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7 of my favorites…

May 23rd, 2007 by

I was tagged by Timbuk2mom.  Here we go…

7 of my favorite books: 
I must confess.  I only started reading fiction again recently.  The only fiction I have that made the list from this last year was the trilogy by Francine Rivers.  The remaining six I listed, I read over five years ago.  My faith has definitely grown and changed since then and if I were to read these again, the list might be changed.  But, I do recall these as being very well written and memorable for me. 

Fiction:
1-The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers (a trilogy)
This classic series has inspired over half a million readers. Journey back to the crumbling Roman Empire and meet Haddassah, a young slave girl; Marcus, a handsome aristocrat; Atretes, a brave gladiator; and Rizpah, a beautiful young widow. The gospel of Christ is the only weapon they have to battle the immorality that surrounds them –will they be wise enough to use it?
2-The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon (6 books)
Diana Gabaldon is the New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series, which tells the story of Jamie Fraser, a Scottish Highlander from the 18th century, and his time-traveling wife, Claire. The latest book in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, is on bookshelves now.
3- The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George
Much has been written about the mighty, egotistical Henry VIII: the man who dismantled the Church because it would not grant him the divorce he wanted; who married six women and beheaded two of them; who executed his friend Thomas More; who sacked the monasteries; who longed for a son and neglected his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; who finally grew fat, disease-ridden, dissolute.
Now, in her magnificent work of storytelling and imagination, Margaret George bring us Henry VIII’s story as he himself might have told it, in memoirs interspersed with irreverent comments from his jester and confidant, Will Somers. Brilliantly combining history, wit, dramatic narrative, and an extraordinary grasp of the pleasures and perils of power, this monumental novel shows us Henry the man more vividly than he has ever been seen before.
4- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Joy Luck Club, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 1989, presents the stories of four Chinese-immigrant women and their American-born daughters. Each of the four Chinese women has her own view of the world based on her experiences in China and wants to share that vision with her daughter. The daughters try to understand and appreciate their mothers’ pasts, adapt to the American way of life, and win their mothers’ acceptance. The book’s name comes from the club formed in China by one of the mothers, Suyuan Woo, in order to lift her friends’ spirits and distract them from their problems during the Japanese invasion. Suyuan continued the club when she came to the United States—hoping to bring luck to her family and friends and finding joy in that hope.
5- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Cleo Threadgood, 86, shares a lifetime of memories of Whistle Stop, Ala.where the social scene centered on its one cafe with Evelyn Couch, a younger woman who is looking for meaning in her life. PW described this as "lively reading the kind that eventually nourishes Evelyn and the reader as well."
6-Watership Down by Richard Adams
A picaresque saga about a motley band of rabbits who desert their ancient warren when the gentle Fiver predicts imminent destructions of all who remain. Led by Fiver’s intelligent brother, Hazel, the refugees set out on an epic search for a new home.
7- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it–from garden seeds to Scripture–is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

Non Fiction

1- Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl (my review)

2- Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gotto (my review)

3-Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp (my review)

4-The Key to You Child’s Heart by Gary Smalley (my review)

5-For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley (my review)

6-When Dreams Come True by Eric and Leslie Ludy (my review)

7- Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola (although this is "technically" fiction, it is an excellent reference and resource book, so I am counting it as non-fiction).

7 of my Favorite Devotionals:
1- Keeping God in the Small Stuff by Bruce&Stan
2-Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
3-Quiet Times for Couples by H. Norman Wright
4-Night Light for Parents by Dr. James and Shirley Dobson

7 of my favorite Bible Studies:  
1- The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
2-Proverbs (Lifechange series) by Nav Press
3-Mom’s Ordinary Day Series (five different studies):Mothering without Guilt, Managing Your Time, Winning Over Worry, Making Praise a Priority, Finding Joy in all you do
4-She’s Gonna Blow by Julie Barnhill
5-21 Days Building Healthy Habits for Your Family by Dr. Criswell Freeman

7 of my favorite movies:
1- Last of the Mohicans
2-Truly, Madly, Deeply
3-Amadeus
4-Anne of Green Gables
5-Forrest Gump
6- FACING THE GIANTS (a must see!)
7-The Phantom of the Opera

 

7 of my favorite foods: 
1-Nachos
2-Fajitas
3-Cioppino or Bouillabaisse 
4-Haagen Daz Vanilla Swiss Almond
5-Funnel Cakes
6-Kettle Corn
7-Jelly Bellies (green apple, mojito, margarita, pink grapfruit, juicy pear, sour mix, peach)

7 of my favorite drinks: 
1-Starbuck’s Cinnamon Dolce Latte
2-Starbuck’s Caramel Frappucino
3-Huxdotter’s (a local coffee stand) Irish Smooch-a chocolate mint ice cream drink
4-Diet Dr. Pepper
5-Cranberry Juice
6-a good red wine shared with friends
7-Mexican Hot Chocolate

 

Posted in MISC. | 2 Comments »

Lesson 5/23/07

May 23rd, 2007 by

OK, so ‘A’ is sick.  The one bonus about homeschooling is that today was not a loss!  If he were enrolled in school, he would have missed the day, but in between the episodes of getting sick, he would rebound and wanted to do the homeschool activities.  We were able to get a full day in (an hour worth), cut up into smaller pieces.

Here is ‘A’ resting in the late afternoon.  ‘R’ put the hat on him.

They also have spent more time in front of the TV today  than they have all month!  We watched ‘Toy Story’, and their favorite chidlrens programs, ‘Blues Room’ and ‘Little Einsteins’

‘R’ spent a little bit of time enjoying our backyard. (Yes, the boys spent the day in their PJs…)

Seems like everyone took it easy today…

Bible
Children’s Everyday Bible-The story where God tells Abraham and Sarah they will have a son.

Read Aloud
Mother Goose- "Doctor Foster"
"Tiger Eats a Monkey"
"When I was Young in the Mountains"
"Jump on Over: The stories of Brer Rabbit and his family"

Language Arts
Developing the Early Learner- Comprehension/Language 1:  I read a sentence and the boys had to circle the picture that was the correct ending to the sentence.  Both boys got theirs correct.

‘A’s sentences:
"The dog was very tired so he went to his very own _____(food dish, balls, dog bed)
Don’t lay your clothes on the freshly made __________(bed, chair, table)

‘R’s sentences:
"I have sunburn from lying in the hot _______(match, oven, sun)
"When the sun went down we could see the shining ____(stars,sun, clouds)

Social Studies
We continued to read about Frank and Freddy Flounder, the fishermen of Banilla in ‘Things People Do’.

Character
365 Manners…We read about what to do if you eat a piece of spoiled food.  You quietly remove it from your mouth and place it on your plate.  If it is a side dish, ignore it and eat around it.  If it is the main dish, you can ask for a different piece.  Don’t yell ‘yuck’ or make gagging sounds.

Right Choices-We read about how God thinks those who quarrel are fools and that it is better to share your toys than fight over them.

Reading
Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons: Lesson 7

Math
Singapore Earlybird 1A: Lesson 7
Today, the boys focused on tall/short.  The first activity had them looking at a picture of a giant and a leprechaun and they had to make up a story about them.  Here is the story as narrated to me (most of it is ‘A’s with interjections from ‘R’)

The Giant and the Leprechaun
Once upon a time, there was a tall giant and a short leprechaun.  The giant stepped on the leprechaun and almost dropped him in the water.  They ended up walking together on the road.  The leprechaun spit into the grass and jumped into a plant and hid under it.  The giant sneaked around at nighttime.  He did not do very good hiking or chewing back home.
The leprechaun said, "why are you that big?"
The giant said, "How do you do?  I will have you sit on a mushroom."
The mushroom had poison on it.  It poisoned the leprechaun.  He fell down, shut his eyes, and could not breathe or move.
Then, all of a sudden, he popped up again, scratched his head and said, "I better eat breakfast before I get up and go to the frog’s pond.  I better go home."
Then, he splashed into the pond, sank to the bottom and never came up.
The giant stuck his hand in the bottom and got him out and they lived together forever and ever.
The end.

Posted in HOMESCHOOL | 2 Comments »

Great idea from Diane

May 23rd, 2007 by

Diane just posted a creative way to offer snacks to your kids.  Place a variety in ice cube trays!  I love it and I stole her picture for you to reference (and so I won;t forget).  Hope you don’t mind, Diane!

 

Posted in EAT | 1 Comment »

8 Unique Things About Me

May 23rd, 2007 by

This little Meme has been floating through the HSB world.  Thought I’d take a stab at it:

1) I probably have one of the most diverse resumes you have ever seen.  Past jobs include: Accounting/Bookkeeping, Reservations for cruiseline and hotel, Concierge, On Board Supervisor of a Clipper Ship, Veterinary Technician, Licensed Massage Practitioner, Office Manager, Waitress, Day Camp Counselor for Special Needs Children, Aerobics Instructor; I am sure there are more…
It was not until I was a mother that I realized why I never embraced a career.  Motherhood IS my career.

2) I spent the summer of my junior year in high school, teaching special education in Quito, Ecuador, through the organization, Amigos de Las Americas.

3) If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I think it would have to be nachos.

4) This might sound weird, but I used to think it was weird that the female body could create and carry a male body.  DH and I always saw ourselves as having one girl.  But, when I was pregnant with my first son, I knew he was a ‘he’ before the ultrasound confirmed it, and I have been in love with being a mom of boys since then.

5) If I could live anywhere, it would be upcountry Maui.  It just doesn’t get any better than that! (of course, traveling to Europe on a regular basis would be the icing on the cake!)

6) I bite my nails.  I used to have the excuse that I needed short nails to massage.  Now I use the excuse that I scratch my kids when my nails are "too long".

7)  I love polish pottery.  I don’t collect anything, but if I did, it would probably be this.

8) I have belonged to an online moms group since I was pregnant with my first boy (now age 4).  It used to be public group, but closed a few years ago, and is very tight.  We have about 85 moms and most of us have met at least one other mom IRL.  We also have regional get togethers.  We all post pretty much everyday.  It is an awesome group of wonderful women, and I am thankful to be a part of it. 

Posted in MISC. | 3 Comments »

‘A’ is sick today

May 23rd, 2007 by

He woke up vomiting.  Watching you little boy throw up and cry at the same time is heartbreaking.  We are spending the day on the couch!

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Time Travel Tuesday

May 23rd, 2007 by

For time Travel Tuesday we are going back to our first blog post and posting it. Then talk about why we are blogging.  It was written almost a year.  I found this on Angelheart’s blog.)

I actually have another blog (Leigharev) that I no longer post to.  Due to some technical difficulties that were never really solved, it was suggested by HSB that I create a new blog.  So, the first post will come from that one:

August 12, 2005

Fun Summer Days

Hi! My name is Leigh.  I have two boys.  1B2 is 2 1/2 and 2B1 is 16 months.  I have been inconsistently homeschooling 1B2 since he was 18 months, and 2B1 is along for the ride.  On average, we are homeschooling twice a week, in two hour stretches.  This means, we use actual curriculum (Abeka), or use sheets from various websites.  Other than that, our days are filled with playing outside, going on nature walks, running errand, playdates, etc.

 

I will be providing care for a friend’s little girl, half days, beginning in September.  I plan on making her my "teacher’s assistant", and will have a set schedule for homeschooling both boys.

 

Today, we went on a nature walk on a trail near our house.  The river is gorgeous right now. We also visited my brother’s home and played on their trampoline. Both 1B2 and 2B1 got a "time out" because they were ignoring my comments that we needed to go and would not come to me when I asked them to.

 

I am teaching the boys about the herbs in our herb container garden.  They love to brush their hands on them and smell them.  I just have to keep my eye on 2B1, who prefers to try to uproot them, especially the thyme…

Why am I blogging?

Initially, it was to try to keep my scattered thoughts in order.  When you first begin to research homeschool as an option for your family, you are bombarded with too much information, instead of not enough!  The blog was a place to be able to place ideas, resources, etc.

Then, the blog became a place for me to refer when I feel like we have not "done" anything.  In the earlier days when the activities were sporadic, I would forget how much learning really was going on.  The blog was a good reminder and reinforcement that we are on the right path.

The blog became a place where I can have a "voice".  I am not very good at speaking my mind, but this online avenue lllows me to place my thoughts and feelings through writing, something I am stonger at.

Lastly, the blog has become a wonderful place to show my family and friends how we spend our days.  I love knowing that my loved ones can be connected to our everyday life in this way.

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Lesson 5/22/07

May 22nd, 2007 by

Bible
Children’s Everyday Bible: We read about Abraham, Sarah, and Lot

Memory Verse
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Read Aloud
Mother Goose- Jack Sprat
‘New House in the Forest’

Language Arts
Developing the Early Learner- The boys had to circle items that rhymed with SNOW (blow, mow, tow) and cross out items that did not (baby, toys, snails).  Both boys got all correct.

Science
Berenstain Bears Book of Science- We read about how Valentine’s Day is in February and that winter ends in March.  I asked them waht comes after winter, and they both replied, ‘Spring’!

Also, ‘A’ is very interested in ‘poison ivy and oak’.  We looked up pictures of both online and also the nasty skin blisters and rashes that they cause.

We found a caterpillar yesterday and again today.  Since he was not looking too happy on the doorstep, we decided to look it up and see which tree he is best suited.  Based on the caterpillar guide, it looks like he is a Lophocampa Maculata, AKA , the Spotted Tussock Moth, a member of the Tiger moth family.
They aparently eat maple leaves and we have a vine maple in the front yard, so we transferred him. (Dad, if you are reading this, I bet you are banging your head right now, aren’t ya?!)

Character
365 Manners- We talked about removing dinner dishes (only two at a time, do not stack them)
If in a restaurant- leave it to the server to stack and take away (I am guilty of stacking for the server…)

Right Choices- We read about spending time watching TV and the choices we make.  We should not watch shows that show bad things (like villains, violence, etc.)  This is so convicting for me, as I have to walk the walk as well and not watch ‘junk TV’.

Reading
Teach You Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons- Lesson 7.  Worked on sounds m, a, t, s, eee, and combos of the mentioned.

‘A’ read the Bob Book Volume one, Book 10: Peg and Ted

Math
Singapore math: Lesson 6- The boys worked on pages regarding long/short.  They both have a good grasp of it.

Physical
‘A’ has martial arts today.

Posted in HOMESCHOOL | 1 Comment »

Lesson 5/21/07

May 21st, 2007 by

Bible
Children’s Everyday Bible-The story of the flood and the rainbow

Read Aloud
Mother Goose- Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
‘Three Months’ Night’

Language Arts
Developing the Early Learner- The boys had to find pictures of mice in a detailed drawing.

Social Studies
We read about the Fishermen of Banilla in ‘Things People Do’

Character
365 Manners… we learned about what a vegetarian lifestyle is like and how to treat a guest who is a vegetarian (Offer more vegetables and vegetarian side dishes)

Right Choices-  We read about how sometimes moms and dads must discipline their children to teach them right from wrong.

Reading
‘A’ read ‘The Little Red Hen’ in a literature primer
‘Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons’- Lesson 6

Math
Singapore Math Lesson 5: The boys learned the colors red, blue, yellow, green.   I had them say them in Spanish as well.

Social
My friend came over for a visit, with her three children. ‘M’ is 1G5, ‘G’ is 2B3, and ‘F’ is 3G<1.  ‘M’ brought a princess costume and they played Princess and the Super heroes.

Physical
After dinner, we went on a family hike in Twin Falls State Park.  For the first time, we made it to the lower falls lookout!  The boys were amazing.  We are so proud!

 

Posted in HOMESCHOOL | 2 Comments »

Menu Plan Monday- May 21

May 19th, 2007 by

OK, so I am posting early, but I have the time and the inclination, so here you go!

Sunday
Chili Cheese Cornbread, Green Salad

Monday
Crockpot Beef Wraps, Corn

Tuesday
Chicken Noodle Casserole, Green Beans

Wednesday
Crockpot BBQ Sandwiches, Coleslaw

Thursday
Adirondack Soup, Cheese and crackers

Friday
Fried Rice Friday

Saturday
Attending a family reunion

 

Recipes

Chili Cheese Cornbread
Ingredients:
2 cans chili w/beans
Cheese (shredded or sliced)
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
Directions:
Spread chili in a greased 8×11 dish. Top with cheese. Stir milk and egg into cornbread mix and spread on top. Bake at 375 degrees or until golden brown and cornbread is done.

Crockpot Beef Wraps
Cut chuck roast into stew meat.  Cover with a jar of salsa. Cook in crockpot 6 hours.  Serve in torilla with sauteed onions and peppers.

Chicken Noodle Casserole
2 cans of chicken breast meat, packed in juice, drained and flaked
1 12-ounce package of wide egg noodles, drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. milk or water or chicken stock
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste
16 Ritz® crackers, crushed finely
2 T. melted butter
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions, draining noodles 1 minute before fully cooked. In a large bowl, combine chicken, both cans of soup, cheese, soy sauce, milk (or stock or water), garlic and onion powder and season with salt and pepper as desired. Carefully fold in noodles. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and pour noodle mixture into dish. Mix melted butter and cracker crumbs and sprinkle over noodle mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6 generously.

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Lesson 5/18/07

May 19th, 2007 by

We returned from Ocean Shores late Wednesday.  Yesterday was MOPS.  It was the birthday of a friend of mine (Megan), so I took her to lunch with our boys.  Then, another friend took all of our boys for a couple of hours and Megan and I went and got pedicures, (she also got a manicure.) We were still officially on our Spring Break, so no homeschool activities.  The boys enjoyed thwir class at church while MOPS was in session, though.

Today, the boys went into their classrooms while I was in Bible Study.  ‘R’ made the cutest little "home" for a toy frog.  They took homemade playdough and stuck various items in it:


After Bible Study, my friend, Linda (Linny), mom to C1,2,3, and almost 4, invited us to lunch at her house.  After that, we went to a yard sale/fundraiser that was put on my a homeschool mom of 21 years and day care provider.  She was selling all things related to homeschool and day care.  I bought a glass cake stand, Monopoly Junior, a memory game (can’t remember the name of it, though, HA!), and some books for the boys.  The kids were doing well, so we decided to push the envelope on go to a neighboring community called ‘Snoqualmie Ridge’, where they have a cooperative garage sale effort.  We stopped at two friends sales and about four other ones.  I did not buy anything, but Linda was able to get some girl clothes for C3.

We got home late afternoon and before I started dinner, we played Monopoly Junior.  ‘R’ lost interest half way though, so I played for him in addition to my own.  He ended up winning!  ‘A’ began crying and was upset he did not win.  We had to have ‘the talk’ about winning and losing.

 I suggested we have some homeschool activities after dinner and both boys were very excited.  They said they missed school (music to my ears!)  So, we started school today at 6:30pm!

Bible
‘Children’s Everyday Bible’: Story of Cain and Abel

Memory Verse
Hebrews 11:1-"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
We talked about Faith- Believing  in and acting on God’s promises.

Read Aloud
Mother Goose- ‘One, Two’
‘Tootle’
‘Whale’ from ‘Animals Animals’

Language Arts
Developing the Early Learner:
Comprehension/Sequence-The boy looked at two different pictures, each one representing a piece of an action.  The boys had to circle which action came first (ex. cooking an egg, eating an egg).  ‘A’ got the all correct; ‘R’ got one wrong.
Motor Skills/Pattern-The boys had to trace patterns by connecting the dot.  ‘A’ worked slowly and tried hard and got upset when he could not get it right.  I had to reaffirm to him that it is OK and that it takes alot of practice to get something right.  ‘R’  worked fast and was not careful to do it right.  Still, he was able to complete the tasks with a solid understanding of what is being asked of him. 

Science
Continued reading on ‘winter’.  We talked about things that happen in winter: snowball fights, getting sick, playing hockey, using a snow plow, etc.

Social Studies
‘Things People Do’-We read about commercial fisherman.  We learned that it is a difficult and dangerous job.  We learned that they catch fish with nets, lobster in traps at the bottom of the ocean, and that the fishermen sell these at fish markets.

Character
‘365 Manners…’: We learned how to ask for something to drink.  We say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  We do not reach for the pitcher unassisted.  We drink slowly and quietly.  If a friend pays a visit, we offer them something to drink.  If there is only one drink left in the refrigerator, we divide the drink evenly and share.

‘Right Choices’: We read about how God is happy when we pray and that we can pray to tell him we love him, to give thanks, and to ask him to help our hurts.

Reading
‘Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons’-Lesson 5: Worked on sounds- eee, aaaa, ssss, mmmm, eeeemmmm, eeeeessss

Bob Book- Volume One, Book 1
Dick and Jane- Story of Puff

Math
Singapore Earlybird-Lesson 4: This lesson revolved around big/small

After the boys went to bed (in their new bunk bed, I might add…), Linda came over and we watched a couple of episodes of TLC’s ‘Kids by the Dozen’, a series about families with a large number of children.  She also brought some yummy cookies!

Posted in HOMESCHOOL | 1 Comment »

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