Molding a Masterpiece

I'm still here...

2010-08-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time... Much has happened... The short version is that the house that we were living in had toxic mold which was making us sick so we had to move with out much notice. We've been dealing with mold related stuff for almost a month and a half now, and yet the end is not quite in sight yet. So while I am still alive and praising God, I'm still going to be gone from this blog for a while yet. I hope everyone is doing well, and I promise to tell the whole story when I can.

Elimination Diet for Food Allergies

2010-06-15T22:07:00.000-05:00

I wrote a while back about Buddy Bear's allergic symptoms. Since then I have been doing a ton of research, both online and from the library. We tried eliminating dairy at the suggestion of our Nurse Practitioner, but that didn't help. We eliminated food preservatives and dyes and it made a difference for Ally, but not for Bear. After about two months we finally realized that he's allergic to eggs. But still even with treating his eczema with ointment it still wasn't improving. In fact some spots kept getting worse, and he was breaking out in more places. So, with no further help coming from out NP, we decided to do a full elimination diet. We decided not only for Bear, but for the last five years I have struggled with eczema as well; and Matt has problems with arthritis (which can also be food related).

There are many Elimination Diets online. Some of the more comprehensive and helpful sites are:
      Elimination Diet by Dr. Cranton
Comprehensive Elimination Diet from Functional Medicine.org
      28 day Elimination and Detox diet from Whole Life Nutrition
         (also see their blog here)

We chose to go with the diet from Whole Life Nutrition because of the details and the "support" network (Facebook and their blog) and their cookbook that has more details and Elimination diet recipes. The Whole Life Nutrition diet is also a good detox diet to flush your body of toxins and get your immune system working well.

So far we are on day 12, and I am pleased with the results. Our eczema is clearing up, and Matt's arthritis is much better (he used to be able to tell if it was going to rain, but even with all the heavy rain we've had this last week he hasn't complain of any stiffness)! As an added bonus, and since this is a high nutrient, low fat diet, Matt has last over 10 lbs and I have lost 8 lbs!

Soon we will enter Phase 2, when we begin to add back foods. I will be glad to Finally know what our problem foods are!

Exercise? Who Me? - Free online Walk At Home video

2010-06-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

I haven't been good at exercising since RaeRae was born. Come on! A new mom with a baby finding time to exercise plus take care of baby, home, and ministry? Then and two babies, then three... well, you get the picture. I know it's something that is important. Over the last few years I have spent money on a couple of different programs, only to not be consistent and eventually give up. Part of the problem is finding time to get out and do cardio. When in my schedule can I find time to get out of the house to go walk, jog, or run, and it not be dark outside, or leave my kids unattended? That's been pretty hard to do... almost impossible.

Last month, we had our friends stay with us for a week, LeAnna from Written Windows. While here, LeAnna forced me (ha, ha) to do her exercise walk with her. It's a DVD of Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home, 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk. Well, we didn't do all 5 miles... but we did do 3. And it was great! All 5 kids (hers and mine) were all resting/sleeping and we got an interval-cardio work out with out leaving my living room!

Last week I saw some of Leslie Sansone's DVD's at Walmart, and that got me to thinking. I hopped on the computer when we got home and found her website. And would you believe it...There on the Walk At Home website is posted a 1 mile walk that you can do for FREE! So, I can try it at home with out paying a penny! Yeah! This time I have nothing to lose. Nothing but weight and flab. 15 minutes a day. I think I can do that... ☺

Fun Filled Friday - Time at the beach

2010-06-11T20:03:00.000-05:00

From this far-in-the-middle-of-nowhere place, we have to travel almost an hour to do any major shopping. In some cases we have to drive two or more hours. Last week we had to take a shorter shopping trip. Basically we just needed some groceries from the coop and some things from Walmart. Then instead of rushing home we stopped by McDonalds for take out burgers and went to the beach for a picnic and play time. The weather wasn't terribly warm, and Lake Superior is COLD! But as you can see the kids had a blast!

Buddy Bear just loves water! He screams every time every time we pull him out of the water when his bath is done. LOL! I wasn't going to let him sit in the water... but he just had to get closer to investigate the waves! Good thing I thought ahead to bring extra clothes. ☺

The girls too needed dry clothes after all their running and splashing.

We all had SO-O-O much fun!

Fun-Filled Friday

A reminder to slow down... to live, laugh, love...

Life is short... enjoy it.

How did you enjoy life this week?

My Baby is ONE!

2010-06-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Ah, how fast this year went! So much has happened! Bear has grown so much. Instead of being content on the sidelines to watch, he has to be right in the middle of what ever is going on. Much to the chagrin of his sisters! ☺ He is walking (rather quickly at times! ☺), stacking mega blocks, hitting balls with a hammer, loves to call for our dog Bell "B-eh, B-eh!" Sunday during greeting time at church he would lift out his hand to shake hands.

Memorial Day weekend when we had the birthday party he was just cruising all over the place. I just L.O.V.E. this little guy!

Happy Birthday, Buddy Bear! I'm so glad that God gave you to us!

Our busy Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-04T21:10:00.000-05:00

A special thank you to all those currently serving, or who have served in our military! Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed!

This weekend we practiced our 2nd amendment right. We shot, and shot, and shot some more!

Oh yeah! In fact there was so much target shooting going on that our neighbors had to come and see just what was going on! ... Just a little bit of practice... ☺

We had a great time with family! And celebrating with a GREAT BIG birthday party! We decided that instead of throwing 3 separate birthday parties, especially with two of them being so close, we would just have one BIG party.

With lots of cake.

With lots of presents.

And with LOTS of FUN!

Matt's dad, Ally, and me on the swing set that Matt built as the kiddos birthday present.

It was a wonderful weekend!

Giveaway winner!

2010-05-31T19:36:00.000-05:00

And the winner is......

Katie Olsen!

Congratulations Katie! I'll be contacting you to make sure I have the right mailing address.

Fun-Filled "Friday" - Buddy Bear walks!

2010-05-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is a little late to label this post a Fun-Filled Friday. I had tried to do a scheduled post, but obviously it didn't work.

Buddy Bear is finally walking! We took this video Tuesday night.

Birthday Celebration and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-05-12T15:01:00.002-05:00

My little princess is 3!
Happy Birthday, Ally!

In honor of Ally's third birthday, I am going to do my first giveaway!

The Children's Illustrated Bible
written by Selina Hastings, illustrated by Eric Thomas, published by DK.

More than a Children's story Bible, The Children's Illustrated Bible is also a Bible handbook with additional historical, and geological information about each story. This book includes Bible references, colorful illustrations, and full color photographs and facts that help you understand even more what was happening in each story. The stories are easy enough to hold the attention of a preschooler, and the additional information will fascinate even the older child (Hey, I've even learned a lot!). This same book by Selina Hastings is available in a larger form published by New Leaf Press.

To enter just leave a comment below. Make sure and provide contact information.

For extra entries:
1. Subscribe or be a follower.
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave the link in a comment.
3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

This giveaway will be open till May 27th.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T16:57:00.000-05:00

Mother is Just a Simple Word

Mother is just a simple word
yet it's especially dear...

And it seems to mean much
more with each passing year...

Each word of Love and Affection
describes you mother...

It's a word that's filled with love,
a word that reflects everything that's
wonderful - Wonderful just like you.

~Author Unknown~

(found here)

My mom with her grandkiddos:

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

We love you!

(And by the way... the snow did all melt... everything is green again... ☺)

Snow for Mother's Day?

2010-05-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

The smell of hot cocoa, wood smoke, and the sight of fresh snow outside make me feel like Christmas! They say it will all melt by tomorrow, and perhaps they are right. We got about 5 inches in some places, and more continues to fall. That being said, my girls declared that it's summer! I think they must have gotten their seasons mixed up (LOL☺)!

I took the opportunity to go for a walk... by myself... this morning and revive a little of my love for photography.

Wildflowers and Worms

2010-05-07T22:07:00.001-05:00

I love Spring! The flowers, budding trees, getting my hands in the dirt, watching things grow, and yes, even the worms. Yesterday, the kiddos and I went outside to do some digging. My mom gave me some rhubarb plants, and I need to give them a home. I found a spot that will do; and while the girls ran around and Buddy Bear watched from his stroller, I got to work with the shovel. It wasn't long before Ally came over to see what in the world I was digging. "Worms," I told her. Of course she wanted to see, but wouldn't get anywhere near enough to touch it. Oh how I wish I had my camera with me! RaeRae wasn't to far behind, and she too had to see the worms but not touch it. (How did I end up with such girly-girls?!) Even though Buddy Bear is yet only 12 months old, he was not to be left out. You could just hear his thoughts and squeals "What are you all looking at?" So being the kind (and a bit crazy) mom that I am, I brought two worms over to Buddy Bear's tray to let him touch the worm. A little dirt never hurt right? Of course he got a good hold of that worm, and it went straight to his mouth. Nature study up close! No... I didn't let him get it to his mouth (his sisters just about freaked out!). And then being the wonderful little brother (and totally boy) that he is, he tried to give the worm to Ally! Like I said, I wish I had my camera! Well, after seeing that the worm didn't hurt Buddy Bear any, RaeRae decided that she could touch it, quickly, barely, and in the middle so it didn't poop on her! And Ally, well... she tried, but just could bring herself to do it. So they got their own shovels; and as I finished digging a spot for the rhubarb, they helped me "dig for worms."

After "digging for worms," we went for a walk around the edge of the yard. To our surprise, we found some Forget-Me-Nots growing around one of the sheds. Of course my girly-girls were all about picking flowers, and we also found some violets, yellow violets, dandelions (of course), and a white springtime flower that I once knew the name of (but have lost my wildflower guide book and can't look it up). Two beautiful little bouquets, and a wonderful reminder that it really is Spring... even if it is snowing outside!

Prepare To Survive

2010-04-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago my husband, Matt, started learning wilderness survival. He was laid off at the time so he had a lot of time for learning! His interest in wilderness survival gradually turned into a desire to make sure that our family was prepared for any disaster that might occur in our area. The more we researched and prepared our family, the more we realized that we need to share this information our family, friends, and anyone else who will listen; so a couple of months ago we started teaching an Emergency Preparedness workshop and just last week created a blog Prepare To Survive so that we can share more information with more people.

So what about YOU? Are you prepared to survive a tornado, earthquake, severe thunderstorm with major electrical outages? Being prepared for emergencies is crucial at home, school, work, and in your community. Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace, or school or can confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services - water, gas, electricity or telephones - were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. The best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before the disaster strikes!

Fun Filled Friday - Uses for Old Curtains

2010-04-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

A while back a friend gave us some old curtains. Ally helped me sort through them; and since RaeRae was sick and sleeping at the time and Ally needed something to do, we played dress up with some of the curtains.

Isn't she a cute little bride!

Design your own blog layout!

2010-04-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

It's so much fun to have a blog that is uniquely your own. Not just in content, but design. Design that reflects your personality, content, and purpose. Good design also helps boost your ratings (so I'm told). But how do you get a personalized blog design with out paying for it? ...Design your own! I won't promise that it's easy... but it can be... it just depends on you! It can be time consuming... unless you go simple and don't vary from the directions. But it IS fun... if you like creating things without making mess all over the house!

First, head over to SJH Blog Design and follow their step-by-step instructions for turning a simple blogger template into your own unique design. As well as the basic instructions for blog design, check out the other design instructions on right hand side bar, including instructions for designing a Clickable Button. This is where I got the instructions for creating my three-column layout. If you're feeling brave, you can customize things further by experimenting with border and margin width and all that fun stuff. There must be someplace with more instructions for adjusting border and margin width, but I just did it with a lot of trial and error till I got the look I wanted.

One thing I found to be helpful during the design of my blog was to create a second, private blog to use as my testing ground. Instead of messing up my main blog, I would apply my design experiments to my test blog until I got everything right. Then I copied the HTML and pasted everything over to my main blog.

Another site with lots of tips is Blogger Scrapbook. I haven't had time to apply any of the tips that Sarah has given yet. Looking over her site though she has some great tips on how to do things like How to add post divider graphics to your blog, and Adding buttons to your header, and so much more!

So there you have it! Now you know what I know (or rather don't know, but can follow the same directions!). I hope this was helpful! Anyone else know of great sites for blog design instructions?

Fun Filled Friday

2010-03-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

Ballet Class

Start with stretches to warm up (this takes about half the class because it takes so long to get all the little girls to get it right. lol!)

Practice positions

Now we get to dance!

Dairy-Free Biscuits

2010-03-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

1. Sift together
         1 cup unbleached white flour
         1 cup whole wheat flour
         2 teaspoons baking powder
         1/2 teaspoon salt

2. Cut in
         4 Tablespoons shortening

3. Gradually add
         3/4 cup plain rice milk
4. Knead for 30 seconds, roll to 1/2 inch thick, cut using any shaped cookie
   cutter or small glass.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

(Why didn't I think to use a heart shaped cookie cutter before?)

Eczema and Food sensitivity

2010-03-24T21:17:00.000-05:00

We've been struggling with Buddy Bear's eczema since he was about 5 months old. You can see one of the spots on his forehead, and he gets it in other places all over his body as well. Mostly we are able to keep it under control by using Renew lotion daily (Renew is a Melaleuca product. For more information email me.), and we already have eliminated strong scents and harsh chemicals thanks to Melaleuca and their laundry, household cleaner, and bath & body lines. But even with a prescription ointment, we still struggle at clearing up his face. At Buddy Bear's last doctor appointment, our new doctor suggested that the trigger of his eczema might be a food allergy or intolerance . She suggested that we try a dairy free and wheat free diet to see if it makes a difference. A what?! Dairy free isn't that bad (but means no graham crackers and milk, no cheese, no ranch dressing, no yogurt, just to name a few of our favorite foods!). But wheat free? Yikes, that's a little more overwhelming! We've been dairy free for two of four weeks now (in most cases two weeks would be enough to see a difference, but since I'm still breastfeeding Buddy Bear, the proteins take two weeks to clear my body then two more weeks to clear his, at least so I've read). I'm waiting to do a little more research before doing the wheat free test. Really, this has opened a whole new can of worms for me. I'm especially intrigued with information on Sue Dengate's website Food Intolerance Network. Check out this list of some of the symptoms of a food sensitivity:

Airways: Asthma, Stuffy blocked or runny nose/ nasal polyps, Frequent nose bleeds, Catarrh, chronic throat-clearing, Sinusitis, Frequent ear infections, Frequent tonsillitis, Frequent colds and flu, symptoms of Samter’s Triad Skin: Eczema, Urticaria (hives), Cradlecap, Other skin rashes, Angioedema (swollen lips, eyes, tongue), Geographic tongue, Pruritis (itching), Allergic shiners (dark circles under eyes), Pallor (pale skin), Flushing, Excessive sweating, Body odour, Sore vagina in children Digestive system: Recurrent mouth ulcers, Indigestion, Nausea, Bad breath, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Stomach ache, Bloating, Reflux in babies, adults, Constipation, Colic in babies, adults, Sluggish bowel syndrome (feeling of "more to come"), Soiling (sneaky poos) Bladder: Bedwetting, Daytime incontinence, Urinary urgency, Recurrent inflammation (cystitis) Skeletal: Growing pains, Arthritis Eyes: Nystagmus (involuntary movement), Blurred vision Muscles: Low muscle tone, Myalgia (muscle pain), Tics (involuntary movement), Tremor, Heart: Rapid heart beat, Heart palpitations, Cardiac arrhythmias, Pseudo heart attack (feeling of impending doom, chest pressure, pain down arm), Tachycardia (fast heart beat), Angina-type pain, HHT Central nervous system: Headaches or migraines, unexplained tiredness, Chronic fatigue, Feeling 'hung-over', Confusion, Dizziness, Agitation, Tinnitus (noises in ear), Hyperacusis, Paraesthesia (pins and needles), Dysaesthesia (numbness), Hypoglycemia, Epileptic seizures, Sensory symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Symptoms of lupus Anxiety: Panic attacks, Depression, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, actions Impaired memory: Vague or forgetful, Unable to concentrate, Won't persevere, Unmotivated, Disorganised, Easily distracted, Difficulty reading and writing Speech: Loud voice (no volume control), Speech hard to understand, Speech delay, Selective mutism, Stuttering, Repetitive noises, Talks too much (empty chatter) Coordination: Poor handwriting, Poor coordination, Frequent accidents Sleep: Difficulty falling asleep, Restless legs syndrome (RLS), Persistent night waking, Insomnia, Nightmares/night terrors/sleepwalking Mood: Mood swings, Premenstrual tension, Grizzly or unhappy, Cries easily or often, Irritable, Uncooperative Oppositional defiance: ODD, Loses temper, Argumentative, Refuses requests, Defies rules, Deliberately annoys others, Blames others for own mistakes, Touchy, easily annoyed, Angry, resentful Other behaviour: ADHD, ADD, Autism, Aspergers, Inattentive, easily bored, unmotivated, Restless, fidgety or overactive, Head banging, Fights with siblings, Difficulty making friends, Destructive, aggressive, Unreasonable, Demanding, never satisfied, Disruptive, Discipline is ineffective. (http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/)

Many of the things on the list describe symptoms of my other children as well. According to FoodIntol.com 75% of people have a food intolerance, so I continue to play detective to see what (if at all) my children are intolerant too. Has anybody else suffered with a food intolerance or know of a good elimination diet and guide?

Praying for your Husband

2010-02-28T06:00:00.008-06:00

Prayer is one of the areas of my spiritual life where I struggle the most. Revive Our Hearts Ministry has several wonderful downloads especially some challenges for prayer. Here's what Nancy Leigh Demoss says about praying for your husband:

“She does him good . . .” (Proverbs 31:12a)

Bless your husband by praying for him! The Apostle Paul instructed all Christians to pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18). This includes wives’ responsibility and privilege to pray for their husbands. Earnest prayer for your husband is good for him, for you and the spiritual health of your home (Proverbs 31:11-12).

Satan desires to destroy your husband, especially his character and his leadership in your relationship. Trust God through prayer as you daily surrender your husband and marriage to the Lord’s wise, loving care.

Will you join me for 31 Days of Praying for Your Husband? Go here for the print out from Revive Our Hearts.

(Also check out the great free wallpaper downloads for your desk top here.)

Mission Family Nutrition - Week Four

2010-02-27T15:05:00.001-06:00

This week I attended The Heart Of The Matter conference. Monday through Thursday I logged into my computer for four "webinars" each day for wonderful homeschool inspiration and practical tips and tricks. Wow! Was it good! After all the audio is edited, etc. it will be available on their website to purchase. They also have a bigger online conference in August that I am already planning on "attending." If you homeschool, this is a great inexpensive way to attend a homeschool conference!

So with webinars daily, and Buddy Bear getting sick, I didn't complete my Mission Family Nutrition goal of introducing my family to a new grain. But I did try two new recipes that were Very well received by my family. Early this week I received a free issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking. I was excited to sit down and browse through the magazine to find recipes to try with my family. I love that Taste of Home always has such practical recipes with ingredients that most average people have on hand and not a lot of ingredients that I have never heard of nor have any clue where to buy them!

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas
   This was very good! Even Ally, my picky eater, ate some! RaeRae
   had seconds (unusual), and My Man had thirds! And as a plus, it
   was quick and easy to make.
Prep: 30min Bake: 15min Yield: 8 servings

2 cans (15oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (15oz) enchilada sauce, divided
1 cup (4oz) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
8 whole wheat tortillas (8in), warmed

1. In a small bowl, mash 1 can black beans (great way to involve kiddos!), set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey, pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the mashed beans, remaining beans, half of the enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese; heat through.
2. Place 2/3 cupfuls of bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two 11"x7" or one 9"x13" baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Nutritional Facts: 1 enchilada equals 360 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 55mg cholesterol, 808 mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 24g protein.

This next week my goal is to experiment with making a healthy Ranch dressing from scratch. Ranch dressing in our house is like white gold... it gets served with everything from vegetables to pizza, from chicken to watermelon (although the later doesn't happen often...yuk!). Ally has even been known to dip her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in Ranch...YUK! Personally, I prefer to leave Ranch for fresh veggies, salad, and sometime sandwiches; but I think that sometimes the rest of my family would starve without Ranch!

Mission Family Nutrition - Week Three

2010-02-19T22:50:00.001-06:00

My week two goal in Mission Family Nutrition hosted by Melinda at Coming Clean was to make a new bean dish. I don't cook a lot with beans. I'd like to do more because it's a great source of protein and it's a great food to store long term. One of the long term food storage rules is "store what you eat, and eat what you store." In a time of emergency or major crisis for our family, beans and rice won't do us much good if I don't know how to cook with them; so I figure I'd better learn now. And even when there is not a crisis, it's a very inexpensive meal that can be quite tasty. All that to say, I now have a new bean dish that my family approves of... well... Ally didn't actually approve, but she hasn't been approving of any food besides peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lately... Here's the recipe:

Red Beans and Rice

1lb pkg. dried red beans

water

ham, salt pork, or sausage cut into small chunks (I used ham)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3-4 cups water

6 oz can tomato paste

8 oz can sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced (I used my garlic press instead)

1. Soak beans for 8 hours. Drain. Discard soaking water.

2. Mix together all ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours, or until beans are soft.

4. Serve over rice. 8-10 servings

I didn't follow this recipe exact. I used canned beans, so I also used less water. I also didn't use the crock-pot. I just combined everything together in a large kettle and heated it through on the stove top while the brown rice was cooking. It was really good. I cut the recipe amounts in half since it was a new recipe and I wasn't sure how well it would go over. It was ALL gone! My family of 5 (even Buddy Bear had some) ate the whole thing and would have eaten more! So next time I can definitely make the whole batch. ☺

My goal for this next week is to introduce my family to a new grain. And to continue making a menu. It's way to easy to just throw a pizza in the oven when I don't have a menu...

....................................

Check out this link here for a free e-cook-book of 22 healthy chicken recipes.

Priorities

2010-02-16T22:17:00.000-06:00

Projects. I have so many projects going on right now. So many things that need to be done... or rather I want to be done. I wanted so badly this morning to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Especially on my decorating projects... I have these dreadfully naked windows and just yesterday got a few things to help dress them up. (I hate naked windows! And I have to come up with something creative for the ugly polished brass rods, and eventually the books in those boxes will find a home on a yet to be built bookshelf, and...) Yes, it was quite tempting to take a break from "preschool" and work on "house." Then I was reminded that houses don't build relationships; doing preschool with your children builds relationships. My kids don't care if our windows have (or don't have) curtains, if the desk is a mess, or you can't hardly walk through the basement sewing/laundry room.

What they want... what they need ...is quality time with Mom.

Heat wave in the Nort Wuds!

2010-02-12T17:35:00.000-06:00

OK, so you know you're living in the "Nort Wuds" of Wisconsin when... you go to the grocery store or gas station and you feel like a wimp because it's 25 degrees (F) and you're wearing a jacket and hat and everyone else is in short sleeved T-shirts... (and that is a terribly long run-on sentence...) Only the "old" people were wearing jackets. Seriously?! Yeah, I've lived here before; but honestly, I don't remember 25 degrees (F not C) being a heat wave! "Ya gotta luv it!" :)

Mission Family Nutrition - Week Two

2010-02-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

Week Two of Mission Family Nutrition at Coming Clean. Last week my goal was to create and follow a menu. Well, the menu was created, but I can't say that I followed it exactly! Of course right after I make the menu Ally got the 24-hr stomach flu that RaeRae had last week. Since my whole day was spent taking care of her the only thing that we ate from the menu that day was breakfast (eggs and whole wheat toast, but not the fruit salad). But it worked out well later in the week, yesterday. Since I forgot to pull the chicken out of the freezer to thaw for dinner yesterday, I substituted what we were supposed to have for dinner Tuesday. ...Be flexible...be flexible...

Here's a recipe for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits that we had last night. It's from Sue Gregg's Eating Better Cookbook series Main Dishes. (Very educational cookbooks as well as delicious recipes. I highly recommend them!)

1. Blend together:

2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour (pastry preferred)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2. Cut into dry ingredients with pastry blender or two table knives until crumbly like small peas:

1/4 cup butter (unsalted preferred)

3. Blend egg and milk, then stir into dry ingredients just until blended; do not overwork dough:

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk (if using buttermilk powder combine powder with dry

ingredients in step one, and add water here.)

4. Knead dough lightly about 10 times on lightly floured surface with flour on hands. Pat out to 3/4" thickness and cut biscuits with rim of floured glass.

5. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

These biscuit are better made with Whole wheat pastry flour (ground from soft white wheat that has less gluten) instead of normal whole wheat flour (ground from hard wheat). All I had last night was the normal whole wheat flour and the biscuits were definitely not as light and fluffy as traditional biscuits. You could also use half whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour.

This week it's my goal to make a new bean dish. Thanks to WIC we get plenty of legumes. I didn't grow up eating many beans (except for chili or burritos), so it's a challenge for me to serve my family beans. If you have any tips, I'd definitely appreciate reading them!

Funtastic Frogs Review

2010-02-12T16:32:00.000-06:00

I can't remember where I first saw these fun math manipulatives, but I was immediately drawn to the bright colors. I knew that they would be a hit, and they are.

The girls love "playing" with them!

As you can see the large frogs fit perfectly on one's fingertips to make great finger puppets!

The frogs themselves come in a container of 108 frogs in 3 sizes and 6 colors (orange, green, red, blue, yellow, and oops I forgot the purple!), and strings for lacing. The happy frogs are made of colored plastic (they are not painted) and have a larger hole in the bottom (for putting on fingers or the logs you can get) and a small hole in the top for lacing. Please note that the medium and small sized frogs make excellent choking hazards so keep out of the reach of any at risk children (you know your child)! I purchased these from Rainbow Resource for $13.25. They do have a smaller package available with 72 mixed frogs for $11.25 or 108 of just the small frogs for $9.00. Keep in mind though that many of the cards and activities require all three sizes. These are great fun on their own ("how many frogs fit in this circle?") as well as with the activity cards or workbooks.

I bought three sets of activity cards: Matching and Counting, Color patterns, and Number Patterns. Rainbow Resource is the cheapest place to buy these at only $6.25 each. Each set has 17 cards, and each durable card has one brightly colored side and

one "coloring book" side that you can photocopy for recording or making your own patterns.

Matching and Counting Activity Cards: Using the frogs, match the color and size of each frog on the card. Count the frogs. Great for color and size recognition and learning to count. The recommended age is 5 and up, but Ally can do this well and she is not yet 3. This is the easiest set of activity cards.

Number Patterns Activity Cards: Match the frogs on the card. Look for a number pattern. Use the pattern to show what comes next or to find the missing frogs. This set of activity card only uses the small frogs.

Color Patterns Activity Cards: Match the color and size of each frog on the card. Look for a pattern. Use the pattern to show what comes next or to find the missing frogs.

There are other products available as well such as counting logs (that the small frogs snap onto. Available on Amazon.), Lacing Patterns Activity Cards, and a wide variety of math workbooks.

"Funtastic Frogs are FUN!"

Edible Number Recognition Game

2010-02-12T15:36:00.000-06:00

The morning was starting to get away from us, and the girls were asking for a snack. Yet still I wanted to work with them on number recognition. Soon in our piano lessons they will start to number the fingers, so I want to make sure that both girls can recognize the numerals 1-5. Rather than try to fit in one more thing before giving them a snack, I created this little number game to make snack time educational.

*Step 1: cut a piece of blue construction paper in half lengthwise.
*Step 2: free-hand cut waves into the one long side of the paper.
*Step 3: write numbers 1,2,3,4,5 (or whatever numbers you want to work
on) evenly spaced on the paper.
*Step 4: using a green crayon draw wavy vertical lines to create seaweed
between each of the numbers.
*Step 5: fill a small bowl with 15 GoldFish

Object: For the child to recognize each numeral and place the correct number of GoldFish in the correct part of the sea.

Preparation time: 5 minutes (more or less depending on the number of helpers that you have)

Mission Family Nutrition - Week One

2010-02-05T08:04:00.000-06:00

Melinda at Coming Clean is challenging women to track down healthier eating habits for their families over the next six weeks. So, here we go...

After Ally was born, I did a lot of reading on good nutrition. We drastically lowered, to basically zero, our refined sugar intake substituting with honey and fructose. We lowered fat intake. I baked homemade whole wheat bread. Even ground my own flour (which stopped when my grinder vibrated off the shelf and fell down the basement stairs to land in a multitude of pieces...ouch!). And we stayed away from commercially processed foods as much as possible (we made homemade Mac 'n Cheese and made our own pizza). But then something happened. Somewhere along the line something changed and we got away from many of our healthy eating habits. So, this challenge is the perfect time to get back on track.

Here's the problem I need to fix first:

Yesterday afternoon I looked at the clock as we were all busy doing stuff in the living room; and to my dismay, it was 5:00. What do I make for supper when I don't have much time?! Box mix Mac 'n Cheese, breaded chicken tenders from the freezer, frozen peas and carrots, and instant Chocolate pudding. I didn't think ahead and so we ate whatever was handy. That's pretty typical at our house lately (and a lot of store bought pizza which isn't easy on the wallet either). Now it's time for that to change.

My first goal for Mission Nutrition is to make and follow a menu...weekly... let's say Monday afternoons so I can do my shopping after Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday. And I'll work in some fresh fruits and vegetables daily as well.

Look out Bad Habits... this is war!

Giveaway at Putting God First Place

2010-02-04T19:49:00.000-06:00

Ashley over at Putting God First Place, is hosting a special giveaway this week. Moody Publishers has agreed to give a copy of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book Choosing Forgiveness to three blessed winners. And to make your odds even better you can enter daily! This giveaway is open till Saturday, February 6.

Check it out!

Word-Filled Wednesday

2010-02-03T21:58:00.007-06:00

I am so excited to be living in the country again; I just had to share this picture of the view from the window over my kitchen sink this morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
²²It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

More Word-Filled Wednesdays here.

Preschool curriculum

2010-02-02T22:00:00.005-06:00

Finally some "normalcy" so I can finally open the box of preschool curriculum and materials and start "Preschool" with my girls.

Here's the "curriculum" that I'm using, at least for the next few weeks:

For Bible we are reading 365 Bible Stories for Young Hearts (see my review here) combined with coloring pages that I have found for free online. Since the girls' Sunday School class is working it's way through Creation, I decided to start in the New Testament.

For Phonics I am basing a lot of my method on Mommy Teach Me To Read (Montessori method review here). The homeschool teacher project that I mentioned in my last post that is waiting for me to finish it, is sandpaper letter flashcards. I have the sandpaper, I have the templates, I have the glue, I have the flashcards (although not the colored ones that the Montessori method uses), I just have to put everything together. So in the mean time we are using the magnetic letters that I bought at Toys R Us and the 3 period lesson (definition and how to here)

For Math I have a variety of things planned. One that I am excited about are the Funtastic Frogs and a couple sets of the activity cards. (I'll have to do a review on these later, but until then you can find them on amazon or www.rainbowresource.com). My mom has also given the girls sets from the creators of Hooked on Phonics called Hooked on Numbers and Hooked on Shapes. (again, I'll have to review these later)

One of the goals we have as a family is to learn Spanish. We feel that it will give our kids a greater advantage in life as well as ministry opportunities. So for Spanish we are using a workbook program called Flip Flop Spanish, especially for 3-5 year olds.

For "Getting to know my world" (science) I have purchased the book Bubbles, Rainbows, and Worms.

I'm also planning on teaching my kids piano. I love music and playing the piano. It's my goal to instill in my children a love for music as well. RaeRae has been having fun playing her own songs so I decided that it's time to start. Besides learning to play the piano early on has so many advantages in other areas of life (higher math scores for example). So I will be using the Music for Little Mozarts series.

I also have many other workbooks bought from the Dollar Tree (can't go wrong for $1), activities from Discovery Toys, and many other Montessori type hands on learning activities that I plan on going into in more detail soon.

Laugh if you will at my conglomeration of materials. I seem to be rather an eclectic homeschooler! :-) There are things I love about Classical, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori methods; and so, I mix and match like a crazy patchwork quilt.

I'm back!

2010-02-02T21:01:00.003-06:00

Home... yes, our new house starting to look like home. Except for the boxes of books in the living room waiting for some bookshelfs, and an empty shelf in the dining room (I need to put some books there too), and the piles of leftover junk when you walk in the back porch, and stacks of boxes waiting to be organized or moved in what will be my craft room/laundry room, I would say it's starting to look like home. I have a laundry basket of clothes waiting to be put away. There are toys and dvds strewn across the living room floor from kids playing. There's a homeschool teacher project waiting for me to finish (I've got all the supplies in one place so I consider that to have started). I have pictures on the walls (some...), and pillows on the couch (no, wait, they're on the floor too!). I do have a lot of work to do yet, for example my windows desperately need to be dressed. But we are finally to the point where we can start to have some routine again. YAY!

We really are loving this place. Oh sure, our house has its quirks. But then we are a family with some quirks. It's great to finally be back in the country again, instead of in the middle of town. I have some great ambitions for this summer with gardening, and I'm even considering raising chickens... we'll see. But mostly we're loving this place where God has our family. This is without a shadow of a doubt where God wants us to be. Right here, Right now! There have been so many blessings that we have received through this move. Out of all the five moves of the five years of our marriage, in this move we have seen God answer prayer and bless the most.

The fact that we are renting this house on eight acres in the country is an answer to prayer. After talking the first time to the landlord and getting all the information, Matt and I talked it over and decided it sounded like the best place out of all that I called about. So I called the landlord back the next day to set up a time to look at it (this was Christmas week). He told me that someone else was going to look at it the next day and he was pretty sure that they would end up renting it, and besides he thought it would be too small for our family (never assume you know the needs of someone else!). I was devastated. All the other places available to rent in this area cost more and would have been more headache for our family. So I prayed. I told God that if he wanted us to make this move, He would have to work out all the details. And I specifically added that it would be great if the other people wouldn't rent this house. Well, the landlord called be back the next day, the other people never even saw the house. They called him and said that it wasn't going to work for them. God very clearly let us know that He wants us RIGHT HERE! Another blessing was that we were able to sell (on craigslist) some furniture that we no longer were going to need and our oven quickly. Then on the Sunday before we left, our church family surprised us with a love offering. Between the love offering and the sale of the oven the amount of money came to the exact amount that we needed for the moving truck and the load of firewood we had delivered (we heat our house with wood)! Isn't God great! We had perfect weather for moving (sunny and temps in the 30s, wonderful for da nort wuds of Wisconsin in January unlike when my sister and sister-in-law moved New Year's weekend and it was barely above 0.). There were no injuries while moving or accidents while traveling. Then to top everything off, the pastor's wife of our new church brought us a meal (lasted the girls and I four days!), and our new church collected bags and bags of food to get us started and help offset all the extra moving costs. I must admit that I was a little over whelmed at that point! As I said, God has affirmed over, and over again now more than any other move of our marriage that this is where He wants us to be. The best thing of all is that we are together again! I am so THANKFUL! that My Man doesn't have to travel for work any more! Sure, him working nights takes some getting used to, but it's great that he is home and available for us during the day.

THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOUR MANY BLESSINGS!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

Where did this last year go? Wow, each year seems to go by faster and faster. Granted, we had a lot of things going on last year. Which makes me think of another thing... Why do we seem to crowd so many things into so little time. Some things of course cannot be helped (moving, having a baby, a new job, etc.), but what about the things that we purposely cram into our lives. Maybe an extra hobby, extra sports for our children, countless school and/or church activities, an extra job for vacation money (or even an identity if you otherwise stay home?). Family lives in the USA seem to be always rushing here, rushing there, doing this, and doing that; and in the process our children get left on the sidelines or dragged along behind us. Hmm... Not exactly what I want for my children. But I'm getting off on a rabbit trail... More on that later.

This new year is starting out busy as well. After finishing what is likely the busiest December of my life (hosting the church teen Christmas party, hosting my mother-in-law's surprise 50th birthday party at which we had 46 people, preparing for and hosting an Emergency Preparedness Seminar, practicing a couple times a week for the church Christmas cantata, and hosting 2 family Christmas celebrations, and... I'm dizzy just writing about it!), I was ready for a quiet January. Alas, that is not to happen. No, instead of picking my way through the pile of books that I have accumulated and teaching my daughter to read herself, I will be packing the books, and the toys, and the dishes, and my mounds of fabric, and... Yes, just 8 months after moving into this lovely, old, way too big house (I never thought that I would say that!), we are moving again. My husband has accepted a new job where he will not have to travel (Woohoo!), and so we are moving to a new location almost 5 hours away. After moving 6 times in the last 6 years, I am getting quite sick of it. Whatever happened to getting married and living in the same house for over 50 years? Although I know that this will not be the last time we move in our lifetime, I hope and pray that it will be at least 2 years before we move again. But God knows.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Even though I'm not exactly thrilled to go through the process of moving again, I'm excited about what God has planned for our family in 2010! And hopefully after all the boxes have been unpacked, I'll finally get to that stack of books! Until then, don't expect to hear much from me. Until the end of January I'll probably still be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get everything done and all the while reminding myself that I can't be super-mom so I need to slow down...
So have a Happy New Year, everyone! God Bless!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T18:12:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone! May you all have a wonderful Christ-filled day filled with peace, joy, and many precious moments!

2009-12-24T18:02:00.003-06:00

RaeRae and Ally sang special music for church the first time on Sunday. The Preschool Sunday School class said their memory verse and sang Away In A Manger.
1 John 4:10 "God loved us and sent His Son."

Pictures of the kids

2009-12-24T18:00:00.000-06:00

So excited!

2009-10-13T20:31:00.004-05:00

When I saw that the theme for this weeks photo contest at www.iheartfaces.com was "Excited!" I had to enter this photo of RaeRae and the peonies in our backyard. The girls love flowers, and the peonies were so big... and their favorite color... pink! She was having so much fun!

Look for more "Excited!" photos at I ♥ Faces!

Crib Skirt Tutorial - single box pleat

2009-10-06T21:36:00.005-05:00

My first tutorial! Hopefully this makes enough sense...

This tutorial is for a box pleat crib skirt or otherwise know as a tailored crib skirt I believe. This picture and fabric does not show the box pleat very well. There is just one box pleat in the center of each side of the crib. There are no pleats on the ends.

Step ONE: Cut fabric.
You will need:
2 lengths of fabric that are 62 1/2" x 15 1/2" for the sides of the crib and
2 lengths of fabric that are 29" x 15 1/2" for the ends of the crib

For a crib skirt with a stripe at the bottom in accent color (for example see my valences) you will need:
2 lengths of main fabric that are 62 1/2" x 11"
2 lengths of accent color fabric that are 62 1/2" x 5 1/2"
2 lengths of main fabric that are 29" x 11"
2 lengths of accent color fabric that are 29" x 5 1/2"

Step One B (for crib skirt with a stripe on bottom only): Match up each piece of main fabric with an accent color fabric piece of the same length. Sew main fabric piece to accent color piece with right sides together 1/2" from edge (or surge to keep from future fraying). Do this with all four pieces of main fabric so that you have four lengths of fabric with the main color on top and a stripe of accent fabric on the bottom. Continue on to Step Two.

Step Two: Hem fabric ends.
Fold the narrow ends of each piece of fabric over 1/4", then fold the end over 1/4" again so that the raw fabric edge is on the inside. I hate to pin, so I fold as I stitch which is why I do a 1/4" hem on the ends. It is much easier to fold a 1/4" hem as I sew than a 1/2" or 1" hem. If you are not comfortable with folding the hem as you sew, then pin.
Step Three: Hem bottom edge.
Here you will want a 1/2" hem. Fold the bottom edge of fabric over 1/2" then fold it over 1/2" again so that the raw edge is on the inside. Pin. Sew. Of course you can always do as I do and cheat. I love The Nester's saying that "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." So when I do things for my own home I'll take whatever shortcuts I can as long as it still looks great. So I "cheated" on this by just doing as I did on the end hems. Fold and sew a 1/4" hem instead of folding, pining, and sewing a 1/2" hem. It just makes the skirt 1/4" longer.

Step Four: Create the box pleat.
This is the fun part! Not because it's difficult, but it's a box pleat skirt so it's fun to finally see the pleat. Or maybe I'm just easily amused... Anyway I've drawn a diagram to help you see this. (And besides, I goofed up and didn't allow enough fabric to make the size pleat that I wanted to so I ended up with only 1/2" where I should have had 2". Follow the diagram and your's will be much better than mine!)

Find the exact middle of both of the long lengths of fabric and mark with a pin or marking device (if you stay within 1/2" of the edge you should be safe to mark with a pen or pencil as it will be in the seam allowance and not show in your final masterpiece). (Note that there will only be pleats on the sides of the crib skirt and not on the ends.) Then measure 4" on either side of the middle and mark. Pinch fabric at the far left mark and bring it in to the middle mark. Pin. Repeat with the right side.Your fabric should be folded as in the diagram above only tighter and pinned with raw edges together of course instead of loose. In other words the point at which the two sides should meet is on the line right under the 4. (Does this make sense or is it confusing. I seem to have that effect on people... Confusing them I mean...)

Next stitch the pleat together 1/4" from the edge (only 1/4" so that your seam will not be visible in your final masterpiece). This will hold your pleat together till you stitch it to the deck (the part that goes under the mattress) without the risk of a pin falling out.

Step Five: Cutting out the deck.
In a perfect world everything would come out to the exact specification that you intended: the need for a deck piece that is 54" x 28" (remember we are allowing for 1/2" seam allowance). However, the world is far from perfect. And I don't know about you but my sewing isn't always perfect either. So I save this cutting for now.

Lay the fabric from which the deck will be cut out on a large, flat, preferably somewhat hard surface (ie: your living room floor) with the right side facing down. Really any fabric can be used for this. I used some cheap muslin that I had on hand. Then lay out your skirt piece like in the picture below.
Once you are satisfied that your corners are square and the sides are straight, and the inside rectangle is approximately 53" x 27", trace the inside edges with a pen. Remove the skirt pieces and cut the deck fabric 1/2" on the outside of the line you traced (seam allowance remember).

Step Six: Sew(Surge) the skirt to the deck.
With right sides together sew (or surge) each skirt piece to the deck 1/2" from the raw edge.

Step Seven: Put Crib Skirt on crib.

Step Eight: Stand back and admire your beautiful masterpiece!

Encouraging Husbands During Financial Trials

2009-09-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

No matter what the pundits and politicians have to say, the economy is a challenge for most of us normal families out here in the real world, and in some parts it seems to be getting even more challenging. As helpers suitable for our husbands, how can we, as godly wives, encourage our men when they are feeling down about their job situations and money issues?...

This is such an excellent post by Kimberly Eddy over At The Well. For most of our five years of marriage we have been living paycheck to paycheck, but finances have become even more of a struggle for us over the past two and a half years. It seems that we barely get back on our feet and "caught up" before the next layoff hits. This year alone My Man has been paid Unemployment more weeks than he has from his job. He was laid off due to weather and lack of work from the end of October till July, and now he will be laid off for all of September while the construction company he works for is in between jobs. But as Kimberly writes, "God is my provider." He has taught us some valuable things through it all. The first is that God is faithful. The second is that Debt KILLS! STAY AWAY FROM IT!!! The third is how not to be attached to things (we had to sell our house). And there is so much more! Like worrying about tomorrow... It seems that this is lesson that God must teach me over and over again. He IS in control, and I just have to trust in Him. My attitude will affect my husband. Kimberly gives some excellent advice as to how we can encourage our husbands during financial trials. Read her post At The Well.

International Babywearing Week

2009-09-26T20:30:00.004-05:00

I love babywearing! I didn't always. When the girls were babies I had a Evenflo Snugglie; but it was so hard to get them in and out, especially if they were sleeping. I did find it useful when RaeRae was a small baby. We lived only a block from the library, so I would put her in the Snugglie and then zip up My Man's winter jacket over the both of us. It wasn't long though before she grew too big for that. I also had a ring sling but it was too big for me (it didn't have a long tail) and it had such thick padding on the rails that the baby seemed to get lost and smothered in it. Needless to say I didn't think very much of babywearing at that time. When I was pregnant with Baby Bear though, I knew that I was going to have to be able to carry him hands free more than I had needed to with the girls. I had some friends who had been able to babywear successfully, so I thought I would do some more research into it. I am SO glad I did! The MUST-Go-To site for finding out more about babywearing is The Babywearer. They have so much information about so many different kinds of baby carriers, pros and cons, how to's, diy tips, and so much more! My most used carrier has been the Wrap Style carrier. Also known as the Moby Wrap. I actually have three of these that I made myself. Two of a brown cotton/polyester blend, light knit fabric, and one of a cotton gauze. The knit is great because it's no-sew, so it's super easy to make! I just took 4 yards and cut it in half length-wise so I would have two carriers. It's also great for small infants and for nursing because you can get a snugger fit. The con of knit is that it does tend to stretch and sag if I carry Ally with it. You also wouldn't want to use a 100% polyester knit... It's way to hot!
Here I am hiking with Baby Bear in what Moby Wrap calls the Lotus Hold. His feet are crossed and tucked up infront of him. It's a great position for babies who are gassy, or like Baby Bear, want to feel more secure but still face forward to see all that's going on. He fell asleep so I tucked his head just inside the part going over my shoulder so his head wouldn't bob all around. Also to make the wrap look more stylish I tied the knot on the side, as you can see, instead of infront or in back. (I wouldn't recommend doing that for all holds though.)
Here's the Baby Bear after he woke up. His feet are still tucked up to his chest, but his arms and head are free to move around.
Here he's a little older and feels safe enough to let his feet dangle.
Here I am using the wrap made from the cotton gauze. It's more light weight than the knit. The cons are that you do have to hem or surge the edges, it's not as stretchy so it's harder to get the right fit for nursing. The knit wrap is my first choice to take shopping. Especially if I'm shopping alone with all three kids! It makes shopping trips much quicker too because I don't have to stop and sit to nurse Baby Bear... I nurse him hands free while I shop! And with the knit wrap it's very modest and discreet.

To find wearing instructions for a wrap style carrier go here to the Moby Wrap website, or here to The Babywearer for links to other sites with instructions.

Though I love the wrap carrier, I found that I sometimes need a carrier that's quick and easy to put on. So I decided to make a Ring Sling. The fabric I used is a medium weight linen. (Simple cotton weave/quilting fabric is not wise to use as it's not made for heavy wear and tear.) The Ring Sling is versatile (although not as versatile as the wrap). Baby Bear's favorite position in the Ring Sling is similar to the Lotus hold in the Wrap carrier, with his feet crossed and tucked up by his chest.
Here I am with the Ring Sling that I made. (Baby Bear was sleeping so I borrowed a baby doll to pose with :-) ) You can find all the information you need to make a ring sling at Jan Andrea's site. Before making your own Ring Sling, PLEASE!!! read the information that she has first! It's important to the safety of your baby that you use the right fabric and rings.

The last type of carrier that I made was a Pouch Sling similar to HotSlings or New Native. I wanted something that would be easy and more "manly" so that My Man could enjoy "wearing" Baby Bear as well. Especially since he travels for work and is gone most of the week. I thought this would give them more bonding opportunity. The instructions are found at Jan Andrea's site
Here is My Man posing with Baby Bear's baby bear (Baby Bear was already sleeping). Honestly though, this carrier hasn't been used much. A Pouch Sling should be custom made to fit the adult wearer, and I'm afraid that I made this one a touch to small. It works, but it's a little snug. For more help in measuring for the right fit watch this video from ZoloWear (I wish I had seen it before making the Pouch). If you are not certain of the amount of fabric you should use add an inch or two. Remember, you can always make it smaller. The other thing that would make this a little nicer is a button to adjust the fit. ZoloWear has video instructions on how to use a Pouch Sling and you can see the advantages of having an adjustable fit (Getting Started video).

So there you have it! I hope this was helpful. Do you have a baby carrier that you enjoy using? I'd love to hear about it and why you enjoy it.

Happy Babywearing!

New Design

2009-09-24T21:57:00.001-05:00

I decided that it was time for a new design. So tell me... What do you think?

Summer days

2009-09-21T21:14:00.004-05:00

Ah, the swing

RaeRae's first fish!

"Ally's" first fish

Helping Great Grandma water the grass

Fishing on the dock

Watching Mommy hang out clothes

So sweet

Swinging with Auntie Jen

Peace and quiet when motherhood is stressful

2009-09-21T20:16:00.005-05:00

Ah... Peace and quiet! It's a rather odd thing in our house, unless I stay up late or get up extremely early. No, it's not late or early... it's only 8:00pm! Matt decided to set up the tent in the backyard and camp out with the girls tonight. Hope he sleeps well! I know I'm going to enjoy this peace and quiet! I've got my favorite radio station on (abindingradio.com) and my favorite large mug from AtHome America full of Nestle's Rich Chocolate hot cocoa mix with milk. The only things that would make this better are fuzzy slippers, a comfy chair (not the kitchen table chair we currently have at the desk), and pleasant candle burning (I would but the desk is too crowded, but now that I think of it I might have Matt hang a shelf over the desk just for burning candles...).

Ah yes... time to take a breath, to clear my head. It seems things have been so busy and hectic lately. Has it really been or have the kids just been acting up more...? As I logged on to blogger just now and skimmed over the blogs that I follow I came across this encouraging post on At The Well. Motherhood has been rather stressful for me lately. I have a portion of THE MOM SONG by Go Fish as the ringtone on my cell. "If you have a lot of fun, but your work is never done, you're a MOM!" Lately I've been feeling like the work is never done, but I haven't been having much fun. I love my kids dearly; but these last few days I haven't been able to enjoy them. That bothers me. I know that they will not be little for very long. And God gave children to be a blessing, not a curse. I have to say though that the fault does not lie with my children. How can I show true 1 Corinthians 13 love, when I am not meeting regularly with the source of love, Jesus Christ? Obviously when I am trying in my own strength to meet the needs of my family, I am going to fail. It's only when I am leaning on Christ for His strength and letting His love shine through me, that I will have peace and joy and will truly be able to enjoy my kids! It's so easy to let the cares of this world crowd our lives. The cares of home: dishes, laundry, clean toilets, meals. Even the cares of church. Matt and I love being involved in our church. We want our children to grow up learning how and desiring to serve God. Yet even church ministries should not crowd out our children.

Abiding. Abiding in Christ. Drawing from His love, His strength. Being Christ focused. Not world focused, not home focused, not ministry focused. CHRIST focused!

John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Cherry Pitting

2009-08-10T19:23:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Aunt Tammy brought us back some cherries from Door County. Beautiful, bright red, tart cherries. Perfect for fresh cherry pie... except for one thing: the pits. So I called Matt's mom, the cook, to see if she had a cherry pitter. "No," she said. "I found that you fingernail orks just as well, or a pointy end of a spoon." Well, using my fingers sounded very messy (I had tried that with Bing cherries), and I didn't have a spoon with a narrow pointy handle. But as I was digging through my silverware drawer, I found my Pampered Chef orange pealer (I've only gotten orange pealers from Pampered Chef, so others might be the same way, I don't know) which on the opposite end from the orange pealer side had the perfect end for digging out cherry pits. Perfect. It really was quite easy with the right tool. Note: this works well for tart cherries, not with bing cherries which have a larger pit (I tried). Before the kids woke up from their nap I had 8 cups of cherries pitted. Enough for two pies. So I made two, baked one and froze the other. Yummy!

Fun with Friends

2009-08-10T18:20:00.002-05:00

Not long ago my friend LeAnna from Written Windows and her family came to visit us for a few days. LeAnna and her husband are on misionaries on deputation to New Zealand, and they needed a place to hang out in between meetings. We always love having them visit! I was glad they came when they did too because that evening, right at supper time, the tornado siren went off! So down to the very messy basement we all went. This was quite an adventure. First the tornado siren is right next to our house... very loud! Then as I said the basement was quite messy, not just because it's a basement, but because we have pretty much ignored it since we moved in 3 months ago. And don't forget that it's supper time! 4 kids, 3 adults, 1 baby in a messy basement at supper time. Well, as you can see we made it work!
Before they left we were able to go to the park.

They all have so much fun playing together!
Check out that hair!

Camping

2009-08-10T17:49:00.004-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we went camping to one of our favorite places to be. The Bible camp where I grew up, where My Man and I met, where My Man proposed, and where my Mother-in-law still works as cook.

We had such a great time! The girls loved sleeping in a tent, fishing, hiking, seeing the horses, and their favorite part... picking the raspberries that were next to our camp site. Actually, we picked a great weekend to go because the raspberries were abundant. I was able to bring home about 7 cups to stick in the freezer to use in Mrs. Sedovic's Raspberry Christmas Pie... YUM! Of course there will be some extra to use in... whatever. I love raspberries! And it seems that Ally has inherited that from me. She spent every moment she could picking berries and popping them in her mouth!Here are the girls helping Daddy set up the tent.

Nana with all her kiddos: RaeRae, Eli, Ally, and Baby Bear

A quiet evening fishing and the camp lake... yeah right... the girls are 3 and 2! But it was fun, and I caught the only fish. A bass, but too small to keep.

Baby Bear all snug for the night in the tent. This is one of the fleece sleeper sacks I made before RaeRae was born. Isn't he so cute in it!

We really had a great time. Hopefully we will be able to go camping again, but for longer than just one night.

Rainy Day and Potty Training

2009-07-22T20:27:00.004-05:00

I have done it. Well, ok... we're working on it. But I am determined! It is TIME for Ally to completely potty train. We started working with her five months ago but had several set backs. Now however, we WILL do this! We are almost out of pull-ups (just enough left for Sundays and shopping days), and I am NOT buying more. (Can you sense my determination?) Monday was good. We spent a lot of time outside, so I took the little blue potty chair out with us. We only had one accident all day! I think that it helped that she thought it so fun to be able to go potty outside... Tuesday wasn't so good, by the time I caught on to the fact that she wanted to go on the "blue potty" which was outside, it was pouring rain. I should have just gone out in the rain to get it. Oh well... Today was better than yesterday. We still had several accidents, but not as many. And... she stayed dry over nap time! That's a first! She got a popsicle for that (and one to share with RaeRae). I wanted to spend most of our time this week outside. Alas, that has not happened. We woke up this morning to more rain. So, as we like to do occasionally when it's supposed to be rainy all day and we can't go out to play, we had a Rainy Day, Pajama Day! Well, the girls stayed in their PJs. The Charter guys came this afternoon to switch our internet to a wireless conection so I had to get dressed. After breakfast they asked to watch a movie. As they were picking out what they wanted to watch, I had a brillant idea. Why not let them watch a movie in a tent? Then I realized how perfect our front entry is for building a tent. A king sized blanket, a couple of clothes pins, and three dining room chairs, and we were all set!
Of course that was just the tent top... We had to make this really comfy, so the girls got the cushions from the back of the sofa in the office and a pile of blankets to make a comfy cozy bed inside the tent. The cushions fit perfectly under the piano.
They had fun (despite having issues over sharing the pink minky blanket), and I had some quiet, not a bad morning.

Hair Braids

2009-07-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

I have come across a couple of new hair blogs recently, and I thought I would give some of the ideas a try. This one came from Kenzie Girl, and was supposed to look something like this.However, Ally's hair was to short; so the braids stuck out like Pippy Longstocking. So I pulled all four braids together into one pony so it looked like this.
I ended up doing RaeRae's the same way.I love braids because generally, with my girls, they can stay in for more than one day, and the girls love the "poofy" hair when you take the braids out! :-)

Stephanie's giveaway

2009-07-22T19:47:00.004-05:00

My friend Stephanie at The Hanes Family Chronicles is having a giveaway in honor of her Sweet Pea's first birthday! If you haven't checked out her Etsy shop, Sew Inspired By Baby, her button is in my side-bar. Right now she's giving away these two cool items. Check it out here!

Pouring Pitchers - Preschool

2009-07-17T20:38:00.002-05:00

I found these pitchers at Goodwill when we were in Appleton the other day. Pouring Pitchers is a Montessori preschool activity that teaches coordination and pouring skills. I had AllyOoper use the two plain pitchers (Still thinking of something for the flowered one) to pour water back and forth. Be sure to demonstrate this very precisely before allowing your child to do it herself. I found that a towel placed under the pitchers is quite helpful. :-) The first pour ended up all over the table! This is the second towel in the picture. Ally did this for about 5-8 minutes before starting to get sloppy (which is when I took this picture). RaeRae did it for a few minutes too, but she needs a little more activity to the game, so I might find some cups for her to pour into.

Book Finds

2009-07-17T20:06:00.005-05:00

Every time I go to Appleton I like to go to the Goodwill by the mall. In the past I have found some pretty good finds at pretty good prices. Like this:
However this time the selection was small compared to normal and the prices seamed to have gone up. Still, I was very excited to find these two books. Both of these books I had growing up. I have been looking for the Christian Mother Goose book for some time, so I was very excited to see it at Goodwill. And as a bonus, it was 50% off! So I only paid $2.00 for it. Happy Day!

Glitterful Felt Stories Giveaway at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls

2009-07-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

Hop on over to Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls for this neat giveaway. Glitterful Felt Stories provides a creative and interactive introduction to literacy. They have felt sets that go along with classic stories such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and Goldilocks And The Three Bears, and fun songs. Looks like a lot of fun!

Back to work

2009-07-06T21:15:00.003-05:00

Matt went back to work today. Finally! It's been way too long. Unfortunately, he is in Minnesota. He'll be gone now from 3:00 Monday morning till 9:30 Thursday night for the next 8+ weeks. :-( It's been 18 hours, and I miss him already... The girls couldn't understand why he was working so late today. I didn't have the heart to tell them that he wouldn't be home till Thursday. They have been used to having him around most, if not all, day. But the good news is that I made it through day one without pulling my hair out. It helped a ton that the girls spent two hours at Tammy's (Matt's aunt who runs a daycare) this morning. I probably would've been pulling my hair out too, if it were not also for my sister, Jenelle. She moved in with us two weeks ago, and I'm so glad that she did. Bedtime tonight would not have been as "fun" if she were not here to hold Baby Bear while I put the girls to bed. One down this week, three to go...

The last month

2009-06-06T17:06:00.004-05:00

I feel like I have so much updating to do! A lot, and I really mean A LOT has happened in the last month. Which is why I haven't blogged in quite some time. We ended April with the good news that the sale of our house was approved and we should start looking for some place to move to because we were likely to close within a month. This is what I dreaded when we signed the contract with the realtor back in January, that we would end up moving in May or June. Well, we already had a place lined up to move into, it just involved moving the previous occupants (family) out first which we weren't planning on doing just yet. Well after talking it over we all decided that it would be best to move as soon as possible so that we could be "settled in" before the baby was born. So all plans were put on fast forward and within 2 weeks we had most of their stuff moved out and our things moved in. The following weekend we had a rummage sale then Baby Bear was born, then we had to finish emptying our old house. It was such a relief to hand over the keys to the buyers at the closing! But of course while we were focusing on readying the old house, we were putting off projects on the new house; so then our focus switched; and though things have slowed down some, we're still running! So as I'm able I will continue to blog... here... and there... and maybe in between...

My Mother's Day gift!

2009-06-06T16:24:00.006-05:00

Barrett Daniel
born Mother's Day, May 10th at 12:37pm
9lbs 7oz, 21 1/2in

Mother's Day morning I woke up crabby, tired, and rather depressed. For the last few nights I had not slept well due to contractions that would come 8 to 10 minutes apart, sometimes closer. Alas during the day when I was up and moving around they subsided. Saturday I made sure to walk a lot. It was town wide rummage sales that weekend; and while Matt was watching over our own rummage sale trying to sell everything that was leftover after our move (more on that later), I took RaeRae and we walked, and walked. Our (former) town is small enough that you can walk everywhere, but it is still a lot of walking especially when you are carrying an extra 45lbs straight out front or when you are 3 1/2 yrs old.

And being that all the rummaging wasn't enough we went shopping after, just to do some more walking. This baby boy had to be born that night, so I thought. Matt's brother was flying back to CA. Mother's day afternoon and from there would be shipped to Afghanistan in other 10 days. So if he was going to see the baby it had to be soon... Well, obviously my contractions did not continue to increase on Saturday; and after another sleepless night and then contractions subsiding again on Sunday morning, I really did not want to go to church. (Besides who really wants to hear the comments "You're still here?!" what do you know, they can see!) But it was Sunday; and there was still going to be Sunday School and church; so I needed to pick out clothes for the girls. There I am standing in their closet, and all of a sudden... a warm gush down my leg... my water broke! It was going to be a baby day after all! Half an hour later the contractions started, and within an hour we were headed to the hospital. Now since I had tested positive for Group B strep, I had to have an IV of antibiotics when we got to the hospital, and ideally another dose 4 hours later to give the baby the most protection. Well... that was not going to happen... My water broke at 8:10, we got to the hospital about 10:00, IV started at 10:30, 12:00 I was at 9 cm., 12:15 started pushing, 12:37 Barrett was born. Whew... Though we didn't get the second dose of antibiotics, God protected our little boy and he did not show any signs of infection at all. He was strong and healthy; our little Buddy Bear! And though I didn't get breakfast in bed on Mother's Day, I did get breakfast in bed the next day, and a soak in a big whirlpool tub, and a free hand and foot massage! Thank you for my Mother's Day gift Barrett!

Montessori Preschool

2009-04-15T21:32:00.002-05:00

I think I have found the preschool "curriculum" I am going to use with my children. A friend of mine, LeAnna @ Written Windows, used to work in a Montessori preschool and recommend that I look at some of the methods. I was reluctant at first because from what I had read Montessori's methods seemed like unschooling to me. I did though get the book How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin from the library and eventually got around to reading it. Then I found recommended on Cathy Duffy's site, www.cathyduffyreviews.com, Mommy Teach Me and Mommy Teach Me to Read by Barbara Curtis, a Montessori preschool "curriculum" from a Christian perspective.

Basically, with Montessori learning doesn't just occur in a structured classroom type setting with lesson plans and workbooks. Really the Montessori classroom is the world, specificaly the world of the child. Barbara Curtis explains that there are five God-given potentials that each child has. They are the potentials for independance, order, self-control, concentration, and service. Each child also has "sensitive periods" that should be taken advantage of in order for the learning process to be the easiest. Each "sensitive period" only occurs once and after that time ends the learning process is more difficult. The "sensitive periods" consist of movement (0-1), language (0-6), small objects/hand-eye coordination (1-4), order (2-4), music (2-6), toileting (18mo - 3), grace and courtesy (2-6), senses (2-6), writing (3-4), reading (3-5), spatial relationships (4-6), and mathematics (4-6). With the Montessori method many different activities are used to teach and develop the child's potentials while taking advantage of the sensitive periods. Many of these activities can be put together with common items you may have around you house. Other items may need to be purchased or made such as sand paper letters or small pitchers to fit your child's hands. It is also important to create a child-friendly home: pictures at the child's level, books, toys and activities were the child can reach them, a special place for the child to read, etc.

In How to Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way there are tips on making a child-friendly home, sensory activities, activities to build independance and encourage service, exploring the outdoors, learning about other cultures, reading, math, and science all with full color photos. There is also a chapter on "Keeping the Peace." As a Christian, I would use the activities but skip this chapter on discipline and "peace."

Barbara Curtis in Mommy Teach Me! gives instructions for many of the same activities and more. The activities that she explains in her book are what she calls "small beginnings exercises" (which develop the five potentials as well as gross and fine motor skills, sensory discrimination, and hand-eye coordination), manipulatives (cognitive and fine motor skills), imaginative play, math, science, geography, fine arts, and spiritual life. Reading is taught in her book Mommy Teach Me to Read! Barbara Curtis also thoroughly explains how to introduce the activities to your child, as well as gives a list of items needed for each one.

I think that this method of preschool would go along very nicely with Charlotte Mason's style as she advocated the preschool years be spent learning as much about their world in their world (specificaly outdoors) and not in a highly structured "school" setting. This also would work with the classical method since it exposes the child to liturature and prepares them for concentration and critical thinking.

My plan now is to buy Mommy Teach Me! and Mommy Teach Me to Read!, start collecting materials to use, and then after Baby Bear is born, and we are settled in our new house and into our new routine, I can start introducing more of these concepts and activities into our day.

Don't Make Me Count To Three: a Mom's Look at Heart Oriented Discipline - by Ginger Plowman

2009-04-15T20:13:00.004-05:00

One day while looking at books on Amazon.com, I came across this book by Ginger Plowman. Being frustrated with the actions of my children and our discipline techniques that didn't seem to be working, I decided to borrow this book from the library (which I like to do with any book if I can before I decide to buy it). I am glad that I did.

The book starts by defining discipline.

"Biblical discipline involves love, the heart, and God's Word. Because God is concerned with the issues of the heart, biblical discipline involves much more than outward behavior. Biblical discipline gets to the heart of the problem." (pg 26)

We have Ted Tripp's book Shepherding a Child's Heart which is an excellent book on heart oriented discipline (I would recommend it as well), but it didn't offer much practical how-to's to a mom of young children like me. That's what I loved the most about Don't Make Me Count To Three, Ginger Plowman gives a lot of practical how-to's and plenty of examples. She walks you through how to develop your skills at probing the heart of your child (even young children. Ginger gives examples of her own daughter at 3 years old), how to train your children to think like Christians, how to use God's Word for reproof and correction, and how to Biblically use the "rod." She also includes sections on how to lead your child to Christ, and how to pray for your child.

Since applying the principles in this book to our own family, I can honestly say that I can see a difference not just in my children but also in myself. I still struggle with consistency, frustration, and at times disciplining in anger; and I can tell you that disciplining in those sinful states is ineffective. I am glad that God is patiently working on me. By His grace I am being molded to be more like Him. That is another point to be made about "Heart-oriented" discipline. In order for the heart of the child to be properly affected, the heart of the parent must right as well.

This is also a great book for Dad to read too. My husband read as far as he could before I had to return it to the library and really apprieciated the practical tips that were given. Not to mention that it is important for both husband and wife to be on the same page when it comes to training children.

I have added this book and it's companion Wise Words for Moms (a guide to heart issues, heart probing questions, and scripture verses to use in discipline) to my every growing book wish list.

Written Windows - book give away

2009-04-06T21:39:00.004-05:00

My friend LeAnna has put together an awesome blog totally devoted to reviewing children's books. This is a must see blog for any mom of young children! Currently she is giving away a Dr. Seuss book "Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?" to one of her readers. Entry ends April 20th. Check it out at Written Windows!

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 4

2009-04-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 14:1
"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

Every wise woman builds her house/family/home. She works to create a home that is safe, strong, secure. By demonstrating the love of Christ and 1 Corinthians 13, she cultivates Godly qualities in her children and encourages her husband. The foolish woman, however, tears her house/family down. She is more concerned about her own "needs" and desires, caught up in the cares of the world that her family slips to the sideline where her children and husband do not get all of their needs met.

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 3

2009-04-06T21:10:00.001-05:00

Titus 2:4-5

^"4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

How would the opposite of these verses cause the Word of God to be blasphemed?

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 2

2009-04-06T21:05:00.002-05:00

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

⁷"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

⁸So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us."

Paul used a picture of motherhood to communicate how he loved the people of Thessalonica: a mother that is gentle, cherishes and is affectionately desirous of her children.

Kisses from Heaven: Unexpected Blessings

2009-04-05T17:01:00.002-05:00

I was shopping with my mother-in-law on Thursday. Though it was late, 9:30pm, we decided to stop at Target on our way home. I wanted her to show me the baby bath tub that she had seen there, so we were in the infant department. As we were looking at the selection of tubs, a woman came up to us. "I know this is weird," she said "but occasionally I like to do this just to help people out." She handed me a $20.00 bill! I was speechless. This was so out of the blue! Such an unexpected blessing, especially with my husband still laid off and needing things for our Baby Bear due in May. ...Kisses from Heaven.

The Mission of Motherhood - Verses to Ponder

2009-04-01T08:03:00.003-05:00

I have been reading "The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity" by Sally Clarkson. Currently I have finished chapter 3. So far it has been a very insightful, encouraging, and challenging book. At the end of each chapter are thought provoking questions with Bible verses. As I have been challenged by these, I thought others too could benefit from studying these verses. (Note the verses are referenced to in the book, but these questions are my own ponderings. To find out what Sally Clarkson has said, you'll have to read the book!)

Psalm 127:1, 3 ~¹Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.- What is the secret to the success of a Godly family?
³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

The secret to the success of a godly family is that the parents allow God to design/build their home. How often do we as Christians try to design our families our way? In a way that best suits us? Even in the way that we view children. God views children as a reward, a heritage. We may say the same thing, but is that really how we act from day to day. When the milk is spilled for the 5th time, when the toys are piled 1ft high across the living room floor, when little hands and mouths and clamoring for your attention while you are on the phone, when little voices are asking you to read a book (for the 10th time) when you are working on the computer, when children disrupt plans and cause more work are they really viewed as a blessing and reward, or are they viewed as an annoyance and a hindrance? I know that really hit home to me.

Good News Club

2009-03-04T20:34:00.002-06:00

The weekly after school Good News Club started up again on the first Tuesday of February. All through February till this last Tuesday, I taught the Bible lesson, helped with songs, did all the registration, coordination, and secretarial duties. I am relieved now that we have made it through the first set of lessons, to be able to pass on the teaching duties to another. So now my responsibilities include the coordination, registration/secretarial, and songs. It has been so awesome to watch God work in this club. We have been able to share the Gospel with 14 new students (ages 4-12) and 7 returning students (from before Christmas break), and 7 kids have prayed to accept Christ as their Savior! All in February! Not only has God been doing amazing things just with this Good News Club, but also other ministries of our church. 5 people have been accepted Christ as Savior as a result of our food pantry ministry, and 1 teen accepted Christ at the Valentine Fellowship. We have also had one baptized in our church, and two new members added in our small church of about 40 (on Sunday morning). Again, all since the beginning of the year! Not that this is something that we (the members of First Baptist Church) can personally boast of. It is not our doing but God's! So let me encourage everyone. You don't have to be great, you just have to be willing to be used of God. I truly believe that our time to share the Gospel of Christ is short. There are so many yet to be reached! What will YOU do? Are you willing to speak up though it may be inconvenient? Are you will to spend extra time in ministry for God? If you don't, WHO will? Don't wait for the right opportunity to come up to share your faith. Make the opportunity. A website that has greatly helped to equip Matt and I share God's good news is www.wayofthemaster.com and the ministry of Ray Comfort. CHECK IT OUT!!! A wise preacher once said something to the effect of the following (I will look for the exact quote): Do you desire to see others saved? If not, then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that!

Book Review: 365 Bible Stories for Young Hearts

2009-02-13T11:28:00.005-06:00

365 BIBLE STORIES FOR YOUNG HEARTS uses vocabulary that young children can understand without speaking down to them. The Stories are broken down into approximately one page per day. There are is a picture for almost every story/page. The pictures for the most part are realistic. This book is recommended for ages 5 and up, but I believe that it will effectively keep the attention of my almost-two-year-old, and definitely be appropriate for my three-year-old. Some of the things I liked about this book are that the story of the Fall of Man includes their punishment. The story of Cain and Abel explains that the reason for God's rejection of Cain's gift was his heart attitude. This book also includes passages from Leviticus about the rules the Israelites were to follow and their feasts that most books do not include. As I skimmed through this book (reading several of the passages, but not all), one thing I found that was not accurate was the picture of the empty tomb of Jesus that showed the grave clothes a mess like He was unwrapped instead of neat and untouched. Overall I was impressed with this book and am considering purchasing it to use with my children.

Book Review: The Jesus Storybook Bible

2009-02-13T11:06:00.003-06:00

I have been searching for the"perfect" Bible storybook for my kids. My requirements are that it is Biblically accurate, pleasing pictures, and will keep the short attention span of my almost two year old.

The concept of THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE is a good one. Pointing the child to Christ in every story throughout the Bible. However, I had a few problems with this book. I am of the opinion that children's books should be written for children, not down to children. Throughout this book I find the author writing down to children. For example, in the story of Creation instead of saying "God said 'let there be light'" the author writes "God said 'Hello light'" etc. Some of the stories, such as Noah's ark, and the temptation of Jesus, are quite abrieviated leaving out important details. Over all I would say the the lituracy of this book is, as Charlotte Mason would say, twaddle. The pictures are impressionistic and very colorful. This is not a book that I will purchase.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

2009-02-13T11:03:00.000-06:00

We all know that we should be watchful of what we eat. Everywhere we go we are told to eat healthy from the news, to radio and TV ads, to the grocery store and packages of cereal or vegetables that say "Five a day the color way." But why should we eat healthy foods? Of course we all know its to be healthy. But most of us are healthy, or so we think. So why bother to change what isn't broke? Let's be more specific about just what eating better will do for us.

First of all there are benefits that you will notice rather quickly. They are
*weight control
*more energy
*greater mental alertness
*healthier skin, hair, and eyes and therefore a more youthful appearance
*more stable emotions,
*freedom from common digestive discomforts
*increased immunity
*injuries heal faster and better
*slower aging, and longer life.

And if that's not enough, eating healthy also helps you to avoid diet related diseases that many people develop after they turn 40 such as
*adult on-set, type 2, diabetes
*heart trouble
*high cholesterol
*osteoporosis
*some cancers
*and strokes.

So what does eating healthy mean? It's a diet that's low fat and high fiber: low in meat and dairy foods, low in refined carbohydrates, high in unrefined carbohydrates, and low sodium. I'll get into more specifics of a healthy diet as time goes on.

You wouldn't put diesel fuel in car intended to run on unleaded gasoline, so why feed your body the wrong food. Your body is much more important than a car! Instead, do yourself, and your family, a favor and give your body the fuel that it needs to operate the way that God intended it to.

Physical Health Websites

2009-02-13T10:53:00.003-06:00

I have decided to combine my two blogs into this one. So here are a few sites that I recommend on Physical Health:

Nutrition
Wholesome Baby Food all you need to know about what to feed your baby
healthy food.

Fitness
PregnancywithoutPounds.com "Fast-track your way to looking fantastic, feeling full of energy and ensuring a healthy baby with the #1 Pregnancy Program…
Starting Today!" Michelle also has a program for postpartum to get you back to that prebaby state.
SixPackNow.com more than just developing six packs this site gives you what
you need to know to tone or build your muscles and lose weight by
giving you a personalized plan including what strenght training
exercises to do, what cardio exercises to do, and what to eat. A joint
membership for husband and wife is available as well as individual
memberships.

Chemical awareness
FourPointWellness important information about the physical harm that
common household chemicals cause.
The Green Guide from National Geographic has a buyer's guide to let you
know what products are safe.

Considering ideas different methods (questions from 100 Top Picks, chapter 2)

2009-01-31T19:29:00.002-06:00

*How do you think learning should happen?
I would like to incorporate good literature instead of some textbooks, as well as hands on learning. Program/curriculum needs to be flexible to meet individual needs and desires.

*How do you want to teach or "run your school"?
1. Do you want to try to teach most of all of your children together, at least for some subjects?
Absolutely! To make the most of my time I would like to at least teach history, literature, science, and foreign languages together.
2. How much of the time do you want (or are you able ) to work directly with your children?
All morning most likely, with some time in the afternoon maybe.
3. How much of the time do you expect your children to work independently?
Currently, none to very, very little. Each year more and more so that by highschool the majority of their work may be independent.
4. Do you want to use real books (biographies, historical novels, books written about particular science topics, etc.) as part of your curriculum?
YES!
5. Do you want to include field trips? What type of field trips?
Yes! Visiting places that relate to what we are learning about and educational family vacations (such as learning USA geography by visiting all lower 48 states. Visiting historical and scientific locations).
6. Do you like to "make up" curriculum as you go, adapting to the needs and interests of your children, or do you prefer things well planned out in advance?
Some of each. A suggested guideline might be nice with flexibility to add and change what I wish.
7. Do you need a set schedule to get things done, or would you prefer more flexibility?
A fairly set schedule to provide consistency, but flexibility to deal with life's surprises.
8. Do you prefer a curriculum that is thoroughly laid out with lesson plans that tell you what to do when or do you prefer just an outline to follow?
A general outline would work well as I will probably change and adapt some as we go.
9. Any additional thoughts about how you want to operate?
I would like to "do school" year-round. I'd also like to take advantage of "outside" classes for some subjects and sports.

OK, so now how does this fit with the different educational methods? Well, Cathy Duffy, in her book, has a chart that helps you evaluate how your philosophy compares to the different methods. Here are my scores:
Traditional - 3 points =27%
Charlotte Mason - 11.5 points = 74%
Classical - 11 points = 75%
Unit Study - 12.5 point = 73%
Unschooling - 10 points = 59%
Independent Study - 5 points = 42%
Eclectic - 11 points = 61%
Umbrella Program - 4 points = 36%
(for explanations of methods please see Cathy Duffy's book, 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.)

As you can see Charlotte Mason, Classical, and Unit Study basically tied for me. I like the literature based approach and narration of Charlotte Mason. Of the Classical method, I like the emphasis on critical thinking, communication skills, and the three stages of learning (the Trivium). And I would love to incorporate Unit Studies in teaching history, literature, and science for all three of our children.

Based on all this I have quite a list of curriculum that Cathy reviewed in her book, that I would like to explore further.

Visit www.cathyduffyreviews.com for curriculum reviews in addition to her book.

Educational goals for my children

2009-01-31T19:13:00.001-06:00

I want my children to:
*have a strong sense of God's reality in all aspects of their education and to honor Him in all things.
*love to learn so they will become life-long self-educators.
*have an excellent knowledge of Scripture.
*have a strong Biblical worldview.
*develop excellent reading skills.
*develop excellent language and communication skills.
*develop excellent critical thinking skills.
*develop good people skills.
*develop good work and study habits.
*develop a heart to serve others.
*have a broad education that will prepare them for college and give them many possibilities for their future.
*have exposure to the arts.
*read widely from both classic and good books.
*be physically fit.
*be equipped to succeed in our modern world.

100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy

2009-01-31T19:00:00.003-06:00

As I was researching different methods of homeschooling, I came across this book by Cathy Duffy. The purpose of this book is to help parents discover what methods of teaching (ie: classical, Charlotte Mason, tradition, unschooling, etc.) best suite them, and what curriculum choices best suite their style of teaching and their children's style of learning. It has saved me a lot of time, by narrowing my choices down so I don't have to spend time researching methods that I don't agree with. I highly recommend it to any new-to-homeschooling parent, and I'm sure it would even benefit those who have been homeschooling for some time. This book also causes you to stop and really think through what you want for your children; so if you borrow the book from the library, or you don't want to write directly in the book itself, make sure that you have a notebook handy to write things down in. In the next few posts I will give my answers to the questions in chapter two that help to evaluate which method(s) are right for me.

Education methods - Classical

2009-01-08T20:01:00.002-06:00

Method - Classical
Source - The Well-Trained Mind : A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.

Classical education is broken down into three parts - the pattern that is called the Trivium. The first is the Grammar stage. This is were the foundation for learning is laid. Instead of focusing on creative expression, the grammar stage student (approx. 1st though 4th grades) learns facts: rules of spelling, phonics, grammar, the facts of math, stories of history and literature, names and descriptions of plants and animals and human body, and the vocabulary of foreign languages. At this age the child's mind is a sponge ready to absorb information and even finds memorizing fun. "Your job, during the elementary years, is to supply the knowledge and skills that will allow your child to over flow with creativity as his mind matures."

The second stage is the Logic stage when a child's mind begins to think more analytically. The middle school age student wants to know why and can think more in abstract. Here the student learns how the facts learned in the Grammar stage fit together. For example, the child learned of the war of 1812 in the Grammar stage, now he uses those facts to learn why the war was fought. Now is the time for critical thinking.

The third stage is the Rhetoric stage. "The student of rhetoric applies the rules of logic learned in middle school to the foundations information learned in the early grades and expresses her conclusions in clear, forceful, elegant language." Now is the time for self-expression.

The authors also stress that a classical education is more than a pattern of learning. It is also language focused vs. image focused which causes the mind to be active vs. passive. Also, all knowledge is interrelated.

In summary: "The mind must first be supplied with facts and images, then given the logical tools for organization of those facts and images, and finally equipped to express conclusions."

The school years approach

2008-12-27T20:20:00.004-06:00

As my oldest daughter approaches preschool age (she is three years old now), my attention has been turned to different types of education. It has been our desire since we were married to home-school our children. My husband was home-schooled from 6th grade on, and I was home-schooled from K-12th grade. Though there are some things that I would have prefered to have been different, we both had very positive experiences. There are many reasons for us choosing to home-school. First would be our desire for our children to have an education with a Biblical worldview where God and the Bible is the center or the foundation of learning. Second would be to provide a personalized education for each child at their level of learning, not someone else's. Thirdly, would be to teach our children to love learning, that they would be informed citizens and adults, capable of making wise choices based on facts, not feelings. Of course there are many other benefits of home-schooling: control of what our children are learning, flexibility with schedules, hands-on learning, growing as a family, just to name a few more.
Now as the time to begin approaches (though truthfully education begins at birth), I have been doing much research on different methods of home-schooling. I want my children to have critical thinking skills, to be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and to learn to love history and literature (even learn history through literature). Since my education classes in college (I majored in elementary education at Northland Baptist Bible College before getting married), I have been interested in the classical approach to education. Since then I have also been introduced to Charlotte Mason's style, and a friend recommended that I look into Montessori's methods. I have borrowed several books from the library, and will record what I learn so that maybe others can benefit as well as myself (I have found it to be quite helpful to be able to organize my thoughts on "paper").

Molding a Masterpiece by Ron Hamilton

2008-12-27T16:23:00.000-06:00

Master Potter, why do You labor all day,
Giving such effort to rough, worthless pieces of clay?
Why such feeling in Your hands? Why such care in every touch?
Why all the struggle? Your creation is nothing but dust.

I'm molding a masterpiece, a work of great beauty.
I'm molding a masterpiece; My labor's not done.
A trophy, a treasure or worth beyond measure
I'm molding a masterpiece, a masterpiece of love.

Loving Jesus, why are the children all here,
Gathered around You and eagerly clinging so near?
Urgent matters clamor loudly, and the children interfere
Why do You hold them, and so tenderly dry every tear?

I'm molding a masterpiece, a work of great beauty.
I'm molding a masterpiece; My labor's not done.
A trophy, a treasure or worth beyond measure
I'm molding a masterpiece, a masterpiece of love.

Heavenly Father, sometimes I question Your way:
Why do You ask me to mold simple pieces of clay?
Give me eyes to see the future, though it's hidden from my view;
Give me compassion as I'm molding a treasure for You.

I'm molding a masterpiece, a work of great beauty.
I'm molding a masterpiece; My labor's not done.
A trophy, a treasure or worth beyond measure
I'm molding a masterpiece, a masterpiece of love.