Five In Training For HIM

Chicken Adventures - Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:17:00 +0000

Just a small update on how it is going. According to my plan it is going right on schedule.

My daddy came through with lots of supplies for our Chicken Coop. It did not cost us anything. We might look into seeing if this whole thing can count toward some kind scout merit badge.

Here is a picture of some of the supplies.

Lil Momma Strouse

ABC's of Homeschooling -- O & P

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:19:00 +0000

I missed last week for "O" so I will do both "O" and "P" this week.

O is for Online homeschooling. There are so many different things you can do online. From online math to online writing classes. We have used time4learning.com as in our school in some way or another over the past many years. Right now we are using it for online science. Biggun really loves it. We will be using it for learning to read w/ Honey next year.

P is for Patience. That is what my children have needed to have with me the past year or so. Usually it is the other way around, right? The mom needs to have patience with their child. But this past year my children have had to deal with me and my migraines. Needing to go lay down and being grumpy with them among other things. Patience is a very hard for children. But some how they have done a pretty good job at it. Biggun my oldest has been wonderful with helping with the littles.

That is my O and P this week. Thanks for stopping by. Join me and share what your ABC's of Homeschooling are over at The Momma Knows.

Be sure to stop by the 50 Followers Giveaway!
The time has been extended another week due to low entry!

Lil Momma Strouse

Wordless Wednesday 2-1-12

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Posted by: Lil Momma Strouse

Chicken Adventures - Education

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:17:00 +0000

You read the title right. Chicken Adventures! I am starting a series here of our adventures in getting chickens.

I am starting my homework on what is needed to get a few chickens. I am excited at the idea of getting some chickens. But scared that I will kill them all before they ever get to be old enough to lay eggs. It is a great homeschool curriculum addition too. Not that it would help much with any homeschool standardize testing we might do but it will be educational. I am trying to read everything I can and ask as many questions as I can. I am very blessed to have a good friend, Ms. Betty, close by who has answered all of my questions as they have come up she also has a GREAT blog, Little Farm in the Big City.

I recommend you stop by her blog, she talkes about everything from gardening, canning, sewing, and farming. All while she lives in the city and not on acres of land.

I have purchased two books

and

Both books are chalk full of great information and both where recommended by Ms. Betty @ Little Farm in the Big City.

I think I have decided to go with a Rhode Island Red chicken. They are good layers and are not spooked as easily as other chickens.

I need to order a few chics this from our local feed supply place, soon.

Next we will be talking about chics and brooding.

Lil Momma Strouse

50 Followers Give Away!

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:35:00 +0000

The winner is....

<p>The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator. </p>
*AubreyLaine*

You are the 3rd comment so you have WON!

Please respond to my email with your address.

This give away has been extended to Feb 12th, due to low entry.

Come on people share and comment, SIGN UP!!!!

Yesterday I hit 50 followers! I am so excited. I want to have a give away to help celebrate!

I am giving away a homemade set of tunisian crochet wash clothes hand made by me!

Along with a $10.00 Gift Card to Michaels.

Sharing how you heard about me.

Follow the blog.

Blog about this give away.

Share about this blog on facebook.

Share about this blog on twitter -#lilmommastrouse

Leave a separate comment for EACH entry.

Thanks again for helping me grow my blog.

~~This give away will end Sunday Feb 5th at noon.~~

Extended to Feb 12th at noon due to low entry.

*You might now receive the same color tunisian crochet wash cloth as shown in picture above.*

Lil Momma Strouse

Sweatshirt Rug

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:37:00 +0000

I decided to tie off the work in progress Sweatshirt Rug and place it in front of the fridge where I had planned for it to be. I love it. Here are pictures of my final rug. Remember this rug is made all old sweatshirts that I cut into yarn to crochet using a half double stitch all the way around. I added a few extra stitches to create the expanding circle. Just went with it.

Sorry for the color difference. I took the pic w/ a cell phone.

Lil Momma Strouse

Wordless Wednesday 1-25-12

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Love these two (my Mom and Dad) till the end of time!

ABC's of Homeschooling -- N

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:44:00 +0000

This weeks letter is "N"

"N" is for Noise.

My house is always NOISY. Between the littles playing and well fighting, too. Moose screams like a girl and Honey whines very loudly. Biggun on the computer doing his school work, playing math games or playing mindcraft. Oh, then there is when Biggun is practicing his bass guitar.

The TV is always on in our house even if it is on the news channel or on PBS it seems it is always on.

Did I mention the NOISE the dogs make, too. Yes I said dogs as in plural! We have 2 dogs. When one barks the other barks too.

Add the phone ringing and the fax machine going off for my husbands work. It is always NOISY in my house. People wonder why I stay up so late at night, after the kids go to bed. It is because that is the only time that this house is NOT NOISY!

But wait as I sit here writing this blog I realize it is not really my house that is NOISY but my family is NOISY. We can't go on a walk with the littles in their jogging strollers with out them making NOISES (I don't mean talking I mean NOISES like barking and squealing)

This is also the reason why my son, Biggun, gets up early before everyone else and does his school work. For the quiet. Sometimes we can do roadschooling and still deal with the NOISE it just depends on where we are going.

Stop by TheMommaKnows.com to find out what others say about the letter N.

Lil Momma Strouse

Scissors

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

Scissors, Scissors, Scissors!

This is what is "Cool" right now in my house.

I get the question all the time "Mother, can we do school work?" With the reply of "Yes we can." But the next thing that comes is "I only want to cut with scissors!" I have to smile and know this is a stage and she will get past it but the mess a pair of scissors and scrap paper can make is amazing. (Said with a big smile)

Lil Momma Strouse

ABC's of Homeschooling -- M

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

How many different names do your children call you?

Mom

Momma

Mommy

Mommeeee

or how about

MOTHER

This sweet looking little girl calls me MOTHER.

"Honey"

Not Mom, not Mommy, not Momma but Mother. I am not sure what caused her to start doing that but that is what she calls me and it is a little strange to me.

My oldest Biggun calls me Mom and my youngest calls me Mommeee, (lots of e's in his Mommy.)

She will still call me Momma when she is not thinking about it. But when she is being told to do something she will respond with "Yes Mother" or "Mother can I have..." I have been tutoring her to go back to Mom or Momma. You know coaxing her to say the other, we will see in time. No matter what this will be a great story for her children when she grows up.

I know I should not be shocked because as I grew up I called my mom, Woman. Okay before you start leaving nasty comments. Let me explain. When you are in a crowed store and you say Mom, everyone looks except MY mom. When you call her by her whole real name, she never looked. But when you called her Woman, she would turn her head every time. She did not count it as being rude it just always has been. My Mom calls my Granny, Lady. This might be where I get my Woman from who knows. But it works for our family. Oh and the word Woman was used in the bible for a name also. It was a term of endearment not being rude.

"Woman"

I could be using word abbreviations for my mom. I once heard someone call their mom, Mrs. That was it just Mrs., like it was formal. It took me a while to realize that they where not going to say more with the name, just Mrs. I am not talking about a husband, either (You know how a husband might call his wife, the Mrs.'s. But a child calling their mom, Mrs.

What do your children call you?

This post was shared on ABC's of Homeschooling over at

Be sure to stop by and add your own blog post this weeks letter is "M"

Head Colds, Blaahhh

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

One of those weeks where all I have wanted to do is climb under the covers and stay there. I did not want to do anything, not blog, not facebook, not email not anything! Got a head cold from ... well you know I got this really bad head cold. Finally gave in and went to the doctor to find out major sinus infection and double ear infection. When I get sick I am sure to do it right, don't I? Forehead hurts, cheeks hurt, ears hurt everything just hurts. Have to use the speaker phone cause my ears hurt. Makes it hard to work when you really need to answer the phones or make phone calls with out all the background noise. I am blessed that I have an understanding boss that let me come in for a few hours then sent me home. Still have time to finish my work for my other company I work for. Praying I get inspired enough to get it done, too.

On to how my family is handling Lil Momma being down.

My oldest, Biggun has been wonderful in helping with the littles. He has kept them entertained and out of my hair while I slept. He even did most of his school work. I say most because there is a little that he has to do with my help. But he did his school with out being told. That is a blessing in itself right there.

Don't get me started on the laundry. It is behind and piled very high.

My sweet husband has done a lot to help too. After working 14 to 16 hour days, he has done his laundry, so he would have uniforms and made dinner the past few nights. Granted one night was Mc Donalds and the next was spaghetti but that is okay everyone got fed.

The littles have been there normal active selves. But they have done well with Biggun being in charge of them.

As I sit here looking around my house at all that needs done, I am okay with it because I feel very blessed that my family loves me enough to let me have a few days to recover from this awful head cold.

Psalm 28:6
Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

Wordless Wednesday 1-18-12

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

ABC's of Homeschooling -- L

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Ever feel like you are Loosing it? Well I do all the time!

When all the kids are going in different directions and no one is listening to a think I say or ask them to do.
When the sink you just emptied is FULL again.
Oh what about that laundry that just grows w/o any sun or rain.
Then there is the end to the day when you BURN dinner or it just did not turn out right and NO one wants to eat it.

When that happens all on the same day and some times at the same time, I feel like I could just LOOSE it.
In fact if you ask my kids they will tell you I do loose it. No really ask them. They will tell you that I am loose it on a daily basis.

Come on I know I am not the only Mom out there that feels like she is loosing it!

When I am ready to totally loose it I try to remember verses like these...

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word turns up anger.

Ecclesiastics 7:9
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Life can be hard sometimes and I need to slow down and turn to God instead of Loosing it.

Do you have any ideas you want to share of what you do instead of loosing it? Any bible verse that help you through? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear them.

Wordless Wednesday 1-11-12

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:08:00 +0000

Linked up to We Don't Have It All

and

Dogmar*s Momsense

and

Starting a Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Someone asked me the other day what it was like to start a blog?

When I responded with what do you mean? Her questions got more detailed, like...

Why did you start a blog?
What do you write about?
Where did you think of your title?
Who do you write to?
Why do you not use real names?

Her list of questions just kept going. Here are some of my answers to what she asked...

Originally I started my blog to keep a record of what my kids did as they grew and so family might be able to see from a far. Now I keep my blog more as a hobby. A way to share my thoughts.
I write about anything and everything that pertains to my life. Homeschool, Kids, God, Friends, Work, Life and anything else that works for me.
My original title was Strouse Academy when it was just about schooling. But as have grown and my blogging has grown I wanted my blog so show how we are growing. Thus Five in Training for HIM came about.
I write to ME! If others read, like and comment on it, GREAT! But the main reason is for me like an open diary.
The reason we do not use real names came about when I first started blogging. My son was small and that was a request of my husbands. Do not use the kids real names. So we have not.

I shared with my friend that I took a free blog writing course a while ago and that did help. I need finish up the other blog writing course I started. Maybe that would help improve my blog and get some more followers???

So if you are looking to start a blog or just starting take it slow and enjoy the journey! If you have blogged a while and read this blog please leave a comment sharing your tips for a new blogger.

Wordless Wednesday 1-4-12

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Music this year

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:20:00 +0000

The year of Music in our house... Well sorta.

Honey has been begging for a PINK GUITAR for months. When anyone asked her what she wanted for Christmas she would tell you a pink guitar. My mother in law found her a purple guitar that was perfect.

Honey loves to sing too. Sometimes not always a real song they are sound-alikes but hey that is what makes it so great.

Biggun has wanted a bass guitar since before his birthday back in June. Between his Aunt and Uncle and us we were able to get him the whole kit.

He got the guitar and the amp to go with it.

Now to get the lessons figured out. In the mean time he is working on some music games on the computer. The music notes game and music memory game is very good for the ear. We might have some real bass music to listen too.

2012 the Year of having Contentment

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Last year the my word for the year was Focus. We did our best to stay focused on the things that where important all year. Sometimes we failed but other times it sure did help us to know where we needed to focus on most, our Father in Heaven.

This year as soon as I started to think of our word of the year the first word that came to mind was Contentment. As I thought of other words I still kept going back to Content. I took this as God telling me that I need to work on this. That our family needs to work on this as a whole.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I want to be able say and live verse 11 and really mean it.

Philippians 4:10-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I want my teach and live by example for my children verses 6 & 7.

1 Timothy 6:5-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

We all need to be reminded daily of this verse below.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I will be typing these verses up and posting them in our home. This will help my family remember what our word for 2012 is.

CONTENTMENT - CONTENT

2012

What is your word for the year of 2012?

Co Sleeping

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Some people would never co sleep with their babies/children. As my family is the first to share their opinions that they did not agree with this as we chose to do this. But from the moment that Biggun moved in my belly all I ever wanted to do was to have him sleep on my chest as a baby skin to skin.

I will never forget that his birth was so not what we expected, emergency c-section. When I was out of recovery my nurse put up such a fight in letting me have him on my chest due to the pain meds they had me on. But my mother stood up to her and said that I had waited 9 months to have that baby lay skin to skin and that is exactly what her daughter was going to do with her grandson. My mom stood watch over both of us to make sure that we where both OK that first night.

When we got home we fell into a routine of co sleeping/the family bed. Just when we had gotten Biggun out of our bed then Honey was born. Now for the past 4 years I have had a child in my bed co sleeping. But the Friday before Christmas we got the littles both their own beds. Honey has taken to hers very well. She is will sleep till about 6 or 7 am and then come into my bed, which is pretty good. I am OK with that.

Moose is having a harder time. He will only sleep for a few hours and I am OK with that too. To be honest so far I do not sleep soundly until Moose comes into my bed. See for the past 4 years I have had a child in my bed snuggling and co-sleeping and now I have to re-train myself too.

As I write this blog post I am thinking of how this next year, 2012, will be the year that my baby starts to really grow up. My very last baby. He will be potty trained and sleeping in his own bed by this time next year. I am happy and sad at the same time. He will be growing up yet, it is hard on my heart to see my last baby grow. It seems so fast too.

Wordless Wednesday 12-28-11

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Christmas Wrap Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:50:00 +0000

Christmas has come and gone. How did ours go. Pretty good and I hope that your's went good also.

Here is our Christmas in pictures.

Making Christmas Cards

Making Birthday Cake for Jesus, we changed up the story a little this year.

Multi color swirls to represent all the DIFFERENT people in the world.

White icing to represent how pure Jesus is.

Kisses to represent the love that God has for all of us that he sent his son.

The candle that is lit and never blown out like the love that God has for us will NEVER fail.

On Christmas Day there was Christmas at church where the kids had a party in children's church.

We had a wonderful sermon, I will share some of that in a different post.

When we got home we finally let the kids open gifts.

Top Gift pictures are below...

This was the face of, "You had me clean my room and make room for a stool?"

Only to find out later on in the day when Aunt C and J came over that this was the true reason for making room in his room.

Honey asked for a PINK guitar, here is what she got! Thanks Nana you did a great job on this find.

One of Mooses many favorite toys.

I got the cutest bee slippers!!! LOVE THEM!

There are so many pictures in my Christmas 2011 file that I can't post them all. I hope your Christmas Wrap Up was just as wonderful as mine. Blessings to all.

Planning.....

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:08:00 +0000

That is what I am doing this week planning. We start back up on Monday to our school after a long break. So this week in the middle of new toys, cleaning up the house, putting the Christmas decorations away and all the other things that are going on in our lives I am planning for the second half of our school year. Homeschool statistics show that most homeschoolers will reevaluate their school year mid way through their school year.

Biggun had come to me over this break and asked if he could have more say in his schooling. This started a whole conversation between both of us on what more say would mean. He requested a different History and wanted to choose what books he read as his free reading instead of me choosing what I wanted him to read. Even though he did state that the books I had chosen for him in the first half of school where all good books after he read them.

So for History we are going to use The History Channels Eduation Edition of America The Story of Us.

On the History Channel web page there is all kinds of teaching items that can go with this DVD set. This should get us through the second half of the school year until I can save up for the history program I want to use with him. I am really looking forward to this program and so is Troy.

The second change is Biggun asked if he could choose the books that he reads during free reading. So his first book to choose is very silly, don't laugh.... The Curse of the Campfire Weenies. I will "try" to lead him toward something a little different next time he chooses, maybe some homeschool literature.

That is the few changes that we making for the second part of our 2011-2012 year. How about you, are you planning on changing anything for the second half of your school year?

Wordless Wednesday 12-21-11

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

So sweet! I looked in on them and found them sleeping sound asleep like this.

ABC's of Homeschooling -- K

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

KIDS, KIDS, and more KIDS

Well when you think of the letter "K" and homeschooling you sorta think of KIDS! Right? I do. I have 3 great kids. Don't let me kid you they are normal kids that drive me batty on a regular basis, almost daily. But each of one of my kids are special in their own way.

Kid 1 - Biggun - 12 years old.

He is my oldest and in the pre-teen years. In between still wanting to play the younger toys like sword fighting and lego's to wanting to hang with the older kids in youth cause you know they are cool. He is very good w/ his 8 month old puppy. But not so good at his other chores. He will do the minimum it takes to get his school work done and will not even think of doing any extra. He is not a big reader, but will LISTEN for hours to a book on CD or MP3, specially if they are books by homeschoolers.

Kid 2 - Honey - 4 years old

She is my only girl. My middle child. My princess/diva in training. She has a very strong opinion on what she likes or does not to wear. She loves vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and most salads. She has not shown much interest in schooling yet. Other then play schooling. We are still trying to figure out all the aspects on how she will be learning to read. She gets attached to one toy and plays with it for a few weeks before moving on to a new toy.

Kid 3 - Moose - 3 years old

He is my baby! He is my independent but still wants mommy close by boy. Has no interest and I mean NO interest in potty training. He would rather be playing in a pile of dirt. He loves to watch lawn mowers or any lawn equipment for that matter from a distance but is scared of the sound of them up close. He will watch them for long stretches of time, too. He likes Iron Man and Spider Man but not a fan of Superman or Batman. He is my meat eater and will not even look at a veggie.

So those are my KIDS! One of the best words I can come up for the letter K. Now it is your turn. Stop on over to themommaknows.com and share what K means to you.

Christmas Traditions.

noreply@blogger.com (Lil' Momma @ Five in Training for HIM) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Every family has Christmas Traditions. Last year I did a 4 part series on listing our traditions. Check them out.

Part One - 3D Christmas Art (baby)

Part Two - Hand Made Christmas Stockings

Part Three - Gift From God in the tree.

Part Four - Birthday Cake for Jesus

This year I saw to late to implement but would love to maybe next year what Amy over at Raising Arrows Thanksgiving Stockings. I love the idea.

This year we started a new tradition to add to the other four. We made our own Christmas Cards. The kids made two different designs. One was of their finger prints making Christmas Lights and one of a scarp book paper Christmas Tree. All 3 kids did the Christmas lights but only Honey did the scrapbook Christmas Tree. I found both of those ideas on Pinetrest. I will have to look for new cards for next year.