Kid's Blog Fridays~Beautiful Day

We got in some great fun before the stormy weather hit today!

Then the storms came and we had to go home! But mom was

glad because she loves a good storm!

What I Love About Homeschooling

I received this in an email today and thought I'd make a post about it.

The list was a bit shorter (not much though) until I got hold of it and added a few of my own thoughts!!

What I love about homeschooling

I could...

Send them to school and from 8:00 to 3:00 and have no clue...

How many times they laughed

How many times they learned something and what they learned

How many times they questioned

How many times they understood

How many times they wanted more information and couldn't get it because class was over or teacher was too busy

How many times they bounced up and down from excitement over something new they learned

How many times they were proud over an accomplishment

How many times they wanted to cry and be hugged but couldn't be

How many times they wanted to pray and couldn't

How many times I would miss out on a hug

How many smiles I would miss

How many cuddle times I would miss

I could send them to school....

And in only 20 minutes a day they could soak up the sun

Eat highly processed food for lunch

and if they're lucky, finish off the lunch before someone says lunch is over

let them be bullied on the playground

allow them to be told how, when, what they can draw, read and write rather than being able to use their own imaginations

They would miss their hours of picking dandelions and playing in our yard...

And I would miss the bouquets they create for me

I would miss our picnics and walks in the woods

I could send them to school...

And let others have the best of my children's hours of each day

Allow others to instill their values in them rather than our values

Promote peer dependence

Promote socialism rather than individualism

Be led to believe that two mommies are better than one~that may be true for bowls of ice cream but not for mom's and dad's

By no means would I consider this list "exhaustive", at least not for me. I could go on but I encourage you to grab it up and add to or delete from it. Whatever suits you!

Mama's and Their Young

Look closely. It's not just plants and weeds!

This clever mama found a wonderful spot to birth her

young, and most importantly to hide them from my young!

Isn't this a picture of a mama? Checking to make sure no

harm is coming to her young ones!

This family is on the other side of our house. I think we will

have plenty of kittens to keep the mice away for a while!

Our Island Story~Boats Aren't Just For Water

This one moves on land too!

THE Best Gifts a Mom Can Get

Mary was laying with Janai last night at bedtime but quietly slipped back into my bed

and said she wanted to sleep with me. I asked her why because she was doing so well in her own bed so why do you want to sleep with me? Here's what she said:

"Because you're so beautiful."

Isn't being a mom the best job ever? Rather the best BLESSING

Wordless Wednesday

So You Think You Can Dance?

Here let me teach you!! Then we'll take a cat nap!

A Scripture for our Day

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I heard this verse used on Sunday in a way that I never thought of before. Our land can be healed, but only by God's people getting on their knees and praying. In this scripture God is talking to HIS people, NOT to the sinners who are in the process of breaking down our nation. WE who are called by His name must repent, turn from our wicked ways and pray. Our nation can be healed NOT by protests, freedom fights, patriotic talk shows and the like, (although these are good things so as to educate us and open our eyes) but by God's people kneeling in prayer and turning our hearts towards Him.

Tea Parties, Hope Chests & Little Girls

From the Power of Littles

Great events we often find,

On little things depend.

And very small beginnings

Have oft a mighty end...

Our life is made entirely

Of moments multiplied,

As little streamlets, joining.

Form the ocean's tide.~Author unknown

It is in the small moments that we teach our children. My little girls love a tea party. Either outside on a soft blanket or inside using a white table cloth linen. They are quite simple, juice served in a fancy glass pitcher, thrift store china cups and saucers, cookies and small candies...just a time set aside to sit and enjoy each other's company. We don't do it often enough but the times we do are special and treasured!! Try it sometime with your little ones and watch the excitement as everyday life turns into something special.

~~~~~~~

When our 2nd daughter turned about 16 we began the tradition of setting up a hope chest for them. We enjoy searching together for the necessary items to place in them. It's fun and exciting to do this with our daughters and I look forward to doing it several more times in the future!

"A Hope Chest is much more than a wooden box and the treasures hidden within it's depths... The Hope Chest contains the love, hope and dreams parents have for their daughter. This is shown in a very special and physical way with each item the parent has searched for, considered, and either accepted or declined. It is not the money that goes into the acquisition of a Hope Chest that will make it special, but the love, time and effort of a parent for their child..." Rebekah Wilson

Here are some of our favorite books on Tea Parties and Hope Chests

The Hope Chest by Rebekah Wilson

Grandmother's Hope Chest by Rebekah Wilson

Just Mom and me Having a Tea Party by Mary Murray

Tea for Two by Brownlow Publishing

Kid's Blog Fridays

Seriously serious faces!

This post was

Kid's Blog Fridays

For a good laugh watch this video of Kaydee and Mary

Bad hair day and funny faces!

Kim made Mary's hair like that a long time ago. In a million rubber bands. Except I don't think Mary likes it!

Mary eating black licorice when she was a baby, Kaydee behind the mask, Gemma wakes from her nap and Mary makes Christie's face disappear!

This post was

Notebook Samples From My Kids

Some notebook pages my kids did that I found floating around in our external hard drive. This is how I save some of my favorite pages they create. (The originals are stashed in a box somewhere)

Just didn't feel right not adding Mary's name at the end! She was born shortly after the children did these pages!

I Call These~Homeschool Treasures

Thankfully, these treasures have been around long enough for me to still make good use of them in our homeschool. If you are new to homeschooling, or not a homeschooler, but happen to be a parent then you will benefit from having these books within easy reach. If you look closely you can tell mine have been used often! And will continue to be for a while. Now, if you are a very eager reader, something with a lot of meat, and interested in the education and training of your children might I suggest reading The Original Charlotte Mason Series found online HERE.

Our Island Story~Homemade Ice Cream

I promised the kids we would make some homemade ice cream. No matter that it was the middle of winter. It was evening and daddy was at work and not expected until around midnight. The kids and I gathered up all the goodies, mixed it all together and poured into the ice cream container. Settled it into the plastic tub thingy and went to the freezer to gather the ice only to find I had forgotten to purchase it!! Ever promised ice cream to 6 young children and then not delivered! I broke the horrible new to the kids and they walked away trying to be 'tough.' A few moments later our 9 year old son came up to me to inform me that we indeed did have ice. This son of mind tried really hard to convince me that I was wrong and he was right. Okay my son, you get the ice for me and we'll make the ice cream. Not long after he brings me a bucket with the grossest, filthiest looking ice I've ever seen. "See mom, I told you we had ice. We have a whole frozen river right out our front door! I just kept chopping at the ice along the bank until I got this bucket full." ~~Needless to say he was our hero that night! The ice cream was yummy!

Our Island Story~Timing is Everything

Here's another "I was pregnant and poor me island post." Winter had not fully set in yet and I was off to grab some groceries. The pontoon was out of the water already and we only had the row boat. (I hated that boat) Daddy was off work and home with the kids so I was on my own with a row boat and 2 oars! (see the small shot of the oar. Bottom left.) This is how timing comes into play when rowing a boat in somewhat higher waters than normal. (The pic above is about what the day looked like) I'm looking over my shoulder to try and make sure I am giving the boat just enough "man power" to land it on shore in order for me to be able to exit the boat on dry land. The process goes like this: When getting a few feet from land you really work the oars so the boat will go up the embankment enough for you to, stand up, turn around while jumping over the seat, jump out of the boat onto dry land, AND grab the rope before the boat slips back in the water. See, it's your weight sitting on the front seat keeping the boat on the ground, once that weight stands up and exits the boat it's more than happy to slip back into the water.) On this particular day my preggo hormones must have thrown me off balance because I wasn't quite fast enough. I landed on the ground alright, about 2 1/2 feet under water. I gasped at the freezing water and I remember yelling at the top of my lungs, "I HATE this place! I sloshed out of the water determined NOT to row back across the river to get dry clothing. I'd rather shop wet than do that again. Then I remembered my husband always kept a fresh change of clothes and shoes in his car. He learns fast! At the time I was only about 3 months pregnant and easily slipped into my husband's jeans. There I was, wearing pants about a foot too long, and a very ugly pair of boots that were also a foot too long! (well, maybe only 4 inches) At any rate, I was warm and dry so I had to count my blessings. Off to the store I go praying that everyone I ran into was remembering the commandment "not to judge" lest ye be judged!!