Cozi

I have been very busy planning for the upcoming school year. Not sure when we are going to start, but the planning has begun! I had this idea of creating a schedule with sticky notes so I googled it. I didn't have much luck finding an original to lift & modify Tiff-ify, but I did come across Cozi. What is Cozi you ask? Cozi is a free family calendar for busy families. It fits my Type A planning personality to a T. You can even color coded!! I love it!

Here are a couple great features of Cozi that I am enjoying:

Family Calendar: Color-coded by family member, view individual schedules or the whole family at once & you can view your appointments, right on your desktop with the Cozi Family Calendar Gadget. You can also send appointment reminders by text or e-mail. And when you are ready you can print weekly or monthly calendars.

Customizable Lists: I love making lists. Yes, I create lists for lists & even write things down I've already done just to cross it off. . . . It's a sickness. Just b/c I know you wanna know - you can cross things off in Cozi too. You can also text your lists to any cell phone, call Cozi toll-free to have them read to you, or visit m.cozi.com from your mobile web browser to check off items while you're shopping. I have created grocery lists, a book list for books I'm looking for, a To Do list, & a few others. This is a great place to make your "Honey Do" list (then you can text it to your honey for a friendly reminder). The lists are permanent & you can delete or create as many as you like - one for everyone in the family! *You can print your lists too!

Here is my calendar I made from Cozi:

Shotgun

Meet the newest addition to our family, Shotgun, he is a 6 week old Boston Terrier.

What are the chances that someone would be selling just the kind of dog we were looking for outside of Walmart the other day? Yep - 1 left. I made an off on the puppy, but the seller didn't want to drop his price. I was so disappointed, as I just felt this dog was meant to be ours, but I wasn't willing to pay what the man was asking. I came home a little bummed, but we had Taylor's birthday party & it probably was better that we didn't have a brand new puppy in the mix. However, the next day when I took the girls home I saw the man still standing outside under a shade tree with the same little puppy. It was pretty hot that day, so I asked him if he was hot enough to come off his price & sure enough he sold him to us!

He is by far the best dog we have ever had. He is house training wonderfully &amHe loves the kids & is so sweet. He snuggles all the time. We are working on spoiling him! p; hasn't cried once. I am so glad we decided to get a puppy - he is a lot of fun. We love him!! . . .so much we are hoping to come across a girlfriend for him.
p>

Happy Birthday Daddy's Girl!!

Over 7 years ago I met this sassy, 1/2 tomboy 1/2 girly girl, 100% Daddy's Girl - 3 year old girl. She was absolutely adorable & totally wild. Sweet would not be a word I would have used at this point, but hysterically cute would be. One thing was for sure - she knew what she wanted & wasn't afraid to ask demand it! The first time I met her, we went to the zoo. It was a wonderful day, but she cried the entire way home - until I climbed in the back (of my brand new camero *BC = Before Children*) & painted her fingernails.
She really wanted to like me, but she REALLY didn't want her daddy too. LOL Dispite her fragile temperament & protectiveness of her daddy - I fell in love with this little girl & she did with me too. We have this bond that is often tested by the trials that most blended families encounter, but when it is all said & done we can't imagine life without eachother in it. I have watched this little country girl blossom into a beautiful young lady. Our journey has been rough at times, but I know God picked me as her stepmom & her as my daughter for a reason. This past month she has been gone & although our house has been slightly quieter & much less dramatic - I have missed her A WHOLE BUNCH!! I love her with all my heart & wish her the best birthday ever!
We miss you Daddy's Girl & can't wait for you to come home! Happy Birthday Sweet Girl. I love you!!

Pirate Scavenger Hunt

I love scavenger hunts! . . . So I was very excited when the time came to plan a pirate scavenger hunt for the boys. Here was their list:

• Flag
• Bird
• Alligator or crocodile
• Bullet
• Tropical fruit (kiwi, coconut)
• Sword
• Monkey
• Pirates of the Caribbean movie
• Sea shell
• Picture of a tattoo
• Jimmy Buffet CD
• Captain Crunch
• Skull/bone
• Picture of your whole crew aboard a vessel (boat)
• Bring back a hostage (*have to stay with you until hunt is complete)

I wanted to add a shot glass & bottle of Captain Morgan (Yo Ho Ho & a bottle of rum . . .), but Momma D said, NO! Probably a good thing.

They came back with a lot of the things from their list & had so much fun hunting them down . . . Next we will do a treasure hunt!!

Surprise!!

Daddy's Girl has been gone for almost an entire month. For the first time since she has come to live with us, she spent part of her summer with her mom. During this time we are allotted 1 weekend - it is this weekend. I have had a surprise party for her birthday (next week) in the works for quite some time now. So here is the scoop . . .

I went to town, kidnapped 6 of Taylor's friends, & brought them home with me. While we were getting things set up - Big Daddy took the Mustangs & went & got Taylor. When they drove up we were all standing in the middle of the driveway with balloons & a "Happy Birthday" sign.

She was so surprised (even though Tucker apparently told her ALL about the big plans the whole way home!)
It felt so good to have her HOME! She ran right up to me & gave me a huge hug. Then she went for her baby brother . . . .


We had this waiting for her:




Oh, and a few presents. I just love her friends - they MADE her gifts. They gave her homemade American Girl doll clothes, a pillow & even bought her a gift certificate for a pedicure!! We got her this cute outfit with a matching hair bow:

Oh, & an ipod to match!!!
r>Then we were off to war: Boys against girls, brother against sister, husbands against wives - ScAvEnGeR Hunts!!! I made a list of pirate themed items for the boys & a girly list for the girls. Each team had 1 hour to drive around our small town & hunt the items down. The team with the most items found wins. We won, but they said we cheated. Sore LoSeRs!
Next, the boys left for Momma D's to camp out:


The girls stayed up & watched a movie -- they camped out in my livingroom!

The next day the girls had donuts via special delivery (from "Gammy") & then we headed to the pool - remember my fiary cook-mother? She generously offered her pool to us & it was an wonderful end to a fantastic party!

Happy 11th Birthday <;s>Daddy's Tippy's Girl! I love you! XOXOXOXO

My Amazon Store

After seeing how cool Nicki's Amazon Store is, I decided to add one to my blog too. If you haven't already noticed, on the right sidebar there is a button, "Visit My Amazon Store". I have added several of my favorite books, as well has hands-on stuff, to my amazon store. So, if I have mentioned it & amazon sells it - it's there. Basically, if you want to see what my book shelf looks like - click on over to my Amazon store. The best part of it is that if you decide to order anything from my store I will get a percentage - which will add more books to my book shelf :) None-the-less, it's a new feature on my blog & I enjoyed building it so just incase you didn't know, now you know.
Have a great weekend! I will have pictures of a wonderful surprise tomorrow!
*Mom, I will be adding a wish list soon (great Christmas ideas!)

Beautiful Boy

I have been glued to the computer checking MckMama's updates all weekend. Friday her beautiful baby boy, Stellan was admitted to the hospital because of a heart condition (SVT). Since being admitted his health has been deteriorating & his heart is on day 3 of continual SVT - his heart is beating around 238 beats per minute. My heart is just breaking for this baby & his wonderful mommy. Although, much different circumstances, I can relate to the pain & helpless feeling she must be experiencing right now as she desperately prays for God's will.

MckMama is no stranger to the blog world & her faith is a great testimony. I encourage you all to pass on Stellan's story & join the thousands that are praying for him & his family. Please say a little pray for Stellan he is not doing well.

The Cacoon . . . STRUGGLE.

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On that day, a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the moth for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining big of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It was never able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Freedom and flight would only come after struggle.

By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were to go through out life without any obstacles, we would be crippled.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

It is so hard to remember this at times & especially hard when we see those we love struggle, & even harder when we struggle with them (IE: Our children). It is important to remember God has a plan & unfortunately in this sinful world - struggle is apart of it - each of us will experience times of suffering. It usually hits when we least expect it - just when we think life is perfect -everything changes.

Our lives & parenting is much like that of the butterfly or moth - we may not gain our heavenly wings without enduring life's struggles first.

"But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction." Job 36:15
"Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Beautiful Butterflies

Remember this little guy?

Well for 2 weeks he was inside here:

While in there he made a new home:

Then a couple of days ago he decided to come out . . .

We thought he might look like this:

Instead this is what he looked like:

Isn't it beautiful?

Watching the life cycle of a butterfly with the kids has been so much fun. I really didn't expect for it to be successful (Our projects with insects tend to be deadly), but to our surprise we got to see the entire process. Here is what we did: Big Daddy found 2 caterpillars. We looked them up on the computer & found what type they were. Then we decided to keep them & see what would happen. We got a glass jar, a stick (with a V shape), a couple leaves from a tree & put the caterpillars in the jar. *Note: I read on the Internet to keep them in a cool room & keep their habitat moist with a wet cloth under the jar. -- We didn't do this though. Then we began to observe. Each day we saw change & soon the caterpillar was hid inside his new home. You can even see the silk it used to attach the cocoon to the stick. One of the cocoons fell from the stick & I thought for sure that it was dead, but a beautiful butterfly emerged from it too. We were all so excited to wake up & find a beautiful butterfly fluttering around in the jar. Big Daddy & Tyler stuck their hands inside the jar & it perched on their hands & flew around our kitchen for a few minutes. Then we decided to turn them loose to explore the beautiful outdoors. B-bye Butterflies!!

The first one flew away with the blink of an eye, but the second one put on quite a show. The kids think they have spotted them around the house a couple times :)

This was a fun nature experiment to do with my Outlaws. I added a few more activities to our mini unit after we got to see the process complete. I found a Very Hungry Caterpillar puzzle (2 bucks at our homeschool store!) & worked on a Very Hungry Caterpillar lapbook. I also picked up The Beautiful Butterfly Book & we have enjoyed reading it immensely.

Can you guess what our next nature experiment is going to be?

Proverbs 25:19

"Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot."

Sometimes I get so frustrate because it seems like "people" never do what they say they are going to do. I try to remind myself that not everyone has the same (type A) personality as I do, it is okay to be a fly by the seat of your pants kinda gal, & sometimes life just requires us to be flexible. I'm good with that scenario, but what about those "people" that never seem to be dependable? They just make me want to pull my hair out & scream, "just do what you say you are going to do for goodness sakes!"

Yesterday I called my mom to vent about a situation that was bothering me & she gently reminded me that I was dealing with someone that I knew I could not trust, so was the problem with them or me? At that time, my response was, "I am sick of being the one put out & I am sick of "people" always assuming their altered plans will work for me without asking! For once do what you say you are going to do!!!" It was the other person, not me! I'm understanding and flexible - to a point.

Then tonight, God spoke to me. No, not literally; however, I know it was Him. Tonight our nightly devotional, "Did You Know" Devotions for Kids, was based on Proverbs 25:19. "Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot."

God gently reminded me that it was me. I can't change "people", but I can control my attitude & outlook on situations. Every time I depend on "people" knowing they are undependable it's my poor choice - not theirs. It isn't fair, but if I want to stop being disappointed I need to stop expecting things from "people" I know will fall short.

I am so glad I worship a God that is dependable & no matter how many times I let Him down - He is always there & always ready to show me mercy. Thank you Teacher, I will try more to show Your kind of mercy & be more cautious as to whom I put my confidence in.

Mom, you where right. (Again!!)

My Homeschool Interview with myself

Here is my homeschool interview with myself that I posted on our Christian Homeschool Group blog:

Intro . . .

Hi. I’m Tiffany. I am one of the bloggers & the official interviewer here at RRCH blogspot. I thought I might should introduce myself (& my family) since I’m nosing into everyone else’s business.

My husband, Tim, & I have been married for almost 7 years. Together we have a very blended family: His, Mine & Ours. Altogether there are 8 of us: Tim, Tiffany, Tiya, Taylor, Tyler, Tucker, Trevor, & Truman. I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom & have been homeschooling our children for about 4 years now. Tim is a police officer in Denton a few days a week & farming around our home in Forestburg the rest of the time. Tiya is our only child that does not live with us. She will be a freshman this year at a public school in OK, where she lives with her mom. Taylor is almost 11 & will be starting the 5th grade. Tyler is 8, starting 3rd grade. Tucker is 4, Trevor is 3 & they are PK/K4. Truman is the baby, just 2 months old.

Our family lives on about 800 acres so most of our hobbies include the outdoors (excluding the winter activities for me). We like to spend our time fishing, riding 4-wheelers, gardening, & working on projects together. Tim is the ultimate handy man, but seldom completely finishes any project. I have a very long “honey do” list for him J Taylor loves being a little momma to her brothers & fits right in with all these boys; however, she enjoys her girl time with her friends & loves to scrapbook. Tyler is our ball player – he loves baseball. Tucker is following in his big brother’s footsteps & played T-ball for the first time this year. Trevor can’t wait to “be big enough” to play next year. On my personal time (late at night) I enjoy scrapbooking, blogging, and working on school activities for our homeschool.

Something about me that most people in this group may not know is . . . that I was a teenage mom. I became pregnant with my first child in the last semester of my senior year & he was born a few months after I graduated. I was a single mother for over a year, until I met my husband.

My dream vacation . . . with kids would be Disneyland & the beach in California. WithOUT the kids I would love to go somewhere tropical, sit on a beach with my hubby & enjoy the sun.

Our homeschool . . .

Our homeschool changes from year to year. I found myself homeschooling & not even knowing I was homeschooling, to homeschooling b/c I wasn’t impressed with the PS system, to homeschooling a child that needed the extra help. All these reasons I feel have been at the hands of the Lord. I truly believe a child's classroom is their mothers heart.

We have a small schoolroom (& are getting a BIG schoolroom soon!), but for the most part we school all over the place: My room, their room, the living room, the kitchen, outside, at the park, in their tree house . . . you name it, we’ve probably done school there. My desire is not to school at home, but to homeschool. The schoolroom is more of a central location for having everything in one spot & not strung out all over the house.
Pinpointing our method to one style is difficult. All in all, it is very eclectic. I love Charlotte Mason ideas & look to her teachings for inspiration, but I tend to use more Classical curriculum. However, I’ve found that curriculum I love isn’t always curriculum my children love. Seasons change in homeschooling, just as they do in nature. When I see it is time for a change – we do just that – find something that will work. This year will be my first year to use a computer based program for one of my children.

Curriculum:
Tapestry of Grace
Winter Promise
Math U See
Easy Grammar/First Language Lessons
Writing with Ease
Heart of Dakota
Handwriting Without Tears
Switched on Schoolhouse

My favorite subject to teach? I love PK/K!! Just love it! History & Geography are my favorite subjects with my big kids. Which is funny b/c I did not like these subjects when I was in school.

A schedule? Oh yes! I am totally Type-A, planner, overly organized. That’s me 100%. We have a schedule(s); however, life is life & we rarely have a typical homeschool day that the schedule is actually followed. It is a great plan though. A normal school day for us is:
Breakfast
Chores
School (start by 9)
- PK/K with mom while big kids do their independent work
- PK/K with a big kid while I spend one on one with the other
- SWITCH
- Snack time: Picture study
- Free time or “center” time for PK/K guided/independent reading for big kids
- LUNCH: memory work, classical music
- PK/K quiet time, Group study & activities with big kids

School is usually done around 3-3:30

It looks so simple all typed out. This does not explain that we are a REAL family. I do clean up at least 10 spills or messes a school day. I do have to stop a lesson to deal with a character issue. We do play hookie. If grandpa shows up with a watermelon we will stop & eat it – even if it’s not “Snack time.” I do have unscheduled teacher appreciation days for days they drive me crazy! The schedule exists, is constantly changing, occasionally is completely followed, but something I would still say is necessary.

Benefits of homeschooling?

There have been many. I love being the one to share the experience of learning with my kids. It is a wonderful feeling to see them excited about a topic or finally accomplish a goal. The little things are such a blessing; however last year God showed me another side of the benefits. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer & only given 3 months to live (she did just that). Once we realized how short our time was with her everything was put on hold & the kids were able to spend as much time with her during the last 3 months as they/she possibly could. The time with her homeschooling gave them was a huge benefit. After she passed away they also had plenty of time to grieve. They didn’t have to go back to the normal hustle & bustle of school life. They were able to truly mourn as much as they needed.

Keeping it Real . . .

Bad days? Yes, we have them. We even have bad weeks & bad months. We’ve had a bad year too!

How do I handle bad days?
It depends if it is me, the kids, a kid, or just life’s circumstances. If it is me – I just have the kids do their independent work & then have free time OUTSIDE. If it is the kids – I scream & pull my hair out. If it is a kid – I send them to daddy! If it is life – we stop what we are doing, accept it for what it is & return when we are refreshed & ready.

Challenges in homeschooling?
It is difficult homeschooling in a blended family. Not all the parents always see eye to eye. Being a Step mom & a teacher has its own challenges, but the good far out ways the bad.

Separating from being the mom & the teacher.
I can’t; however, there are times I wish I could. How nice it would be to just send a note home. Lol It is impossible. We homeschool – mom is the teacher. There is no role playing. It is what it is.

Subjects I haven’t enjoyed teaching?
I hear a lot of homeschooling mothers say they love to teach their kids to read – Not me. It tends to be a lot of pressure & I just worry so much that I’m not doing it right. Science is fun, but not really my thing, so my husband usually does life lessons in science & I throw a little curriculum in here & there.

Chores?
Many. I have chores, they have chores, we all have chores & none of us get paid. We are a family, we live on a farm & we all have to pitch in to make it work. We reap what we sow.

I don’t’ know if I’ve hit the “Burned Out” time of schooling, but I have experienced the “Worn Out” times!

When times get difficult I whine. I pour out my heart & soul to the Almighty. Okay, honestly, I’m human . . . First, I try to handle it. I can fix it – I’m a mom after all – that is my job – to fix things, make them better. Then I usually make a bigger mess, realize I can’t fix it, in fact, it isn’t my battle to fight – it is God’s. He is not surprised at the situation, He makes no mistakes, & chances are He is trying to teach me something through the difficult times.

Advice for newbies.
I don’t quite feel qualified in this area yet; however, I will say – don’t compare yourself, your children, or your homeschool to others. Homeschooling doesn’t mean perfect. We all have our own struggles & battles to give the Lord. Lean on God for understand & guidance – He will direct your path. While your waiting for direction – read Educating the Wholehearted Child & if you are still waiting when you are done with it then read Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 picks.

That's all folks! May God bless your homeschooling journey.

Not My child BoYs!

Welcome to Not Me My Child! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what her children and everyone elses have not been doing this week.

Piggy Banks = 2 broken by 2 different bandits all in the same week = Not My Boys!

We are a Christian homeschool family & are raising our sons to save themselves for their wives - we aren't raising hoochie boys - So this week at VBS my son did NOT kiss a girl on the cheek & ask her to marry him. Not My Son!

Nor would one of my boys have a show down with a little girl . . . Not my boys!

And my sweet blue eyed boy did NOT flirt with our 20 something waitress the other day. Not my boy!!

My boys are so sweet & think their momma is the most beautiful mommy in the world (sorry ladies) so no, one of them certainly did NOT ask me if I was still going to have another baby! And another did NOT reply, "No mommy is just fat!"

No, my Mustangs did NOT decide for me after 8 straight weeks that the baby needed a binki. And they would never give a newborn baby an old 3 sizes too big binki they had stashed somewhere. Not My Boys!

My boys did NOT go in their room & dump every IKEA bin they have full of toys out on the floor only days after we had a "come to Jesus" meeting about only getting 1!!! bin out at a time. Not My Angels. They always do what they are told the first time!

No, we haven't had any blood spills here lately -- One of them did NOT come running up from their tree house with blood spilling out of their mouth & a new loose front tooth about a year too yearly. Not here! Not My Boys!

My boys are lovers NOT fighters, so nope, it was NOT my son that was in the middle of a dog pile with his buddies having a drop down drag out fight in my front yard all over watermelon seeds . . . NOT MY BOYS! And his little brother would never run in the house & tell me he was going to kick another little boys a... hiney because he was hurting his big brother. (All while walking out with a b-b gun in his hands. Not My Boys!!

My boys are NOT dare devils at all. The little one would never say, "Look Daddy, I can fly." And almost jump off our 2nd story not completed barn. Not my Boy! Never . . .
Big Daddy did NOT over hear the same boy tell his brother, "I'm going to die . . ." as he attempted to jump off his tree house. Absolutely NOT my reserved son!

My boys are so smart . . . they know better than to chase after a wild hog - that is totally dangerous - they would NEVER do something crazy like that!

My Momma's Boy is just that - his Mommy's boy - So he would never sell me out to his dad & say, "Guess how much money mommy spent . . ." Not my Momma's Boy!

I would NEVER over hear the words, "food fight" in my kitchen. Not from MY KIDS!! And there definitely was NOT a food fight shortly after hearing it either! Not My BOYS!!!

My son did Not put a frog on my head or catch grasshoppers & keep them in an old strawberry container (very creative huh?), & then pinch their heads off when they try to escape through the holes. Not my child!

My children always follow the rules & are very obedient. I would NEVER hear one of my boys crying because his brother hit him & when I tell him to go to time out he would not reply, "I am already here!" Time out? Not My Child!

Although God blessed me with very creative children, they would NEVER use their gum to string across the door way as a blockade. Not my Child!

And No, none of this happened while I was typing this . . .
Gotta go . . . my baby did NOT just spit up ALL OVER me! Not my baby boy!!!

Happy Monday!!

P.S. MckMamma, I did NOT almost fall out of my chair when I saw YOU visited my blog 20 hours ago!!! Not Me!!

Only My Big Daddy

Remember that accident I mentioned with Big Daddy & the tin?

Would you believe that he seriously thought he could shave around this wound, clean it himself, & duct tape it?

He tried:

But then decided an antibiotic shot would probably be a good idea.

yes, he does have a beer in these pictures, but no, mom it was an accident. NOT a failed sobriety test. LOL He didn't get any pain killers & the beer was helping with the pain ...So, he said.

Men! Are your husbands this dumb silly sometimes?

I'm Still Alive

I don't think I have gone from Mon - Fri without blogging in a long time. If you follow me on twitter you may know that I'm still alive - otherwise, let me update you . . .

This week was VBS at our church. It was amazing & extremely exhausting. Momma D & I had 19 2 to Ker's in our class. OMGoodness!! It was craziness & I'm so ready for a low-key week, but I really did enjoy teaching & most of the children. lol I can say this, b/c I don't even enjoy my own children 100% of the time. :) My Outlaws had aa fabulous time at VBS. Momma's Boy broke my heart as he fell head-over-heels for a sweet little girl from our church. Ahhh, so sweet. He isn't allowed to have a girl friend, but I am very proud of the type of girl that catches his eye. More on this later . . . My Mustangs did wonderfully at tonight's musical performance. Thank goodness neither one of them tried to strip down on stage like Tucker did at Christmas last year. Tonight's program was very enjoyable & so rewarding.

While at VBS last night Big Daddy & Poppa C took a quick trip to the ER -- Big Daddy cut his leg on some sheets of tin while working on the barn/my new schoolroom. OUCH!! He is now being a big sissy la la. He is worse than the kids sometimes. I do feel a little bad for him -- he cut it nearly to the bone & got 10 stitches. BTW, you know you are really in a small country hospital when the ER doc comes in with a big ol' dip of chew in his mouth. Impressive?! Poor Big Daddy.

We finally settled our claims with the insurance company over Trevor's dog bite. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but God is good & it is completely over now. The homeowners, the insurance company, & the attorney were great.

On top of VBS I have finally started to think about next year more. Our homeschool store & Christian book store both had sales last week & my momma has agreed to send me more books. I have updated my sidebar with most of next years curriculum - there are a few surprises on there that I haven't mentioned yet. I'm getting very excited about next year, but have been lovin' this vacation. I have a few new ideas running through my head . . . hopefully next week I will share :)

If you didn't read the previous post, keep scrolling down - I have cleaned the shelves . . . making room for the new :)

FOR SALE

FOR SALE:

Animal Antics "Now I'm Reading" for beginning readers short vowel sounds (very used condition - the cover of the case is detached - duct tape fixable; the books inside however, are in great condition!) New it was $15. My asking price is $4

Beautiful Feet Guides:

Early American History for Primary grades. NEW $10
Early American History for Intermediate grades. NEW $10
Early American & World History for Junior High & 9th grade NEW $14

Latin Vocabulary Quick Study (laminated) $4

Prima Latina Student book (used to Lesson 10 in pencil) $5
Prima Latina Student book (used only 2 pages in pencil) $10
Prima Latina Teacher Manual (like new) $9

Wordly Wise 3000 book 4 second edition (used from lesson 1-5) $5

Home learning tools Math 2 New $1

The Mailbox Primary Oct/Nov 2000 $1

Jesus Loves Me Scripture & Songs in Sign Language Grades K-4 (New) $4

Memory Verse Mysteries Break the code & discover God's Word Grades 4-6 (New) $2

Bible Stories make your own mini books (like new - missing music cd) $4

Frog & Toad Together HB $1

The Cat in the Hat HB (like new) $2

Pajama Party level 1 .50

Alexander & the Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day .50

The Story about Ping $3

Katy No Pocket $1

Chanticleer & the Fox 2.50

100 Math Problems Kids need to know by 3rd grade $1

100 words kids need to read by 3rd grade $7

Hooked on Phonics Classic achievement series Vol. 1-4 (excellent condition!!) $50
*This includes the following HOP books on audio cassette & HOP version of the book w/ activity guide:
Black Beauty
Huckleberry Finn
Hamlet
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Last of the Mohicans
The Three Musketeers
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A Christmas Carol
A Midsummer Nights Dream
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Moby Dick
Treasure Island

Frontline Phonics level 2 $15

Choosing Obedience; An in-depth, independent Bible Curriculum for Children (K5-2nd w/ adult, 3-5 self-study) Good Condition. $4

Little House in the Classroom. Used $3

Happy Handwriting Scriptures K-2, 3-4; *I have 2 of these in good condition $3 each

The Homeschool Planbook Family Edition in 3-ring binder by Sarah Crain copyright 2000 $6

Learning Resources Mathlink Cubes Primary Activity Book. 1 page is used $3

The Homeschool Manual 7th edition "plans, pointers, reasons, and resources" Good condition $10

Christian Home Educators' Curriculum Manual by Cathy Duffy Elementary Grades *this is not "The Top 100 Pick" this is the edition before. $5

The Educated Child by William Bennet $10

If you are interested please e-mail me at:
rockinc@ntin.net

EC

I got to enroll my outlaws in their fall classes for our enrichment group last week. I am so excited because they ALL got their 1st choice of classes we picked. YEAH! Check it out - I think it is going to be a fabulous season of EC. I'm teaching 2 classes* & then hopefully will have some time in the nursery to love on Truman. Here are the classes we picked (still not sure if Taylor will be homeschooling next year, but I registered her just incase):


Tucker & Trevor

*All About Me
This class will address skills and concepts that are important in growing up and will encourage your little one in knowing he/she is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Themes include: “My Body – Everybody has a Body,” “My Emotions,” “My Family,” and “My Home.” We will also practice writing our name and remembering important facts. (“Fact sheets” will be sent home on our first class date.) At the end of the semester your child will have created their own, very special ‘All About Me’ notebook, poster board, and will receive their own trading card.


Wiggle Time
Races, tag, parachute, balls, jumping, hopping, stretching, balancing, tumbling, sports, tic-tac-toe toss, simon-says, sack-races…EXERCISE! Get the wiggles out!


Fall in Love with Fall
Learn about the four different seasons, eat apples, study leaves/trees, leaf patterns/colors, matching games/bingo, art/painting/crafts (bird pinecone feeder), nature, pumpkins, turkeys, book reading. Each week your child will bring home a completed project/craft. Math, science, and FUN!


Ready, Set, Learn
Using the Brighter Vision Curriculum, this course will prepare your preschooler for school readiness. We will cut, color, and draw making educational booklets. We will do sticker matching; learn proper writing techniques, play phonics bingo, and much more. Join us for this hands-on, interactive course!




Tyler

Amazing Animals
Join the Frank Buck Zoo on this wonderful journey through the Animal Kingdom. Find out more about the animals you love and even get to meet some of the animals from the zoo. Field trip to zoo included in class fee.


Sweet Land of Liberty
What drove the American colonies to stand up to the greatest military power in the world? What inspired the leaders of the Revolution to risk their fortunes, families, and futures? What battles became the turning points in a classic David and Goliath war? We will answer those questions and more as we study maps, letters and personal accounts dating from the Revolutionary War. Students also will prepare a time line, create period appropriate crafts, and view scenes from the movies “Felicity” and “Johnny Tremain,” the PBS documentary “John and Abigail Adams,” and Focus on the Family’s “Drive Thru History America.” Material for the class will be drawn from The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, and 1776 by David McCullough.

Tae Kwon Do
Come punch, kick, and block while learning beginning self-defense.

*13 Colonies Unit Study
Students will learn about each of the original 13 states – their geographic features, history, and interesting characters – tying in language arts, Bible, science, literature, and civics at the same time. We will create a class map, as well as individual maps, as we learn facts from each state. At the end of the class your child will have knowledge and a personal notebook that he/she created, full of wonderful information and fun memories.




Taylor

Amazing Animals
Join the Frank Buck Zoo on this wonderful journey through the Animal Kingdom. Find out more about the animals you love and even get to meet some of the animals from the zoo. Field trip to zoo included in class fee.


Nature Crafts
We’ll be working with items found in nature to make some cool, useful things. We will also use some recycled items to create crafts. Bring your treasures and enthusiasm.

God's Wisdom for Little Girls
Come & make a mini scrapbook about Proverbs 31and how it applies to young ladies. In this class we will discover the important truths found in the book of Proverbs. We will use the book, God’s Wisdom for Little Girls by Elizabeth George. We will make a scrapbook page of each quality and decorate it with assorted materials. All supplies are included in class fee (album Hobby Lobby 6x6 mini book & extra pages, paper, pictures and goodies). We will be taking some pictures in class for the girls to use. They may bring more if they like.

America's Awesome Ladies
Each week we will study a woman or women who played a key role in the shaping of our nation. We will study her character, the circumstances around her as well as how she impacted history. Students will write and read about her and keep the information in a folder & decorate it as well. We will study her character, the circumstances around her as well as how she impacted history. It will be a fun way to incorporate history & character study in one class. We will do a few crafts, but not every week.

Almost All Grown Up

As the proud Big sister that I am I have to share this video with you of MY little sister. You've heard her sing, you've seen how spoiled she is & I've showed you her new ride (OMGoodness!), now see just how beautiful she is. Here is her photo shoot she did recently with an amazing photographer.



Brittany,
I still remember the day I found out I was finally going to be a big sister (I waited 11 years for you!!) ... Mom & I were riding in the car & she was in a horrible mood!! We were fighting (imagine that!) & I finally said, "What is your problem? Are you on your period or something?" She started crying & said, "Not exactly." Then she told me she was going to have a baby. I was so excited. Then we found out you were going to be a girl & I was ecstatic. I had so many plans for you & I. I will never forget the day I saw you come into this world. You stole our hearts. You were such a beautiful little baby. I would hold you for hours & as you got bigger I would let you come in my room any time you wanted & make all the mess you could. I had so much fun dressing you up like a doll & playing beauty shop with you - putting a little "fountain" in your hair. I have wonderful memories of babysitting you and all your little friends, coming to your dance recitals, teaching you to swim, laughing as you pretended to be a puppy & put yourself on a leash, making you eat ketchup (not quite as you remember though). Britt, over the years you have grown to be a beautiful young lady both inside & out. I am so proud to be your big sister & love you more than you will ever know. Teenage years are difficult, I pray God will see you through on a path much straighter than the one I chose. But no matter what:

"You're gonna fly with every dream you chase
You're gonna cry, but know that that's okay
Sometimes life's not fair, but if you hang in there
You're gonna see that sometimes bad is good
We just have to believe things work out like they should
Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me
You're gonna be"

Attn: Bookworm

If you still read my blog please e-mail me at rockinc@ntin.net

I have not had access to your blog in quite some time now & I am going through withdrawals. Please grant me permission!!

All About Me PK/K Class

Here it is! I'm finally done!

I have been having so much fun putting together an "All About Me" lesson plan for the Enrichment Class I am teaching in the fall. I have used resources from the Internet & activities from Everybody Has a Body book.

Here are the pages I made for the children's "All About Me" book they will be making in my class:

The themes for my "All About Me" class are:
"I Am Special"
"My Home, My Neighborhood"
"My Family"
"My Body"
-- Outside (basic body parts, hands & feet, arms & legs)
-- Inside (guts & stuff)
"My 5 Senses"
"My Emotions"
"My Manners"

You can find the complete lesson plans for this class in my Teaching Diligently Yahoo! Group

Click to join teachingdiligently