Our Home's School

A Comfortable Day . . .

2012-02-10T23:29:00.003-07:00

When I decided to post tonight, this title suddenly came into my mind. Why? I am not so sure, but I'll roll with it. It was a fine day. I started out this morning with the pressure of a small arm laying across my face. Jr. had decided, once again, to grace us with his presence in the middle of the night. Though I don't really enjoy sharing my side of the bed, and consequently having a bit of a sore back as a result, rolling over and looking into the brown eyes of a smiling 4 year old, is an unforgettable moment.

After my sweet, "Good morning, Bubba," and his usual reply of, "What's for breakfast", ( do boys always eat this much?), I willed myself up and out of bed to start the day. After getting food for the hungry foursome, I headed downstairs to subject myself to the torture of the day ( exercise ). When this was done, we all jumped in to a quick and thorough cleaning of the family room; dusting, vacuuming, and all.

I sat down to mend a pillow and looked over to see little man wrestling and punching a cushion. So, I suggested that he shoot a little basketball and before too long, the whole crew was lining up. I could see that the confines of the family room was not sufficient for such an undertaking and so I quickly suggested that they dress warm, with shoes and hats, and head to the garage. I proceeded to drag the B-ball net up the stairs and out to the garage and after a few initial requests, the kiddlings settled into playing in the garage ( aka gym, arena, etc.).

With this silence, I finished the pillow, vacuumed the basement, switched laundry, and was starting lunch when the newness and fun wore off and the children stated to flow back in. After lunch, I settled onto the sofa with Peaches and Jr to delve into a stack of books chosen by the aforementioned sprites. My tongue was numb from Fox in Socks, but my heart was melted by Miss Twiggley and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Ky and Bugaloo took advantage of the moment and quickly put on the next Harry Potter book to listen to as they tidied their room. I treated the kids to a couple episodes of Adventures from the Book of Virtues, while I took a nice relaxing bath.

Later that evening, the "Man of the House" and I decided to celebrate our "Valentine's" a little early and went out. We shared a delicious chicken salad for dinner and then made a theater stop ( rare for us ), to see "Red Tails" ( very, very good show). We came home to angels already in pj's and ready for family prayer. Kisses, hugs, stories, and off to bed.

I hope your day was as good as mine, and so yes, I would say it was quite a comfortable day. Enjoy!

Sunny, Cold Mornings . . .

2012-02-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

Sunny, cold mornings. A sad way to describe the beginning of a new day, yet it means so much. Starting each day a new with a bright outlook on the tasks and possibilities before me, is how I have been taking each dawning. Yet, the chill and cold of the day seems to seep in at one place or another. So much so, that a constant prayer throughout my day, to be a blessing as a wife and mother, is always there. It's hard.

The ideals and dreams that we have for the life of our family seems delightful and within reach. Most days, the sun can be felt from all around. Children joyfully and deeply involved in their lessons and tasks; happy words and deeds shown everywhere.

The beams of light seen streaming through the brisk day as a devoted sister reads to a little brother, simply because she wants to and it brings him joy. How I love the warmth of those moments!

Enjoy!

Firsts, New Adventures, Changes . . .

2012-01-29T19:50:00.002-07:00

I had a good friend introduce me to a health and wellness program that fits perfectly in my lifestyle, ideals, and values. I feel that it encourages me to live easier in union with the Word of Wisdom. As per the LDS website, the Word of Wisdom is defined as:

~ ~ ~

The Word of Wisdom is a law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children. On February 27, 1833, as recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord revealed which foods are good for us to eat and which substances are not good for the human body. He also promised health, protection, knowledge, and wisdom to those who obey the Word of Wisdom.

~ ~ ~

I had always thought that I did fairly alright in the fruits and veggie category, but when I actually kept track realized I was lacking. It has been nice to be creative in my veggies so as to not have to eat salads all day everyday.

Along with the health and wellness of the program, spiritual wellness is strongly encouraged; twice daily prayer, family prayer, family home evening, reading of scriptures and also recreational reading. It has been quite the experience to work of both my health and spirituality at the same time. Keeping the Lord always in ones heart, helps to remind me of my responsibility of keeping my body, a gift from God, it excellent, working order.

President Brigham Young taught:

~ ~ ~

“Then let us seek to extend the present life to the uttermost, by observing every law of health, and by properly balancing labor, study, rest, and recreation, and thus prepare for a better life. Let us teach these principles to our children” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 186).

~ ~ ~

"Let us teach these principles to our children." I haven't done a great job of this. I need to make changes there and by me eating more fruits and vegetables, my children have latched on, except for my 11 year old. She has never been a big fruit and vegetable fan. This is going to be a goal.

I've also been making some changes around our home in regards to chores and maintaining our home. While remembering our everyday goals, responsibilities, and tasks, I have been letting our household chores come naturally and it is going great! Letting go has been a key to letting things move smoothly and cohesively.

The Loss of Christ in Christmas . . .

2011-12-08T10:29:00.003-07:00

It is true, that over the last 15 or so years, I have noticed bits and pieces of the true meaning of Christmas being forgotten or tossed to the side for the glossy, fun, "commercial" side. Yesterday, however, I was given a big realization of that fact. Sadly, after thinking about it all night, my heart aches for the loss that the people of the world have.

My hubby's grandpa just recently moved closer to us. He is living in an assisted living home, so when he moved in, he downsized A LOT. He took with him only the basic clothing and furniture he needed. This lovely man also happened to have a birthday yesterday, that we were lucky to celebrate with him. But, always the question, what do you get a man that is turning 79 that doesn't NEED anything. Well, since it is the season when we celebrate Christ's birth, I thought along those lines. What can we get for this wonderful man who loves God. I decided to get him a Nativity set for his room; the search began.

I didn't think that it would actually be the search that it turned out to be. I went to SEVEN different stores. After the first three stores, where not a single nativity was hiding amongst the throngs of Santas and snowmen, I went to a store that I KNEW would have sets, and they did. This is a religious book store and they had many, MANY sets to choose from.

I found a great one that I thought reflected Grandpa, but being the bargain shopper that am ( or try to be), I proceeded to look some more and after three more stores of not finding a single nativity set, I became quite sad. I know these stores use to carry them, because I have purchased them there before.

Aisles and aisles of Christmas finery and decoration. I even looked through all the ornaments, in hopes that a nativity ornament would be hidden amongst the glitter and shine, but no; nothing. It's so sad. While I am doing everything I can to help my children remember the true reason we celebrate Christmas, the world is forgetting the reason, or at the very least, choosing not to recognize it.

With five of the other six stores, Christ was no where to be found in any of the Christmas celebration items. Not even a simple "He is the Reason for the Season" sign; nothing.

So, I ask this of myself, am I doing everything, absolutely everything that I can to make sure that my children know that Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas? I know I could do more, and I will. All the "big ( and small) box" stores may have decided to forget why we are celebrating, but my family will not.

So, I send out this plea; remember Him. Remember the gift that God gave to each of us and the sacrifices that were made on our behalf. Teach your children and shout it to the world . . . I believe in Christ and it is that reason that we celebrate CHRISTmas!

~~~

7 And she brought forth her ^afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the ^binn.

. . .

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 ^aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth ^bpeace, good will toward men.

(Luke 2 : 7, 13-14)

Countdown to Christmas . . .

2011-12-07T13:43:00.004-07:00

To help the "littles" contain the amount of time they spend asking Mama, " How many days left until Christmas?" , I put together a little something to help them "countdown" to Christmas. Last year, a wonderful Grandma gave us a terrific book that contains stories, scriptures, and poems for each day in December. Each day is centered around a word that can help describe the Savior or Christmas time. I knew that the little ones would probably not remember most of the things we read last year, so I used some of the scriptures and stories from this same book for this year.

I typed out the scripture or story and made little "gifts" to put them in. I also got these sticker nativity sets and put the stickers randomly inside the gifts as well. I also put in some little treats about every third gift, just as a little something extra. They have loved opening a different package each night before bed and sit quietly as the message is read. Sometimes a discussion follows and other times the thought is quietly considered. Their Nativities are looking great and it is fun to see their different choices on where to place things.

It has been nice to add a new element to our traditions of this season and see that the affect has been well worth the time spent in preparing the activity. What fun traditions do you enjoy as a family?

Enjoy!

2011 Tree

2011-12-03T13:56:00.004-07:00

Each year, we decorate our tree in a different theme. We try to choose a theme that reflects our lives and what is important to us as a family. You can see our 2010 tree theme here, and our 2009 tree here. For this year, we chose the theme, "The Written Word." We made ornaments mostly of paper. The littles used a tag punch to punch our tag shapes and then affixed letter die cuts to them with double sided tape. Ky and Bugaloo made small books, circular paper ornaments and Ky helped me make the "snowflakes". We also typed out each of the versus of the Christmas story, from the book of Luke, and taped them to coordinating paper and hung them around the tree.

It looks great! It is fun to see visitors stop and READ from our tree. We spent two afternoons making the ornaments and decorating. It was a lot of fun.

Hello there, Do I dare try this again?

2011-12-01T10:25:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

I know, I know, it has been an extremely long time since my last posts. Life. That's all I can say about that. Things here at Our Home's School have been very interesting and busy. We have made a few changes regarding our learning and I hope to get things changed here to reflect that.

For the most part, I have been loving on the beautiful angels that I get the opportunity to be with on this earth. I have been reading a lot more, but the sort of books that have really added to my soul and helped me realize that kind of Mama I need to be.

I have to say, that when we first started our new journey of home education, I researched and studied every method and curriculum out there to find the one that we best fit into. Now, I have come to the conclusion that there is no need to try to fit into something. We need to find what works for us and for the eternal goals that we have as a family and as individuals.

I have come to an important conclusion, for me and my role here on this earth; it is my opportunity, privilege, and responsibility to teach my children the things they need in order to have the tools necessary to make it through this life and live with our Heavenly Father again. I used to see this as a heavy load, and truthfully, I still have days that the load seems heavy, but now I am thankful for this opportunity; so grateful.

So, I hope to reflect those feelings here as well as share the things that we experience. Here's to new beginnings!

Enjoy,

IMPORTANT INFO !! for Area Home Educators

2011-10-17T10:57:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note to all those home educators in our area (you know who you are). Follow this link to the HSLDA site and read the info regarding possible changes to your local choices as home educators.

http://www.hslda.org/elert/archive/2011/10/20111013164028.asp

I'm Still Here !!

2011-06-10T00:07:00.003-06:00

Hello All!

I just wanted to write a quick post to say that I am still around. For some reason, life has been insanely busy and consuming the last few months and blogging has been one of the things put on the back-burner.

I still have a lot of ideas in the works and am hopeful that I can get some things posted soon. Here is a bit of what I have:

An update of our learning, laughing and growing the last few months. So many fun things!
A review of the Charlotte Mason series I have been working through.
Some more ideas and info about a possible Eastern Idaho Home Education Conference.

So, there it is. I am confidant that things will shape up and I can get back to posting. Enjoy!

2011 TJEd Forum . . .

2011-03-23T17:12:00.004-06:00

WHAT & HOW . . . influence . . .way of being . . . HEROES . . . knights . . .statesman . . . genius' . . . MISSION . . . goal . . . outlook . . . hopes & dreams . . . mothers . . . fathers . . . mentors . . . educators . . . children . . . youth . . . thirst . . . health . . .LIFE . . . slow & steady . . . moderation . . .VISION . . .

These are all words that I would use to describe the amazing day at the 2011 TJEd Forum that I attended on Saturday, the 19th. Like last year, the morning began with an inspiring keynote address. This year it was given by James L. Ferrell, CEO of The Arbinger Institute and author. Inspiring, uplifting, and also self examining.

This was followed by five sessions of classes. There were ten classes in each session and we could attend only one. It was very hard deciding which ones to attend, but I think that made the right choices. I came home feeling rejuvinated and excited to continue learning and actually applying the things I learned.

An added bonus was spending time with some amazing ladies! You know who your are, THANKS!!! Enjoy!

Charlotte Mason Series . . .

2011-03-16T13:11:00.003-06:00

I received these beauties in the mail last week. I am so, SO excited to delve into the information and knowledge in them. I started the first book, Home Education. A lot of the information are things that I already know or have read in other books about Charlotte Mason. But there are other, more in depth things that I am excited to try.

I would like to do a series of posts as I read the books and discuss many of the topics that I come across. I will call the post series, "A Study of Charlotte". I already have a couple of posts in the process and am very excited at the opportunities that await us.

How many of you have read this series? What did you think?

It's Puzzling . . .

2011-03-05T10:18:00.004-07:00

We LOVE puzzles in our house. At least once a day, you will find someone in the house working on some sort of puzzle. We have board puzzles, wooden puzzles, cube puzzles, almost any kinds of puzzle you can think of.

The older kid-lings are great at helping the littles with puzzles. For some reason, it is hard to pass up a puzzle in progress and not help in some way.

I picked up some new "jewels" at our local Costco. I think they are our favorites. Everyday since we have gotten them, the littles have asked to work on them.

Each box contains four different puzzle sets. I paid $15 for each box. The box that says for 1 to 3 year olds I would maybe rate for 2 to 3 year olds. It would be fun and entertaining for a 1 year old, but Mom or Dad would be doing the work. The concepts that the puzzles reinforce are age appropriate and done in a perfect way.

This box contains the following puzzles:

-Colors and Shapes Puzzle
-Matching Colors and Textures Puzzle
-My First Puzzles
-Puzzles, Spin and Match

The box that is labeled for 3 to 6 year olds is age appropriate. JJ (he is 3) could put the puzzles in this box together and with my help could incorporate some of the learning. Peaches (she is 5) did a great job with the puzzles as well and I especially love the word puzzles for her. This will help to reinforce her reading skills.

This box contains the following:

-20 Word Picture puzzles
-A Day at the Fair puzzle
-Build a Town puzzle
-3D Word Puzzle Set

Some of the puzzles are "3D". Some of the pieces connect in a vertical manner to the puzzles. This is fun and I think it helps to incorporate an extra bit of understanding to the task. I would reccommend these puzzles to ANYONE with children or grandchildren between the ages of 1 to 6.

** a side note: Ky and Bugaloo ( ages 11 and 9 1/2) also liked to do the more difficult 3D Fair puzzle. Something for everyone!**

When I searched for the puzzles online, I found them sold separately ( only 1 puzzle) for about $10 each. Each of these boxes comes with 4 puzzles, a much better deal. I couldn't find them online in these sets.

This and That . . .

2011-02-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

We have had a very fulfilling last couple of weeks. Along with our regular learning, we have been studying the solar system. We spent an afternoon building a small solar system model. Each of the planets were painted and then the model was assembled. It is the perfect size to sit nicely on a shelf. I also like that the planets rotate around the Sun. During the process, we took time to talk about the different planets and important information about them.

We have also been watching a documentary about the planets and the solar system. Each Friday, we watch a new episode and have learned so much. We have also incorporated the reading of many a book on the topic.

Ky and Bugaloo have been baking up a storm lately. They have taken over the Wednesday roll making. I just sit by and observe and add any help as needed.

Ky also decided that part of celebrating our President's birthdays was cupcakes. She did everything start to finish all on her own. Way to go Ky!!

We took a small break on President's day. We decided to forego our usual learning schedule and focus on the Presidents. I read a short history of President's Day, we watched an animated DVD of George Washington and one of Abraham Lincoln. I also read a short biography of George Washington.

The kids identified some of the Presidents by their silhouettes. For a project, we did silhouettes of each of the kids to hang in our learning space. It was a fun project and the kids were excited to see that even with just a black profile, you can still see who the person is.

Opinions Wanted . . . Ideas Needed

2011-02-17T09:47:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I had an interesting and, some may say, crazy thought that I have been rolling around in my head for quite some time. I need opinions and thoughts from all those that this would affect or pertain to. So, to all those homeschooling families in the EASTERN IDAHO area ( or close to it), I want your opinions!!!

Here's my thought, a Homeschool Conference in Eastern Idaho. What do you think? Is this something that you would be interested in attending? Do you know of others that this would be interesting to?

I know that there are alot of homeschoolers in Eastern Idaho. Some have formed different groups or co-ops, they learn in many different ways using many different methods. Many of you have different religious or cultural backgrounds, but we all have one thing in common. We have chosen a different route for the education of our children, home education.

There is a conference put on in Boise every year at the first of June, but I can't help feeling a bit of disconnect with the wonderful people there. I also regularly attend a conference in Salt Lake City in the spring, but even though we all have the same basic goal, I still feel as though these are not the people that have the most in common with me. Wouldn't it be great to see and visit with all the many, many like minded people in our own area?

Tell me what you think and if you know of others out there, email them the link to this post/blog so I can get their input also.

Tell me things like:

Do you like the idea?
What time of year would you think is best?
What types of classes/speakers would you like to hear from?
What would you envision happening at an event like this?
Etc, etc, etc . . .

Share . . .PLEASE!!! I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy!

Balance . . .

2011-02-17T09:11:00.005-07:00

Last week seemed to be , well, busy. We don't normally have weeks that I would describe that way, but last week surely was. We did an amazing job with our learning and other responsibilities, while weaving in a birthday, city council meeting, church meetings, a Choir performance, date night, like I said busy.

I felt like we did a great job with our learning and that it was not affected by our other activities. One fear that I always have is that we would fill our lives with so much to do that it would affect the important parts of life; learning, growing, family time, gospel time. Everything seemed to flow smoothly and with the thoughts of not overdoing things always at the forefront of our minds, we were able to keep a nice balance.

We finished our book, Johnny Tremain, and loved every bit of it. The author does an amazing job of weaving the fictional story of Johnny in with the historical story of the Revolutionary War. The characters were colorful and lifelike, the story was entertaining as well as educational. Here's what the older kids think:

Bugaloo:

" My least favorite part of the book was when Dove
used the cracked crucible and this caused Johnny
to be injured. I liked that Johnny was strong to go
find his own work, even though people did not
like his injury and thought he couldn't do work.
He finally found a friend, Rab, and a job
delivering newspaper.

I liked the book alot. It made history sound
a lot more fun and interesting. I learned
that even if you are different from
everyone, you can still make
a difference."

Ky:

" I loved this book. It is about a boy, named
Johnny Tremain, and he gets caught up in the
Revolutionary times in Boston. My least favorite
part was when Johnny had his hand injured.
My favorite part was when Johnny rode
his horse, Goblin, and the hard work
he put into that. I learned that you should
stay true to what you think is right."

At the end of the week, we took time to update our History timeline binder. Since this is a new undertaking, we filled in the information for much of the history we have learned in the last year and a half. It was amazing to hear the girls tell about the important people and events that we learned about with great clarity.

Just Letting It Happen . . .

2011-02-07T20:23:00.006-07:00

You know, home educating is HARD!!! I am not going to kid around with you. Now that I have that out, I will say that days like that only happen once in a while. I, at one time, had kids that went to public school and I had days like that also. Actually, I had MORE days like that, then. Just like anything new in my life, home educating the kiddos has had many ups, a few downs, as well as some times that just remain stagnant.

I have noticed though, as of late, that the times that I just take a step back and let things happen, that is the time that things go best. I stress over things less, and I also spend less time in the "planning" of things. Albert Einstein once said,

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

I find this true on so many different levels. The times that I just "let" life happen are the times that I feel we have our best learning moments. Now, not to say that I don't have specific things for my kiddos to learn, I like a nice, organize daily schedule as much as the rest of you, but when I sit back and let the other things naturally take its course, it is magic to watch.

An example of this from our last week was;

I needed to take cookies to a church dinner. At the beginning of the day, we go over our schedule and the things that need to be done, including the "mom" things. I mentioned that I needed to get some cookies made. In the afternoon, Ky asked about the cookies, I confirmed that I needed to get some made and asked if she was interested in helping. She and Bugaloo not just helped, they took over and made two dozen, yummy coconut cookies. I took the hour to read some great books with the little ones. So natural and so smooth. This may seem like a small thing to some of you, but I was so happy, appreciative, and relieved. I was also very vindicated in some of the things that I have been teaching and giving my kids, I saw a result. But it wasn't an "academic" result, it was a life learning result and it spoke volumes.

I really NEED to let this kind of natural, learning experience happen more often. Do you have experiences like this? Enjoy!

Another Week . . . Or Was It?

2011-01-31T09:26:00.003-07:00

Our week began as regular as any. Monday was started in the usual way of working on core goals, breakfast, zones, etc. We got our binder work done and some reading in. A load of laundry and a nice job of the house being picked up. Everyone worked hard in anticipation of our family night activity. We were invited to go bowling with Grandma and Grandpa. JJ's comment was, " I will go bowling and I will like it and I will win!" He is a very confident almost 3 year old.

So, after an additional treat of dinner out ( this is so a treat for me, you know what I mean ladies) we made it to the bowling alley and everyone had a great time! All the kids were great and after an initial bit of help, the all wanted to independently take their turns. It was a lot of fun! There was some cheering, some sighs of disappointment and also a lot of laughs. Even a bit of wagering ( which was lost badly, no more wagers for you honey). Everyone had a fun time, thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!

We got home and got everyone snuggled in bed and then the real fun of our WEEK began. That sweet little almost 3 year old was suddenly sick and very sad. So, the rest of our week was taken over by a rotation of fevers, cool washcloths, fever reducing medicine, gatorade, soup, sleep, rest, movies, and this rotated nicely through 5 of the 6 people in our family. Finally today, we are down to just 1 semi-sick person and sadly it is the one that started all the fun.

We were not able to get a lot of our structured learning done, but we did read in our books and a lot of time was spent in tender embracing. I really dislike it when kids are sick. So, hopefully this week will be new and healthy and productive. Enjoy! ( and stay healthy)

Appreciation for the classics . . .

2011-01-27T08:58:00.005-07:00

I have a weakness. I will be the first to admit it. My husband will be the second. When I am out running errands, if I have a few free minutes I will pop into one of the local thrift stores and peruse the books they have for sale. One particular store, seems to get a fresh lot of books every two weeks or so. Sometimes I come away with one or two great books or classics that I have been looking for, sometimes more.

This was my last trip. All for $8.

I went to our local library yesterday to find some books about seasons. They too have a few shelves that contain books for sale. I usually don't find much, but yesterday there were a couple of good picture books and then I found this beauty:

I was quite surprised to see it sitting on the "for sale" shelves. I thought maybe they had made a mistake. So I took my finds up to the counter and asked if they were sure they wanted to sell The Trumpet of the Swan. They concurred that it was for sale. They also said that the books were buy one get one free, so I paid a whopping 12 cents for each book. We already have a copy of this book in our collection, but I know someone that would want it, so I got it. I was a little sad. A great classic being discarded by the library and sold for 12 cents. There are a great many ( ok the vast majority) of the books on the shelves of the library that we don't even look at. The word twaddle comes to mind.

I was showing my new finds to the Mr. last night. He commented on a few and then said, " Your going to need more bookshelves." Hmmm . . . . someday, I hope. Enjoy!

2011-01-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great week last week! I feel like we got so much accomplished and spent some great time together. We spent a lot of time reading our Family read, Johnny Tremain, we really liked the story of Jesus' birth in the New Testament. ** we are now learning about the life of Christ, from the New Testament.**

Ky worked hard on finishing her first loom knitting project, a hat. Bugaloo spent time working on her typing skills with some fun games on the computer.

We made rolls and cookies. Ky and Bugaloo attended their second Choir rehearsal and they are still loving it! Our daily schedule worked out great! I am NOT a morning person. I prefer to stay up late, but I do get so much more done when I wake up early. Things like exercise and personal study are easy to skip past and use the excuse that "the kids needed me." Now, I do those things in the morning and it just makes a HUGE difference to my day. Enjoy!

The finished product! Well done Ky!!

2011 Thomas Jefferson Education Forum . . .

2011-01-21T13:18:00.002-07:00

Registration for the 2011 Salt Lake City Thomas Jefferson Education Forum is now open! I am planning on going again this year, maybe I will see some of you there! Exciting!

Go here to find out more:

2011 Thomas Jefferson Forum SLC

Go here to read my experience from last year's forum. Now if only there was a Charlotte Mason convention close by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . one could dream!

History . . .

2011-01-18T09:22:00.003-07:00

When I say this word, I get many different reactions. Some wrinkle their nose, some give a blank stare, and some smile politely. Very rarely does one find another person that gets excited about History. I was always interested in history. When I was little, I loved to sit and listen to my grandparents talk about their past and those of their ancestors.

When we began studying history in school, I was very interested but felt that the information in our text books was either too dry or incomplete. Because of this, my interest in history fell by the way side. As I have gotten older, I have chosen to read more historical novels or books and this has peaked my interest in history once again.

I believe that a strong knowledge of one's history can shape that person into a productive and strong person. Through reading and studying history, one can not only learn about an event in time, but can learn about the emotions and effects that all those involved experienced because of that event. Why does our country believe what it does? Why did our Founding Father's include this or that in our Constitution? When we take time to learn about those individuals and not just the event, then we can more closely come to understand the dream of our ancestors for us.

Aristotle once said,

"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development."

When children are learning, in their early stages, what is a common occurrence? When my children were toddlers, my day was often filled with the "twenty questions". "Mommy, what is that?" " What color is that?" "What is that's name?". But the questioning did not end there, " Why is it called that?", "Why is it that color?"

The word HISTORY is defined as the study of the human past. The word HISTORY comes from the Greek word historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation."

So, when we think our children a just going through their toddler learning stage. What they are truly doing is inquiring or investigating more about something. That is how they learn, by finding out the history of something. So, is that not one of the many ways that we should learn, is through history?

I've tried to convey upon my children the importance of history. We display pictures of our nations history, family history, and religious history around our home.

We just recently made a World History Time-line and hung it in our learning space. It is just a general time line that begins at the Creation of the Earth and ends at the Present time. We made this so that our children can use it as a reference of time when they are learning about different things in history, math, science, religion, etc.

We chose to divide the time line up into time periods, pre-history, ancient civilization, etc., and then we chose a few pictures of specific historical events as reference points. We are planning on making more specific and detailed time lines of the things we read about, possibly in notebook or binder style. I will share that when we get that going.

Our studies of history will not only focus on World History or United States History, but will also include Math history, Science history, Art history, Music history, and Family history. We will also learn about local and state histories.

Right now, the books we are currently reading and learning from are:

-The Bible (King James Version)
-Mathematicians Are People Too
-American History Stories, Volumes 1-4

I think Rudyard Kipling expresses my feelings exactly,

"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten."

The reason I like the books we use, is because they take REAL, HISTORICAL people and events and tells them in story form. My kids love them and they get very excited when it is time to read them. Enjoy!

New Year . . . New Changes . . .

2011-01-11T10:14:00.004-07:00

Hello all! We had a wonderful, inspiring, and rewarding holiday & Christmas. I hope you did too. We spent A LOT of time working in our basement. The "Head Contractor" had a break from his 9 to 5 job for two weeks, so we took advantage of that time and dug in. We got carpet on the 20th of December, so the rest of the time was spent on the finish work; trim, touch-up paint, doors, lights, etc.

Everyone did an amazing job of helping, including the kids. They were helpful when needed and gone playing with one another when needed. The result is amazing! The walls are painted a lovely, warm yellow that helps make the room feel inviting and cheerful. ** The Head Contractor was not particularly happy about the color choice. His last comment was, " I like it the more we cover it up." He is so wonderful to let me have it the color I want. Don't you think? ** We quickly went to work getting the space ready to use as our family room, learning space, and play area.

It really is nice to have a space for learning. All of our books came out of boxes and little hiding places around the house and now cohesively reside in one place. We can leave all our learning materials out and easy to access.

Some of the walls are still bare, but I have some wonderful pictures from American history that I am going to frame and hang. I can't tell you what a big relief it is to have this done and how much our family has been enjoying the space. I never thought we would spend so much time in the basement.

I have also spent some time this last month evaluating how well our learning has been going. There are some things that we are changing and/or improving. I have been busy looking at all the children have been doing and their goals and making plans.

One of the biggest downfalls to learning, I believe, is getting in a rut. I want their minds to be excited about what they are learning and I want them to love doing it, so it is nice to revamp things from time to time.

December . . .

2010-12-24T12:20:00.003-07:00

Our month has been a busy, fulfilling, inspiring one. We have had our hands and minds busy with service, gifts, and learning. Our hearts have been filled with the spirit of the season, the reminder of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and why we are here on this earth. Here are some pictures that share some of what we have been doing.

The theme for our tree decorating this year was "Family Tree". We covered frames from the dollar store with silver wrapping paper and filled each one with a black and white photo of every member of our immediate families. It has been wonderful to go through out our day and see their beautiful, smiling faces all month long.

We hope you have had a wonderful month as well. May you all have a very Merry Christmas and may the Lord bless you and your families.

Inspiring Thoughts . . .

2010-12-06T13:03:00.004-07:00

Last week, we received a wonderful surprise from Grandma.

This book has a section to be read each day of December until Christmas day. The topics are simple and inviting. The stories are wonderful, classic, and inspiring. The authors have added scripture to help reinforce the Lords thoughts on each topic. We have been reading the daily sections and enjoying them, coming away feeling uplifted and inspired. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!

This time of year is so enchanting, fun, and sacred. It is often difficult for the little ones to be patient in their enthusiasm for Christmas day, but also to teach them the true meaning of Christmas. We have been trying a few things and will continue to reinforce the birth of Jesus and the "reason for the season".

We have made a paper chain to use for a couple of things. First, this will help the littles in understanding when Christmas will arrive. Secondly, I put on each link the topic that we will read about in the above book. This will help to reinforce what we read.

What do you do to help your little ones? Enjoy!

Where in the World . . .

2010-11-30T12:58:00.002-07:00

Hello All,

Ok, first things first. I know I did not complete the Bountifully Blessed challenge all the way to Thanksgiving as I had originally planned. The reason? Truly I got tired of getting on the computer EVERY DAY!!! I normally give myself "computer time" a few times a week and the time I spent online doing the Bountifully Blessed posts was A LOT!!

I became really grateful when I had missed a few days and was not on the computer and then that turned into a week and that turned into Thanksgiving weekend, time with family, and now here we are.

Now, we are busy with preparations for Christmas presents, parties, dinners, more family fun, etc. So, just so you know, we are still here and life is moving on nicely. I will post when I can, but I need to put a lot of my spare time in finishing Christmas projects.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Day 17:

I am thankful for hearty, stimulating conversation.

Once a month, I host a book group. We have a "multi-title" group, which means that we all read whatever we want and then we share about what we have read. Sometimes, only one person read that particular book, other times two or more people have read it and then we get to have a great discussion about the book and topics it represents. I absolutely love having it. We usually average between four and seven people. We have a yummy treat or dessert, and talk about books. It is a great way to get suggestions for books to read and sometimes they are books or genres that you maybe would not have looked at. It is a great time!

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Day 16:

I am thankful for date night.

We had an opportunity to go to a play at a local theater with some great people. It was a dinner theater, so we had a wonderful dinner and dessert before the show. We had some wonderful conversation with friends and newly met friends. The show was funny and entertaining and it is a great reminder of the talent that is in the people around us.

I really enjoy the times that my husband and I can have out of the house by ourselves. It gives us great opportunities to talk about our family and any issues that need to be addressed. We can talk about us and things that are pertinent to our marriage and friendship. I relish to have nights like these. I think they are a brief glimpse into what our lives would be like when our children are grown and gone. It builds up our devotion and commitments to each other. It truly is important.

Bountifully Blessesd . . .

2010-11-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Day 15:

I am thankful for root beer floats.

As cheesy as this sounds, root beer floats are my #1 favorite ice cream treat EVER!!! I love them. We were lucky to get to have some Sunday evening and they were DELICIOUS. I love the ice cream, I love the root beer, all mixed together to make a cold, frothy treat. MMMM . . . ok, have you ever noticed that when the ice cream and root beer are the right temperatures that "crystals" will begin to form around the outside of the ice cream. Yum.

So, sometimes it is great to indulge and completely enjoy something wonderful that you love.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Day 14:

I am thankful for friends.

From what I have read, in history, ones neighbors were more than likely family. Any spare time, as little as there was, was spent with family celebrating and enjoying one-anothers company. We do have family that live close and we get together with them often, but it is nice to have people that are your neighbors, also be friends. Many of the neighbors are in the same congregation with our family and so we also get to worship with them.

I am thankful to have wonderful friends and neighbors that we can spend time with, that our children can play with their children, and that we have the opportunity to care for one-another. This last weekend, we had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with many different friends at different times. It was a great reminder of how lucky we are.

I also hold dear those friends that live far away that we don't get to see often, but when we do, our friendship is still strong. I am also thankful for those friends whom I know through blogs that I have not met, but feel a great kinship with. So, to all my friends, thank you for being you and have a great day!

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Day 13:

I am thankful for FREE Saturdays.

If you don't know what I mean, I am describing the kinds of Saturdays that are not scheduled from sunrise to sunset with activities and plans. They are the kinds of Saturdays that you can spend at home getting those little extra things taken care of. During this time of year, it is the perfect day to clean the garage, clean the yard, put away outside play things, organize, and get ready for winter.

It is also that perfect time for Moms to get some extra errands ran that seem to take a little more time with little ones at tow. I love those sorts of Saturdays.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

Day 12:

I am thankful for Children's fever reducing medicine.

I know, something you would not think of, but I am trying to write these posts so that I find gratitude for something that happened specifically for that day. Well, Friday, I had not one, but two little dears with fevers and sad faces. When children are sick, it just breaks my heart. As adults, the second we feel a little off, we can "take something". When my energetic, busy 2 1/2 year old is not wanting to do anything but "lay down with blankee", that is a bad sign. Poor dear. Not long after, out vivacious Peaches asked to take a nap. Again, not a good sign.

After a quick hand on the face check and a more accurate test with a thermometer, it was confirmed. Unseasonably hot!! So, after a cool washcloth and some rest made no affect, I pulled out the ibuprofen. Some may not go for that route, but I do and within minutes they started to cool and smiles began to return.

Bontifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

Day 11:

I am thankful for having opportunities to give service.

I see service as a major part of our learning. I try to have some type of service project going on in our home and I try to give my children experiences when they can feel the spirit of service and see the difference it can make in other lives.

What is interesting to me, is that the little kinds of service are sometimes overlooked and people don't realize what an impact something like a smile or a kind hello can have on a person. There is a scripture that says:

"... by small and simple things, are great things brought to pass;"

The best reward for service is in seeing the love your children have for others. As Bugaloo said, "Mom, I feel really good inside."

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Day 10:

I am thankful for women that I glean from.

In our church, we have an organization for women called Relief Society. Through this organization, we learn more about our relationship with God, we enrich our skills as mother, wives, sisters, women, and we find joy in doing service for each other and for others. About once a month, the ladies that are in the same congregation as myself, all get together for an extra meeting. Here we learn about many different things and I am always especially grateful that there are so many women of different backgrounds and circumstances that I can learn from.

Tonight, we talked about the importance of being frugal with our grocery budget and one way to do that is to prepare and use freezer meals. The wonderful lady that was teaching us gave us so many great ideas about organization of our menus and recipes and then shared tips and secrets to freezer meals and also gave us some great recipes to get started. I especially enjoyed the discussion with the group and was able to get a lot of great ideas.

So, I am thankful to all those ladies in my life that teach and share.

Bliss . . .

2010-11-10T16:26:00.003-07:00

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Day 9:

I am thankful for snow.

We got our first snow of the season. While I would have preferred that it wait until closer to or after Thanksgiving, I do appreciate the fact that the earth does not let us down when it comes to the nourishment needed to sustain life upon it. We didn't get a lot of snow, but it was wet and I am sure that all my little flowers and trees, trying to hibernate, appreciated the drink.

On Sunday evening, our adventurous Bugaloo strongly announced that she was ready for snow in all its forms, and that she wanted to put to work the new boots, coat, hat, and snow pants that we bought a few weeks ago. Peaches agreed with her plea and I guess they knew something, because Monday brought us fleeting flakes, and blanketed the mountains.

The only negative part? The snow did not stick down here in the valley, so for now, we are restricted to enjoying the beautiful view on the horizon.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Day 8:

I am thankful for my children, they are blessings to me.

I have always been acutely aware of the little time that I have with my children, as children. I like to think positively and believe that I have at least 20 years with each of them before they strike out on their own in the world. I will spend less time with them in our small, young, family setting than they will the rest of their lives. I want to know them. I want to enjoy everything about them. I want them to know me and their Dad, and I want us to love being together.

Maybe that is one reason I teach them at home. Ky is already half way there and it makes me sad. So I am thankful for the time that I have with them. As much as I like to have a schedule, if the need arises to "fudge" a little, we do. Why? You ask. Why not!! I say.

I love to teach them and watch them grow and progress, but I also love to play with them and watch their personalities shine through. I love to listen to them talk to me about complete nonsense and also complete brilliance.

During this time in my life, THEY are my reason. I am here to teach and nurture them. That is the season I am in and I am eternally grateful.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Day 7:

I am thankful for teachers.

As this can be a very general topic, I will be a little more specific. I believe that there are many people on this earth, that were given the wonderful gift to write. Not just write, but to teach through their writing. In particular, those that write about the Savior, Jesus Christ and the gospel of the Lord.

I truly think that there is a big difference between those writers/authors that write something that entertains and something that teaches. Not every book or piece of literature written can teach us, some are pure entertainment. While I do enjoy reading entertaining pieces, at times, I have made an effort to choose my literature based on educational value. I want to learn. I want to be taught. So, I want to choose that which is good and right and teaches me.

Today, I was reading a book called Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News by Stephen E. Robinson. What a wonderful message he shares and I am grateful for the way he teaches about the principles of the gospel. I was taught, and it was enriching. I wasn't able to finish the book, but I will get a copy this week and I look forward to being taught more.

You can find a short version of his message here.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-06T22:28:00.001-06:00

Day 6:

I am thankful for the opportunity to work and teach my children how to work.

One of the aspects of our learning is to learn how to work. In the Thomas Jefferson Education method, the first learning phase is called the Core Phase. During this phase, children should learn to work and also should play. I try to teach my children how to do all the many things it takes to keep a house in order. The littles, JJ and Peaches, concentrate more on the stewardship they have of their own things; their rooms, belongings, and themselves. So in the mornings, time is spent with them on completing those tasks. Ky and Bugaloo are old enough to help and learn the other things around the house; general cleaning, organization, planning. We try to do all of these things together as a family.

I have seen wonderful things come from this time. Does it all turn out perfectly? NO WAY!! I would have to say that it is a struggle about 50% of the time. Not just a struggle with them, but I have had to completely retrain myself. It is a lot easier to just get it done myself, so the struggle has come from me, changing.

My hope through teaching my children to work is that someday, they can and will want to work in many ways, whether that means in support of their families or in support of others.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a leader in our church, counseled in a talk:

"Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and the Church."

This is a legacy I hope to leave my children.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-06T20:18:00.000-06:00

Day 5:

I am thankful for Fridays.

Fridays are one of those days that signal an end to one thing, but a beginning to another. It is, of course, the end of the week, which means that anything that week is ending or, can be saved for the next week. For us, it means that Dad's work week is coming to an end and we get to have him home more. We love spending time as a family; outdoors, working, playing. Friday, to our family, signals time together.

Sewing . . .

2010-11-06T09:17:00.002-06:00

Our local fabric store was having a HUGE sale. They were moving to a new location and did not want to take anything with them, so we found some great patterns, fabric, etc.

Ky and Bugaloo have been wanting to sew for a while. I am fine with that, the hang-up is that since the basement is not completely finished, I don't have a sewing room. I have to get out the sewing machine and have things ALL over my kitchen table. It is hard to teach two girls to sew when we can't leave things out and come back to it.

So, while the Mighty Hunter was away, we got out all of the sewing tools and got to work! They each wanted to make an outfit for their dolls.

Things went well enough, and they were both full of questions and eager to learn. We all had a great time!

The finished product!

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-05T09:08:00.000-06:00

Day 4:

I am thankful for a new day.

I know that we should not "put off 'til tomorrow, what you can do today", but I am grateful for tomorrows that make it possible to start each day anew. I strongly believe that we should live each day like it is our last; not have any regrets, let those you love know it, repent of any wrong doings, etc.

I would hope that someday, I am able to be sure in knowing that my salvation is secure through the setting of each sun, but I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect and that I need help from the Lord in all that I do. I try to behave throughout my day in a way that would be pleasing to God, but I know I fail; sometimes miserably.

So, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to start fresh each day and prove to the Lord that I want to make it!

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-04T20:49:00.003-06:00

Day 3:

I am thankful for my husband.

He is an absolutely, amazing person. He is caring and understands when I just need a hug. He is supportive and kind. He would give his shirt off his back to anyone, even a stranger. He listens to my thoughts and ideas, and occasionally responds back :)

I have known him since I was 15 and even in hard times, we have pulled through and proven to one another that we are important to each other. He would do anything for me; even climb a mountain. ;) I could go on and on, I hope he knows what he means to me; I should tell him more.

I truly can not imagine life on this earth or beyond without him. I will eternally love this man.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-03T12:42:00.002-06:00

Day 2:

I am thankful for the opportunity to live in The United States of America.

Why? Because of the wonderful Constitution and the freedoms that it gives to me as a citizen of this great nation. I had the opportunity to vote and I can't help from having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the men and women that gave and risked their lives for the future people of this land.

We have been studying about the Revolutionary War and reading a lot of stories about the people that were apart of it. They knew that there was supposed to be something more and better than what England was offering and so they gave everything to win their freedom. It is our duty as their descendants and as citizens of this great nation to show our gratitude and thanks to them by participating in the democratic process.

So, thanks to all those that have served this country and that do still serve. Thanks for my freedom and thanks to the Lord, for his protection and help to those that were the underdog.

Museum . . .

2010-11-02T13:11:00.006-06:00

We headed to the museum to see the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit.

We all had our favorite painting and for very different reasons. Read about them below:

"Ginevra De'Benci"

Ky's Favorite:

"I like this painting because of all the detail in her face and hair. I really like all the pretty colors."

"Virgin Of The Rocks"

Bugaloo's Favorite:

"I like nature and I just thought it was really pretty. I liked how it looked realistic. I liked how the water is far back and it makes it seem that the people are on an island. "

"The Last Supper"

Peaches Favorite:

" I liked this one because it has Jesus in it."

Although there were not many of his paintings to see, I was very impressed with the amount of working models that were made from his notebooks and journals.

I think it was a lot to ask to get a picture of four kids, pulling on pulleys that was not blurry somewhere. This was the best on the bunch. They loved this example of pulley systems. We had a great discussion about loads and increasing and decreasing work loads through pulleys.

We took this shot for Dad ( our resident pilot).

This was a favorite, the wooden bicycle. The kids loved to see the ideas for chains.

Some of the models were "hands on", meaning that we could touch and manipulate them and see how they worked. It was amazing to see how ahead of his time Da Vinci was and how many of the machines and technological advancements we have today came from many of his thoughts and ideas.

Ky loved the models that incorporated ball bearings, Bugaloo loved the Archimedes ladder (as did we all), I was really interested in Da Vinci's ideas for war machines; ie. tanks, ships, thrashers, etc. They all seemed so ahead of his time.

After seeing the exhibit, we stopped off in the "children's room". This room, or series of rooms rather, are decorated like a forest, complete with cave, rocks, trees, fish, animal tracks, and also a log cabin and tepee.

The kids had a lot of fun exploring and pretending here.

Not quite as good as the real thing, but still fun to sit on.

Oh, if they only really new how good they have it!

A little pioneer living.

Checking out the eagle's nest.

Bountifully Blessed . . .

2010-11-02T12:51:00.006-06:00

I am going to do a series of posts, this month, expressing my gratitude and thanks for the many wonderful blessings in my life. Some may be short, some posts a little longer. These will be in no particular order of importance, I will write about what is in my heart for that day. Through doing this, I hope that my attitude of gratitude will increase. Your welcome to join along! Here we go:

** Let me preface this by saying that I am aware that it is a day late. I got it all typed and thought I published it, but did not, so here it is.

Day 1:

I am thankful for surprise lunch dates!

I got a text this morning from the mighty hunter (aka: head contractor, dad, hottie, my husband; it is hunting season here) asking if we wanted to meet him for lunch. Quickly, I agreed! It is lots of fun to go out to lunch with Dad and a major treat. He said that we could choose the location, so after much debate we narrowed it down to three choices. Peaches was voting for McD's. hmmm . . . Ky and Bugaloo both voted for a local pizza and pasta buffet. JJ, he really doesn't care where we eat, just as long as food is involved.

I wasn't really in the mood for any of the above choices so I threw in my vote. When we presented the Mighty Hunter with the choices, he agreed with me and, surprisingly, without much argument from the hungry, eager kids, the time and place were set; off we went!!

It really is a good feeling to put on your best clothes and go out. When we got to the agreed upon venue, I quickly surmised that the wait for a table would be a little longer than what our 2 1/2 year olds patience and stomach could handle, so I called the Mighty Hunter and presented a new plan; the yummy Chinese food restaurant that we all know and LOVE. It was agreed and we changed course. What a great change! We LOVE this restaurant and their food and it was just what we all wanted and needed.

Lunch was wonderful and the company was amazing. Thanks Hun!!!!

Remember to Vote . . .

2010-11-01T11:39:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder of the brave, wonderful, God sent men that gave of their lives, time, and means to give the freedoms to us that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted.

Vote !! Make sure that your opinions and values count.

VOTE!!

Working With Dad . . .

2010-10-28T12:11:00.005-06:00

We believe that an essential part of our kids' learning and growing is working with their Dad to learn many different things. They have loved to each take their turn with Dad in the basement, measuring, painting, etc. The older girls also like to be Dad's helper in the garage when he is doing maintenance on the cars.

A couple of weeks ago, we needed to make a bean bag toss game for a festival that our church was doing. We saw one at a museum, in their childrens room, that we really liked so we decided that would be a great family project. After a trip to the local home improvement store to buy all the necessary supplies, we gathered one evening for a little "family project".

Ky and Bugaloo were able to help with the sawing, painting, and assembly. They did a great job in listening to their Dad and he, as always, did an amazing job of patiently explaining each step; the whys, hows, and whats.

He is careful to call all the tools by their proper names and ask the kids in helping with specific tasks.

They all did a great job and everyone enjoyed working together. This will be fun to leave up in our family room for the kids to play with. Great job everyone!!

The finished product . . .

Update . . .

2010-10-13T09:48:00.003-06:00

We have had a busy few weeks. Trying to get back to a routine has proven a little difficult. We get a few days into a great routine and then someone gets sick, we have a doctor or dentist appointment, or family comes to visit. While we love all those things, minus the sickness, it is nice when we can have a "normal" day. Here is a bit of what we have been doing and working on.

We finished reading Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. This is the original story, not the Disney version, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this version more. It took us a while to finish it. I liked to watch the reactions of the kids to the many ups and downs of the story.

Ky, especially, was emotionally charged. She would get so angry every time Pinocchio would choose badly and disappoint those that loved him. Here is what she says about it:

"At the first of the book, I thought Pinocchio was a little stinker. Then
closer to the end of the book he learns to make good choices,
take responsibility, and to obey.I won't tell you the details or else
I would spoil the surprises this book has in store for you.''

Bugaloo's Review:

"Pinocchio is a stinker . He even ran away from his Father. I won't
tell you what happened because it would give it away.You
will love this book because I do. It is a wonderful book.
In the end, it is happy. "

Ky has been reading the Little House series and has really loved it. She is on the fourth book now. Bugaloo read Black Beauty and is now deep into the Narnia series. She is on the third book.

During devotional, we have been reading the Old Testament. We are now deep into Genesis. We have also been learning the names and faces of our church leaders (there are 15). We have been reading from American History Stories and just finished a story about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Next, we will read about and study the Declaration of Independence. We have also started a book called, The Story of Young George Washington. We have loved the few stories we have read in Mathematicians are People Too. It has really opened up the kids' eyes and thinking to math and science and it's origins.

We have spent some time baking, sewing, and playing games and have had a great time being together.

Getting Back . . . To Nature!

2010-09-27T11:34:00.005-06:00

Oh Nature! It would seem that with the beautiful weather that we had this summer, that we would have been out ENJOYING nature more. I have no excuse why, it should have been done.

We took an outing the other day to one of our favorite, close nature areas and spent a few hours enjoying everything around us. The path was getting a bit overgrown in places, but we loved that part. We took time for a picnic and had a great lunch.

There were so many wonderful things to see and watch . . .

We had a great time. The weather was perfect, the leaves had begun to change colors in some places, and we could see signs of life all around us. We saw a cute little rabbit. It could have been a cottontail, but it was very small, maybe a pygmy. The kids had a great time and for the first time, they all tried very hard to be very quiet. Especially when we were observing the bird in one of the photos above. It kept flying between trees around us and even the "Littles" were so quiet and wanted to watch it.

So now there is no reason to delay getting back to our Nature Study and Outdoor Hour Challenges. This fall, we are going to try to focus more of Birds. Enjoy!

Constitution Day . . .

2010-09-22T17:55:00.004-06:00

Constitution Day? Really? I have never heard of this holiday, have you?

I think the idea behind it is a great one. The Constitution of The United States of America, as well as those of the respective states, is one of the most, if not the most important and significant bits of our past, present, and future.

I decided to do a little research into this little known about holiday and found these sites helpful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Day_%28United_States%29

http://constitutioncenter.org/ncc_progs_constitution_day.aspx

I wonder why there wasn't a significant push to have this day before 2004. I don't think that the population of the United States as a majority knows and understands the importance of the Constitution. I don't think there is enough understanding of it's history and message.

While learning more about this day and also in other studies, I came across an amazing message given at a celebration on this last Constitution Day. The man that gave the address is described as,

"interest in and understanding of the Constitution is the product of a legal
career that spanned more than 50 years. He is a former professor of
law and Utah Supreme Court Justice and widely considered an expert
on the U.S. Constitution. "

I think he gives some great ideas as to how we, as Americans, can better know our Constitution. His thoughts and ideas are easy to understand and a great starting point for anyone with an interest in our country's legal system. Enjoy!

Fundamentals of our Constitutions

First Day of School . . . For Everyone Else!

2010-09-20T15:03:00.005-06:00

It was the first day of public school for the kids in our area, so we thought we would take advantage of the empty streets and parks and have at it!

We took a bike ride to a local park for some fun. The kids played like crazy on all of the slides, swings, merry-go-round. It was a welcome break and the weather was perfect for it, not too hot and not too cold.

After an hour or so of them playing and me reading, we set out on a geocache hunt that did not turn out.

Next, I treated them to lunch out and then home to make homemade zucchini M&M cookies, YUM!!!

It was a great day! Enjoy!

The Compass and The Binder. . .

2010-09-20T11:27:00.005-06:00

Today is not usually my day for blog updates. As you can tell, I haven't done that in a while, but I thought since I am having a day of this:

(a story for a completely different post , maybe, and that is also an ice pack UNDER my legs as well)

I thought I would get caught up on things.

We took a day, a few weeks ago, to put together our binders. Being A Mother Who Knows does a wonderful job of explaining some of the ideas for this and also gives some other great links to follow. I don't see the need of repeating what someone else has done a wonderful job with already, so go here to see what she has to share.

I sat down with Ky and Bugaloo to explain the theory and use of the binders and also the ideas of the compass. I gave them a basic outline of what the compass would include and asked them to prayerfully consider what they wanted to include. They spent a day thinking over this and the next day, they both presented their compass. They both wanted to type up a copy of their compass for reference in their binders, so they got that done and we put together their binders.

Bugaloo's Compass

I also sat down with Peaches and explained it to her and we put together a compass for her as well. Her compass is almost entirely Core based. I also did my own compass. So, after feeling like we all had a direction, we started our learning a new.

I do encourage anyone, whether they are learning with the TJEd method or not, to think about what you want to do over the next few months, write down your goals, and work toward them. Enjoy!

The Nitty Gritty . . .A Master Plan

2010-08-24T07:59:00.005-06:00

I have been spending some time, this summer, studying more of the things taught through the Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd). The hubby and I finally sat down and made our Master Plan. It was not easy. I will not sugar coat it for you, we sat down and started going over each of the elements for a great Master Plan and for some of them, we were stumped.

In the book, A Thomas Jefferson Education: Home Companion, there is a wonderful explanation of what a Master Plan is and what it includes. Here is just a tidbit:

Nine Key Elements of an Effective Master Plan

1. Classics: Your List

2. Cultural Literacy, Breadth & Depth

3. Academic Programs

4. Adult Skills

5. Organizational Programs

6. Experience

7. God

8. Family Relationships

9. Places to go

In truth, I think we were so fine with living in the here and now that it was a little difficult to think about our children and family in future terms. As we went through each of the Nine Elements, I soon realized that we did not need to have something for every topic and that we could have general things that would involve everyone. I think that over the years, we will add things to the plan as well as take things away.

What I found was this gave me a sense of a path to follow towards the dreams and goals we have for our children. It also aids in keeping your learning more organized. I am excited to use the elements in our learning and continue on in this journey. Enjoy!

Sew, Mama, Sew! Contest . . .

2010-08-11T17:22:00.005-06:00

This is AMAZING! The folks over at Sew, Mama, Sew! are doing an amazing giveaway for a new Husqvarna Viking s21 Serger , valued at $1199. Not a miss print! Follow the link below to take a chance.

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=9630

We would love to have this amazing machine in our home for many reasons. First, I own NO SERGER!!!! Ok, I said it. With all the sewing I do, I use my trusty little machine to do all the work for me, and it does a great job. I do however find myself dreaming of an easier time, a glorious ease of stitching the perfect seam. Second, my daughters are getting old enough to sew and they LOVE to do it! This machine would open all kinds of new doors!

Enjoy!

Grandparents . . .

2010-08-10T16:09:00.004-06:00

We love our grandparents! We feel so lucky that we live close enough to our families that our kids can see their grandparents regularly. I remember visiting my grandparents on their ranch and some of my most vivid memories are of times that I was learning and gleaning from them. I remember my Granny teaching me weaving and stitching. She had a passion and uncanny ability to make something out of nothing. Her eclectic dinners and this and that toys that were always so much more fun than any toy I remember. Grandpa was so good to let us watch him in the shed work on the tractors, sharing with us the names of the tools and parts of the equipment.

I don't know if they purposely did this to teach us something or if they just instinctively passed this knowledge along because that is the way their parents taught them. They were both raised through the depression on farms and ranches. It is a wealth of knowledge and experience I will never forget.
Chatting with Grandpa while camping!

I was deep in thoughts of gratitude for grandparents the other day because one of our Grandmas took the time to send our resident artist, Bugaloo, a series of copies of sketches from the sketchbook of a local artist that she met. She sealed them in a manila envelope and dropped them in the mail. When Bugaloo got the mail (don't all kids just LOVE mail), she was so excited that she promptly showed all in attendance the beautiful works of art. Simple, beautiful, personal sketches. It made the day of our brown eyed beauty and made my heart especially grateful for grandparents and their inate ability to encourage and teach their grandchildren.Christmas tree hunting with Grandma!

Hiking with Grandma!

Another great example of this, another Grandma and Grandpa returned recently from an extended trip to visit family. We were lucky enough to pick them up from the airport and after getting settled for the drive home, they promptly began handing out small gifts to the kids. They brought a wonderful book all about ocean life from an aquarium they visited. The girls were so excited! They hovered over that book for the next week non stop! Anytime there was family time, dinner, prayer, etc., they would share with us all the fun facts they have been learning.Fishing with Grandpa!

Not only has it enriched their learning but ours! So to our Grandmas and Grandpas and to all Grandparents our there, thanks for the love, support and generosity you show. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful journey of their lives by helping them learn, grow, and love. You are all an integral part of their lives. Enjoy!

August . . .

2010-08-02T17:20:00.007-06:00

I know. It seems strange that I would title this post the way I did. Why? Because August is just beginning? Because as the eighth month of the year, it sometimes gets a little forgotten? Because for some, August means a beginning?

As much as I would like to say that we kept up our normal routine of life and learning throughout the summer, I can not. With the hustle and bustle of cousins, reunions, swimming lessons, camping, recovering from all the before stated, this, that and the other, our "routine" was quietly and swiftly thrown out the window. It makes me sad to admit that, because I so wanted to do everything the same and keep a normal schedule. Well, I have come to find that this simply can not happen; Not for us anyway.

So, with the start of a new month (August) and things settling down, my thoughts turn to our life and learning and wanting to get back to "routine". I have two main goals for August. The first is to attempt to get life, home, and learning back in order and back on track. The second, to train like a mad woman so I can RUN the entire length on my 5k at the first of September. Sadly, I have not done so great with the latter over the summer. Well, I guess it is a good thing that our routine wasn't the only thing that kind of . . . fell by the wayside.

Frankly, I think I need a vacation from my "summer vacation". I felt like we were so "busy", maybe that's not the right word, . . . I' don't know . . . anyway, it's seems as though there was no "break" involved. Is it a bad sign to feel like this at the end of summer?

August, truly, I welcome you! Enjoy!

2010-07-28T14:18:00.005-06:00

"You always start with ideas. If you don't start with ideas, you get lost."

George Shultz, former Secretary of State

I was watching a very interesting biography the other night on PBS called, Turmoil and Triumph, The George Shultz Years. It was extremely interesting and informative. I felt a little bit a part of it, as some of the events took place when I was a young child and I remember some of the things they portrayed. The above quote was shared towards the end of the program. There was more to the quote, but I was not fast enough to write it all down. It said something about ideas being a compass to learning.

When I heard the quote, I thought immediately of some of the questions people ask me about our home learning. I often get the, "So, what exactly are you learning now?" or "How do you decide what to teach?". When I explain to them that I believe that as their mother, part of my responsibility is to expose them to opportunities or information that will ignite something in my kids to want to learn. Some people don't quite understand my response. I often times say that we read. We read a lot. We read all the time.

I am amazed at the looks of shock or confusion in response to my response. I am waiting for the day when someone actually says, "Really? That's all you do? Read?".

Yes, that's what we do. From reading, my children are introduced to a plethora of ideas from which they then, in turn, learn more about. For example, when we read the book The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, they asked to learn more about:

Trumpeter Swans, foxes, TAPS, birds held in zoos, journal writing, swan boats, etc.

How do you get children interested in learning? You give them ideas. The way I give my children ideas is through reading. What are we reading right now?

Bambi, Ferdinand the Bull, American History Stories Vol. 2, the Old Testament, Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Tales, the list goes on and on.

So, as Mr. Shultz says, if you don't start with ideas, you get lost. Are you feeling lost? Do you have a child that just doesn't seem to click with what you are doing or teaching them? They need an idea to lead them into the exploration that is learning. They won't even realize that they are learning. It is amazing. Enjoy!

Cousins & Camping . . .

2010-07-08T14:47:00.001-06:00

We have had a busy, fun, exciting, sometimes trying two and a half weeks. It all started on a sunny, late spring day in mid June when travelers from afar brought us three cherubic boys to spend two and a half weeks while their parents were abroad. I feel parched . . .anyway, the cousins were finally here to play, dream, and imagine with, and the kids could not have been more excited. Originally, we were going to have a grand plan of what to do with them here, but gradually the thought changed to, "let's just see what happens."

Everything imaginable has been played and they have had a great time with it. We tried to stay close to home because the idea of loading up SEVEN children between the ages of 1 and ten, frankly scared me. We did venture out a few times and all went well. Some of the things they did were:

running through the sprinkler, jumping on the trampoline, playing games, playing video games, play-dough, visiting Grandma & Grandpa, observing bugs and snails, watching fireworks, eating, eating, eating ( really, it still amazes me how much food BOYS eat!!!), watching movies, going for walks, riding bikes & scooters, playing at the park, blowing bubbles, building cities out of legos and blocks for the homeless pet shop animals, getting to watch the baby learn to walk (this may make his Mom and Dad sad) it was so fun to see him go from crawling to walking, more, more, more

We have had such a great time with them, but I know they miss their home and parents so while we will be sad to see them go, it will be happy for them.

We also went camping over the long Independence Day weekend. This we were not so brave to do on our own, so Grandpa and Grandma came along to help out and it was great to have them there. It was our first time at this camp spot and we were really pleased with it; plenty of shade trees, streams, wildlife. We got everything set up and the kids immediately went exploring. Within in the first few hours, they had all found some amazing snails on some of the trees. The snails graciously accepted ( ok, so they had no choice) the invitation to reside in cups for a couple of days and be observed by some eager kids. We did all the great camping things; roasted marshmallows for smores, cooked hot dogs on the open fire, skipped rocks in the streams, collected every stick, rock, and willing bug in sight. They built a small raft with Grandma and Dad and floated in down the river. The kids had a ball!

We went for hikes on two of the mornings and though the trails were within a mile or two of one another, the scenery couldn't have been more different and enjoyable. The first hike was a trail just out of our camp. The trail was mostly steep, not much shade, and the vegetation was more desert like. It was a challenging hike for the kids but they were troopers and when we made it to the top, we were all amazed to see the view.

The second hike was a lot less steep, but the vegetation was amazingly lush and at times we had to go through plants , wild flowers and weeds that reached up to our chests ( sometimes, over the little's heads). We followed a stream hoping that we could make it to the source. The trail got a bit more trying and the vegetation a little more dense. The trail, at times, seemed to disappear and then be clear again. I wonder if we were some of the first hikers of the season. We stopped for a little rest and decided that we would go for ten more minutes and then turn back, no matter what we found. The kids were up to it and so off we went. Not 5 minutes farther, we found the source of the river and it was a beautiful and breathtaking view. The spring was one of the biggest I've seen just rushing right out of the mountainside, up through the rocks. Part of it was concealed under trees and brush, so to be sure we found it, Dad and I hiked a bit farther til we could tell it was the spring head. The little's didn't quite understand what it meant, but the older kids thought it was pretty amazing. An experience I hope we can keep having.

Well, I've been a bit longer than I wanted to be, but we had an amazing time and are soooooo happy that our cousins could come spend time with us! Enjoy!

A Patriotic Resource . . .

2010-06-30T11:09:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Latterday Conservative for the link to this wonderful resource. I have never seen this pamphlet before and after looking it over, I think there are many great parts that I can use to encourage knowledge of our country, the founding fathers, and our wonderful Constitution.

The fact that this was put together under the direction of men inspired from the Lord is even more encouraging. Here is what they said:

Our Dear Brothers and Sisters:

On September 17, 1987, we commemorate the two-hundredth birthday of the signing of the United States Constitution. The group of inspired men assembled for that convention produced the document that the Prophet
Joseph Smith referred to as “a glorious standard” and “a heavenly banner.”

In commemoration of this important event, we are providing this booklet, which contains three family home evening lessons, activity ideas, and a copy of the Constitution. We encourage you to prepare and teach each lesson prayerfully so that family members may feel the divine significance of the Constitution in their minds and hearts.

Faithfully, your brethren,
The First Presidency
(Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson)

Follow the link below to download:

http://www.latterdayconservative.com/articles/family-home-evening-lessons-for-the-bicentennial-of-the-constitution

AMAZING DEAL . . .

2010-06-29T21:29:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about this great deal! Thanks to Free n' Equal at themisfircygnet.com for the heads up. I have looked at this book many times at the library and it never gets old. They use it as reference only. Great companion to the full version 1776. Follow the link below, Enjoy!

http://www.seagullbook.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?

Just Wondering . . .

2010-06-28T09:10:00.005-06:00

First, an update. Things are going great with us. I feel like the "learning" part of our lives is blending in smoothly with the rest of the everyday grind. When people ask what a typical day with us is like, I think they are a little surprised to learn that our learning is just another part of our day like meals or chores. Most people expect us to have a time set aside for "school". We do, it is just part of what we do. If we feel like starting a chore a little later because we are deep into a great book and the kids don't want to stop (yes, it's happened) then we keep reading. The best part of core phase is that they get to play their little hearts out and eventually they want to learn. It's amazing to experience, but you have to be patient in the process. Having had two children experience the public school system for a couple of years, I not only had to retrain their thought process but my own. It has been hard, but amazing at the same time.

We have been reading Bambi and loving it! It is an amazing story and I love the way the author gives the reader little tastes of nature and life from nature's point of view. We are coming to some critical parts of the story and I am interested to see what kind of conversations they will initiate. We have already had a few good ones. I do want to share with you a portion of my favorite chapter so far. It is not too long, but the author does such a great job of making it come alive to the reader.

The leaves were falling from the great oak at the
meadow's edge. They were falling from all the trees.

One branch of the oak reached high above the
others and stretched far out over the meadow. Two
leaves clung to its very tip.

"It isn't the way it used to be," said the one leaf to the other.

"No," the other leaf answered. "So many of us have fallen
off to-night we're almost the only ones left on our branch."

"You never know who's going to go next, " said
the first leaf. "Even when it was warm and the sun
shone, a storm or a cloudburst would come sometimes,
and many leaves were torn off, though they were
still young. You never know who's going to go next."

"The sun seldom shines now," sighed the second leaf,
"and when it does it gives no warmth. We must have
warmth again"

"Can it be true," said the first leaf, "can it really be true,
that others come take our places when we're gone,
after them still others, and more and more?"

"It is really true," whispered the second leaf. "We
can't even begin to imagine it, it's beyond our powers."

"It makes me very sad," added the first leaf.

They were silent a while. Then the first leaf said quietly
to herself, " Why must we fall? . . ."

Really, I encourage anyone to read this book, it is enriching. I do have a question for you all, what do you do when you have something throw off your schedule for a period of time? What do you do to keep things relatively on track? During the summer is especially hard because you have family visiting, vacations to go on, things throwing the balance off. What do you do?

Battle of the Purge . . .

2010-06-21T13:07:00.004-06:00

This is, in a sense, a continuation or update from an earlier post, "Joining In". I had said at the end of that post that I had since moved onto the basement in our battle to purge our home of any and all things non-needful or non-used. The hubby and I dug right in and went through every square inch of the basement. Every box, tote, anything that could hold or store something. We made piles; one for trash, one for keeping, one for selling/donating. I know what your thinking, why go through the trouble of a yard sale. That is exactly what my husband said. He is disgusted with the whole idea of having a yard sale and I just kindly told him that it would be nice to get some money out of all the things we were getting rid of. I also reminded him that it would be me and me alone that would do EVERYTHING for the yard sale.

The piles grew and grew and grew. I was SHOCKED at all the stuff we had that was just junk and what was not to be kept. There was so much! I went through all of our DVD's and CD's and got rid of about 95% of the CD's and about 60% of the movies. The movie average is low because about 75% of the movies we kept are Living Scripture movies or movies made by the LDS church. When my husband saw how many movies I had in the "get rid of" pile, he questioned it. I told him why I didn't like this movie or that and he agreed, there is better.

In the end, we hauled off about 400 lbs of TRASH! It was crazy how much there was. I did have a yard sale and was able to sell about a third of everything there. I made $150 in the 5 hours that I had it and felt it was worth it. We will be putting that in our trampoline fund. (One of the downsides to living "in town" is not having all the room to just go, go, go.)

After the sale, I loaded our Expedition up with all the boxes of things to donate and drove them promptly to the local thrift store. It feels so good to have it gone! So, farewell music from our teenage years in the late 80's and early 90's that was never appropriate to begin with. Goodbye stamps and other scrapbooking supplies that were lovingly used for a couple of years but not even looked at for the last three years. So long to all the piles and piles of DVD's that were watched 1, 2, maybe 3 times and never looked at again. The list goes on and on and on. I am glad to be rid of it and I actually think I lost a few pounds in the process. Enjoy!

Seeking . . .

2010-06-17T12:26:00.005-06:00

I have had a HUGE reminder this week about the concept of good, better, best. I spent some time reading some of the posts at The Misfit Cygnet and immediately thought of a portion of the 13th Article of Faith that says:

"If there is anything virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

I don't think that is too high of a standard to determine what we experience in our lives. I think the first requirement, anything virtuous, would actually weed out a lot of things we may consider. At the 2010 TJEd forum, the keynote speaker talked a bit about virtue. He defined virtue as,"... being that what you were created to do or be." Once we decide if something is virtuous, we can then use the other requirements mentioned, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy, to help decide. This is were it can get a little tricky. Just as Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:

" We have to forego some GOOD things in order to choose others that are BETTER or BEST because they develop faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

I have decided that I am not ok with "good enough", "it's alright", "it's not that bad", or "there's worse". I want to know that what I am exposing my family and myself to is the best that is out there and that it is, "virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy." I am not ok with just enough, good or better. I want the best for my family and that means not being afraid to go against the "norms" of the world.

Will I come off as a little strange? Some might think so. Will we miss out on some of the things kids these days are into? Sure. Will this help give my children a giant step towards gaining the testimony necessary to make it through this world? I know it will.

So, through our devotionals and scripture studies, I am seeking. I am seeking those things that can help my family live in the world but not of it. I am seeking for those things that magnify the gospel principles and help me be a better mother and wife. I am also going to always be asking myself, is this the best?

FINALLY ! ! ! . . .

2010-06-09T13:34:00.007-06:00

It is such an amazing feeling to have something come that you have been waiting so long for! Ok, a little over dramatic, but I just wanted to stress how happy I am at the nice weather that we have had lately. There is still an occasional rain storm, but mingled in with those have been beautiful spring days just begging us to enjoy them. We had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with family over the last couple of weeks and a lot of that time was spent outdoors hiking, playing, fishing, horseback riding, taking wonderful rides through the mountains, and just enjoying the beauty that God has given us.

I really think that it is during the Spring that I think most of the things God has created for us here on earth. Of all the things that we will someday learn about, the creation of this world will be one of the most fascinating. Here are a few pictures of our spring splendor:

JJ loving the outdoors.

Dads are SOOOO handy!

Ky enjoying Grandma's tree swing.

Ever the patient fisher, once a nibble, never a catch. Ok, it lasted all of about 30 minutes, but not bad for the first time out.

The mighty fisher-woman!

The Backroom . . .

2010-06-04T11:57:00.004-06:00

One day, I hope to have an amazingly HUGE collection of all the great books that we and others deem as classics. I think that I already have a great start toward that goal . . . (My husband would say that I am a little obsessed with books. Yes, I would rather buy books than food. Isn't that a great diet plan though!) . . ., but every once in a while, I need to visit the local library to get a book that I don't yet own. To find the book, I do the usual; look it up in their catalog and find the call number by which to locate it. There have been a few occasions when the call number is followed by the group of letters, BKRM. These letters, I have found out, mean that the book is located in the backroom of the library that only the librarians have access to. So, in order to get the book, one has to ask a librarian to get it. It is not a bad thing, but a lot of people don't know what the letters BKRM refer to, so they look on the regular shelves and when the book is not to be found they just get something else.

The reason I bring this up is because the books that I have had to ask for have all been great classics like The Lonesome Gods and Walden, just to name a couple. The first time this happened to me, I asked the librarian why they keep these books in the backroom and she gave me two reasons; because they belong to the classic collection . . . (not sure why that is a reason, I guess because they are expensive?). . . and because those books are often stolen. Really? People go in and steal books from the library? I've heard of people keeping books they've checked out, but to steal them? People, THEY ARE FREE TO READ!!!!!

So, I understand why they put them back, but here is the negative part of it. A lot of people don't know about the "classics". There are alot of people in this world that love to read, but don't necessarily have direction and so they just browse the shelves. The books that I got had not been checked out for the last four years; that's really sad. Is there a better way to keep these materials safe but also readily available to everyone? It would be nice.

It is nice though that when I go to the library and approach the front desk, the librarians usually ask me what I need from the backroom. I guess that's a good sign! Enjoy!

Which Would You Choose? . . .

2010-05-28T15:33:00.005-06:00

I had an interesting conversation with Ky the other day. We were on our way to do a little book hunting at a local thrift store, and she strikes up this conversation:

Ky: "Hey Mom?"

Me: "Ya?"

Ky: " Which would you choose, a candy bar or a book?"

Me: "That's a great question! Which would you choose?"

Ky: " I would choose the book."

Me: "Really, why?"

Ky: "Well, the candy bar is good to eat, but the thrill of it only lasts for a few moments. Once you're done with it, you don't continue to enjoy it. With a book, you thoroughly enjoy it while you are reading it and you can continue to enjoy it for a long time after. If you remember what the book is about, you can think about it for years afterward and remember how great it was. You can also learn a lot from them."

Bugaloo: "I agree!"

Me: "Really Bugaloo, what would you choose?"

Bugaloo: " A book, totally!"

And what was I doing during this entire conversation? Back flips, front flips, secretly crying, secretly laughing, giving myself a huge high five (all in my mind, of course, after all I was driving.) This is one of those moments that we all wait for. This is the Love of Learning that I want all of my children to have and I hope that I am doing all there is to help them find it.

Joining In . . .

2010-05-26T14:56:00.004-06:00

I have been away for a while. It has been almost a week since my last post and I can honestly say that I have been anxiously engaged in activities that are enriching to my family, home, and myself. I found myself, many times, in the depths of this, that, or the other and have desperately and wholeheartedly been climbing out of it.

I think that after a while, we can all come to the point when we realize that, no matter how much we don't want it to be true, we all have STUFF that we don't need or for that matter want. After a lot, A LOT of great examples from other bloggers and books, I rolled up the sleeves and jumped into it. Now, I need to preface this by saying that I am in no way finished with this job. As usual, LIFE seemed to creep in every time I would get a good rhythm going. But, little by little, I have been purging. I can truly say that I am not a stuff person. I hate clutter in every form, but somehow it always seems to get in there. I would compare it to a tick. Yes, a tick. Ticks are tiny arachnids (did you know they were an arachnid and not a bug? Go figure . . .) Anyway, they hide on tall grass and bushes (like sagebrush) and wait to attach themselves to passersby to do their damage. Stuff is a lot the same but in reverse. Stuff gets carried around by "passersby" and waits for the most opportune time to break free and find a nice comfy spot to "hide" for as long as it can. I am sick and tired of stuff!

So, I have started to go through EVERYTHING in my house and if it has not been used in the last 6 months to a year, it is gone. As I have gone on this journey, I have been pretty surprised at what I have saved. I thought I did a thorough job when we moved into this house almost 2 years ago, but here I am with boxes and boxes and sacks and sacks full of stuff to get rid of. UGH!!!!!!!

The positives to purging? Less STUFF to take care of!!!!! I started with my kids rooms first and it has been great to see that it is easier for them to take care of things when there is less of it. With the littles, I also did a good job of putting things up out of reach for the simple reason that they must now ask for things to play with. Now, before I get a bunch of comments, they still have a couple of items on their bookshelf along with all their books, but I want them to learn that they have to take care of this before getting that.

I have since moved onto the basement, which is currently under construction ( and may I say that the head contractor, ya he's a hottie!) anyway, I have been going through the boxes of STUFF that reside temporarily there and I will admit that after 12 years of marriage, I just threw away all the cards that people gave us at our wedding. Yikes, I know!! I've had it and now, I won't have any of it! So it is still a work in progress, but it is progressing and that is encouraging.

*** On a side note, that "head contractor" and I celebrated those 12 years a couple of Saturdays ago and I still feel like the luckiest woman on earth. Love you Hun!!!!

I Can Do This . . .

2010-05-19T06:04:00.006-06:00

Why is it that we, at times, doubt what we can do, even though it is humanly possible and is most times best for us? In a book series called The Great and Terrible, the author, Chris Stewart, portrays Satan and the spirits that follow him in a light that I find helpful. The spirits of Satan are ALWAYS right by you observing every move you make, both physically and mentally. They see your weaknesses and use that to their advantage. They whisper bits of self loathing or even encouragement to do and/or think those things that would be detrimental to your own spiritual happiness and progression. I had a couple of moments like that last week.

The first, though a bit trivial, was as simple as an attitude of quitting. I started running a little over a year ago and I have recently been training for a run at the end of the summer. I had to run a certain length on Saturday and was shocked at how easily I wanted to just stop. I kept telling myself that it was stupid to keep running, what's the point. No one would know, why was I subjecting myself to the pain anyway?

Immediately, I realized how negative the thoughts were and I actually was saying out loud to myself, "I am a runner, I can do this", over and over again. I realized how easy it would have been to give up and just stop running, but it has helped to improve my overall health and attitude. I find that on days that I run, I have a more cheerful outlook, this may also be because I feel that I have started the day in an organized way; running, reading, studying, praying. It all seems to fall into place.

Well, I was starting to feel the same way yesterday about our home and progress at core phase. Oh, we have been doing great with it. Family work has been smooth for the most part. There is room for improvement, but everyone has been giving their all. Then I have a day, like yesterday, where it all seems to come crashing down. The kids don't want to give their share. Basically, I have this vision of how things can work and run and they don't! Then I start to doubt my decisions and wonder if this is truly the way we want to go. It seems to work great, are there truly times when there are kinks and I just need to learn to work through and beyond like with running? I keep telling myself this.

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to learn more about some gospel principles from some of our general authorities, including our beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. We were able to participate in a Regional Conference. Their words were encouraging and also a reminder to me, that I am making decisions on behalf of my family that are pleasing unto the Lord. I feel discouraged and think immediately of those spirits of Satan that know me so well, that are encouraging me to think such self doubt and then I hear an apostle of the Lord remind us what our opportunity and duty as parents are:

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live."

I immediately feel an overwhelming feeling of approval that what I am doing as a mother is the right way for us.

It is true that it would be easier to give into my own self doubt and find an easier route to teach my children these things, but would it be worth it? What would be left out? Will they see right through me and realize that I am not giving it my all? Perhaps, but I will definitely see right through it. I think the realization of my own failures would be much harder to live with than my struggle to stay on the path that I have felt inspired to be on. I am just thankful for prayer, the scriptures, and the words of the apostles that guide and encourage our lives.

So to all those that are struggling just a bit or a lot in your journey to teach your children, be strong, endure, and keep telling yourself, " I can do this, I am a Mother!"

An Inspiring Evening . . .

2010-05-10T09:56:00.004-06:00

Last Thursday, Ky, Bugaloo, and I had a fun and inspiring Mother/Daughter date. We went to dinner, enjoyed some yummy food and had a good time chatting. I took this time to ask them both how they liked the books they have been reading lately and what they had learned from them. They were very animated in their explanation of the different art techniques, the stories of composers, the facts about soccer and hummingbirds. They expressed an interest in learning more about all of these things and I told them about some other resources we had and that I would look into finding more books for them. Bugaloo read Black Beauty and just loved the story.

After dinner and a quick stop at a local store, for some much needed items, we made our way to the main event for the night. When we got there, as we were waiting in line, I noticed that the great majority (maybe 90%) of the other people were dressed very casual as if they walked in off the street. We were attending a concert of a symphony orchestra. The girls and I were not "fancy" dressed, but we wore nice skirts and dresses. We would wear the same thing to church. So here is my question for all of you;

When attending an event like an orchestra concert, a piano concert, a broadway level play, etc, should we not teach our children that it is a special occasion and that we should dress accordingly?

I really want to know, so share your opinions.

The orchestra did a wonderful job and we especially enjoyed the guest performer, Jon Schmidt. He is an amazingly talented pianist. He made the show fun and wonderful to experience. We love listening to his albums in our home. Usually once a day, we listen to his songs. While standing in line for him to autograph a cd, we overheard him telling a young piano student that if he really wanted to be a great pianist, then he needed to be obsessed with the piano for about 6 months and then he would know. Ky said that she was going to increase her practice time to an hour a day and Bugaloo said that she wanted to practice more too.

Bugaloo, Jon Schmidt, Ky

The best part of the evening was watching the girls' faces while they listened to Jon play. Sometimes they sat back and listened and at other times they were on the edge of their seats, eyes wide, and their faces glowing. Those are the moments that inspire and I am so glad that I can give my children experiences that inspire them.

What experiences have you given to your children that have inspired them to do or learn something?

Jon Schmidt performing ROCKmaninoff (prelude in C sharp minor)

Enjoy !

WINNERS ! ! !

2010-05-09T20:26:00.003-06:00

Hello All!!! I hope that you have had a nice and enjoyable Mother's Day. Before I announce the winners, I wanted to share a quote that I heard this week and found inspiring.

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers
exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career."

C. S. Lewis

Well, onto the real reason for this post, WINNERS ! ! ! They are:

Corine

&

Ann

Congratulations ladies! Thanks to everyone that participated. I loved reading the comments that you left and felt enriched by your words of experience. I encourage everyone to go to the comments for the giveaway post and read the great things shared there.

Corine and Ann, please leave me a comment for THIS post with an email that I can contact you to get a mailing address. I will NOT publish the comments for public viewing. Thanks again everyone and ENJOY!!!

GIVEAWAY ! ! ! !

2010-05-07T13:24:00.006-06:00

Yes, it's my first GIVEAWAY ever!!!!! I have a few extra copies of a book that I just read and LOVED and I wanted to share them with someone, so what better way than to do a GIVEAWAY !!! I don't think this will be a usual occurrence, but I love when other bloggers do them and so I thought I would too.

I just finished reading an amazing, inspirational tale of womanhood. I ordered a few of these little booklets ( only 26 pages) from the site Love To Learn . I sign up for their email specials and every so often they have some great books and deals. The booklet is called, When Queens Ride By written by Agnes Slight Turnbull in 1888. I had never read it before, but their description of the story got me hooked and so I ordered a few. Here is what they say about it:

"I have re-read this treasure countless times during my 33 years of marriage to help me remember how important it is to be the wife and mother God wants me to be! This charming, touching story will make you want to put a tablecloth on the table, brush your hair, and put on your lipstick right now. "

So back to the GIVEAWAY !!! I will give 2 people their very own copy of this great, uplifting tale. To enter, please leave a comment to this post about a characteristic of great womanhood that has inspired you and who inspired it. Good luck and I look forward to reading your comments and being thoroughly enriched!

The winner will be chosen at random ( this means I will put all the names in a bowl and let my 2 year old pick them out. That's random, right?) I will post the winners on Sunday, May 9th (that's right on Mother's Day). Make sure you leave an email so I can get a hold of you. So check back and Enjoy !!!!

This and That . . .

2010-05-05T19:21:00.004-06:00

Last Monday, we took advantage of the semi-good weather and took the kids out for a hike and a little Geocaching. Here is a description from a Geocaching website:

"Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout
the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic
idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches
(sometime we call them a cache), outdoors and then share
your experiences online."

So you get the coordinates for the "cache" online and then it is up to you to find them. Sometimes the coordinates are right on and sometimes they can be within 10 feet, so some searching is involved. Sometimes, the "hider" of the cache will leave a short clue. We headed to the hills with our GPS, clues, and walking sticks and had a great time. We ended up finding 6 cahes, that is a record for us for 1 trip. JJ did great hiking on the trails and only needed help through the brush. The older kids all got to use the GPS and we had to work together to find them. It is a great exercise is working as a team to solve a problem and also in following direction and looking at a map. We searched until dark and then came home.

Peaches finding her cache.

I finished the next step in the challenge in Appendix F of A Thomas Jefferson Education. I read through the Declaration of Independence, looked up the definition of any words I didn't know or were unclear, listed 10 things that stood out to me and discussed it with someone. Honestly, my head hurt! I can't remember the last time I really THOUGHT about something that deep and I have always read and studied. It was amazing. Surprisingly, there were about 16 words that I had to look up that I didn't know or was unclear of. This is an amazing tool for study and I need to be more vigilant at annotating when I read.

I was so amazed at the deep yet simple ideas and thoughts put into this wonderful document. Our founding fathers were truly inspired men! It was sad though that I found so many things in the Declaration of Independence that I believe our country is struggling with right now.

I am ready to move onto the next step, but . . . I lent my book to someone and didn't write down the next step!!! AARGH . . . Ya, I know, that wasn't the smartest thing to do. I get a little excited when someone wants to borrow the book though. I will have to call and ask them to tell me the remainder of the steps so I can keep going.

Onto the kids, Ky has LOVED reading the composer biographies that we got from the library and wants MORE! Bugaloo has done great with the art books and draws all the time. I got some art appreciation cards just recently and can't wait to get those out for the kids to look at.

We had a great time searching for books at a local thrift store and scored big time. We got some great classics, including The Red Badge of Courage, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, Rebekah of Sunnybrook Farm and MORE!! We also got a few biographies, two for George Washington and one of Paul Revere. My husband's comment was, "Well, I need to get bookselves made. We'll need a lot." That's right Honey, a lot!!!!

We already finished Stuart Little and I think it is definitely a favorite, the kids LOVED it.
Well, good luck to you all in your adventures and Enjoy!!

Challenge On-going . . .

2010-04-29T08:54:00.004-06:00

I finished Little Britches and am onto the next step in the Putting Thomas Jefferson Education to Work challenge. Step four is: Read and Annotate a Classic. You are to complete the following steps in one week.

1. Read once through the Declaration of Independence

2. Read it again, this time looking up every unclear word in a dictionary. Write down each definition.

3. Read it again and write down 10 ideas that are interesting to you from the reading.

4. Sit down with at least 2 people and explain your ten ideas to them. Give them a copy of the Declaration so you can refer to specific items during your explanation.

I completed step one last night and will get going on the other steps. Enjoy!