Snow Bears

Anyone throwing a 'Global Warming' or 'Climate Change' party these days? Here is the perfect cake for your celebration.

Caitlin likes to treat our Dentist and his staff to a sweet treat when we head in for our yearly exams. This was what she came up with this year. Very cute! And the report was that it was tasty too!




Oh, and by the way -- NO CAVITIES!!! Now, that is something to celebrate!

Our TimeLine

I've had some requests for a peek at the Time Line we've put up to supplement our unit studies. As we study people, events and important dates in history, we add a figure to the timeline we hung in the hallway. It is a great tool to put everyone and everything in history into perspective. It helps keep names and dates and places in our minds, helps with memorization. And I especially love the way it weaves all of history together -- Biblical, secular, scientific, historic, etc.


Here is a view from the beginning of the hallway, as you head to the bedrooms:



Here is a view from the opposite direction, looking back toward the living room:



We put the timeline strips on large fabric panels and hung the whole thing from hooks. The little ones are getting a visual idea of how time goes along chronologically, from creation of the world to present day. They have learned about A.D. and B.C. and what that means, and are beginning to understand that abstract concept of how the dates B.C. get larger instead of smaller. Trying to capture a photo in a 3foot hallway is not an easy task, but you can kind of see how it all makes a large triangle, with the beginning of time down on the lower left, following up then to the birth of Christ at the top center, and the moving forward to present day down at the right hand bottom corner.



To make it 'come alive' we add figures each week that coordinate with our studies. Above you can see some of the people we studied during our Early Settlers unit - Plimouth Plantation, Pilgrims, Indians, First Thanksgiving. OK, it isn't a great close-up (I know these old eyes of mine can't read the names!) but it gives you an idea! Each figure has their name and date printed on it.

We bought this set almost 20 years ago to go along with our core curriculum, KONOS, which is unit study based on character qualities. They made some changes and additions through the years, but basically it is the same program we've used all these years. We love it, highly recommend it. Anyone curious can find out more at the Konos website.

A Peek Into My Day

Outside my window...
I see my children building a snowman, a snow fort, a snow chair

I am thinking...
I would like to simplify. Such hard work, but oh, so worth it.

I am thankful for...
a healthy family this winter. Hardly a sniffle, no flu, no fevers.
It could change tomorrow, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

From the school rooms...
high seas and tropical islands, courage and bravery

From the kitchen...
Homemade Granola Homemade
Grapenuts
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

I am wearing...
denim tiered skirt, white turtleneck w/ striped burgandy blouse, purple fuzzy socks

I am creating...
a little girl's crocheted pink poncho prairie dresses for 3 sweet nieces

I am going...
to clean out the download folder on the computer stay inside where it's warm
and let hubbie go out to play in the snow with the littles

I am reading...
Exodus
How To Homeschool by Gayle Graham Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry

I am hoping...
in the promises of my God

I am hearing...
some of my favorite music playing in the background:
Steve Green, Nat King Cole, Showtunes from favorite musicals, favorites from Praise&Worship, Randy Travis Inspirational Hymns

Around the house...
floors are swept clean, a bucket of legos was turned upside down,
the machines in Mike's workshop are whirring away

One of my favorite things...
homeschoolfreebieoftheday

A few plans for the rest of the week:
doing my best to stay warm focus in on school schedule for next week


Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

I did my best to soak up the sweetness of my first grandbaby while I could. It'll have to last me quite some time.


A big thank you to Peggy over at 'The Simple Woman's Day Book' for the inspiration of the blog post - you can visit her at:

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

An Exciting Week in The SchoolRoom

I love having a large family. Having many children means I get the pleasure of revisiting major milestones and amazing discoveries over and over again. This past week was no exception. Esther and Gabe began their lessons in Cursive Writing. To most of you, that may not sound like much of a big deal, but around here, it is Big Stuff! My girls, especially, think learning cursive is the 'ultimate'. For some reason, they are willing to work painstakingly over their manuscript pages (plain ol' printing) to improve enough to get the 'OK' from Mom. Their printed letters miraculously improve, once we begin working on the loops and swoops of cursive. It is an amazing transformation, and so much fun to see the beaming smiles as the produce letters and words that only a week before were a mystery.

We also hung our timeline once again. The kids and I are very excited! They enjoy seeing the years all lined up and posting the people and events in history that we are studying. Right now, we have figures representing the events of Genesis 1 (creation, the Garden and the Fall), the birth and crucifixion of Christ, and the Pilgrims/Early Settlers. We'll be adding more as we work through units studying Courage and the War for Independence as well as the Presidents.

Fun and interesting stuff coming up!

Laundry Detergent

This morning, Bekah and I made up a new batch of laundry detergent. Thought I'd share my recipe with you. There are several homemade versions floating around out there. I've tried a few, mainly the liquid/gel type. A friend from MOMYS shared this one with me and I really like it. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and the total cost is about $2. I double the ingredients for a month's worth (that would be about 30 loads).

1 bar of fels naptha soap, finely ground (in food processor)
1 cup borax
1 cup super washing soda
1/8 - 1/4 cup oxyclean (optional)

Mix and use. 1-2 tbs. per load. Works best if you let the powder dissolve before adding clothing (I let tub fill at least halfway first)

- because I don't have a food processor, I grate the soap with an old cheese grater, then give it all a few zaps in my blender on the 'pulse' mode.
- I think any bar soap would do. Experiment with your favorite brands!

Here you see my personal assistant grating the soap:




And then we add the other ingredients:



And voila! There you have it! Ready to tackle the mountain rising in the laundry room!

Christmas Traditions Old and New

Well, the holiday season is come and gone, a new year is in full swing.

I was thinking the other day about the perfect order in which of some of our most special holidays occur. First Thanksgiving, thanking God for all the ways He's sustained and protected us throughout the year. . . and then Christmas, a time to reflect on and be thankful for the Perfect Gift from God - the birth of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. . . and then a New Year! A clean slate! This year my goal is to live with an 'attitude of gratitude', as they say. I'm thankful for a Lord and Savior, who came so that He could die as the perfect sacrifice, so that I could have a clean slate - I'm grateful that each new day brings a new start.

These holidays also bring about a time to reflect and remember. I love the time of memory-sharing around the Thanksgiving Dinner table. This past Thanksgiving was especially sweet, having all 3 of my sisters and my Dad with us.

Christmas time is full of traditions, and with 6 children still at home, they don't let me forget a one of them! One of my favorites is the trimming of the tree. Dad takes the kiddos out to a cut-your-own tree farm and they choose the best on the lot, then after hauling it home, Mom whips up the hot chocolate while they get it into the stand and align it just right. Mom and Luke get the lights on the tree, then we break out the ornaments. Each child has their own collection, and Mom & Dad have their own collection. First ornaments on the tree are always the first ornaments I made the first Christmas Mike and I were married -- he found out in early December that year he'd be laid off at end of year -- so a frugal Christmas it was that year! I made our stockings from scraps of fabric I had around. We cut a cedar tree from a friend's farm nearby, and I made ornaments from pipe cleaners. Some still have the twisty-ties I made into ornament hooks! After all these years, I still enjoy seeing them on our tree along side newer and shinier ornaments. The kids enjoy hearing the story of that long-ago Christmas, year after year after year.






Last year we began a new tradition - we participated in an ornament exchange with my MOMYS (Mothers of Many Young Siblings) friends. The ornaments were based on the idea of a Jesse Tree. This is a collection of 25 different ornaments, each representing a person or event in the family tree and/or prophesy of Christ. It has been great fun, and the foundation for our family devotions during the month of December. Each day we unwrap one and read through the scripture references that explain its significance. The ornaments are all handmade and as unique as all the friends that made them. Instead of displaying them on a tree, we hang a pine garland over the pantry door and display them there - everyone can see them and enjoy them, and helps bring the story of Christmas to our minds often.




I pray you all are having a wonderful start to a glorious new year!

FOR TODAY - January 5, 2010 . . .

I am trying something new.

Outside my window...
Sunshine and Snow

I am thinking...
how the sunshine really brightens my mood!

I am thankful for...
my helpers, who have done a great job packing away all the Christmas paraphernalia

From the learning rooms...
Back to the books today! After a nice break, we are getting back to our school books

From the kitchen...
homemade mac and cheese for supper, just for Emily

I am wearing...
heather blue jumper, white turtleneck and a cardigan sweater
my favorite apron

I am creating...
mufflers for the little boys. I have enjoyed pulling out my knitting needles and crochet hook again this winter.

I am going...
nowhere! But a dear friend and her kids are coming for a visit later today.

I am reading...
Ecclesiastes
a civil war history book by Clarence Carson
A Mom Just Like You by Vicky Farris
The Landing of the Pilgrim (out loud at lunch)

I am hoping...
to have the laundry folded and put away before the day is through

I am hearing...
the sounds of stirring after a long winter's nap.

Around the house...
hustle and bustle as we put things in order

One of my favorite things...
a steamy cup of coffee on a quiet winter's morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
company tonight, quick trip to town tomorrow to deliver my friend's children, getting the router hooked up for our wireless connection, a birthday party on Friday, but mostly back to normal, boring, regular routine



Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My Snow Maiden - after sledding head first into a snow drift


A BIG thank you to Peggy over at 'The Simple Woman's Day Book' for the inspiration of the blog post - you can visit her at:

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

I think I like this - maybe I'll share my daybook with you from time to time. I pray your day is a wonderful one!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives."

I confess, these last couple of years I found it hard work to be joyful. But the above quote gives a simple formula. We have much for which to be thankful. Lots of Love to all our family and friends! May God bless you and your family today.

Now, please use your imagination (on our new computer, I haven't figured out how to downsize pictures, lol) -- on the wall in our hallway we have constructed a Thanksgiving Tree. It's become our November tradition every year. We crumpled up brown packaging paper and molded it into a tree trunk and branches, adding colored handprints, each printed with something for which we are grateful.

This Blog Now Under Construction!

I'm doing a little re-vamping here . . . to make things more fun and inviting . . . stay tuned for my 'New And Improved' spot on the web!

Vacation 2009

This year our annual Fall Adventure took us out West. First, Salt Lake City, where Dad attended a training seminar. Then, after taking a peek at the Great Salt Lake we headed south. We were able to take in Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim) - and then we trekked back east, stopping in Arkansas to visit with friends.

Whew! Wears you out just reading that list! This crazy blogger site has not let me post along the way. For some reason it does not let me type in word and the cut and paste, so I'm doing some catch up. I'll be posting pictures, comments and stories as I can. Hope you enjoy! I know we did.

Here we are climbing the rocks at Arches National Park

More to come!