Starting School & our Workboxes

Welcome 2011-2012 School year!!!!
We are excited to start this week and Getting into our workboxes!

The desks are set :0)

The boxes are loaded!

1) Calender/Weather Log box
I found a printable calendar with
wheels held on with brads on Scholastic printables that they
change the day, month and season each day)

I laminated it.

They have a weather log too.

2) Grammar box (Daily Grams/Easy Grammar/Magnetic Poetry)
I have a nice size list of Magnetic poetry ideas and
they each have a small magnetic white board ($2 walmart)

3) Spelling/Vocabulary/Dictionary box

4) 2 yo brother Teaching Time (colors, Shapes, ect., read book)
(15 minutes)

5) Writing/Copy work

6) Math

7) Awana box (study Bible and say to mom)

8) Elective box 1 a day
(Typing/Spanish/Nature/Geography/Health/Music/Art/
cooking)

9) Activity/Fun/Game box (see below)

10) Reading/Scholastic News box (love Scholastic news!)

Group time (Science or History)

Having a hands on visual learner I have been collecting lots of stuff to use for
the Activity fun box I made cards for each and stick them on the box.

The Toymaker website paper toys to print and make
Rory's story cubes
Wrap-ups
Word shout
Bananagrams
magnetic mosaic tiles kit
Usborne science and brain puzzle activity cards
oragami books w/paper
I found some silly science madlib type things at Target last week ($1)
flashcards (us presidents, geography)
Math dice
little dover coloring books
Learning resources addition/subtraction slide rule,
Educational multiplication key board (small world toys)
jump rope
Leap Frog TAG Land Animals and Bird cards
Fandex
Scripps spelling bee Nintendo ds game
Active life wii game
Silly Putty/Play dough (sculpt a story or make a specific thing)
Lap harp w/music sheets
recorder with book
Harmonica w/ small learning book
Games- Create a story, and Made for Trade
easy recipe cards

Blessings to you in your upcoming year!!!!

THE Talk

I get very sleepy when I try to read. I used to love to read fictional books. I read FAST with eyes wide open, excited... but always found non-fiction to be a real snoozer. I am trying to turn over a new leaf and this will be the summer of books. I found a comfy place on the porch where I plan to learn all I need to know about raising boys. I have a repertoire of these books downloaded to my kindle ready to go. Now for the hard part!!!!

(At least I have made my Kindle Pretty and flowery and enjoyable to look at :0)

Already, in my new found hobby, I have found out that the time is on our doorstep to have THE talk. Apparently, a nine year old can experience the first manifestations of puberty and manhood. I did not think it happened so young, but at the advice of those that have gone before me, those that wear the badge of doctor and therapist, it is of utmost importance that the boy be prepared ahead of time. So, with trepidation, I ordered some teaching books and am getting up the nerve to delve in head first.

Advice is always appreciated, there are many who have travelled this road before me. I look to you to guide me along this path. I will start with prayer that God will give me the wisdom to not mess him up. At leastI can rest in the knowledge that this is the first of three and I get 2 more chances to get it right!

It's time for week 2 of Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop hosted by Shelly from My Grocery Game and Jeannette from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug! Thank you to everyone for making our first week so successful! We found some really great blogs and had a great time getting to know so many of you! Now let's make this week even BIGGER! We do have a few simple rules for you - nothing too tough though. So here we go:

1. Please follow your hostesses My Grocery Game and The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. Leave us a comment and we will follow you back!

2. Please follow our guest co-host who this week is Stephanie from Beauty Brite.

3. You don't have to post our button but we sure would like it if you did. Not only does it help our hop grow so we can all get new followers, but each week we will choose a guest co-host and to be considered you must have our button somewhere on your site!

4. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

5. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

6. Have fun!

An Attitude Adjustment...my Confession

I almost died when I paid the bills last night.... of a nervous heart attack that is. We are BROKE this month!!! I way over spent and have tried to creatively figure out a way to get through the next 11 days until we have a few more dollars to spend! But, with that said, I spent the morning running around town on a quest to buy the perfect pair of pajamas for the boys. You see they are having their first real sleepover guest this weekend and begged me for cooler pajamas (their current ones truly ARE dorky!!!!!). Now... even though I could not afford them, against my better judgement, I spent the morning doing anything it took to make them happy with money.

I have never been poor... I grew up in a middle class family. As an only child I was given everything that I needed and wanted. My husband the same...we lived very comfortably. Now in our married life, we live the same, WAY too comfortably. Even though we live with a poverty level income, somehow we make it. We have no real debt, and a low mortgage. God has provided for us all the way and I am thankful, I owe it all to HIM.

I do live creatively, I have become an extreme couponer, I work very hard to get stuff for free. I buy and sell things, and as times have changed and things have become more expensive I do try to cut back. I do think about what goes into the cart now and just today, before we checked out, I stopped and said to the boys, "Now... let's look at what we have put in the cart and take out the things that we don't really need," and we did just that. We do not eat out more than a pizza here and there, or go to movies, or spend money foolishly. I buy used clothes and shoes a lot.

What bothers me is that I don't really KNOW deep down how to live as the poor person that I am. I really want to learn how to live with less. To know that I can't just have everything I think we need. Not that I am talking about a big flat screen t.v. or a beautiful bedroom set, but that bottle of face cream, or the better brand of yogurt. I want to understand that I just can't run to Walmart and fill my cart with things that I think I need. I want to better understand the value of a dollar, and how hard my husband works to make each and every one.

This will be my goal for the next few months, to not only save through spending less but to deny myself the things I THINK we need but really do not. It will be the summer of being content with everything we have and knowing that we DO NOT need more.

I need an attitude adjustment and hope that I can accomplish it :0)

Independence Day

I have always been an overprotective mom, there is no secret about that. I don't let my kids out of my sight, we are homebodies, and going out and doing things is foreign to us. I even still set my alarm clock halfway through the night to check on the baby (I mean umm... 2 year old).

While I have many other reasons...it is primarily why I homeschool too. Now do not get me wrong, we have a very active healthy life, full of fun, field trips and exciting every day adventures.

My husband and I have been away twice since we had kids... and that was before baby. This weekend I am taking a big step. I am going away for a night to a homeschool conference with a friend. I will be travelling a whole hour and a half outside of my comfort zone. I am excited to get away and I think it will be good for the kiddos too.

Sometimes I feel Guilty about being such a mom, but we have chosen this lifestyle because I love my kids and I want to spend as much time with them as I can in this short life. Given the unexpected catastrophe that has turned life upside down for so many far across the world, I want my kids to know that spending my time with them was one important gift that I could give to them while I could. I want them to know that I tried to spend my days, teaching and loving and trying to be a Godly example.

Hopefully this weekend will be a time of learning how to do my job better... and maybe I will have some fun too! Hopefully the kids will feel a little independence for a day or two and not forget about me in all the fun they will have with Grandma and Grandpa!

Potty Training at two?

Potty Training at 2? That is crazy! I never would have been able to accomplish this with the older two but baby is so smart. I suppose it comes from being the third. He gets to learn everything from all the rest of us.

Right now when I ask him if he wants to go on the potty his response is of course a big nooooooo! He says it just like that emphasizing the oooo.

Here is his idea of potty training though. Pooh in the potty :0)

We will juat have to see how it goes!

Boy to Man???

They grow up too fast...

The big boy announced today that he did not like the smell emanating from under his arms. He just could not stand the smell of himself! Funny!!!! After months of begging I finally let my almost 10 year old try some deodorant. He was so very happy and felt like a man. All day long I caught him secretly (well not so much secretly to me) sniff under his arms and breathe in the sweet smell of "Cool Blast". He has received his first tube of deodorant and is anxiously awaiting shower time.

Where do the days go? When did I get an almost 10 year old?