I Wish

I'm sitting here, super early in the morning trying to get myself together to type something.  What, I don't know.  I read through some of my favorite blogs to get inspired and had a few laughs, but now I just have this desolate look on my face (you know the kinda look you can just feel).  Anyhoo, my hubby gets out of bed breaking my already troubled sleep to go workout...his normal annoying routine.  Why would anyone interrupt such a wonderful pastime as sleeping to go WORKOUT anyway???  Charlie Brown has had his alarm ringing for the past hour without budging, I guess somebody is enjoying their unconscious state (envy, envy, envy).  Wish it was me...sigh.  Since I'm up I decided to get an early start on the daily schedule.  But first a list of things I'm wishing for:

~A super cool high tech camera (so that I can post some great pictures and not feel like such an amateur blogger...Hey it's my delusion, I own it).

~Long flowing model hair (so that when I turn my head it slaps people that are standing too close to me).

~A cool hood over my stove (just because they look so klassy...maybe I could hang something on it).

~A bed that I'd have to have one of those three step stairs to get into...a queen should definitely live like that.

~More time for my hobbies which are sleeping and eating...but if I had to pick just one right now, it would definitely be sleeping:)

~I knew more words that start with the letter X, so far I've got  x-ray, xylophone, and xeriscape (It's early...don't judge).

Well, If I come up with some cool homeschooling stuff to share later on I will, but for now, in the great words of Forrest Gump..."that's all I have to say about that."

Blessings,
Claudea

Free Typing Lessons For Kids

I've been wanting to teach Miss Sunshyne how to type, since she loves spending time on the computer anyway.  I think it's a valuable skill to have in today's high tech world.  Now that we have a "working" computer we can finally do some of the cool things that I'd like to add into our daily curriculum, such as typing and blogging.  I went online last night to research some of the free typing lessons available for kids.  I found quite a few and actually put some to the test.  I think I'm still a big enough kid to determine which games are fun enough to keep my Sunshyne's attention.

The first one that I tried at http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/, I bookmarked because the beginning game gives lots of practice using the home keys, but also kinda zaps the little character when you get it wrong.  It's funny but at the same time I felt bad to get one wrong and watch my character get zapped.  I think Sunshyne will feel the same way.  I like this site because there are all kinds of learn and play games for the kiddos and I didn't run into a single hidden pop-up or ad.

Next, I found the BBC Dance Mat Typing program which is an introduction to touch typing for children aged 7-11 years.  Each of the 4 levels are divided into 3 stages which give them a total of 12 to enjoy.  Beginning at level 1 the child can build up their skills gradually to get to level 4.  What I really loved about this program is that it shows you where to put your fingers for the home keys and space bar and then allows you to continually practice where to touch the home keys as well as adjacent keys.  By the end of the first level, they are already typing words.  There's even a little song and dance by the animated characters to reward you once you've completed a level...very cute.  I think this one is very kid-friendly and teaches the right technique at the same time.  This one is definitely a keeper for us.

Creative Writing Series: Prickly Pear

I decided to do a creative writing series this year to kick off our introduction to notebooking.  The notebooking idea seems to have ignited a whole new excitement for homeschooling this year for both my kiddos.  They also both LOVE creative writing and so I've been trying to add some cool new topics for the kids to write about.  I decided to step outside of the whole "textbook" teaching method on this one and look for inspiration that is all around us.

This week it's the prickly pears on sale at Walmart for 16cents each.  Well even though we've lived in Texas for the past 4 plus years, we've never had a prickly pear...what the heck do you do with it anyway???  This question was the epiphany I needed for my newest creative writing assignment.

I quickly gathered up about 5 or 6 of the strange looking fruit and began to have a flurry of ideas that the kiddos could write about.  Some of the questions I finally settled on for the assignment:

1. Describe the fruit in detail to the reader (the most obvious assignment).
2. Research the history and origin of the prickly pear and write a short story  or poem about it.
3. Make a recipe using the prickly pear.

I thought I might allow them to pick two out of the three to focus on for the assignment (do the motherly thing and provide choices:).  However, knowing them, they won't do choice number two which is the one that I want to see.  So I'll make number two mandatory and let them choose their own second option.  Great!!! Don't you just love writing to help get the ideas flowing.  

If you have done a similar activity or even something on the prickly pear, please tell us all about it.  I welcome helpful suggestions:)

Needed Encouragement

Today, while at homeschool PE, I was talking to a woman (well, it was more like venting) that I'd never met before about my materialistic wants and desires.  It began as an innocent enough conversation that took a nasty turn at why I decided to get out of the social work field.  Oh how I rambled on about how social workers are under-paid and over-worked, the bureaucracy of it all and the endless string of disappointed people left along the way.  I was such an IDIOT!  This poor woman, come to find out her daughter is going to school to become a social worker.  Well, I won't keep harping on how I felt but I'm sure you can imagine what I was thinking (idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot).  Long story short, the conversation got me to thinking about my many blessings and why I'm homeschooling my kiddos.  I know that as homeschoolers, many of us are living on one income and it is challenging even for the most devote christian at times to deal with emotional and financial issues.  It is for me any way, and I just need to count my blessings sometimes and reflect on all the good in my life.  So without further ado here is my list of ten things I'm thankful for this day:

1. Blessed to be loved unconditionally by my heavenly Father.
2. My BEAUTIFUL family.
3. To be able to homeschool my children.
4. To have caring friends and neighbors.
5. To have the freedom to choose.
6. To be able to pursue my goals.
7. To marvel at God's magnificent works.
8. To be loved.
9. To have the things that I need.
10. To have the wisdom to reflect and be thankful.

What are you thankful for?

Late Night Indulgence

I've been talking all this mess about how I'm going to loss 20lbs. by May...yeah right!  I had the best frozen pie dessert, by Marie Callender's,  I could have ever imagined.  I've fallen in love, and it's not with another man.   Here's how it happened.

My husband and I have a late night tradition. After the kiddos are tucked quietly in their beds and enjoying a peaceful slumber, we bake ourselves a batch of Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies with walnuts....ummm, uummm, good!  Then we pour ourselves a giant cup of milk with ice and sit down with a good movie.  It's sneaky, and I LOVE it!  We've done this at least once a month for years.  Well, I stopped by our local HEB tonight to grab a package of our usual indulgence and there was a sign posted where the cookies should have been, "To Our Valued Customers:  Many of our products are not in stores this week...blah blah blah...sorry for your inconvenience."  My reaction..."WHAT!!!!! I just drove all the fricken way over here, on the coldest night this year, FREEZING my hieny off in FLIP FLOPS and NO COOKIES!!!"  As you can probably imagine, I was quite livid!  However, I gathered myself together and walked over to the freezer section to find a suitable alternative.  Low and behold...Marie Callendar's Dutch Apple Pie... I grabbed one and headed for the checkout lines.  Once home, I began reading the directions for preparation and noticed that this wasn't your usual frozen pie.  It reads something like this:  Bake pie for 50 minutes pull pie out and sprinkle topping onto pie and bake for another 10-15 minutes, pie will be perfectly golden brown.  I'm like...I gotta see this!  Most frozen dutch apple pies aren't perfectly golden brown when they are done.  Anyhoo, I must say this package is not lying.  The pie was so beautiful when it was done that I didn't want to cut it.  Here's the thing though, I made a few alterations.  I added some chopped walnuts to the crumb topping, baked it for the 15 minutes and then added a caramel topping to that.  Can you say OMG....That thang was GOOD!  I just want to say "Thank You Marie Callender for being there when we really needed you and that I admire you in all your true awesomness!" 

Tollhouse who???  Our new late night indulgence is in the freezer section and maybe I'll just shoot for losing 10lbs. before May:)

Making Mobiles

My husband and I were looking around for a mobile to hang for our infant son and was blown away at the prices on some of those things.  We were kind of kidding at first when we said, "I could make that" but the reality was we actually could. 

I'd been a Parent Educator for the past four years and one of the activities that I did with my parents was teaching them how to make a mobile.  Unfortunately, most of my clients didn't really put a lot of effort into the project and the mobiles came out looking like second grade art class projects.  I guess that's why the idea of making a homemade mobile didn't really appeal to me at first.

After considering the prices of the mobiles that I liked for about, oohhhh...10 minutes...I decided that it would be well worth the effort to make my own.  The mobile I really liked was this BEAUTIFUL butterfly mobile on one of my favorite Montessori sites Michael Olaf.com, you can go here to see it.  I was feeling optimistic so I decided to give it a try.  Of course it wouldn't look anything like that one, but it would have floating butterflies...that was the goal anyway:)

Here's how to make one!

You will need:

~4 sheets of heavy cardstock (color doesn't matter)
~4 Butterfly coloring sheets (check out thebutterflysite.com http://www.thebutterflysite.com/butterfly-coloring-pages.shtml)
~2 6" dowels or tongue depressors
~String or yarn
~Scissors
~Glue stick
~Colored pencils
~Rubberband

Here's what to do:

I enjoy using colored pencils because it's easier when coloring in small, intricate places, such as the little circles on a butterfly.  I choose 2 big butterflies and 2 small butterflies to give the mobile balance.  Print out your butterflies on the cardstock.  Color in your butterflies, bright, vivid colors are best.  Cut them out, be really careful around the antennas.  After you have all four of your butterflies colored in you can take them to have the laminated for long-term use (this step is optional).  Cut a thin strip of cardstock about 1cm wide and then cut that strip into (4) 1 1/2" long pieces (these will be the handles on the back of the butterflies).  Buckle the cardstock strips in the middle and rub the ends across your gluestick, then place it onto the back of the butterfly...make sure only the ends are glued and the middle of the strip stand up off the butterfly itself.  While that dries, go ahead and take your 2 dowels or tongue depressors and put them together creating a cross or an X.  Take the rubberband and tie it around the middle of the two sticks to hold them together.  Next take your string or yarn and cut four pieces at two different lenghts, for example 2 4" strings and 2 6" strings.  Next, either tie it around or glue it to the four ends of the sticks (I prefer gluing).  Now you will need to tie the other end of each string to a butterfly...please be careful not to pull of the little handles that you've made.  All you need now is a long piece of string to hang the mobile from wherever you want in the house.  You're Done!

Mobile can be used for all different ages of children, hang them as decoration in there rooms or in our case, or homeschool classroom.  Children love looking at mobiles!  For the infant, it's a great source of visual stimulation and tracking activity.  Have Fun!

PS. I'll be putting up some pics of ours soon...my computer is acting up:)     

Date Night

OMG...you should have seen us last night, we were definitely cute!  It's been a long, long, long time since we've had a date worth writing anything about, but last night it finally happened.  I have been on this free movie screening kick for over a month now and I can't see myself getting tired of it no time soon.  Usually a girlfriend goes with me to the movies since the baby is so young, hubby stays home with him.  However, neither of my very few girlfriends will go to a scary movie.  I usually don't either but hey...it's FREE!  Well I got passes for Shutter Island and thought it was a horror film (didn't take the time to read the poster), plus the previews make it seem like a horror film so I just assumed.  Long story short, my husband said he'd go. 

After he got off work he called me to see if I was ready to go and of course I wasn't...that's just my thing.  Anyhoo, when he got home we both got all jazzed up.  I even put on my Vicky Secret specials and he put lotion on his elbows...It was a BIG deal!  After we were both looking and smelling good we intrusted our infant into the hands of our 18 year old son and stepped out on faith.  I was glad we did, he did a great job. 

It was magical, listening to Michael Jackson and my husband sing Pretty Young Thing on the way to the theatre.  We even held hands at one point during the drive there.  Since we were attending a screening, we had to stand in line for about an hour, but we talked and laughed the whole time. 

The movie was awesome!  Completely unexpected, I found myself drawn into the plot from the moment it began.  I was constantly thinking about what was going on and why certain things were happening.  In the end I was completely surprised and what I thought was going on wasn't, even though I had thought it at one point...the movie never lets on until the very end and I LOVE that.  The movie come out on February 19, 2010 and I highly recommend seeing it.  If you enjoyed The Book of Eli, you will absolutely love this movie. 

Hubby and I shared popcorn and a soda, held hands during the movie and gave each other "the glance" all night.  Afterwards, we drove home to more Michael Jackson but this time we were both singing and getting wild with it. It felt like a high school date that you don't want to end.  As for my Vicky Specials, they took center stage after a few parenting chores...I never knew I could get a baby to sleep so fast:)  I LOVE date nights!!!!