Inchworm Chronicles

Blogging break

2013-03-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for 3 years on this blog, but I began in 2007 with a private blog for family and friends. Like so many other Mom bloggers, this has been a great outlet to express myself and just meet other people from so many other places that I would have never had the pleasure of meeting otherwise.

Here on Inchworm Chronicles, my home on the web, there are 217 posts contained in these "pages" and lots of resources that I found that I wanted to spread the word about. Did you know 43 of you have found what I have to say interesting enough to subscribe to my posts? Thanks for that! It is a small number, comparatively to the many blogs with thousands of subscribers, but you are special to me!

Knowing there are people interested in what I have to say keeps blogging relevant to me. I already have an online family journal for just my husband and I, so this blog is my own forum to talk about what's meaningful to me. Comments tell me who my audience is and who wants to hear more. Thank you for those of you who have commented in the past.

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Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 3/11/2013

2013-03-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Why "pick-me-ups"? I find that I need a word of encouragement, a new way of looking at a problem, or a new idea to try every once in a while. I'm glad to share with you 3 of the websites or blog posts that have helped me in some way---I hope it will be a blessing for you, too! Note: This is the last post in the "Top 3" series for now.

C u b S c o u t s !

Photo Credit

Things I like best about Cub Scouts for my sons:

builds character
gain skills/knowledge
strengthen confidence
make friends

My sons like:

playing with the other scouts
eating treats occasionally
receiving awards they earned (makes them feel special).

I do remember when my oldest was a cute little Wolf scout 2 years ago. I was a little intimidated! Badges and achievements and meetings, oh my! After two years (wow, has time flown), I feel like I am getting a better understanding of the Cub Scout program. Now that I am an assistant leader in my son's Webelos den, I am getting to learn a lot more. (Boy, am I!) While I consider myself a 'beginner' in this area, I'm happy to pass on these tips today.

I am going to spare you all a long post about this topic and just include 3 links that have helped me make sense of what Cub Scouts is about, with helpful resources to implement the program in the family or in the pack.

If you are new to Cub Scouts, reading the book that comes along with the den is a good start and attending any training (ie: Round Table) offered in your area can really be helpful as a leader or a parent.

Ready?

1. The first link is like a collection of a TON of stuff other wonderful people have put together and so generously shared.

SCOUTING @ Sugardoodle.net

My favorites are the print-outs, like the one that correlates the LDS Faith in God booklet with the various cub scout achievements from Wolf to Webelos. That one is awesome. The other one I like is the Belt Loop print out that lists all the beltloops the boys can earn from Wolf to Webelos, with pictures of the actual loops and also the things they need to do to earn them. I haven't found that anywhere else, so very helpful. Click above, it's all on there.

2. Akela's Council

3. America Jane

Bonus: This almost goes without saying, but Pinterest has a plethora (of course) of ideas for Den doodles, Blue and Gold themes, and all kind of print outs, charts, record keeping, not to mention crafts that the boys can make in meetings.

Feel free to pass this on to any Cub Scouting families you know.

Have a great link or idea? Let me know with a comment or email!

Other Top 3 Pick-me-ups in this series:
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 3/4/2013

2013-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Why "pick-me-ups"? As a Mom, I find that I need a word of encouragement, a new way of looking at a problem, or a new idea to try every once in a while. I'm glad to share with you 3 of the websites or blog posts that have helped me in some way---I hope it will be a blessing for you, too! Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

1. Relationships are something I have always had a genuine interest in. I was in school to become a marriage and family counselor when I met my husband, actually. Now, I just focus on understanding the various family relationships I am in!

Relationships, our connection to others, are vital in everyone's life. When things are not working, it makes everything that much harder. It makes sense, then, when something is not working well, to search out ways to improve ourselves and understand others and how we connect with each other better.

I came across these videos online and watched a few. There were some great ones! They are made by a Christian ministry, Marriage Missions International. There is a list of other topics on the sidebar of the webpage linked to below about dealing with siblings, parents, in-laws, ideas for romance, and lots more. They provide lots of ways to learn about understanding and improving relationships.

Marriage Videos

This list below gives some ideas at a glance to build a fulfilling marriage.

12 Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Marriage
(there is one other way they left out that happens to be a favorite of ours, wink, wink)

Below is a link with tips for dealing with rough moments. It's meant for navigating reunions or holidays when around family members we may have trouble getting along with (of course, none of us have any of those, right?). I can see how the ideas shared could come in handy anytime, actually.

P-E-A-C-E on Earth

2. When I became a Mom for the first time, the Lord led me to women who mentored me with patience and compassion. From them, I gleaned tips on parenting, breastfeeding, caring for babies, potty training, nutrition, and much more.

As my children have grown, I have found less of a need for that kind of mentoring in those areas, but with the things I am just beginning to experience as my kids grow and their needs change, I still find myself craving the company of a woman who has experienced much of this and has a heart to share with me what she learned/would have done differently! For some unexplainable reasons, having a woman to walk beside just makes my heart calm.

That is one reason why blogging has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I enjoy feeling validated, encouraged, get new ideas, and more from the sweet women who are blogging. I can't tell you how many times I was feeling overwhelmed and then I clicked over to another Mom's blog and there was a post she wrote that alleviated the emotions I was experiencing or just brought a smile to my face. These wonderful women are in various stages of raising kids, but I tell ya, I need to hear from them all! Being in the company of others experiencing similar things while raising kids is a life saver, indeed!

Has anyone heard of or participated in this Titus2 Mentoring Women program? It looks wonderful! It reminds me of the LDS church's Relief Society program. I wrote a blog post about that HERE.

It also reminds me to continue honoring my dear mother and mother-in-law, as well as sisters and sisters-in-law and aunts, for the wonderful people they are, to receive the blessings of wisdom they desire to share with me.

Last, I know there are wonderful women at church, beyond my peers, who I can ask questions of. I wonder if I could also consider asking one of these women to be a mentor to me for a time. I think that would be lovely!

3. Relationships are precious. Our time as women on this earth is precious. The lives of people we can touch for good are precious.

(source)

May we each be encouraged to seek for the knowledge and support we need to complete our callings in our families to our fullest potential for good (even if that just means lots of patience)!

I am grateful to the many, many men and women whom I have had the privilege to learn from, from within my families and from without. Those of you who read and comment here, and the things you share on your own blogs, have been a strength to me and have been such a blessing. Thank you!

I hope someday to learn to be a helpful and kind mentor to many others who seek it. I am grateful for those who are willing to play this role in my life because I acknowledge my need for them, absolutely!

God is always willing to listen to our prayers, our frustrations, our lack of understanding, or anything we feel a pressing need to lay at His feet. Sometimes God was the only one who could understand and direct me to the comfort and answers I needed in my times of frustration and despair! I need to try to go to Him first more often. (I am sure that would help! I want to be better in this.) I encourage anyone with questions, struggles, problems, or difficulties of any size or shape to go to the Lord in prayer, with faith, and make your requests known.

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

--Phillipians 4:6

Who are your mentors or people you've looked up to and received helpful advice from?

What has helped you strengthen ties in your family or find solutions to problems you've faced?

Linked to:

The Modest Mom Blog's Modest Monday and a Link-Up
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home's Wise Woman Link-Up

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 2/25/13

2013-02-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

1. Ever feel intimidated by "those other women" who can seemingly handle every thing perfectly, all the time? (We all feel that way sometimes!) This inspired me:

"But I didn’t start out “built for it”. Nobody does. Kids require things of us—selflessness, hard work, physical and mental endurance—that none of us is fully equipped to provide for them. There’s no special mommy gene that I’ve got. If I can do this, anybody can."

Read more at Get Along Home. Great reminder that we are all dealing with stuff and doing the best we reasonably can.

2. How to Keep a Beautiful Home @ Nursery of the Nation

(hint: this post is a little different than you may think at first glance)

3. Hair caddy!

This little tip of mine came about because I like to be able to find hairbrushes, spray bottles, elastics, mini bobbie pins and other clippies, etc. when its time to fix my daughter's hair. This way it's all in one place and can go any where. It also comes in handy when on Sunday morning the boys' hair needs some work and we are about to go out the door to church....yes, often we only care about their hairstyles, or lack or, once a week ;-)

I am thinking of putting another one together so we have one for each level of the house.

Enjoy your week!

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Homeschool Mom Interview

2013-02-19T20:09:00.001-08:00

If you are like me and jump at the chance to learn from other mothers who homeschool or are in the middle of raising children, then you won't want to miss this nice little video interview at Gwen Tolliver's blog, Tollivers to Texas.

I love how she mentioned that if you help your children to develop a love for learning, you don't have to worry about teaching them everything because they'll be able to fill in their own gaps as they seek learning. That's what I am banking on! Her example of combining learning subjects with her children was also refreshing to hear about.

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 2/18/13

2013-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

Preparedness: it's on my mind. Personally, I make an effort to maintain a supply of clean water and food my family likes for our short term needs because the leaders of the church that I belong to have counseled us to do this. I also have things prepared in the case of an emergency and some medicines and herbs for healing on hand.

Guess what? Anyone can do this! Be encouraged that with time, careful planning and budgeting, it is possible to build up reserves for a rainy day.

Having these things assembled and updated really puts my mind at ease. I know that if we had a loss of employment or other problems, some things we would be able to take care of for ourselves because we have taken time to collect them before the difficulty hits, at least until we could receive any other needed help. I really appreciate how the Relief Society in my ward (congregation) is offering classes on these topics this year. It's been a big help in expanding my knowledge as well as a good kick in the pants to restock and evaluate what needs improvement for my home storage. :-)

1. Why do we prepare? Because, just like in the days of Joseph in Egypt and the years of plenty and the years of famine they experienced, calamities will happen to us, at some point, in some way. It just makes sense to prepare ourselves with a short term supply of the necessities of life and also prepare our minds and hearts to be strong during times of stress.

2. Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, but why do Mormons prepare? (Hint: not a doomsday thing)
Go see more at Mormon Moms Who Blog
And the All About Preparedness blog Heidi Garvin maintains. Such a good resource!
The 100 Items to Disappear First in case of natural disaster is enlightening.

3. I've found that if I look at our family storage like an extended pantry, or like a small store that I can go walk in and get a jar of peanut butter if we run out in the kitchen (and just restock later), it makes a big difference in how my storage is used. I learned this from a dear sister-in-law :-)
It also helps if you learn how to make things with what you store!
Click to see recipes and meals we like to make here.

These are my all-time favorite homemade bread recipes below. (For the gluten tolerant among us)
Try them out, they are very easy and practically fail-proof.

The Food Nanny's Honey Wheat Bread
Crystal @ Everyday Food Storage Best Wheat Bread Ever !
(and she is the Queen of cooking from scratch videos)
Crystal is awesome. She puts together these step-by-step videos, so helpful.

4. One more, for kicks. Water is on the top of my list, as it is vital for hygiene and survival. Can you imagine what you would do if for some reason you were without water for your whole family for days?? I have been thinking about this. I usually store enough water for a few days in the case of emergency, but my family is growing and rotating this amount of water every 6 months is not easy with multiples containers of water. I found Sure Water Tanks online and it looks like a great solution. What do you think? If you organize a bulk order (10+), they offer free shipping to some states in the U.S.

Hope this inspires someone and maybe you'll even have a new recipe to try!

Have a great week :-)

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Awesome? Think again!

2013-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

A d e q u a t e IS A w e s o m e !

{How's that for fancy-schmancy? That's my attempt at graphic design :-D }

When I told my Mother, who raised 8 kids, my new little motto,

she added:

Barely adequate but still functioning is also awesome!

I think mothers are pretty amazing people.

Keep up the Good work, ladies, whatever stage of life you are in!

A few thoughts lately...

2013-02-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Just some things on my mind...

Boy, do we go through our fair share of toilet paper...and then some! With 2 adults and 4 potty trained children, that adds up to...I don't know how many rolls a week. A lot. I now have one of these fancy thing-a-ma-jigs in each bathroom and they are wonderful. (Less walking to the storage room to get more paper to put in the bathrooms.) Note to self...invite a child to help stock TP in the near future.

(photo credit)

Funny enough (and I wish I took a photo of this for 'proof'), I saw that the roll was empty on the holder-thingy, but there was a new roll of TP sitting on the back of the toilet, on top of the tank. Of course, my thought was, so, they can get a new roll out but actually putting it on the holder is just TOO much to ask. Sheesh! :-D (I don't get too worked up about these minor annoyances... at least we have access to clean water and TP) But it's still fun to whine a little every once in a while ;-)

Okay, can I get an AMEN here?
Driving in a vehicle with 5 kids can be a very loud experience. You know its loud when the person in the seat next to you is shouting to be heard and you. just. can't. hear. them!! And you instruct everyone to BE QUIET (of course, I never yell), and then it's quiet for 1.5 seconds and as soon as that other person you are trying to listen to opens their mouth, BEHOLD, the backseat choir unleashes their hallelujah chorus of cacophony! Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!

My suggestion for automakers: add limo glass as an interior option in all vehicles that might be purchased by parents (you know, the special noise-proof kind that you can open and shut). I still have mirrors, so I can SEE that my sweet cherubs are safe. But SOMETIMES, I just don't want to hear it, if you know what I mean! (include free squeegee for cleaning off food splatters, just a thought)

Lastly, and this is just plain good news...
I now have two sons who have been baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Which is just wonderful. It also means I get to teach two young people how to fill out tithing slips and learn to pay their tithing each month. Very cool mom moment...and also another brand new thing I get to learn to do.

And now, dear readers, I must "away" to one of my dear children's special play places in the house, as I have been invited to a picpic ("picnic") and sleep over in the walk-in closet by my 3 year old. She likes to think her new "house" is a wicker laundry hamper underneath the "tree" of hanging clothing and the "sun" of a glowing lightbulb. Hope your day is just as fun and rewarding! (Yes, I am being sincere about this part :-)

Life is getting interesting over here!

What's new with you lately??

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 2/11/13

2013-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

1. A little humor goes a long way: Catalog Living.
If you haven't checked that one out yet, you are missing out! Always good for a giggle.

2. Scriptures on the topic of Love within the family
For the little boost of spirit and peace :-)

3. In honor of Valentine's Day this week and my undying love of all things chocolate:
Yes, I'll take an entire room made out of chocolate, thank you very much!

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Dealing with Difficulty

2013-02-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

This week, the great times we've had as a family and the many happy memories we've made have been on my mind. I also think about the challenges we've had in our family over the past 6 months.

Since the summer, we've moved about 1,000 miles away from our families to a new state, we added a new baby to our family of 6 just 4 short months prior to that move, our oldest son had some concerning health issues where he needed medical testing and we were very concerned for about 2 months (ended well with a diagnosis and medication that is helping him, what a blessing!), I broke my toe around Christmas and basically was unable to get around for 2 weeks, and my husband sprained his ankle right before that! I've had sadnesses to overcome that could be described: "in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see."

The list goes on: separations due to my dear husband's work trips, trying to get the house set up alone while caring for 5 children, illnesses that went through the whole family, getting the two oldest boys set up in their new cub scout troop, figuring out homeschooling in a new area, making new friends, etc, etc.

Whew! There really have been some trying times! Emotional roller coasters and late nights ensued. I know many people could claim harder trials (which helps me not feel sorry for myself! I don't have it so bad)....but it leads me to want to talk with others about life's journey of ups and downs and how to deal with them all.

I've been thinking about when life is not easy and when challenges come. How do I deal with them? How do you deal with them?

Read more »

Give Said the Little Stream :-)

2013-02-06T11:02:00.001-08:00

This sweet video cheered my heart today--and my little 9 month daughter was so happy and "talking" as she sat near the screen and watched the people singing. May your day be sweet!

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 2/4/13

2013-02-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

Let's get ready for Valentine's Day!

{photo credit }

1. I love receiving the ideas from Little Blots lapbooks in my email box. Here are some ideas to help any little ones enjoy creating and playing and learning through a Love themed lapbook. This video from Valerie at Lapbook Lessons shows how the lapbook is arranged. Some ideas here, here, and here for games and coloring items to put into the lapbook.

2. Here are a few more Valentine's Day crafts from DTLK-Kids. I printed off some angry bird and hearts and flowers ones for the family to color during our family home evening.

3. These treats from Spoonful for the holiday look so yummy. I've made the red jello hearts before and the kids really liked it (it was easy!).

This year, I noticed at a local discount grocery they had some good prices on a variety of bulk sweets. (Actually, while shopping, my boys ran over to the aisle and then flagged me down! haha) My oldest boys helped pick out a few different chocolates, gummies and gumdrops in pink and red colors when we went shopping. They are going to help me put them in homemade decorated "mailboxes" (empty tissue boxes) on February 14th for a fun surprise for the rest of the family!

What are some of the fun ways you like to enjoy this holiday?

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

"Dancing with my Crocodile"

2013-01-30T05:13:00.000-08:00

Our daughter who is 3 years old, like many girls her age, loves to dress up, play pretend, dance and tell stories.

One day she put on her pink tutu, spun in a circle with her pink crocodile toy, and asked me to tell her a story.

What story do you want, about a mouse, maybe?

No, Mama, she said. About a pink crocodile.

Oh, okay. I said.

And a girl ghost and they played hide and seek, she added.

You see, the story sort of told itself, between my little daughter and me.

Once upon a time, there was a pink crocodile. There was also a girl ghost and they were friends. And friends ate a cake. a Birthday cake. They ate it but a scary ghost want the birthday cake! The friends made the scary ghost into a happy ghost!! Then, they played hide and seek. They counted and hid under the table.

then, something outside the room caught her attention and the story ended, just like that.

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 1/28/13

2013-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

We've been learning about the creation of the world with the two younger children this month. I started looking at some photos of the Milky Way galaxy online and came across a few fun things that I shared with all the kids, so it's perfect to pass on to you for this week's Top 3!

1. Nasa's Astronomy Picture of the Day archive has some breathtaking images to view online. You won't want to miss Yosemite Winter Night.

2. YouTube's Scientific American Space Lab show is pretty cool. (Parents, some episodes may not kid-friendly. Discretion recommended.)

The Solar System Song (visit the blog to see the video)

and

the Planets Song (visit the blog to see the video)

3. We are so going to listen to this before bed!!

The Astronomy for Kids Podcast

Neat website with the basics of the Solar System, plus cool graphics at KidsAstronomy.com

4. One more, just for kicks. This mobile would be easy to make using simple materials.

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

2013-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

It might as well be June, with my recent Dad-happy posts! {Happy Father's Day early! :-) }

I am so glad to have a great Dad who loves me and who showed an interest in me as I was growing up. I love the phone calls we share now a days, too. I'm grateful for my husband who cherishes me and our kids in his own special way. I'm thankful his Dad raised him with love, humor, and faith.

Most of all, I feel the comfort and peace from my Father in Heaven who listens to my prayers, silent or spoken. I feel His love for me through my ups and downs and I know He loves ALL of His children with a perfect love that I have only begun to understand. His perfect son Jesus Christ showed us this love in his own brief time dwelling among us.

You can't tell me you don't get chills at the end of this short video. It's so good.

Marriage: the Big Picture

2013-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Isn't this the cutest video? So made me smile !!

Dad's Influence in Home Life

2013-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

After posting about my husband and the ways he influences our kids for good, including in home education, my dear husband came across this video, below, and sent me a link so I could watch it. I'm passing this on as I am sure other Moms and Dads will appreciate it.

I had to smile, so much of what the 'experts' mention remind me of him, like using technology in the family to organize and plan and less of a tendency toward perfectionism in child rearing and routines. He's also an excellent grocery shopper :-)

Although he is not a full time at-home Dad without work, my husband is a full-time Dad and is more often at home than gone due to his choice of profession (computer guy extraordinaire!) and we end up sharing a lot of our parenting/household responsibilities. A lot of these things mentioned in the video still apply because of the unique lifestyle we live. (It's also so nice to feel like we are not alone as we live a little outside the norm)

What are your thoughts upon viewing the video? Do you see some changes in the ways Dads around you engage and interact with their kids than in previous generations?

Boys and Their Toys

2013-01-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

Never too many toy swords / guns / shields / helmets / light sabers / misc. weaponry

Totally a "Calvin & Hobbes" face!

Showing their best military pose. They were getting ready for Cub Scouts.

Gotta admire that kind of dedication! :-)

note: all poses were inventions of the boys. quite unique kids!

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 1/21/13

2013-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

1. The Primary children of the LDS church, from all over the world, are learning the song "One in a Million" this year. When you click on the bolded words here, it will take you to a website to listen to the song and where kids can click on different areas of the world map. Little videos pop up and they each feature a child who lives in that part of the world and they tell about themselves, their family and their interests. It's pretty neat!

Photo Credit

Yep, this sums it up! Especially for those Moms enduring the winter doldrums and seemingly-neverending bouts of sickness or caring for little babies (or some of those things all-at-once). We can do it! This month I've had to let go of some things I just didn't have time/energy for. But I am still here and surviving well!

3. Women in the Relief Society learn a topic each month and share it with each other by visiting one another in small groups at home. The Visiting Teaching message for January 201 3 is Missionary Work. Click on the bolded link above to read or listen to the message on the LDS church website. For a fun way to share the message, visit LDS Printables for the current message handout.

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

The Temple in the Amazon

2013-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

The young peopl in this video are so happy and their amount of preparation and enthusiasm astonished me. I want to share this video so others can see what the temple being near this people meant to them. It inspires me to find time to attend the temple nearest me.

The big banner with the temple spray painted on it was awesome! I think the amount of preparation really showed the dedication of the people to their faith in Jesus Christ, whose name is on each and every temple built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What is Truth?

2013-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

This LDS Church Education Devotional broadcast for young adults is enlightening about how to discern truth from error and also instructs one on what truth really is. There are a few good jokes scattered throughout, which is characteristic of President Uchtdorf. (I liked the one about marriage and doilies :-) Makes great viewing for a Sabbath day or Family Home Evening, or for me, a quiet moment during the day.

Quoting President Uchtdorf:
"How can we trust this truth? Latter-day saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to search, to evaluate, thereby to come to a personal knowledge of the truth."

Blessings,

Keyboard Stand

2013-01-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

I was gonna post a tutorial on how to make one of these way-cool keyboard stands...

but I think it's kinda self-explanatory, don't ya think? :-D

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 1/14/13

2013-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

Today's Top 3 are a few of my kids' favorite ways we like to learn about the human body together. Consider these new ideas to try! Just in time for flu season...

1. NSF's Scrub Club webisode cartoon is a fun way to learn about why we wash our hands and how it can help us to stay healthy and not spread sick germs. My kids like the games, too.

2. ScienceWorld's Body Works game: Ever wonder what the inside of your body looks like? This fun game also includes gross sound effects, so little boys especially like this game.

3. Last, if you have a kid who has lots of questions about bodies, the BBC's Human Body game allows you to drag and drop internal organs to where they belong and explore the various systems within the human body. Note: Moms and Dads, this site has a section about puberty, so you may want to explore this with your child. It can be helpful to answer some questions that arise.

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year

Dad's Place in Home Education

2013-01-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Dads have a unique set of skills that can benefit the family. There are multiple ways Dads can impact their kids' learning and development for good. The key is to appreciate what Dad's gifts and talents are and to capitalize on those. If Dad works with wood and likes to build, he can extend that to his child and work together to build something fun or useful. If he is a musical person, they can attend a concert or listen to music or make music together. It could be sports or a love of nature or making videos or baking or fixing something or playing board games.

It doesn't need to be a regimented, tightly scheduled activity or last for hours, but it can if it's what the family enjoys. The important thing is that it happens, as regularly as possible, and is mutually enjoyable. It's mostly about spending time together and enjoying one another. Many skills just come naturally through these kinds of times spent together for Dads and kids.

In our family, with our current circumstances, Dad works from home but also travels for work. He works when he has a chance, whether that is first thing in the morning before anyone is awake, or when its quiet in the evening, or after (most) of the kids have gone to bed. He does help me or the kids if we really, really need it during the course of the day and often when he has a work assignment that must get done on time, we do what is needed to allow him time and quiet to get his work done. Sometimes he is away for extended periods of time, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It's a team effort, absolutely, to live this lifestyle and most of the time we are learning how to do this as we go. Patience and faith are integral to making this a positive and enjoyable way of life as a family!

Read more »

Top 3 Pick-me-Ups 1/7/13

2013-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out for these each Monday :-)

1. 5 Reasons to Read Picture Books to Your Kids @ Jump Into a Book
Reminds me of why being read aloud to was magical to me as a kid... I want to pass that on to my own kids!

2. Mommy's Toolbox--Things to Consider When Turning the Corner in Your Homeschooling. @ Large Family Mothering. This sound advice comes from Sherri, a homeschooling mother of 15. This part of her post that helped me today:

"Don't live in the future, but allow His plans to unfold before you. If you submit to His perfect will, live to please Him and teach your children to do the same, you will be amazed at how He will be able to work even the worst of things together for your good." (Romans 8:28)

3. On Self Discipline @ The Power of Moms, Linda Eyre talks about ways we can fit more discipline into our lives and a fun game to teach our children this value. Also, at Living Waters by LeAnn, she posted about 2013 Being a New Year of Hope.

Linda's article, above, and LeAnn's blog post were both helpful for me as it has bolstered my confidence to choose to become more disciplined and to find hope in a new beginning, a new year. The spirit of God helped me understand something about myself, that I was getting lax in my own personal Gospel studies, resulting in me becoming more easily discouraged by circumstances and media and that a personal goal would help with that.

I have decided to join the "one word" movement I have seen in a few places on the Internet this year. I chose preparation as my watch-word. I have been thinking about Jesus' parable of the 10 virgins. The 5 wise virgins were able to attend the wedding feast ("enter into the Lord's rest") because they were prepared.

I decided that I want to feel ready for that day when Christ will come again. I also feel that this would result in a blessing of peace in the meantime for both me and my family. So, I am making a concerted effort to prepare myself spiritually this year. I have made the goal of reading several books about the Gospel and it feels great to stretch my mind and strengthen my heart and spirit! I've already almost finished one. I love starting from a small, meaningful point and then see it spread and flourish into something better than I could have imagined.

Here's to a New Year in 2013 !

Other Top 3 Pick-me-Ups in this series:
3/11/13: Cub scouts
3/04/13: Relationships
2/25/13: Encouragement for Mom's & Hair Caddy
2/18/13: Emergency Preparedness
2/11/13: A little humor goes a long way
2/04/13: Valentine's Day
1/28/13: Astronomy for Kids
1/21/13: Motherhood isn't for Wimps & One in a Million kids
1/14/13: Human body for Kids
1/07/13: A New Year