I Can't Decide

Repeat: TOS Crew Review: Visual Latin

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 12 May 2014 18:09:00 +0000

***I am a Compass Classroom affiliate and will earn a comission on any sales that come from affiliate links found in this post.***

This is a repost originally published on October 10th, 2011.

Visual Latin is a Latin course which is available on DVD or as a download. Dwane Thomas appears next to a chalkboard in in the videos. He has a great screen presence and his lessons are full of humor. As he teaches Latin the words appear on the screen below him. Worksheets and vocabulary lists are available online(free) or as a pdf on the DVD to print and use with the lessons.

The lessons are divided into three parts with a worksheet available for each. Part A is the grammar lesson and takes under 7 minutes to watch. Part B teaches sentences in less than 8 minutes and C is a 5 minute Latin reading.

Here is how we are using this program:
Monday- Lesson 1A and worksheet
Tuesday- Lesson 1B and worksheet
Wednesday- Lesson 1C
Thursday- Vocabulary and lesson review
Friday- Vocabulary quiz

Unique Design

In one of the intro videos Dwane explains two different ways to learn Latin. He mentions that in the book "Carry on Mr. Bowditch" the main character studies a different language every time he travels extensively by sea. His method is to take a dictionary, a grammar, and a Bible in the language he wants to learn and then studies them. His other suggestion is to find a book in the language and read it each month so you are reading the same part on the 1st of each month, etc. I plan to buy my son a grammar to read after a few lessons and I found a free Latin/English Bible online which I will also encourage him to study daily.

My son enjoyed the video lessons. He thought they were easy to understand and they simplified Latin for him. He appreciated the teacher's humor and felt it made the lessons fun to listen to. He seems more motivated to work on his Latin studies now.

Watch a Sample Lesson

I thought the intro videos were well done. Dwane explains how much work it takes to learn a language but leaves you feeling inspired to do the work when he breaks it down into a daily amount. He has a great enthusiasm for language studies which rubs off as you listen. I am feeling more motivated to take up Latin studies with my son again and maybe start teaching the younger ones so it will be easier for them when they need to start serious study.

If you are at all interested I think the free lessons are worth checking out. Who knows, this program might be just what you need to get your students excited about learning Latin or to just give them some fresh motivation.

Six Free Lessons

Latin 1 DVD's
Lessons 1-10 or 11-20 or 21-30 $30.00
Lessons 1-30 $80.00

Latin 1 Downloads
Lessons 1-10 or 11-20 or 21-30 $25.00

As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free DVD in order to write this review and have shared my honest opinion. If you would like to read more reviews of Visual Latin please visit TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

If Momma Ain't Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Sat, 10 May 2014 18:02:00 +0000

A funny outtake from our family portrait taking episode

We all have those horrible, no good days every now and then but what happens when they become more normal than not? How do you break the habit of being in a bad mood and letting it blow the day for your whole family? I don't think it is fair for my attitude to be able to ruin everyone else's but that is just the way it is so I know I have to work harder on my own behavior before expecting consistently cheerful children. After all I don't like being around cranky people so why should my children not be affected by my crankiness?

The children were helping me test the self-timer on the camera.

I started focusing more on my own attitude after my 12 year old announced one Monday afternoon that "Mondays are always the worst day of the week!", and I realized they were because my attitude was pretty stinky every Monday morning. The next Monday I felt the crankies coming on before I got out of bed so I prayed and then made a decision change my attitude. That was the best Monday we had in a long time!

Making the decision to change my attitude that Monday a month ago opened my eyes to just how much of an impact my attitude has on the rest of my family. I knew it before but it was the first time I let it sink in and tried my hardest to change things. I still have my grumpy times but I try harder to be aware of what I am doing and put a stop to it before it ruins our whole day. Sometimes, I have to clean up my attitude, come back and ask my children to forgive me for my grumpiness and then things go smoothly again.

Here are some of the ways I put a stop to my bad attitude when I feel it coming on-
1. Go hide in my room for awhile after making sure everyone is busy with something and likely to stay out of trouble.
2. Exercise
3. Take everyone for a walk
4. Turn on some music.
5. Go outside and sit in the sun
6. Write in my journal
7. Pray
8. Read my Bible
9. Snuggle the baby
10. Think on all the good things I have in my life- husband, children, etc
11. Wear something cute and do my makeup
12. Breathe
13. Just leave the room until I can respond appropriately to a cranky person

This was our third set of photos and everyone was tired of fake smiling.

I continue to have my grumpy moments and days but I am able to laugh at myself more often and realize it is usually just a passing mood and urge it to move on quicker than usual. There is something special in being able to admit that I am just an imperfect human saved by grace that helps me let go, forgive myself for being a cranky momma and move on.

And on that ending I wish you a Happy Mother's Day full of rest and the love of your family. May you begin the new week well rested and with determination to do your best to grow in wisdom and take good care of your family.

Pregnant, Married, Graduation- A Backwards Start to Our Married Life

Surviving With Three Under 5

A Note of Encouragement

Decorating For Free

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:00:00 +0000

I need to add Abigail to the family tree. We will only have one empty heart after that.

I'm going to try to change my mantel decor and door wreath each month, and guess what? I'll share photos with you. I love having a fireplace again although I haven't turned it on in too long. It's windy today and I think I'll cozy up by it with a good book later(or most likely my laptop).

I was supposed to buy craft supplies but was in a rush to get out of the store so I didn't. I just used things we had already. I bought the green ribbon for our Easter crafts but only used a little. I made the fabric flowers when I was pregnant with Miss A and had them hanging above her crib until we moved so I grabbed them and figured out how to make a swag.

One of my children has been working on his attitude lately so in response I'm requiring him to say "Yes, dearest mother", every once in awhile and now it's kinda a joke so that is why it's on the mantle in scrabble letters.

The rest of the room has been given over to baby toy clutter but at least this corner is cute.

I recovered our Easter wreath using the fancy paper from a flower bouquet. It is orange! Oh, well, I kinda like it anyway. I will not recover it for June but will change it up with a Father's day theme.

I had a few old books in my craft pile and I finally got to make paper flowers out of them. These were super easy to do and were fun to put together. Books + Flowers= what could be better?

Here are the directions I used in case you wanted to try making paper flowers. I didn't have a stapler so I just stuck a thumb tack through the paper layers. Just be careful crumpling if you use a tack!

The butterfly was on our Easter wreath. It would be an interesting challenge to keep one element from each wreath when I make a new one.

Have a happy Mother's Day!

My crafting failure

A tour of my home

Contentment

Fitness For The Busy Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Thu, 08 May 2014 20:01:00 +0000

I eat lots of squash for carbs.

As mothers, sometimes we don't take care of ourselves because we are so busy taking care of our home and children. It is important for moms to stay strong and healthy and to make time each day to relax and let go of the stress that comes from running a home and keeping little people healthy. Most of us don't have an hour or even half an hour to devote to working out so what can we do? We can work out in little bits of free time throughout the day which will add up to 30 or more minutes. Here is how I came up with a basic plan to increase strength and endurance.

I looked at my daily schedule and figured out how to work a few minutes of exercise in here and there which all add up to a stronger and less stressed mom. Now that I have a basic plan and am building daily habits to exercise more I can slowly increase the time until I am exercising as much as I need to each day. Here is how I'm working in walking, interval training, body weight training, strength training and yoga each day and week.

My fridge is usually more organized than this.

My Basic Fitness Plan

Walking 60 mins- I work this in throughout the day. I will pace the floor while I read aloud to the children or read my own book. We also take a walk together each day which is awesome for stress relief and a break from home/work.

Interval training- I have been climbing the stairs for my intervals lately. My goal is to do a few intervals twice a week and increase intensity and amount each week.

My children made a veggie platter to eat with homemade ranch dip for lunch.

Body weight exercises- I do one good push up, a 30 second plank and 10 squats before I take my shower each morning. I will increase my plank by 5+ seconds each week and add more squats and push ups as I can. While I'm in the shower I do some isometric tummy exercises and then try to do more every time I'm in my bathroom.

Strength training- I am doing 3 minutes of shovelglove before lunch each day. It makes me feel strong and is a stress reliever.

Yoga/stretching- I am doing 5 minutes of stretching before my afternoon snack. I go up to my room and get a little break from everything while I'm stretching to set myself up for a more peaceful afternoon.

My sledgehammer. My husband added a long handle to a little sledgehammer and then covered the handles in duct tape for comfort. Don't be fooled, this little thing makes my back and abs sore!

Bedtime- I am a night owl with an early waking baby. It's not a good combination. I am slowly moving my "lights out" time up each week. This week it is 10:20.

Extra- I visualize the body I want and tell myself I am thin and healthy whenever I catch myself being negative about my body. I also spend a few minutes before falling asleep visualizing the strong, fit body I am working towards.

***This just in- My husband and I are going to start working out together in the evenings. Hopefully, we stick with it this time! Here's our weekly schedule. I will still be doing everything I listed above during the day.

MWF- Walk(sometimes run) and body weight exercises- Push ups, planks, squats, pull ups
Tues+Sat- Walk and Kettlebells- We are starting with just swings and then will add on new exercises as we go. We will buy kettlebells once we know we will stick with it. For now the plan is to learn proper form and use the dumbbells we already have for weight.

Daily Rest For Moms

Autoimmune Paleo Lunch, Tips and My Results

Plugged Duct/Mastitis Natural Treatment- scroll down to the bottom for a list of natural remedies I use when I start to feel a plugged duct coming on.

Selfies Make Me Feel So Vain!

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Wed, 07 May 2014 15:00:00 +0000

My favorite outfit of the week

Here are two reasons I will continue WIWW each week-
1.It is challenging to take photos of myself but it is helpful to see how my outfits look on my bod.and I'm learning a lot about my body shape.
2. It's also keeping me motivated to do my daily workouts!

Friday- Shopping
Top, belt, jeans- thrift

Saturday- Mostly hanging around the house.
Top- thrift Shorts and flips- my closet

Sunday- Church
Top and skirt- thrift
Shoes- my closet
I wore a necklace and bracelet which were gifts from my husband a few years ago.

Tuesday- Dentist
Top, skirt, belt, shoes, purse- thrift and under $25 for all 5 pieces!
I like this skirt. It's a fun pattern and something I wouldn't normally wear but since it is from the thrift store I thought I'd take a chance and try it. I have a few different ideas for styling it so expect to see it again soon.

I really did try to find patterned tops while shopping but I'm too busty(breastfeeding doesn't help!) to fit into most button up tops in my size and I don't want t-shirts. I guess I'm sticking with solids for now. I would like to accessorize more but my baby likes to pull on necklaces and bracelets get in my way when I cook and clean. I do always wear my tattoo(ah, youth, you silly thing).

Last week's entry

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

My K-12 Homeschool Curriculum

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Tue, 06 May 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Not doing school- reading letters from relatives they correspond with.

***This post contains affiliate links.***

I'm a planner. It just seems easier to have a plan when you have so many students to manage. Over the last two years I have put together a progression for most of our homeschool subjects. It's nice to know I have what I need for each grade and will be able to go to my supply boxes to set up each new school year in September. Also, I can take a break from planning- school.

My children study independently and here are my requirements for curriculum-
*Easy to use independently
*Little to no teacher prep
*Easy to keep records for each level/course
*Students can achieve mastery of subjects
*Well written and interesting for readers

Here is my general outline. I will try to come back and fill in more details as time goes by.

Science
Preschool through reading well alone- read aloud books, exploring the world around them
Elementary- Apologia's Exploring Creation With... series
Grade 7- 12 New Leaf Press books following the progression of their website
Grade 12- In The Beginning by Walt Brown and support materials from Bob Enyart

History
Preschool through independent reader- read aloud books
Elementary- Story of the World books 1-4, A Child's History of America
Grade 7 A History of US by Joy Hakim
Grade 8 Civil War, WWI and II- we are using books we already have and will supplement with library books as needed
Grade 9 Ancient History(I will put this together when the next child reaches this grade)
Grade 10 World History by Stobaugh + source books and geography
Grade 11 US Hist and Geography(still need materials)
Grade 12 Government and Economics- Hillsdale courses, Dave Ramsay and Economics for Everybody from Compass Classroom

Math
Early years- workbooks and memorize math facts
Saxon 5/4 and up when they are ready(they are required to finish through Algebra II for graduation but may go beyond if possible)

Language Arts
Preschool through independent reading- All About Reading Levels Pre reading - 2
Handwriting-Abeka cursive
English- English For the Thoughtful Child followed by Rod and Staff English 3 and up for as long as each student needs it
Writing- daily essay followed by IEW in Jr. high and high school
Spelling- All About Spelling Level 1&2 and for the older students we will try Phonetics Zoo

Foreign Language
Visual Latin
Familia Romana
Getting Started With Latin
Latin Grammar and Bible
*I will add to this as we move along

Art
Books from How Great Thou Art-
Youngsters- I Can Do All Things
Elementary- Feed My Sheep
Jr High and up-How Great Thou Art I&II
*Occasionally we will go through the lessons in Drawing With Children by Mona Brooks and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
*For fun with mom- Zentangles

What do you think- plan every year or stick to a K-12 outline?

Happy Homeschooling!

April Photo Log

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 05 May 2014 22:07:00 +0000

My photos from the beginning of the month are stuck on the laptop hard drive that baby broke for me. My IT guys are gonna get them for me and help me get everything organized on an external drive soon. Anyway we had a crawfish feast and worked on planting the garden.

We've been enjoying the sun before it gets HOT.

Baby and I had some one on one time while waiting for my husband.

We failed at some Easter decoration crafts.

More planting

We enjoyed walks to the park.

Easter Sunday hunt after church. My second oldest(not pictured) came by in the afternoon and stayed for dinner.

Baby had fun with her eggs. She didn't want to put them in the basket and held one in each hand. When she found a third she didn't know what to do.

Nathan, our 16 year old, hid the eggs for his siblings. We assigned each child a different color so the older children could have a more challenging Easter egg hunt.

It took him a while to realize that I had hid some eggs for him too.

Nature study time

She wanted to come outside with me.

Here's a quick tip to save your walls- put contact paper behind the trash can so it is easier to clean up daily messes.

My husband started work on a bunk bed. Only two more to go!

I still enjoy seeing girl drawings after having only boys for so long.

I let them go on a ride around the block.

Poor little guy lost his chain before he had gotten very far and was left behind.

Oreo did what he always does.

We spent a few days shopping for spring wardrobes at local thrift shops.

Family photo outtakes.

I was testing the self-timer.

The camera took one random shot after the sequence ended and we thought we were finished.

And the family photo. This was the third try and I guess most of us were out of smiles.

I hope you had a memorable April!

Speak Pleasant Words

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Sat, 03 May 2014 21:29:00 +0000

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
~Proverbs 16:24

Ouch! I read those words and realized the sourness of the words I speak to my children. It seems I am constantly telling them to stop doing something, quiet down, or quit bickering. I would like my children to hear more thank yous, acknowledgement for working hard or being nice to each other, and just me speaking in a calm manner to them while not correcting their behavior.

I want my children to grow up with sweet memories of home, of a home full of laughter, forgiveness, and love. I don't mind them having memories of working hard but I don't want those memories overshadowed by a cranky and demanding mom. When you work hard together for someone you like it seems more like fun than work.

What a gift I can give them if I can change my habits and fill their ears with pleasant words. I want to give sweetness to my children's souls and health to their bodies with my words. And if I do have to correct them I would like my tone to be less offending to the ear.

And now for my real life- As I typed this I sent my children off to get the mail because they were wound up. When they got back two of them were fighting over the contents of a package and I had a less than pleasant response. And then the questions, oh so many questions, every time I try to write something.

I know there are ways to make changes. I wasn't always so cranky with my children! I will need to pray -a lot- and be more aware of how I'm responding to those around me. It's a constant battle and every time I feel like I am winning I learn how much further I need to go to become- Sweet, Pleasant Mom.

Some tips to help change habits-

1. Daily Bible reading
2. Journal
3. Ask for forgiveness
4. Take a break when you need to regain calm
5. Exercise
6. Get outside
7. Do something fun with your family
8. Spend time giving the children your full attention thi

We can do this!

Wanna See My Messy Closet?

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Fri, 02 May 2014 18:00:00 +0000

We just moved here 2 and a half months ago and look at the mess I've made of my closet already! Normally, I would just close the door and ignore it until I had more time to take care of the problem but this is a walk-in I visit a few times a day and it was bugging me to look at the mess. Plus, I like to lie on the floor to stretch my back and take a few minutes alone since it's the quietest room in the house. So I took care of the problem this morning while the children were doing schoolwork and got a little alone time too.

Before- laundry waiting to be folded, honey-do pile, my junk left out everywhere

Husband's side- more laundry, travel bag mess

My side- messy

After- I moved the to-do pile somewhere else since it's not the first thing my honey should see in the morning and before bed at night. I actually folded and put the laundry away! I moved some boxes around and took my shoes out of his shoe space. I also hung his Marine Corps dress coat in front as a surprise even though I'll probably move it out of the way tomorrow.

His side- I organized the travel bags behind the laundry baskets and moved his winter coats to storage so he would have more hanging space.

My side- I put my junk away, moved boxes around so I would have more shoe space, and moved my hula hoop so it would be easier to get to so I might actually use it.

My shelf- I need to make something for jewelry display and I would like to find something to frame and hang on the wall.

His side. The candle is Mexican Hot Cocoa from Pacifica and it smells yummy. He has a few mementos from his time in service and a box to empty his pockets into. I also arranged our high school class rings and his Marine Corps ring together just because.

See? I like it. And I need to apologize to my husband since I insinuated that he would be sloppy in our closet now that we have to share and I'm turning out to be the piglet. ; )

Now, I can go hang out in my closet again when I need some space and the rest of the house is occupied. I actually like to go in there and sit on the floor with a magazine or my journal when I'm stressed. It helps me settle down, realize whatever's bugging me isn't such a big deal, and get back on track before(and sometimes after) I blow it.

Do You Have a Mission Statement or Author Bio?

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Thu, 01 May 2014 19:55:00 +0000

Mission Statement

Do you have a mission statement for your blog or family? Neither do I. I have a vague idea of what my mission is for blogging but it has always seemed overwhelming and limiting to detail it out. I've been reading more articles on blogging effectively and kept coming across the idea of having a mission statement as a way to keep writing on task. I like that idea. It actually seems like it would simplify my daily writing to have more of a focus, so I am taking some time to put together a mission statement.

As for a family mission statement- Umm, I'll have to discuss that with my husband!

As I was researching how to write a mission statement I took notes to share with you.

Here are questions to answer to help you define your purpose-
Why are you blogging- what do you hope to get out of it and why
Where are you going and why with your blog

Here are some items to include in your statement-
Your purpose
Your audience
How you will attract readers
What you will provide
What you want to accomplish
How do I want the blog to look
My image/feel that i want to portray

I also found some things not to do when writing a mission statement.
Don't-
Make it too long
Confine yourself
Be too specific

Author Bio

Do you need a an author bio? Maybe not, but something curious happened as I wrote mine. I found my mission statement! It is probably a good idea to have one ready to go if you are looking to write a guest post. You can also use it on your about me page. Hey, that's a good suggestion which I need to take!

Things to include in your bio-

Occupation
Where you live
Family
Hobbies
Something about yourself you're proud of
What makes you unique

Tips on writing a third person bio-

List the things you want to include
Read sample bios on websites and in magazines
Decide on the tone you want in your bio- fun, creative, simple, serious
Write and rewrite a few ideas and then wait a day before rewriting again and then repeat if necessary
Ask family and friends what you should include
Ask family and friends to critique your bio
And finally, read it aloud to make sure it flows well

Here is I Can't Decide's mission statement-
Encouraging moms to live well at home.

And my short bio-
Briana Jeffers has been married to one awesome man for over 20 years. She lives in New Mexico and homeschools 6 of her 9 children who are in elementary, middle, and high school. She enjoys gardening, reading aloud, writing, and learning. She hopes to encourage moms through her blog- I Can't Decide

Reference Articles:
Problogger
Crafterminds
Hubspot

Forty Is Not Too Late For Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:47:00 +0000

Something funny before I get to my first WIWW- I'm a very literal person and when I first saw this link up I thought the participants were showing what they actually wore *on a Wednesday*. Now that I know better I will share some of the outfits I wore this week.

I challenged myself to shop thrift for my spring/summer wardrobe which I will be writing about later so I thought it would be a good idea to document some of the outfits I was able to put together. I did some studying up on how to put a wardrobe together before I started shopping and it is working well for me. I am filling my closet with pieces that can be worn in many ways in colors I love.

Sunday- Church

I wanted to try a flowey skirt again. I don't usually like this style because I think it looks frumpy on me. I found this skirt at the thrift store but noticed a rip at the bottom seam. I pointed out the hole to an employee so it wouldn't go back on the rack and she told me they would discount it to .99. Since it is reversible I decided to take it and hope I could make both sides wearable. I gathered it up and added a flower at the flawed hem and I think it is cute. I enjoyed this outfit especially because I was outside of my usual dressing box.
Top, Sweater, Skirt, Sandals- Thrift

Monday- Home- Migraine, bad hair day, couldn't even style with shoes

I like the color of this top but not the shape. It's too boxy or something. I will try a white cami under it next time.
Top, Belt and Jeans- Thrift Bracelet- Gift from my mom(she found it in Italy which makes it extra special)

Tuesday- Funky hair day- I dyed my hair with homemade tea dye(not working)

This skirt drives me crazy when I try to find a top to go with it. I need something fitted or I look chunky. I also have a difficult time with white because, I prefer Color. I might replace this skirt if I find something else. I'm looking for a denim skirt but haven't been able to find anything long enough on me.
Jacket and White Tank- Thrift Skirt and Shoes- From my closet

Wednesday- Dentist

I like the color combination of berry and chartreuse. This skirt is weird because it is denim but doesn't have the casual feel of a denim skirt so I can't figure out what to pair it with. I will replace it with a normal denim skirt when I find one.

Top and Sweater- Thrift Skirt and Shoes- My closet

I'm linking up to The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

Nature Study Park

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 18:00:00 +0000

We have a park near our home that we visit often enough to call our own. There is a lawn and a set of swings but that is not what intrigues us and draws us in to study nature. An open space was left as a natural habitat behind the manicured space. Paths and benches invite the pedestrian in to enjoy the desert flora and fauna. Birds, lizards, bunnies, wildflowers, cactus, shrubs, insects and more are observed as you walk through the large space.

My children and I have resolved to visit every week or so with nature books, pencils and guide books in hand to watch this mini desert change through the seasons. I have the task of taking a monthly photo as one of our records of observation. My job is to encourage the children to observe their surroundings and help them record what they find. I also keep a nature journal so they can see the value I place on God's creation and be encouraged to keep a record of the wonders they find.

Each of my children enjoys a different aspect of creation. My daughters love flowers and birds while one son is into rocks and minerals, one enjoys creepie crawlies and another drawing anything he sees. Encouraging each child in observing the world around them and listening to them describe the wonders they have found helps me to see more of the natural world and to enjoy the plants and animals I would usually overlook.

With regard to the horror which some children show of beetle, spider, worm, that is usually a trick picked up from grown-up people. ~ Charlotte Mason

I find the above quote to be only too true. When my second child brought his first captive to me I saw the delight on his face and instead of cringing away from the bug joined in his wonder. This same child brought me many snakes and creatures I would rather not observe up close over the years. He did know I didn't like them but that I would share in his excitement even if I had to observe the newest catch through a window or from at least three feet away. We make sacrifices for our children each day and I found sacrificing my squeamishness in order to observe scorpions or snakes with my son was rewarded with many memories and a childhood full of adventures and respect for creation.

So go out there and find something in a natural habitat or even just on your back patio to observe with your children. Even in the middle of the most urban environment you can still look up at the sky or find a weed to inspect. The simplest natural item is infinitely complex and interesting for you and your child as you teach him to see the finest details and wonder at its purpose.

Free Phonics Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 18:08:00 +0000

***I am an affiliate of All about Learning Press and I will earn a commission on anything you purchase through the links in this post or my blog.***

News! All About Learning Press has two free phonics apps available. I just downloaded both for my beginning readers to use on my phone. They have versions available for Mac, ipad, iphone, Windows, Android and Kindle. They are simple and easy to use for daily review. I plan to have my 5 year old review his sounds with the app each day. This will help him get more practice time in without him waiting for me.

My 5 year old is still getting the concept of blending sounds so until he understands I am teaching him to recite the alphabet and learn his letter sounds. We will try Level 1 again in a few months. After teaching 7 children to read I have learned the importance of waiting until the child is ready to learn to read. I've tried nudging a child along only to have him stuck at the same place until he is ready and then take off. It will happen either way I just need to be patient.

So check out All About Learning Press for help teaching Phonics and Spelling.

Save On Compass Classroom! Up to 50% Off!

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 22:11:00 +0000

What? All of Compass Classroom's video curriculum is on sale for up to 50% off! Have you been waiting to buy Visual Latin, Modern Parables, Grammar of Poetry or any of the other awesome courses offered by Compass Classroom? Now is the time to buy. What a great sale.

Visual Latin- 30% off
Modern Parables- 25% off
Economics for Everybody- 30% off
Dave Raymond's American History- 50% off
Grammar of Poetry- 30% off
Also save on online courses- Filmmaking, Latin and Greek

Freebies available-
Free lessons for Visual Latin, Economics, Poetry, History and more
Free ebooks on parenting, and Latin

Also check out their blog for teaching tips, curriculum news and more.

Moms- A Note of Encouragement

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 23:39:00 +0000

A prayer for the daily distress of being a mom with too much to do.

*I have been doing this mom thing for over 21 years now and I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. Basically, I'm winging it every day so don't feel like a failure if you haven't figured out time management yet.

The problem
I feel like I only get little bits of work done each day but they do add up to well fed children, a clean house, a pretty garden and a happy(mostly) mom. And usually there's enough of my sanity left at the end of the day for me to welcome my husband home from work, make it through dinner and then relax in the family room for the evening.

Enjoying a moment with baby while we waited for dad.

Perspective
Some days seem so long and I think I haven't done much but when I reflect on the day I realize how much all those little bits add up. I try to look at the whole day when I want to assess my progress. I think I need to evaluate how I spend my time once in awhile but I also need to keep in mind how much I have going on at any moment with so many people to oversee and take care of. And I need to be able to just survive on those really tough days and realize that over a week's time I am able to accomplish much.

A Typical Hour in My Day
This morning I cooked a few dishes to eat throughout the week while I worked on school with the children. We all sat down together at the kitchen table for Bible time to start our school day. I lit the candles to make our time more special and then helped the younger children read and answer questions on their worksheets. I managed to read one chapter of Proverbs in 15 minutes(!). After the baby got down to play and the older children headed off to math I was able to journal and spend a little more time reading my Bible while I helped my 8 year old spell words as he wrote about Jesus on the back of his worksheet.

A change of scenery helps me find perspective each day.

What I Did Today
Fed baby many times
Cooked meals and extra food for week
Bible with children
Math and phonics with little boys
Played with baby
Some laundry
Cleaned bathroom
Wrote
Blogged
Exercise
Read aloud
Read
Made appointments- eye doc and dentist
Checked schoolwork
Listened to stories the children wrote
Went for walk and chat with children
Survived Monday!

A crafting failure that amused us.

Encouragement
I hope this helps you feel better about your day. It is difficult to be at home with young children, take care of the home, and homeschool. Any one of those can be a full time job in itself and we are often doing all three at once along with other interests. Don't be so hard on yourself! Just do your best and make time for fun each day.

Hugs, fellow moms and homeschool teachers! We will make it through these busy days with many fun memories to recall around the dinner table with our grown children.

Crawfish Feast

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 17:30:00 +0000

We like to find new foods for our children to try. The last time we had crawdads was years ago when we were visiting New Orleans. These were previously cooked and frozen so we just threw them in a pot of boiling water 'till they were heated through and then it was time to eat.

It's creepy to pick one of these things up and break it open to eat it. Ugh, I don't like looking my dinner in the face!

I served them with cabbage, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs and veggies with dip.

The children were excited to try them and didn't have any hesitation in grabbing one to break open(unlike me). Elijah, the boy not holding up a crawdad, doesn't like shrimp and gets sick when he eats it even though a blood test has shown he's not allergic so he doesn't eat shellfish anymore. He got a chicken thigh instead.

The little boys were fascinated.

Baby didn't eat any either but she did want to check one out.

And here is the aftermath. The little boys were eating claw meat.

And that was our fun and gluten-free Saturday night dinner.

April Garden Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 20:53:00 +0000

We moved in February and brought our raised bed garden with us. Crazy? Maybe, but I'm glad we did.

Here's most of our new rental backyard. It's covered in gravel which is typical of backyards in the Albuquerque area.

It's a little rough to play on but the children each have a garden box to take care of and will have a sandbox to play in.

My son even dug up the arbor my husband built so we could bring it along.

I have two big boxes, the herb bed, and a flower box for my gardens. The children are sharing the rest.

We lined each bed with weed barrier before adding the soil.

Here's the herb bed.

To move the boxes from the old garden we just used shovels along the bottom edge to pop them up out of the ground.

There's a red mini rose in the green pot with some peppermint and moss rose.

And then we shoveled the soil onto a trailer, covered it with a tarp and drove it to the new house.

Here's my flower bed. I brought some of my perennials with me. Most of them survived being transplanted.

We could have just bought some new soil which would have saved a little work.

Elijah's bed. He's saving a spot to grow a pumpkin.

Then we had to unload it into a wheelbarrow and dump it into the boxes.

Elijah has been growing cacti for a few years so we set up a cactus corner with my bike as a centerpiece. The other children each bought a cactus to add to the collection and I'm adding an aloe.

Here's the work crew enjoying some sunshine.

And the Santa Fe tortoise holding down the rug.

We plan to rent here for a few years before we decide to buy, move, or who knows what. Do you think it's worth it to garden if you are renting?

Cuteness

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:00:00 +0000

My little Miss Abigail is 1 year, 1 week, and 2 days old in these photos taken last week

That's it. The first year is over already.

She's all grown up. Not really, but she has made an amazing amount of progress in the last year.

And doubled her birth weight, grew out of three sizes of clothes and diapers, two notches on her car seat and now seems to fit in her crib.

Now if only she could grow some hair. And learn to talk as long as she skips learning to say "no".

A new adventure awaits her every day. It is refreshing to see things for the first time again through this child's perspective. There is so much to learn!

Spring Garden Inspiration- 10 Ways To Start The Season Right

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 17:00:00 +0000

Today I thought I would share my favorite and most viewed garden entries since spring is upon us and we are looking for gardening inspiration for the upcoming season. Happy Gardening and I hope you find something useful or inspiring today!

All about and how to grow one of my favorite summer flowers. Sunflowers!

Spring is the perfect time to divide and transplant perennials.

How we built our raised beds. We brought these with us and they will be the foundation of our new garden.

Our finished raised bed garden. I designed a more formal take on a raised bed garden with a fun octagon for a center piece.

And even the best gardeners(not that I am one) experience failure. Here was how we fought the war against squash bugs which we eventually lost.

How I store and organize my seed packets.

A photo log of one week of daily harvest baskets from my garden.

How to grow potatoes in a tower to save space in the garden. This didn't work well for us. My theory on our failure is the towers dried out too much in our climate.

Carrot flowers- I grew carrots in the flower beds and left them to overwinter and flower the next year.

The kitchen sink- a fun water feature.

And now head out to the garden and plant something! I will be planting my garden box full of early crops this week. Each of my children have their own garden box and have already planted theirs full of yummy things to eat. I need to get to work!

Emotional Eating?

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 18:59:00 +0000

The 90% is mine the others are treats for the children.

Sometimes I want to eat the chocolate even though I know it may give me a migraine. And then I get the migraine and I still think the chocolate may have been worth it but get discouraged that I am so easily readicted to the stuff even if it is dark chocolate and healthy for me. I even tried 100% chocolate in the hopes I wouldn't want to eat every last bit in one day and no, the bitterness did not stop me, my willpower did. Do I want to fight chocolate on a daily basis? If I'm wanting to eat it every time I get stressed then I know it's not just my body seeking needed nutrients. Sadly, I have to make chocolate a rare treat.

I'm back in my prepregnancy clothes so now I can experiment with carb amounts and types.

I know I won't gain all of my weight back by eating dark chocolate every day but I don't want to be dependent on a food for emotional stability. Not that it really helps my mood much beyond the few minutes it takes to eat it anyway. Any food that I become dependent on I seriously consider eliminating for awhile or forever. I don't want to go back to the habit of the Friday night binge on Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. Now I just munch on carrot sticks instead. I don't know why but they satisfy when I'm wanting anything from sweet to salty. And if I really do want ice cream I have to make it from scratch. If your'e willing to take the time to make it yourself that usually means you really do want it and it won't be an emotional reaction to the quart container sitting in the freezer.

Little Miss looks like she has gained weight recently either from increased solids or because I'm eating more carbs.

Maybe I am extreme with my diet but I know what makes me feel healthy and I stick to it. I will experiment with new foods from time to time but there has to be a probable benefit to my health not just pleasure for my taste buds. I don't eat an austere diet I have retrained my pallet to appreciate the natural sweetness of a banana or green apple so I don't need the powerful taste sensation of a packaged food. I had a major sweet tooth for most of my life so it's not because I'm genetically different either.

The veggie munchers

One thing I have noticed is that my children enjoy a wider variety of vegetables than I did as a child. I think it's because their sense of taste has not been ruined by sugary foods. They like and will beg for asparagus and many of the veggies I didn't learn to eat until I was an adult. A simple dessert of fresh fruit and real whipped cream is something they enjoy. As young adults I'm sure they will experiment with eating junk food but I'm pretty sure they will return to their healthy roots or at least eat wholesome foods most of the time. I'm trying to set a high standard of food for their future lives and families.

Fresh herbs for tea and cooking

And finally to round out this random food discussion, I am still researching resistant starch. Below is a link to a post from Mark's Daily Apple on trying a self experiment with resistant starch. I plan to start adding some cooked and cooled white rice to my diet again and I might try some potatoes. I'll probably let you know how it goes 'cause you know I can't resist sharing random food and health info.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-conduct-a-self-experiment-resistant-starch/#axzz2yEh9qQ5S

How Important Is Bible Study In Your Home/school?

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 20:51:00 +0000

Confession: I have failed to make Bible study a priority in our homeschool. As a Christian homeschooling mom I have always meant to make the Bible the most important part of our day. The reason it hasn't been is because I am not a morning person and it takes me awhile to get going. I don't become a coherent person until after I take a shower and eat breakfast. I have taught the children how to make their own breakfast and get going in the morning so that we will all survive. The children also start their school on their own except for my youngest two students who need my help with their studies. I am supposed to read aloud a Bible story each day but that doesn't usually happen until right before lunch.

As my first try at solving the problem I asked the children to read their Bibles during reading time each afternoon but they often forgot. I didn't want to turn their personal Bible reading into a struggle or discipline issue so I needed another solution. After fussing at myself for not being able to get it together in the morning I figured out I needed to come up with something that didn't rely on me to work. So, I am now having the children start school with 15 minutes of Bible time. They can read their Bibles, a devotional, or work on a Bible story coloring page. Simple and easy and I know it will happen because it is part of their daily routine. Our mornings have been more peaceful since we started this new habit.

I looked over many Bible workbooks and study programs but couldn't find anything I felt my children would enjoy using independently. I don't want them to do busy work or something that will make them dislike their study time. I did buy journals for the girls and have given them some ideas for using them but it is not a requirement. I found some coloring and worksheets from Calvary Curriculum which are free to print(find link below) and I printed out a packet for each child that wanted one. The little boys(5 & 8) usually work on theirs during Bible time.

Calvary Curriculum

I also realized that I never learned how to study the Bible in all my years of going to a private Lutheran school, Sunday school and vacation Bible school. So now I'm on a mission to learn how to study so I can teach my children also. I do read my Bible and a devotional daily but I have never learned to really get into the word beyond reading the notes in my study Bible.

I did a search for study ideas and found SOAP(I have linked to an explanation below) which I have now used a few times. I like it! My Bible study method was to read something from the Old Testament and then something from the New Testament each day, copy a few verses into my journal and read a devotional. Now I'm reading my selections and then studying one verse more in depth, applying it to my life and praying about what I have learned. I often only have a few moments here and there to study and I am usually surrounded by little people needing something from me but this method is doable and I feel I can actually focus on my one verse and really think about it to make it relevant to my life.

SOAP method of Bible study

Do you have any favorite Bible study books, devotionals or journals for children or adults to share with me?

My Crafting Failure

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:30:00 +0000

I thought it would be neat to make a fabric covered "A" to hang behind baby's high chair for her birthday. So I got to work and cut a cursive "A" out of cardboard, covered it with felt for padding and then fabric to make it look pretty. I held it up to check out my work, praising myself for how nicely it turned out and then...

Do you see it? The problem?

As they say "pride comes before a fall". Now I had a nicely finished back of my A and only a little fabric left.

Ah, yes, now you do for sure! I don't have a glue gun and little patience to wait when the craftiness strikes so tape and push pins had to work!

I cut the remaining fabric into strips and wrapped them around the letter. Hmm, that was much easier and it turned out cuter than carefully cutting and stretching the fabric over the letter form. Well, at least everything turned out OK in the end. I'm glad I don't craft often or I would be extremely frustrated with my ineptness(ineptitude).

This is not what I had planned but still cute. The best laid plans....

March Out

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:30:00 +0000

Welcome to April. Here's what happened in and around our home in March. Some of the children spent a quiet afternoon crocheting and knitting.

We had art lessons together on Fridays.

Baby was cute.

We took walks on sunny days.

David played with a stuffed animal from my childhood.

Schoolwork

First signs of spring.

St. Patrick's Day

Wrestling

Cooking and cleaning

Shopping

Crafting b-day gifts

Tumbling rocks

A short lived battle

A first birthday

Flowers

Khan academy

Overcoming With Good

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 17:00:00 +0000

"Therefore I begin to think, my Lord, you purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason why we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let you teach us so to react to them, that out of them we can create lovely qualities to live forever. That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that is cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcoming it with good." ~ spoken by Grace and Glory to the Shepherd in Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

Guts And How To Heal Them

noreply@blogger.com (Briana Jeffers) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 17:00:00 +0000

Defend your gut!

Warning- I will once again be discussing gut issues and my continuing experiments to heal my guts. Read on if you are interested. I am avoiding the TMI and keeping to the facts along with some resources I have found this week.

The problem and a possible solution:

I have been trying to heal my digestive system for a few years now. I have tried the Specific Carb Diet(SCD), GAPS, and recently Paleo Autoimmune Protocol among other things. I feel pretty good while I'm on a strict diet but once I try to eat sweet potatoes, yams or potatoes I start to experience pain and discomfort. I can eat rice but not for more than a few weeks or I start having problems with it. I don't mind being on a stricter gluten free diet but I know the benefits of eating from a wider variety of foods and I would like to have other carb sources besides winter squash and fruit.

I have felt like I am missing something in all my healing work and recently I read again about resistant starch and am thinking about trying it. I have not tried soil based organisms(SBO's), just dairy based probiotics. I think this may be what I'm missing in my healing journey. So you will probably be hearing more about resistant starch and SBO's as I learn more and experiment. To get you started here are two links to informative articles from the blog Mark's Daily Apple.

Definitive Guide to Resistant Starch

Resistant Starch: Your Questions Answered

More cardboard box recycling.

Another possible solution;

And here's another link to an article on healing the gut. I have not tried colostrum or oil of oregano but use lots of coconut oil. I am still going to try the resistant starch experiment before I try either of those items. I've used lots of anti fungals over the years and done a candida cleanse or two so I'm not sure if that is the right direction for me.

3 Ways to Heal Your Gut Fast

A specific protocol to follow to heal SIBO:

And finally, here is a 7 step protocol for healing Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth(SIBO) from the blog Animal Pharm. I have done about half of the steps already. I have not tried steps 2, 3, or 4 because I have issues with the potatoes, plantains and green bananas which leads me to believe adding SBO's and the problematic foods to my diet together will help. If you search around on this blog you can find more informative article on each step.

How To Cure SIBO