Easy babysitting~

Shopping season is upon us-- and ya just might need to happily occupy little ones for a bit--

A month ago I discovered the power of the electronic sitter-- Mark and I were discussing new computers with a very nice salesman, and after realizing no noise was coming from weary little ones- I found this:

Works for the big guys too :) Yes, we left the store with our money still in our wallets- for now :)

Thankful Thanksgiving Turkeys

Finishing school-work a little early this week has allowed for some fun crafting~ We've been talking about Thanksgiving and what being thankful is. It's so important to appreciate what you have, and to make every minute count! I think we all agreed one of the things we're most thankful for is our family. Thus, the 'helping hands' family turkey was born. No, I'm not implying I live with a bunch of turkeys.... not at the moment anyway :)

Another fun project: a tree of Thanksgiving. Each child cut out leaves on folded construction paper, and wrote what they were most thankful for. It touched my heart that with as much fighting that goes on, each child chose mostly to write the names of their siblings above other things~ except 'animals' for Jacob and 'Legos' for Elisha. There are just some things that rate higher than a whining little sister :) He won't admit it, but I do think he'd chose her over Lego's anytime. OK-- 90 percent of the time :)

Wishing you all of very Happy Thanksgiving! May you have safe travels, and enjoy your families!

That's just not right

It's been a long running joke in our house that in order to keep Christmas festivities 'special', I've told the children no Christmas music or decorations until after Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, I have contradicted myself this year and decorated already because of an extremely busy, post-Thanksgiving week. The joke has intensified by telling the children they can't look at the decorations yet, so they're confined to the office (but not really - LOL!). Now anytime Jacob sees any lights, he throws his hands to cover his eyes and yells "Don't Look! I'm not getting a lump of cold (yes, he calls coal, cold) in my stocking!"

After shopping yesterday morning, I arrive home to 'the gift.' Mark finds great pleasure in torturing me with mysterious Christmas gifts without tags. Thankfully, my honest son tells me "Mommy, you're not going to be able to stand it-- Daddy put something in the living room for you." Someone please tell my husband that it's not fair to beat me at my own game, and placing a Christmas gift out a week prior to Thanksgiving is just not fair!

P.S. The gift does not rattle, shake, or stir. Not that I'd know :) I'm just guessing-- really!

This is why...

you should shut the door behind you.

The men and children were working outside the other day-(before the winter deep-freeze set in), and we all (ahem-- all of us children) learned a valuable lesson.When you leave the door open, little furry creatures of the chipmunk variety WILL enter the home and quickly scurry up the stairs into your house. When they are finally caught, they will leave little gifts of nervousness in your Tupperware container. Lettuce anyone?

Here's to warm, critter-free homes. :)

Here they are...

I just knew you couldn't stand it any longer--- you can't sleep at night because you HAVE to know how the apples turned out-- (previous post here).

Without further ado-- here are the old ladies in all their glory. Now, you could be really creative and dress them differently, but in this case, I grabbed the top pieces of material from the box. (thanks Lauri!) If you could see my pantry, you'd understand why-- but that's another blog post :)

OK-- they're not the prettiest things, but the kids had fun and that's what counts. And don't forget it's a great science lesson about the water content of apples. Now you can sleep easier tonight :) You're welcome.

Language Ideas

Need some neat Language Arts Ideas for Christmas? Here is an article sent to me by Cheryl and Melissa Moeller, authors of Baby Saves Christmas, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook, and Homeschool Your Preschooler on $1 a Day.

Eight Ways to Enhance Any Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum at Christmas Time

1. Make up a story to tell your children over a period of days or weeks during the month of December. Swiss Family Robinson began as a series of stories that Johann David Wyss told his children bit by bit, each night at bedtime. As a parent, you can capture your children’s hearts and imagination with the retelling of the Christmas story and stories of your childhood Christmas memories.
2. The Long, Long Christmas Book Train. Around the ceiling in your homeschool room, put a large construction paper red or green train car each time your children finishes a book in December. Challenge your children to read enough books in December to make the caboose and engine meet or fill up a whole wall! When the Christmas train goal is met, throw a Christmas train themed party with another homeschool family.
3. Name that Christmas “Stuffie.” Give each of your children a $1 small stuffed animal or “stuffie” for your December homeschool mascot. Spend an hour thinking of names for your Christmas “stuffie.” Each child makes up their own list of 20 or 50 creative “Yuletide-themed” names, depending on the child’s age. Then, have them eliminate names and come up with their most favorite.
4. “Read to me by Skype.” Have an older homeschool student, cousin, aunt, or grandpa skype or telephone each day during December and read your younger child a Christmas theme story. If you have older children, have them call up a younger homeschooler each weekday in December and read to them.
5. Don’t get out of your regular Library habit. Your children could easily stay home during busy days and use the internet, but they also need to visit the library in person. Stay and read at tables. Do a Christmas craft, if offered. Gaze and gawk. Dawdle through the aisles.
6. Writing enhances reading. Reading also enhances writing. There are many opportunities for a child to write around the “Holy-Days.” The lost art of letter writing can be found again, when your kids write letters to each relative.
7. What you do; not just what you say. Even during the busy month of December, Mom and dad need to read each day to set the “reading is important” example.
8. Cereal Book Club. During December invite some homeschool friends over to your home for a Cereal (Serial) Book Club. Each child brings a box of their favorite healthy cereal to share and a copy of an assigned book in a certain series with the topic of winter or Christmas. Each child shares the book’s name, two amazing facts about it, and reads their two favorite pages of the book aloud. Encourage all the children to finish the other books in the “cerealies” (series).

Baby Saves Christmas by Cheryl and Melissa Moeller, mother/duo author team, is juvenile fiction with homeschool characters. http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=25973&it=1

Diabetes

If you or a loved one is suffering with diabetes, here is a very interesting documentary about a cure~ you can watch the trailer here, at "Raw For Thirty"~

And there ya have it...

we are 'officially' a karate family with Jacob finally joining in the fun~ we figure we could just set up a few little cots and make the studio our second home. Knowing we're in it together as a family, having fun, and seeing the children learn the physical and mental disciplines as they mature, makes it all worth it. Until next time... kia! :)

The excuse this time...

Yes again, we are still here-- the excuse this time for not posting so long-- "juju" has a sore back--- and hasn't been able to sit at the computer for more than a few moments---- I promise-- I'll post asap!! Lots of pictures coming :) Oh yeah-- what's wrong with the back? They tell me my neck and pelvis are out a alignment and something is twisted in my lower back-- nothing a few weeks of treatment won't fix :) I didn't have anything to do anyway ...... : )

Sometimes...

you're just too tired to even blow out your own birthday candles.