Blogger Friend School Assignment KEEW YKCAW

This is WACKY WEEK here at Blogger Friend School!  Everything is wacky fun!  This week YOU, the student, get to share something of your choice that is little “Wacky”!!!

Have you done something crazy in your homeschool?  Do you fingerpaint with your toes?  Do you let your children do your hair?  Do you wear your pajamas during homeschool?   Oh, the list is endless, but it’s up to you and how much fun you want to have.

To make it even “wackier” (not sure if it’s really a word, but hey, we don’t check spelling this week at BFS either!!!…..try and type some or all of your post sdrawkcab.  (backwards!)

!keew gnixaler dna nuf a siht ekaM

(…and forwards…Make this a fun and relaxing week!)

.thnom yreve fo yadirF eht s'tI  !!!yaD dooF knuJ eimmaJ si su rof ykcaW (Wacky for us is Jammie Junk Food Day!!!  It's the last Friday of every month.)

I host Jammie Junk Food Day the last Friday of each month.  It is so much fun and we just had one that I blogged all about so click here to read that post.

Be sure and join us this month on October 24th (a week early) and share what you did for yaD dooF knuJ eimmaJ. I even have a graphic you can use if you want.

Kids say the funniest things!

Here are some more funny sayings from my kids.  I am saving these to write a book someday for my sister-in-law.

Savannah and Alexa were reading together  but Alexa was bothering Savannah.  I went to see what the matter was and Savannah said that "Alexa is in my bubble".  "Your bubble?", I asked.  "Yes my bubble, her bubble is over there" she pointed away.  She was meaning Alexa was in her space.  I didn't let her see me laugh and I went to tell Jay and we were laughing and then I went back out to the playroom and Savannah was telling Joshua to get away he was in her bubble.  So what is a brother to do?  He sticks out his pointer finger and pokes it towards her and says "Pop, pop I popped your bubble!"   Jay and I were laughing so hard!

Then this week during our family devotions Jay asked them who  the Isrealites were.  Joshua answered  they help give God light!

Then Joshua asked when do we celebrate God and Jesus birthday and I asked him when do we?  He realized it was Christmas and Savannah asked can we see God and call Him on the phone to have a party.

Savannah then asked this week if God drives a car and what color is it?  (We were talking about how God is everywhere and we are never alone).  She wanted to call Him again to come over for dinner.

It is too cute to listen to them and the things they come up with!

Joshua's Party

  We celebrated Joshua's birthday on Sunday with a party at Amazing Jakes.  We did a party together with his cousin as they are only a day a part.  I think all the kids had an Amazing time at Amazing Jakes!    We were there from 1:00 till at least 6:30pm.  What a day  and the kids all fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot!  I can't believe our little boy is five years old now!!!  He is turning into quite the little man.  His daddy and I are so proud of him and his passion and excitement for life. 

It's Joshua's Birthday Today!!!!!

 

Joshua is 5 today!!!!!!!!!!

We have to go enjoy the day so I will blog more about him later.

Jammie Junk Food Day

Today is Jammie Junk Food Day. Stay in your jammies eat some junk food or have a special treat while doing school. Then be sure and snuggle together to read some books or watch a special movie.

Be sure and take pictures. Share about it on your blog and then come back here and sign mr. linksy to let us all know about it!

We had a great Jammie Day!! Savannah ate Mac and cheese for breakfast. We watched PeterPan Return to Neverland while eating donuts, popcorn and oatmeal cookies (oatmeal is a breakfast food ). Anastasia made the cookies and donuts into a mickey face since we were watching a Disney movie. Then we had to get some schooling done so we read stories and the kids did centers and activity bags which they love to do!!! We ate a decent lunch to counter our morning food. Daddy wished he called in sick to have a jammie day with us!

Be sure and join us next month. We will be doing it a week early on the 24th of October.

What's For Dinner Wednesday's??

One of the ladies cooked this for our swap one time and I cooked it this month for the swap.  

Everyone raved about it.   This is for 6 recipes 

Taco Soup--   

6 lbs groud beef browned with onion & garlic 

6 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes with juice 

6 cans corn undrained(10 oz) 

6 cans kidney beans in chili gravy undrained(10 oz)  

6 oz. taco seasoning   

Simmer all day over very low heat , let cool & freeze in gallon size bags   

This is from my memory so you may need to adjust or remind me if I forgot 

something ;)    you can also add, canned olives, black beans, 6oz. ranch 

seasoning, green chilis etc.   

My Niece's First Gymnastics Meet

Sunday we went to Mikaela's first Gymnastics meet!  She competed on the bars, beam, vault and floor.  We were so proud of our niece/cousin and thought she did a great job!  I told her if they sent me pictures I would even blog about it.

Amazing!!!!  Don't we wish we could all do that!

The beam! 

The uneven bars 

The medalist!  Her team place 3rd overall out of 5 teams and it was the teams first time competing!  Way to Go!!!!

The girls had so much fun watching that they came home and did their own gymnastics show for daddy and I!

Blogger Friend School #103

Intro: It keeps going, and going, and going…. (Marketing credit: Energizer)

Housekeeping: that household mess, it keeps going and going and going. It’s a perpetual chore that we diligently need to keep going on to stay on top it. We all have different ways of keeping ourselves energized.

Assignment: How do you keep energized so you can get it all done? bouncy music? treat it like a workout? Do you use a schedule?, a housekeeping binder system? luck of the draw system?.. or is this an area where you need encouragement? Do you need God’s help to keep order and beauty in your dwelling place? Take this week to tell us how You diligently keep going with your housekeeping chores.

This is an area I am slowly getting under control with the Lord's help!!!  Trying to find balance has been key for me.  We can have a really good school day and the house will fall apart or I can spend too much time cleaning and all the school work doesn't get done.

I keep a household notebook and follow a lot of Flylady’s recommendations.  I also love Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell.  I love this book!!! My schedule has had to be revamped several times with having 4 kids in four and a half years.  In our family the kids ages are 10,5,3,2,almost 4 mos.  So lately it has been all about teaching them to clean up after themselves!!!  My oldest daughter is a tremendous help!  It is just a constant battle to stay right on top of them or it can look like a tornado came through.

In our schedule we have worked in a clean up time and chore time.  It is slowly progressing.  In order to keep them going and going and going we use the timer a lot. (Let's see how much we can clean up in 10 minutes) or I will race them in making beds.  My son also always wants me to put on his "fast music" when he is cleaning his room.  It is a CD of Chrisitan preschool songs, the first one is " I am a C-h-r-i-s-t-i-a-n".  This really gets him going!

I wish keeping myself motivated was as easy!  For mundane tasks I have taken to praying during these.  For example when putting the kids clothes away I will pray for each child.  When doing dishes I will pray for things I am thankful for.  These little things help give new prospectives to my tasks.

It was suggested to share a picture this week of something relating.  I am sharing a picture of the cover of my binder.  I love my binder and it is a work in progress.  For the cover I just made up a sheet of pictures of my family and some favorite verses.  I love looking at this and it reminds me who I am doing all these things for, the Lord and my family!

Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 4:15 (NIV)

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.

Reminder.....This Friday is Jammie Junk Food Day

Just a friendly reminder that this Friday is Jammie Junk food day!  Join in on the fun by doing school in your jammies snuggle up read some books or watch a movie.  Be sure and have some junk food to eat (or just a special treat) 

I will try and get a mr. Linky up on Friday so you can share with everyone how you participted in Jammie Junk Food Day!

M.O.M. Mondays on Mothering

What about your children inspire you to be a better mother?

I think just watching my children interact and how much they really do pay attention to me as to what I say and do (good and bad ) is inspriration!  We can get so consumed in all the little things of daily life and immediate needs that they might have that it is hard sometimes to step back and look at the bigger picture.

When I do step back I realize I am raising these children with the Lord's help and I need to seek Him daily as to how I should be raising them.  I need to stay focused on the ultimate goal of "raising my children for Christ".  With this in mind then I can be the mother that my children need and the mother that Christ designed me to be.

So on this Monday what do you love about mothering?

If you would like to share be sure and visit this site: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/bowofbronze/

First Day of Fall??????

Today is the first day of fall????  I am sure the rest of the county is enjoying it but someone needs to tell the state of Arizona that fall is here. It was 102' today.  I am so ready for cooler weather and want to start enjoying fall things but it is so hot out still.  Hopefully it will cool off soon and we can start enjoying the outdoors again!!  Isn't that picture beautiful?  I want to visit a place like that sometime and see all the changing leaves.

Happy Autumn!

This Week in Review!

I still don't know where the days went this week!  It has been a blur. We had co-op, pe, cooking and kindergarten co-op on Friday and then the real fun began!  LOL

I already told you about cooking.....  So come Friday morning I was exhausted and was still trying to make my house presentable for Tina, Emily and Danny coming over to finish up our Johnny Appleseed stuff.  Well I love my dear friend Tina she showed up with an ice coffee from Burger King.  I hadn't had one before and it was so yummy and it made my day!!!  It's good to have friends!!!  Except next week she is going to be there and not here .  The kids finished their activities and I have to get the lapbooks together still so I will post pictures of them later.  We also made applesauce and the kids gobbled it all up after dinner.

Jay, Anastasia and Joshua were all supposed to go to their first Science co-op but Jay called me on his way home from work and his car had broken down so I had to go get him.  Then today (Saturday) he had to spend the day getting new tires on the suburban and then tow his car to a friends to get fixed.  It literally took all day!!!  Lets pray next week is a little calmer!

Blogger Friend School #102

Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time?  If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.

I had to think about this assignment for awhile this week.  My desire this year has been to step out and serve with my children where we can do something tanigable together to help someone else.  I want to follow through in little ways.  Anastasia and I have been able to do this a couple of times and the rewards are great!  It is neat to watch my daughter get excited about giving and serving others.  She is now looking for ways we can serve others.    We have also been on the other end this year and we have had to accept others reaching out knowing that they are being blessed by blessing us.  I think that has been harder but I know how good I feel when helping others as God leads.  It is hard to describe because I know it is not me but the fact that God uses me in this small way is so rewarding.  It makes me want to step out more.

What's for Dinner Thursday!

My freezer is full again but what a crazy day!  I love once a month cooking but this is the first month I had to actually do all my cooking on one day and that is not much fun!!!!  Things were just busy and my budget tight so I ended up doing all the cooking on Thursday, the day of the swap!!!  Anastasia had a home Ec. day.  She helped me plan and bake.  She made all the pizzas and I made taco soup and breakfast burritos.  We also organized the pantry and made our menu!   Normally I can cook up a batch of meals here or there and that works much better!  But it is done and my freezer is once again full of wonderful meals.  Here is what I have: Pasta primavera, pigs in a blanket, crunchy chicken strips, lemon rosmary chicken, pork loin roast, frozen fruit for smoothies, penne pasta bake, italian beef, pancakes, chicken spinach enchiladas, heartland beef and rice, sausage mcmuffins. 

I also got some groundbeef and chicken on sale so I am going to make up some more recipes.

Also I wanted to share for those of you interested in trying OMAC check out this site it is all about doing it with a group.

Happy Cooking!!!

 

 

 

Yummy!!!

Friday night we had our "Not Back to School" ice cream social with my homeschool group. We gathered at a local park for ice cream and fun. It was really nice becuase several dads came and got to meet one another and we got to hang out as families. The ice cream was yummy and there were so many choices of toppings. The weather is finally getting decent enough to be outside somewhat. I didn't get many pictures I think I was too busy eating ice cream and talking!

Also during the day on Friday Aunt Jutem and Joeclyn came to visit from San Diego. They watched us do school in the morning and then we took a break in the afternoon to play cards and games. I love the flexibility of homeschooling! Joshua and Savannh also finished up their Days of creation activities and made their mobile. We also made ginger bread men to represent people and how God created each one of us uniquely. If you want to make this mobile check out this site. It is one of my favorites.

Days of Creation Mobile

Each one is definitely unique!

We knew Aunt Jutem was coming and Anastasia made this one espically for her since she is pregnant with baby Bryson.

Aunt Jutem and Jocelyn

Anastaisa and Jocelyn

September 11th

'We will be flying all flags at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, September 11, 2008.



By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day." On Patriot Day, we cherish the memory of the thousands of innocent victims lost, extend our thoughts and prayers to their families, and honor the heroic men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives so others might survive.



The President of the United States of America has called upon the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Patriot Day. He also called upon the people of the United States to observe Patriot Day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and remembrance services, to display the flag at half-staff from their homes on that day, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 A.M. eastern daylight time to honor the innocent Americans and people from around the world who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'

You say you will never forget where you were when

you heard the news On September 11, 2001.

Neither will I.



I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room

with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' I

held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the

peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it

is OK..I am ready to go.'



I was with his wife when he called as she fed

breakfast to their children. I held her up as she

tried to understand his words and as she realized

he wasn't coming home that night.



I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a

woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been

knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said.

'Of course I will show you the way home - only

believe in Me now.'



I was at the base of the building with the Priest

ministering to the injured and devastated souls.

I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He

heard my voice and answered.



I was on all four of those planes, in every seat,

with every prayer. I was with the crew as they

were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the

believers there, comforting and assuring them that their

faith has saved them.



I was in Texas , Virginia , California , Michigan , Afghanistan ...

I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news.

Did you sense Me?



I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew

every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me

for the first time on the 86th floor.



Some sought Me with their last breath.

Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the

smoke and flames; 'Come to Me... this way... take

my hand.' Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.

But, I was there.



I did not place you in the Tower that day. You

may not know why, but I do. However, if you were

there in that explosive moment in time, would you have

reached for Me?



Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey

for you. But someday your journey will end. And I

will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may

be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are

'ready to go.'



I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.



God

Blogger Friend School #101

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling.  Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it.  Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family.  Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

 Frustrations and struggles I have been having are just staying on track and keeping my kids motivated.  The other big struggles is maintaining the house all at the same time.  So let me tell you the timing of this assignment is a "God thing".  Just this week any struggles or frustrations I have been feeling went right out the window after our first day of Co-op.  I stated in a previous post how I have been wanting to be part of a co-op and finally joined one this year.  It is a great group of ladies and I am blessed to be a part of it. 

However, I got a reality check this week as to what it would be like to drop my kids off at school each day and I didn't like it one bit!!!  The co-op meets the first 3 Mondays each month and moms take turns teaching a month at a time.  So I am not teaching this month, I will teach in October. 

I had to have all five kids dressed, eaten breakfast and out the door by 8:00am.  I droped the kids off and they were going to be there from 9-1pm. (I kept the youngest two with me).  Now mind  you they were so excited to "go to school" but I must have felt what every mom feels like when she drops her kids off to kindergarten for the very first time.  No thank you, I will pass! I had such a strange mix of emotions driving away.  I was excited to have the time to spend with the baby and my two year old but I was at a loss as to what to do and I was missing the other 3!!!  I wanted to turn right around and go stay with them.  But on the other hand I am looking forward to that time to run errands and do special things with Alexa (my 2 year old).  

God shared with me that we are right where He wants our family to be and any frustrations and struggles I am facing in homeschool are minor.  I am so blessed to be able to spend the good part of everyday with my kids and not just the leftovers.

Memory Verse:  Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Our school is in full swing!!

All activities are in full swing starting this week.  Friday we had our first Kindergarten Co-op with Tina  and Emily and Danny. We are doing our first unit on Johnny Appleseed.  They are going to come over twice a month on Fridays.  Next time we are making apple sauce and finishing our lapbooks.

Yesterday(Monday) we had our first Co-op school and the kids absoultely loved it!  I head up a homeschool group here in my area and we do field trips, parkdays, holiday parties and such but we have never co-oped and I have always wanted to be in a co-op.

So my friend Claudia invited me to join a co-op that she participates in. It is with a wonderful group of moms and we meet at a church there are about 40 kids.  The moms rotate teaching month by month.  We always meet the first 3 Mondays and then have the last Monday off. I don't teach this month so I dropped off Anastasia, Joshua and Savannah.  Joshua and Savannah were so excited to "go to school"  They woke up so early and got dressed and got their lunch boxes out they were ready to go!!

While I love this Co-op and am glad to be involved I had such a range of emotions yesterday.  One not so good before we left I realize one benefit of homeschooling is not having to try and leave the house early every morning!!!  I couldn't imagine doing that.  We had to be out the door by 8:00am and there was a lot of running around and yelling "get your shoes, where's your lunch, no you can't wear that, eat your breakfast, get your shoes on, get in the car" OH MY!!!

We made it there just fine and I hung out and got the kids settled (they were completely fine) and then I left with Alexa and Natasha.  We weren't sure what we were going to do at first (the kids are at co-op from 9-1pm).  I was at a loss I did not like dropping my kids off and realized another reason we homeschool I could not send them off everyday!!!!  It was such a weird feeling.  I guess it is what mom's go through when they send their kids off to the first day of kindergarten.  No thank you, once a week at co-op is enough and I will be teaching there in October and December.  But I am however looking forward to spending some time with just  Alexa and  Natasha.  We headed to the mall.  It was nice having just some special time with Alexa but she kept asking where's Anastasia, Joshua and Savannah?  We played in the play center rode the new carousel went in a few stores at lunch and then headed back to the church (Alexa and Natasha get to stay for co-op when I teach).

The kids had a great time and then the highlight of the day was getting to go to Bounce U (it is an indoor play place with all the big inflatible jumping things) with all of our new friends.  The Co-op gets a great rate for us familes to go there each week after co-op for an hour.

 

They re-did the carousel at the mall and it is a double decker one now.  It was really neat.

Can you believe I didn't get any pictures of them at Co-op?

When that was done and we got in the car before I even pulled out of the parking lot all the kids were asleep!!!!  We got home around 4:00.  I just fixed spaghetti.  Mondays will need to become a "slow cooker meal day".  They were all in bed between 7:30 and 8:00.  It was a great but exhausting day and now today (Tuesday) we start PE. it is from 11:00-12:00 every Tuesday so we will pack our lunch and eat at the park as well.  Joshua is very excited as he gets to participate this year!