Sword in the Tree.

Little Man has been reading very well and picks different books to read each day. I love that he is still excited about reading and that he tries to read everything

Wild Thing is reading Halloween Fraidy-Cat at the moment. He still struggles somewhat with his reading so we are trying to find things he enjoys to read about and can get excited about reading. 

Lady Bug has been reading a variety of books, but not as much as normal, so we are going to have to get back to our daily quiet reading time.

Thought for the week:

"What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude tword it. Every oppourtunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an oppourtunity."

-J.Sidlow Baxter-

*I am working on a computer that is very grumpy and keeps turning off. So just blame any spelling or grammar errors on the computer, not on the half-awake mom who is just about to crash right here at the table.

Weekly Update...a little late

 

                                  

In our home this week:

This last week we have been going, going, going! I miss the days of staying home and having no where to go and nothing important to do, at least to do outside of the home. The kids are enjoying being busy because it is due to their activities that we are so busy.

At the moment the kids are all enjoying Kung Fu twice a week, and the two oldest, Lady Bug and Wild Thing are enjoying taking Fencing classes once a week. Add in Cub Scouts, the kids’ homeschool enrichment program they attend once a week, and our homeschool group and we are running quite a bit. Hopefully we can scale things down here soon. This mama is ready to stay home and just enjoy our days reading and homeschooling.

In our homeschool this week:

This week we wrote and published the first edition of our family newspaper. The kids and I decided a week or two ago that we were going to begin a new project to encourage the kids’ writing. I thought that a family newspaper would be fun and still give the kids some great writing and editing practice.

Each month the kids will spend a few days to one week writing, editing, and publishing their articles for our paper. In our paper so far we have, of course the front page where the kids will write a brief report of what they want to share about our life. Then a sports page where the kids will write about their Kung Fu, Fencing, or other sport like activities. We also have a school page where the kids write about our homeschooling.  Next, we have an animal news page, where the kids write about our pets or include interesting animal facts, and then we have our nature study page, where the kids write about our adventures with our one year nature study.

My youngest has the honor of writing the weather page, where he tells about the recent weather and then predicts what the upcoming weather will be like. For now he mostly dictates to me what he wants to say and I write it for him. But as we move forward he will be writing more and more of his own weather page, as well as helping on the other pages. Last but not least, we have a comic’s page. Lady Bug is our lead cartoonist and has created a very cute cat comic character that will be our main comic for the time being.

We have shared our first edition with a few family members and offered for those interested, to subscribe to our family newspaper.

On the healthy side of life this week:

Sadly, there is little healthy news to report this week. I have still not managed to get my sleepy self out of bed earlier than the boys, which is very early, so that I can get out and walk. So again, this will be my goal for the upcoming week. Wish me luck. Or maybe I should ask you to wish me good sleep, so that I can wake up rested and ready to workout.

I do have to report that I am still, nearly 3 months, free of caffeine! No soda and no coffee! I am also working on finding a tea that I like to replace my morning coffee. So far I’m finding that I’m still not a tea person. I will keep trying, because I do love having my hot drink in the morning.

On my reading list this week:

I have been so busy that I have not had my reading time each day as I would like. As a result, I am now in the middle of a handful of books. Normally, I try to limit myself to bouncing between two books. Yet, I have found myself with books I have started all over the house. Almost as if I have a different book for every room in the house. I need some quiet reading time soon so that I can finish a few books and concentrate on just one or two.

The book that is mention-worthy is another homeschool book I recently found, “The Joyful Home Schooler,” by Mary Hood, Ph.D.

For those just beginning the homeschool journey it’s a great book to look at before you start, if you’re a seasoned homeschooler, it’s still a great book. I agree a great deal with her thoughts on homeschooling and the way she educates her children.

She is also the author of, “The Relaxed Home School.”

 Thoughts for this week:

Go to bed early! Get a good night sleep! Then get up BEFORE the kids, so that you can have a few moments to your self!

I used to do this each day. I would get up before everyone else, read my Bible for a bit, and then go running. Looking back, this was the time when I felt the most relaxed and happy, not to mention how much healthier and thinner I was.

I think it’s time to make “me” time a morning a priority again!

Weekly Update

*Note:
As I am now left to write many of these posts on my Ipad due to my computer being headed to it's final resting place, please ignore all the odd writing, extra words in random places, and horrible grammar. This device is not kind to blog posting, and often has a mind of it's own and "corrects" my writing...without my permission!

Outdoors: 
We have enjoyed yet another trip to our nature center for week 5 of our one year nature study adventure. There are no pictures today, since I have not had time to download them off my camera. But I will make sure to share soon.

This nature study, or nature afternoon, is turning out to be more fun and interesting that I had thought it would be. I originally thought it would just be fun and educational and a great way to get us outdoors, but it's proving to be much more. We all are seeing so many new things we have never noticed before. This nature center is one we have been to many times, yet, I am finding that we didn't really "see" very much of it at all. We would wonder through and look around, but rarely did we stop and really look for or notice the incredible beauty and detail this place has to offer.

Today on our nature study, we ended up with some much cooler temps and some rain, but it still turned out to be a great time. We even discovered and enjoyed walking on a new trail we never noticed before. Along this new trail were a few other trails we plan to explore in the up coming weeks. This makes me think of how many trails we will find and how well we will know this place before the year is up. So much fun!

The kids are enjoying it just as much as I am, in fact I believe that Wild Thing is enjoying it the most. He absolutely loves going and is so excited each time he finds something new or recognizes some change in something he already learned about. Homeschooling at its best.

In Our Homeschool: 
The last two weeks have been a bit challenging. Hubby's work schedule has changed drastically, and he has been putting in a great deal of hours. Everyone is ready to pull each others hair out trying to adjust and figure out this odd new schedule. So, school has been a little different. Seem days are "normal" and others are, not! I was really frustrated at first, but I have reminded myself over and over  that this is the beauty of homeschooling, we simply work our life and school together.

I am again trying to get back to our more relaxed homeschool style, trying to let God guide our days instead of a us being ruled by a schedule or fancy chart someone else wrote for their kids or curriculum. And no, this doesn't translate into being lazy and not wanting to teach my kids. It's just our way of making homeschool and family living an all in one package deal, and trust me there is still plenty of learning going on!


New This Week:
The kids, Lady Bug and Wild Thing, began to take fencing lessons once a week through their homeschool enrichment program they go to each week. I knew they'd have fun, but oh my goodness, Wild Thing is over the top excited about this fencing class. He has decided, for now, that he wants to be a professional fencer (not sure the actual title) when he grows up. He is also convinced that he NEEDS all this fancy fencing equipment, which is not cheep at all!  He has even been looking up prices on Ebay for kids fencing gear.

Changes Needed: 
Our sleep schedule. Our sleeping schedule and meals are so crazy at the moment. With hubby's work hours and all of our activities we are getting up late, going to bed late, and running all over, sometimes all day, and I don't like it! As much as I like routine and schedules, you'd think I'd be able to keep us on a normal routine, but it seems as though all I keep up is the craziness that is our life. But I am still thankful for all this craziness, it means we are still alive and together as a family.

On The Healthy Side Of Life:
It has now been over two months since I gave up caffeine! No soda and no coffee for two months. I am now a recovering caffeine drinker. (smile) I have pushed though the first few weeks of headaches and wondering if giving up my morning coffee was worth it, but I am happy to say that it is very worth it.

I am now looking to try some herbal teas, since they have no caffeine, and taste less tea-like. I've never really liked tea but I really miss having a hot cup of something in the morning. If I don't work to fix this craving before winter gets here, I know I will find myself slowly creeping back into the coffee routine on those cold winter mornings. Which is something I don't care to start up again.

So this is where you come in.
I'd love to know what types of tea you enjoy (no caffeine) and what you add to them if anything. And which teas are the best for your health? Let me know your thoughts.

Thought For This Week:
Stop working so hard for tomorrow that you miss the gifts of today! Take a step back from planning, schedules, work, school, chores, shopping, cooking, and anything else, and just look at all the gifts in your life. I bet we would all find more than we would expect, if we took time to really look around.

God gives us one life down here. Don't waist it!

Week 2 One Year Nature Study Adventure and Weekly Wrap Up Combo Post!

As we planned, we once again took a trip out to our nature center for week 2 of our one year nature study adventure. This week we went to the nature center with our little homeschool play group. While there the kids discovered these little monarch caterpillars. After seeing the beautiful monarch butterfly last week and learning about them the kids were thrilled to see the caterpillars before changing into a butterfly.

Even with only a week, to the day, between visits the changes happening were already noticeable. The grass was already changing colors and the trees had even begun to drop their leaves.

Our tree was still standing tall and quite beautiful. Here we did not see much change just yet. Though we are curious and excited to see how much it changes throughout the course of this coming year.

This week the kids were able to see a few turtles basking in the sun on a rock out in the pond, and a few hawks flying nearby, and plenty of little bugs. We were also able to observe the evidence of the recent flooding of the creek. Of course this opened some good conversations on the effects of flooding to even the littlest creatures.

Week 2 of our nature study adventure was a success. The kids enjoyed the trip as did I, and we are all anticipating our trip this coming week. I wonder what changes we will see this time.

Praying For:
Continued progress for health issues with one of my kiddos. We have seen improvement in the last few weeks and I am praying that we will continue to see progress!

Thankful For:
My family. I am thankful I have a wonderful husband who works so hard to care for us, and so that I can  stay home with my kiddos. And I'm thankful for my little kiddos. Even when they drive me crazy!

New This Week:
The kids have begun Kung Fu lessons two days a week and are really enjoying them. The classes are free though the homeschool enrichment program Lady Bug and Wild Thing go to each week. The free part is mama's favorite! I have been very happy with how much the kids have learned and able to do so far. I really like that they are learning not just the moves but how to use them in a self-defense situation. Even my little one is learning how to defend himself. Luckily, the instructor has made it very clear none of the moves are to be used on siblings or friends. Trust me, with these boys, that was an important rule he gave!

With our homeschool lessons each day, the enrichment program one day a week, Wild Thing's cub scouts, and our homeschool fun club, we are pretty busy. And people think homeschool families are unsocialized!
 Ha!

In Our Homeschool This Week:


(not my picture)


We also had a nice time with our homeschool fun club. We are meeting twice a week and so far the kids have met some fun new homeschool kids. We are planning some great tours for our fun club in the coming months. At the moment I am in the process of setting up tours at a local news station, the newspaper, humane society, and even a local trash company.

We are trying something new in our homeschool for the next few weeks.
Homeschooling has many challenges. Homeschooling three kids has triple the challenges. Most of which are easily dealt with or figured out, but lately trying to get all of our school done each day has been a bit challenging. So we tried something new this week. The kids all did their math and reading then we spent the rest of the day on history. We read from Story of the World, by Susan Bauer, and did some activities to go along with what we read. I think/hope that spending our day on less subjects but more time with each subject we do, will prove to work well for us all.

What were looking forward to:
One last camping trip before the cooler weather hits. Camping may be the one most enjoyed summer activity in our family. The kids have an absolute blast each time we go camping and are always begging to go back! I'm looking forward to sitting on the lake beach and playing in the water with the kiddos, and of course enjoying the late night camp fires and marshmallows.

We have yet another busy week ahead so I am praying for a smooth and enjoyable week ahead.

Weekly Wrap- Up

 

Praying for:

Strength and healing for a loved one.

Thankful for:

My family. Even on the rough days when we all get on each others nerves, I know I am blessed to have my own little family. 

I am also thankful I live in a country where I am free (for now at least) to homeschool my children. 

In our school this week:

As this was our second week of school we still took things slow. Even so, the kids did pretty well this week. Everyone is still adjusting to getting back into a daily routine and school work. 

My daughter is enjoying having her math lesson from a cd on the computer. She listens/watches the lesson and takes notes during the instruction part, then works the lesson problems on her own. So far she like this better. I still help her with the math problems when needed, and work with her to correct any missed problems, but having the lesson on the computer is quite nice for us both. 

My 9 year old son, skipped school for a day to go enjoy a local air show with his grandma, grandpa, and great grandpa. I let him take a camera of mine to take pictures. He came back with nearly 150 pictures and video of all the different planes. I was quite impressed by some of his pictures! He did a great job. 

He even has some of his photos featured over at, "Photography Amature Favorites". Take a peek. 

My youngest (5 years) has also done very well lately. He practiced his letters in a pan of cornmeal, did a little math, and read another entire book. He is reading daily out of a beginning readers book, but the other day he picked up a library book and read the whole thing. It was a little Clifford readers book, but I was pleased at how well he did! He is really enjoying this whole reading thing. 



The boys were learning about the body's muscles this week. Sit-ups and push-ups were on the daily agenda for finding different muscles. Wild Thing even made a human man doing push-ups out of the math counting blocks.



In our home this week:

The suffering of allergies is at its peak! No fun at all!

Also, we have been welcoming a new addition to the family, a little kitten. Last Sunday we ended up at the pound for their free adoption day for cats. We have talked about finding a little cat for Lady Bug for awhile. Partially because we promised after our cat, Chester, passed away last year, we would get another one, but also to give Lady Bug something to focus her energy on. Our hope is that it will help with some of her anxiety!  So far she's been so busy with kitty that she seems to be a little more relaxed. I am happy that the kitten is fitting in fairly well. The dog wants to play with kitty, but the kitty is not very interested in playing yet, at least not with the dog. Lucky, our large Maine Coon cat, is slowly accepting the kitten as part of the family. For the most part he just ignores the kitten but occasionally we will find him next to the kitten just watching. 

Changes made lately: 

I have now made it just over a month with no caffeine. No coffee and no soda! Some days have been harder than others, but to be honest it has not been as difficult as I expected. Correction, the first week was rough but after that it wasn't too bad! 

I intend to keep on this no caffeine and no soda road! It's much healthier  and I find that I am drinking far more water, also a healthy habit! 

Changes needed:

This mama has done well with the no caffeine and no soda, but I have been meaning to get out and walking or running again, but have only managed to make it out a few times. My goal was to get up early enough to spend 20 minutes doing some yoga, and then 45 minutes outside walking. This would probably be much easier if I managed to make it to bed before midnight or one in the morning. 

This week I am going to work on getting up so that I can spend the needed time on me! 

What I'm reading: 

Three books at the moment.

"A Charlotte Mason Companion, Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning" by Karen Andreola

A great book for those wishing to homeschool with more living books and natural learning when it comes to writing, grammar, and spelling. 

It's a wonderful book, especially for new homeschoolers. It offers great tips and ideas for home learning. 

"The Well Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home"

By Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

This is another wonderful homeschool resource. Full of tips and ideas on how to home educate. I have just opened the book so I can not tell you much, other that what I have heard from others. And what I have heard form others is that it is a wonderful book. 

The last one is just for fun, "When the Morning Comes" By Cindy Woodsmall. I have found that I enjoy the Amish fictional stories, and this one I found at the library book sale for $.50, a great deal I couldn't pass up! So far, it's a great story. The Amish stories always have a great message of faith, love, and acceptance of others. 

What the kids are reading:

Lady Bug has started, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was one of my favorites as a kid, and I feel it's one of those must read books. 

My 9 year old, who has struggled more with reading, has been enjoying the "Amelia Bedelia" books. The books are cute funny stories where Amelia takes everything very literally. So when Mr. Rogers gets frustrated with her and tells her to hit the road, she walks outside, picks up a stick, and literally hits the road. We have all enjoyed these short stories. 

My youngest, has been reading a few pages each day from, "I Can Read It, Book 1" that we bought from Sonlight years ago. Though he occasionally grabs another book and just starts reading. 

I am so happy that all of my children are now reading. I feel as though now, they have so much more available to them. 

If I can teach them nothing more than to love and honor God, and to read, I would be ok! 

Favorite Quote this week:

For those of you on Facebook, I created a FB page all about homeschooling. Nothing fancy, just for fun. I have posted so far 25 tips for homeschooling, as well as a few homeschool myths. Take a peek and see what you think. 

Homeschooling Ain't For Wimps!  

**Please note,
I am having some issues with my blog cooperating with me, may just be my computer.
So if links are not working or if things apper odd, I apologize.
I am working, in all my spare time, to get it fixed.

*And if you noticed, I had already forgotten the new screen names for the kiddos, so I am just going to use the old screen names from now on.
Daughter- Lady Bug
Middle son- Wild Thing
Youngest son- Little Man

Back at the old homeschool routine...First Day of School 2013!

We began our school year this week.

We are taking things slow and easy for the first two weeks.

A gentle start back into the school routine makes for a much happier mom and kids!

We officially have a 7th grader, a 4th grader, and a Kindergartner!

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

My youngest is very excited to be an "official" kindergartner!

He loves to read and is doing very well.

I am amazed at how much he has learned just from being around his older sister and brother for

all their homeschool lessons.

My daughter! A middle schooler!

I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I was pretty sure that just a few short years ago 

I was holding a sweet baby girl in my arms, and now she is an amazing young lady.

Try as I might, I could not get many photos of her alone.

One of the best things about homeschooling.

The kids are always together so they are all very close and loving to each other...most of the time!  

My little monster!

Never a dull moment! Such a busy and wild thing!

He is teaching me how to adjust life and learning to fit a family that tends to be a bit...out-of-the-box thinkers. Nothing normal here, keep looking!

But always an adventure!



Camping Trip over the 4th of July



The kids playing in the creek. Our favorite pasttime while camping here!
The water is safe and lots of fun!

 


It rained some each day we were camping.

 



Secret Spy Storm 5 enjoyed shooting the BB gun!





Secret Spy J9 spent time target practicing with his bow and arrows.



 



"Hey, I want a turn to shoot too!!"







Peek-a-boo, I see you!





Our favortie sopt on the creek.

 



Secret Spy Storm 5, huunting wild animals deep in the forset.

 


This is the view from our camp spot.
This is also where, in my dreams, I plan to build my log cabin.

 
 



My baby girl. A bit dirty and cold from the creek, but still enjoying the mountains very much!

 





My favorite part of the drive to our camping spot. I love all the trees!