I'm Taking The Gratitude Challenge

I don't know if I'll be able to post each day, but I will try!  You can join up here. 

From My Bible

Psalm 48:14-

For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death

Before the Frost

Here are the garden pics I took last weekend before our first frost.

This bed has been covered with plastic to keep the plants from freezing.  Even though the plants are small if I keep them watered I should have a harvest in early spring.

The herb garden.  I'm happy with this part of my garden and I can't wait to add some new herbs next year.

The nasturtium finally flowered.  I don't know what was wrong this summer but they didn't grow well this year.

The flower border.  I have some pansies to plant but I can't figure out where to put them.

I waited patiently all summer for this cabbage to be ready and then the chickens ate it.

The chickens hiding out so we can't catch them.  These were cute little chicks last spring and now they are defiant teenagers!  Some of them are going into the stock pot soon.

And there you go.  Thanks for walking through the garden with me.

Buckets-O-Fun Yuck!

We received samples of yuck to review from Buckets O' Fun.  The children loved this stuff! There are four different kinds of yuck which is made from an acrylic polymer.  We got to play and experiment with chunky, saucy, snowy, and sticky.  Rather than describe what this is I will include lots of pictures so you can see it.

I gave the sticky and chunky to my teen son to see what he would do with them.  He hydrated the samples and played around for awhile.  We added more water to the chunky and left it overnight to see how big the pieces would get.  The little ones played with it the next day.

Sticky is very sticky

Sticky

Chunky

For our last 2 samples I wanted to try a few experiments before I let the children play with the rest. We measured the volume of the first sample before and after hydration.  1Tablespoon expanded into 3 cups after the water was added.

saucy yuck

We reserved some of the hydrated sample to try sprouting bean seeds.  We also planted some beans in potting soil so we could see if they would sprout faster in a different medium.  Both pots sprouted at the same time.  The beans in the yuck were at a disadvantage because they could not make their way out of the slime.

We also set aside two small samples of snowy and saucy to see which one would dry out the fastest.  The saucy won after three days.

With our sample of snowy we decided to try one of the activities from the suggested games page which came with our samples.  We smoothed snowy out in a baking dish and then the children used cookie cutters to cut shapes out of it.  We all admired the sparkly snowy properties of this sample when we took it out into the sunlight.

snowy yuck

After our planned activities, I let the children take what was left to see what ideas they could come up with for its use.  They liked the feel of it in their hands and mushed it out of their fists.  Then they placed it on the ground in their match box car town to replicate snow.  They also put some in water to see how big the pieces would get when they were fully expanded.

I think this stuff would be lots of fun in large volumes for a school or youth group activity.  I would not like to be the one in charge of clean up though.  I would highly suggest ordering a sample before deciding to use yuck!  It is best used outside with access to a hose for clean up.

I would recommend this product for homeschools tolerant of messier activities.  You also might want to consider using disposable containers for yuck.  I didn't appreciate the clean up required even though the children were good about washing their hands well outside.  It does take a lot of washing to get all of it off your hands.  Oh, and it is only good for one use, a throw away toy. 

To purchase this product or order samples visit the Buckets-O-Fun website.  The different types of yuck range from $16.00 to $20.00 per pound.  One pound makes up to 60 gallons of yuck!  They also sell accessories to use with the yuck.   

If you would like to read more reviews of this product visit TOS Homeschool Crew's blog.

I received a free sample of this product in order to write this review.  I have expressed my honest opinion.

Fit Mommy Friday Challenge Week 1

My results for the week:

Friday - Walked
Saturday - BWO+
Sunday - Rest
Monday - BWO+
Tuesday - 30 min. walk
Wednesday - BWO+
Thursday - 25 min. walk

Measurements: I lost 3.25  inches.  I was measuring every Monday but I switched to Friday this week so these results are for over a week.

Bust -1
Pecs 0
Ribs -.75
Waist -.75
Abs 0
Hips -.25
Upper thighs
R -.5
L -.5
Lower thighs
R 0
L 0
Calves
R 0
L +.5
Upper arms
R 0
L 0

I think I am trying to move too quickly through the GAPS introduction so I'm not going to add anything else until my gut is calm and happy.  I might have to take coconut milk or almond butter back out.  That would make me very unhappy because I discovered how awesomely good a baked apple is with coconut milk, almond butter, and cinnamon.

I didn't get a bike ride in this week but I did have the children walk longer than usual twice so that was a nice accomplishment.  My four year old barely made it home on the day we took the 30 min. walk.  I'm glad to have my walking buddies even if I can't walk very far.

If you would like to join in go visit Denise at Got Chai?

Confession Time: How We Will Or Will Not Homeschool Through High School

We sent our 16 and 18 year old sons to a charter school last month.  Why?  Well, the plan was for them to go back to New Mexico Military Institute(NMMI) but the younger one lost his scholarship because of poor grades and the older one wouldn't have graduated for two more years.  We started homeschooling them but it was a daily battle to get them to do what they were supposed to do.  I have had this problem with them for awhile and that is part of the reason we sent them to NMMI(each of these links is to a different post I wrote about the school, if you want to learn more).  So, anyway, we had one stressed out household with none of my students getting much done. 

They are doing well in the charter school although I think it is too easy for them.

My oldest son will go to NMMI for Jr. College next year before he joins the Air Force as an officer.  His dream is to be a pilot.

My 16 year old will go back to NMMI as a senior next year and then he Will stay for Jr. College.  He wants to be a Marine. 

So our future school plans are to homeschool the boys 'till they are around 16 when they will go to NMMI to finish High School.  They will remain at NMMI for Jr. College or move onto another school depending on how well they do.  After college they will go into the military as an officer.  Our 12 year old is interested in the Coast Guard and our 8 year old likes the Air Force.  The girls will finish High School at home and then figure out what to do next.  

That is our plan anyway and we all know what can happen to plans!

Wordless Wednesday: Goodbye Summer

Chess Solitaire Review

I received Solitaire Chess by Thinkfun from Timberdoodle in order to write my honest review for Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team. 

This product is 1/4 of a regular chess board and includes 10 full size chess pieces.  The game card slips under the transparent top to show you which pieces to use for each puzzle.  There are 60 puzzles to solve in 4 different levels from beginner to expert. 

All of the pieces for this game are neatly contained in one small space.  The bottom slides out to hold the chess pieces and all of the challenge cards along with the instruction booklet fit under the transparent board.  There is a clasp to the side of the board which snaps down to hold the cards in place.

The instruction booklet gives clear directions on how to use the product.  There are pages which show how each piece can move with hints to solve each puzzle in case you get stuck.  

The board is numbered and lettered so you can read the exact movements of the pieces from the solutions guide in the back of the instruction booklet.  You won't have to wonder if you moved the pieces correctly, you can check so that you know!

To play; every piece that is moved must capture another piece.  The challenge is over when one piece remains.  The best way to play is to think through all of the moves before you begin.

This is a great teaching tool and fun to play even if you already know how to play chess.  When we received the game I opened it up, set up the first challenge and began to play.  I know how to play chess so a quick glance through the instruction booklet was all I needed to understand how to play. I haven't played chess in over a year so the first card took me a few minutes to figure out.  After I got going I could feel my brain moving into chess mode.  My husband came over to check it out and we ended up playing together even though it is a solitaire game.  I would set up each new challenge and we would see who could find the solution first.  This was a fun way to play.

Next my 18 year old tried it out.  He moved through all of the beginner cards before he left the game to my 8 year old, Elijah, to play.  Elijah has played chess on the computer before so he understood what to do.  I was sitting next to him so I could coach him if he forgot how a piece moved or needed a hint to help solve the puzzle.  I opened the direction book to the pages which show how chess pieces move and he was able to work through about 10 puzzles before he was called away to do something else.

Elijah, 8, enjoying Chess Solitaire

My 12 year old son, Nathan, said "It is simple, easy, great for teaching kids how to play chess."

The game board is a nice size to hold in your lap as you play.  It is manageable for younger players.  I think this game would be perfect for car rides, picnics, or just about anywhere.   The game board is indented so each piece can sit into its spot without sliding around unless you tip it quite a bit. 

The game says it is for ages 8 and up but I think any child who is learning to play chess can play this game.

Sarah, 6, learning to play chess

I plan on using this game for free time as well as homeschool time.  I think it will be a great aid to my math students as a warm up to get them into a deep thinking mode.

I would recommend this game to anyone who likes to play chess, young or old.  It would make a great teaching tool, easy way to get back to the game, or just fun for chess enthusiasts.

To purchase visit Timberdoodle's games page.

More from Timberdoodle:
Free catalog
Homeschool Vodcasts 
Daily Giveaways on the Timberdoodle Facebook page until next Tuesday, Nov. 2nd.

Keeping Eternity In View

Last week one of my "blessings" broke a teacup which is part of a teacup and teapot set that I've had for over 10 years.  I'm ashamed to say that I got quite upset about it.  With so many boys around I should be used to things getting broken and the house messed up but it still bothers me.

We may spend a fortune on raising our children and give up the nice car, beautifully decorated house, and tropical vacations but we will have relationships with our children for eternity unlike our material possessions.  We give up some of the pleasures in this world to have even more in the next.

Sometimes it is difficult to see how we are serving God when we feel like we are barely surviving the day to day life with many children.  I can draw courage from the knowledge that my children are eternal to continue on this path and even to rejoice in all He has given me no matter how difficult each day may seem.  

Large Family Organizing: Clothes, Storage, Laundry

I have two girls who make a huge mess choosing clothes for the day.  You know the type, they pull almost everything out of their dresser looking for their favorite shirt and after they find it instead of placing the clothes back in the dresser they throw them in the dirty clothes basket.  Because of this habit their room was always a mess and they never had clean clothes to wear.  So to remedy the problem I took their clothes away.  Now the clothes are kept in my bedroom where I can keep an eye on what the girls are doing.

There is no way they can get away with their messy habits in my room!

I hung their dresses in an extra closet I have in my room.  They each have four outfits for everyday and four nicer outfits for church. 

I am so thankful for this extra storage space.

With six boys I have lots of hand-me-downs for the little boys.  My four year old was overwhelmed with too many choices each day and most of his clothes ended up on the floor.  So, I paired Isaac and David's clothes down to four play outfits, four nice outfits, and four jammies each.  When I put the clean clothes away I stack them in outfits so Isaac can grab an something to wear without digging through piles of pants and shirts.  This has kept the mess to a minimum.  My older children dress the baby so it is easier for them to find an outfit for David each morning and I don't have to put clothes back on shelves every day.

Little clothes don't take up much room!

I use storage containers to store the clothes we don't need yet.  This summer I went through everything and got rid of clothes that were stained, worn, had a hole or wouldn't fit into the storage bin.  Now I have one box for each size and they all fit neatly into my closet, my hubby's closet, and the little boys' clothes closet.  The girl clothes are kept on shelves in the schoolroom closet.  I don't have as many girl clothes to deal with so a shelf system works better for them.

I even have room to keep a box in which to collect hand-me-downs to give away.

Below you can see my sock basket for all those socks which refuse to be matched up right out of the dryer.  We pull it out every once in awhile, match them up, and put them away.  I also keep a box to collect outgrown clothes for the thrift store in the closet. 

 Having the girls' clothes downstairs has given me more laundry to do, so they get to help me with the folding.   The older boys(8 and up) do their own laundry.  Our house has laundry hook ups upstairs and down so my hubby bought the children their own washer and dryer.  I have a set of stacking front loaders downstairs which I keep busy every day.  Having the extra set has made laundry so much easier!  With a large family it is almost a necessity to have two sets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Management, Decor,

How should you manage your household without being overbearing?
I struggle with this all the time.  It is hard to find the sweet spot and I find that it changes all the time.

Decorating advice for families with small children or lots of children.
I use thumbtacks to hang things on the wall.  They make it easy to move things often and only leave a little hole.  We paint every room in the house with semi-gloss so every wall can be scrubbed without damage.  I get bummed in the winter unless I have lots of light in the house and I totally agree with her advice on paint color.

O.k. I found many more inspiring things to read this week, I just didn't do a very good job keeping track of them.  Do you have anything you would like to share?

Fit Mommy Friday 10 Week Challenge

I'm joining the Fit Mommy Friday 10 Week Challenge.  You can join up here.  And Mrs. White made a daily checklist which you can download and use here.  The challenge begins on Monday!

My goals for the 10 weeks are:

*Continue the T-Tapp Basic Workout Plus(BWO+) every other day until I drop two sizes.

*Work through the GAPS intro diet and then remain on the full GAPS diet.  I am not even tempted to eat something I shouldn't so this isn't much of a challenge.

*Start walking on the days I don't have to do the BWO+ and then begin walking on the days I do the workout until I am walking six days a week.

*Go on a bike ride with the youngsters at least once a week.

*Be able to do one T-Tapp Total Workout once a week by the end of the challenge without dropping any of my other exercise.

*Feel good about myself no matter what size I am because I am doing what I need to do to be healthy.

Thanks for reading.  Let me know if you join the challenge so I can check in on you and leave an encouraging comment!

52 Books Week 52

I'm finished!  It was kinda neat to keep a record of what I've read this year.  Don't worry I won't continue to keep track on my blog. 

70. A New Song by Jan Karon

71. A Common Life by Jan Karon

72. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

73. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money by Steve and Annette Economides

I Took The Clutter Challenge

Two of my students need to clean off their desks!  And I think I should pot up two new plants as a reward!

I joined Courtney's clutter challenge this week .  You can visit her inspiring blog at Women Living Well if you would like to join in.

Our homeschool room had become a clutter magnet!  I don't have any before pictures but I can describe what had happened.  I emptied a dresser for the girls to use and put all of the school supplies that were in it on top of the cupboards.  I went through some stored clothes and a stack of empty storage bins was stored in the schoolroom.  The children moved their toys into the schoolroom and they made a mess of the cupboards.  The closet had boxes of fabric, jars, art, craft supplies and clothes for the girls thrown into it any old way.

We will get to the walls eventually!

Here is what I did and it took all day.  I moved the toys out of the cupboards and put fabric, toys for the little boys and school supplies in there instead.  I got rid of two boxes full of fabric, four boxes of clothes, and a bunch of other little things.  I also filled four bags with trash!  That was a lot of stuff to have taking up room.  The children moved their toys into the closet after I cleaned it out and straightened it up.  Now I will be able to lock the door if they don't take care of their toys responsibly. 

I even cleaned off my desk!

Yes, this is clean. 

My 7th grader keeps his desk clean so I didn't have to do anything in this corner.

I moved the dress up clothes, purses, and shoes from my bedroom closet to the schoolroom closet door.

 

This is the closet after.  Each child has a storage bin full of toys.  I try to keep their toys down to a manageable level.  If they have too many things they just make a mess and don't play with all of them anyway.

So that is that.  Now I feel a good de-cluttering and cleaning coming on for the rest of the house.