Sprittibee

Longest Field Trip, Continued: The Dixons

2008-07-26T11:14:00.006-05:00

There's nothing like meeting up with fellow Christians who are blessed with the gift of hospitality. Even right on the front porch, there is evidence that this family is serving the Lord. When Jacque found out I was going to be in her neck of the woods on my cross-country trip, she wouldn't hear of me passing her by. She offered her home and even her own bed to our family! We couldn't say no. I really wanted to meet the three ladies that I blog with at the Homeschool Blog Awards. They have been such a delight to me in my blogging career that I felt like I already knew them. It was only natural that I fell in love with the rest of the family, too.

We stopped over in Indiana (just a few hours off course) so we could meet our Dixon blogging buddies. It isn't every day that Texans find themselves displaced that far up north, so we made every opportunity count on the way home. Not to mention, Amanda Dixon offered to make us dinner. How can you refuse that?

Boy, that girl can cook! She's going to make an excellent wife and mom someday! [By the way, Manda - I need that recipe, girl! I gave you the corn salad recipe! Your turn!]

After we ate, the kids enjoyed learning about barn chores (courtesy of Jocelyn and Eric) and playing Battleship. Little Caleb came inside after running around barefoot and I couldn't resist taking a picture of his dirty feet. Chickie read to him and he fell asleep in her arms on the rocking chair. He was the first Dixon down that night.

We stayed up into the wee hours chatting and laughing while Mr. Dixon crashed on the couch downstairs. Poor thing had to get up at the crack of dawn so we took the party upstairs and piled on to the upstairs couches and chairs together visiting. No one wanted to go to sleep.

The next morning we explored their property and took a ton of photos outside in the morning light. Hannah and Morgan looked especially pretty illuminated by the kitchen window. The kids fed the chickens and goats again and played sword fights with sticks and hand-made shields. I was mesmerized by the apple-tree blossoms and grape hyacinths. I have a ton of pictures from Indiana and our brief visit with the Dixons that I plan on using for Wordless Wednesday and Thursday Challenges in the future. In fact, I've already used one.

Rachel and Lucy Lillie were inseparable (well, actually - everyone took turns holding Lucy, so that isn't really fair). She's certainly not a baby that lacks for any attention! Amanda showed off her sewing skills with her home-made Supergirl purse. I think all of the Dixons are super, so it is very fitting that she's a Superman fan.

After finding out that they lived within driving distance of a Chipotle, I couldn't very well leave them without introducing "burrito bols" (and the best guacamole on the planet) in to their diet. Who could live without that cilantro-lime rice? Plans were made and we all piled into our vehicles to eat lunch before we had to go.

We were sad as we drove away that day. My mom said, "It is so hard to leave! I'm surprised at how quickly they all became 'family'." She had been leery of meeting complete strangers and being at their mercy (especially ones that I had met on the internet - of all places!). However, by the time we left, we felt like they were part of our family. It isn't every day that you get to meet people like the Dixons. I'm so glad our paths have crossed!

Friends are like chocolate... a rich and sweet treat the Lord gives us.

Show and Tell: Weaving

2008-07-25T15:37:00.002-05:00

I promised back in March that I would show you what the final weaving looked like when my kids finished their art project. Well, here's one of them - hanging on its new perch in the school room. Turns out, I needed something JUST THAT COLOR to help pull the room together. The children get a lot of compliments on it when they have visitors over. If only they all knew how easy weaving was!

Now we just need to take it down when we have some free time and add tassles or beads to the bottom stick. That's the neat thing. You can add later - you don't have to be "finished" when it comes to fabric creations. If you notice something later, you can just add it on!

Looking for a fun project to do with the kids for art next year? Get some twigs, grasses, yarns, and cardboard together and start your own weaving project. Check out some books on different styles of weaving. Let your children explore this ancient art and create something tangible they can show to friends and family - to credit them for their persistence and creativity.

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Weaving, Art, Fun, kids, education, Homeschool, Elementary, Creative, parenting, Teaching, Lesson Plans, yarn, Children, decorating, Creativity

Not Bad for a First Time Gardener

2008-07-24T01:12:00.001-05:00

I've had some requests for updates to the garden. "How does your garden grow?" Remember those sprouting baby seedlings I showed you last time? So I thought I would share the latest back-yard views that are making the bees around the block very happy folk indeed. My son has come to know all the bugs intimately and we are enjoying the Texas Bug Book and The Natural World of Bugs and Insects as field guides for getting to know our garden foes and friends. So far the delicate balance of bumble-land has not been upset (although there have been some close calls near the cucumber vines). We all love wandering in the yard, observing the plants and critters, but we know when to leave well alone.

My husband's pet has been the corn. He wanted to plant the whole durn thing in corn. He would have if I would have let him. He got so excited recently when the tips started breaking out of the tops of the stalks. I have yet to see any evidence of an ear of corn, but I have found quite a few freeloading caterpillars.

Interestingly, we found a few bean blooms the other day while inspecting the vines. They are aiming for the clouds and had us feeling rather useless after building the trellis screens only 4 feet tall. No beans to speak of yet, but a few pretty purple black eyed pea blooms are hiding under the foliage. We planted blackbeans, too. I haven't seen blooms on those, but they are markedly taller.

Ah, the king of the garden. My precious first tomato. I'm so excited to bring it in and eat it that I can hardly watch it grow. We have six tomato plants that we got from Wal-Mart when they were yellow and half-dead. A little Miracle Grow, some good dirt, and water has been a real blessing. Not to mention that we pray for the garden all the time.

Beside the towering tomato plants is a tiny plant that is not even half the size of his cousins. We took some juice and seed from a cherry tomato we ate at dinner out to the garden one night after our planting spree began. We burried it right off the chopping block and look at it now! Dinner for one night has become a plant that will hopefully supply many dinners in the future with juicy-sweet red tomatoes. We did the same with some bell peppers and the baby seedlings are in the garden near the squash. My next dinner table/chopping block addition is going to be the pablano peppers we ate a few days ago. We have seeds on the window sill waiting for transplant.

The chocolate mint and oregano are doing swell. The heat nearly killed the mint off after we brought it home and transplanted it in to the flower bed near our Vitex tree. It has come back thriving. It tastes so dreamy I have been itching to find some recipes to use it in. The oregano beside it (to the right) was planted as seed in a clay pot and transplanted to the flower bed. I'm going to keep adding herbs every time I can get them to sprout. We haven't had as much luck with seeding things as we would have hoped... but we are praying that September's plantings will be more bountiful.

The kids are dying to pick this big guy. Since I took this photo - in what seems like just one day - the largest cucumber we have so far (the one pictured) has nearly doubled in size. We planted about ten cucumber seeds and they have nearly taken over the entire garden along with their watermelon cousins. I am not sure what seedlings came up under the cucumber leaves, but they have smothered them out, whatever they were. I think they might have been the lettuce and pablano seedlings. I vastly underestimated how much room they were going to need. Cucumbers are a bed-hog. Next year, I'm planting them along the fence!

Another interesting plant is the squash. It is much more cordial about sharing space. It has let the watermelon vine run through it and hasn't minded much. Since I took this photo we noticed a 2-inch dark green zucchini growing amidst the yellow trumpets of blooms. Finally - a reason for the kids to eat squash! I wish I had taken a photo of the sprawling watermelon vine. We have at least ten melons begining to bud. One is the size of a quarter and looks so cute with its little white stripes. It has taken up the most space of all the plants... and the neighbors might even get a few watermelons if it keeps creeping through the fence and their dog doesn't kill it.

Every garden needs a focal point. Ours has a few. Some of my favorite things in the back yard include this interesting cedar stump that holds a few plants in pots as if begging for more water on their behalf. Most of the pots are just in transition, but we like the way they look there. I think I'll get some prettier pots and maybe plant some pot-loving plants in the stump to stay. Eventually I'm going to put this handsome fellow in a xeriscape bed with river rocks and drought-resistant grasses, native desert trees and cactus.

By far the most busy and frequent visitor we have is the carpenter bee. I hope he's not burrowing in our house somewhere. I sure enjoy watching him munch on the lavender plumes of our Vitex (Chaste Tree). He has pretty much left us and the cucumber blossoms alone. The unidentified solid black bees have been the ones that stay in the cucumber forest. They are not near as friendly as their relatives.

I haven't been quick enough to catch our feathered friends in flight with the camera just yet. However, if you asked me what my favorite part of gardening has been, I would have to say that feeding the humming birds has been on the top 3. We have at least four or five locals that visit every day. Green mostly. They check the three feeders we have regularly. Kevin even saw one of them get a drink of water in the sky from the water hose as he sprayed one morning and came back inside laughing to tell us about it. They are a most entertaining garden friend. I will be sad when they go away. (note: see the jealous dying grass in the background?)

The garden sure has made us smile. Kaden said that it has "brought him so much joy". No science experiment I could have ever come up with would have compared to God's own handiwork. Getting down in the dirt and watching seeds become a masterpiece of green scuplted treasure in the southern sunshine has been educational therapy for our souls. There is just nothing quite like it. I think every kid should have a garden experience - even if it is in containers on the balcony of an apartment in the concrete jungle of a big city!

So concludes our garden tour. Whew - we should go back inside in the air-conditioning. I'll be glad when these 90-100 degree days come to an end and the September through December garden season begins! Here in Texas we have a nice fall garden stretch. I'm sure my tomato plants will be pumping out red goodness all the way up to Christmas!

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Buzz Words: Garden, Pictures, Summer, Plants, Gardening, Outdoors, Homeschool Mom, Pictures, Family, Photos, Random, Square Foot Gardening

Wordless Wednesday: Whale

2008-07-23T00:39:00.001-05:00

Not a picture, an illustration. I love to draw. Been doodling ever since I was in diapers. This little guy is on an index card on my wall of inspiration above the desk. I call him whaley. Cuz I'm so creative like that. I've thought about doing a postcard art swap, but I'm so busy that I have to tell the artist in me to "shut her trap" regularly. No time, no time. Just time for the occasional index card cartoon.

Sorry, I lied. This Wednesday wasn't wordless after all. But it wasn't a fish story. Whales are mammals. My son's sketch of a whale is much more realistic. We did them at co-op art class a month ago.

Well, I'm off to bed at thirty-after midnight. I'll be dreaming of yesterday's breakfast... sorry that I don't have the leftovers to make it again.

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Buzz Words: rainbow, color, God, hope, light, life, beauty, photos, Wordless Wednesday, inspiration, happy, personal, photography, pictures, clouds

Bargain Finds for Back to School

2008-07-22T13:35:00.003-05:00

I visited Target the other day and stumbled across some awesome finds. My buddy Cindy had told me they had flashcards for the states. That was what I originally went for. I got two boxes (one was completely out of order and missing a few states so I'll have to go back and exchange it). Not only did they have the states, but they also had presidents and landmarks (famous places around the world - with vivid photos!). There were cute things for little preschool and early elementary kids, too. They had board books and a flip book of the states, spiral bound notebooks, other school supplies, stickers, and a VERY CUTE mini plastic globe that now is sitting on my bookshelf in our underwater map-themed school room. I also got a star shaped scrapbook hole-punch (they had hearts and other shapes, too). Most everything is a dollar. You can't beat that!

Also a great find was the pink owl duffel bag for $2.50 that we used as a gift bag for a birthday party. Great for toting library books, sleepover supplies or even car schooling! For under 15$ we were able to get a Hello Kitty clearance outfit (skirt and tank top), a notebook and highlighters for school, a set of stickers, and the pink duffel bag and some tissue paper to wrap it up in! I think our birthday girl enjoyed her super-cheap Target present.

I love collecting swap gifts for later, too. The dollar bins at Target are great places for stocking up. That reminds me... I need to get over there and close the swap for July and August. Head over and sign up today if you haven't already. I'll be emailing out your questionnaire soon!

Happy bargain hunting for back to school!

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, bargains, school, gifts, supplies, back to school, Homeschool, Target, presents, shopping, swap, school supplies, flashcards, America, summer, life, personal, home office, smart, saving money

S.O.S.

2008-07-21T11:16:00.005-05:00

Monday. Another week beginning to "run right over me". I'm meeting myself coming and going. There are nearly a thousand emails for me to sort and figure out in both of my in-boxes (that makes 2,000). The other two email accounts haven't been checked in weeks (I have four). I'm sitting here in my pretty new office with piles of filing folders and papers strewn across the floor waiting to be organized into file cabinets. I have a doctor's appointment for me and my son at 3:20pm (we were up coughing all night). I need to get the insurance planned out for my son's front tooth crown this week (in case you didn't notice the missing half of a tooth in his lovely snarl)... and give him a blood test for sugar levels in the past three months. Oh, and the bills have to be paid today or the auto insurance will be canceled. No pressure, right?

I wish there was a way to just stop the world and get caught up. Or maybe a magic medicine cabinet genie that could dispense narcotic cough syrup... so I wouldn't have to go to the doctor (save gas and time) when I'm this busy.

So if you think of it, pray for my sanity. I'm feeling quite buried at the moment, and don't have enough energy to get everything done. Blame it on the cold and cough meds. It is easy to say "This Too Shall Pass"... but when you are sitting in front of a to-do list as long as the Great Wall of China, 'passing' becomes more of a medical term associated with hemorrhoids or kidney stones.

Ooops. Did I say that?

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Buzz Words: life, list, sick, help, personal, prayer, motherhood, mommy, getting things done, busy, getting organized, crazy, bills, declutter

The Underwater School Room

2008-07-18T23:54:00.004-05:00

I'm swimming in color and loving our new space. Everyone added a little idea to create a patchwork masterpiece. Remember what it used to look like? It is a far cry from boring now!

From top to bottom, left to right - what I heart about our new room:

1. A close up of my quilted cork-board strip with memorabilia hanging from pins... and the fishing line with some favorite things clipped in a row across my desk. The fishing line is anchored on each side by two rusty iron stars that have been living in my garage for far too long!

2. The path to the master bedroom is now clear of obstacles and the quilted artwork on the wall brings the teal paint and red filing cabinets to the unpainted side of the room. It really pulls the whole decorative theme together.

3. The fabrics we picked were in many of my favorite colors; bright and lively. The best part about them is that they were gifts from a good friend. Our family and hers enjoyed staying up together until wee morning hours arranging them to find the perfect layout.

4. Our state quarter map now has a themed room to surround it. Maps and quilts are very much alike. Colorful spots all blending together to make a unique creation. Colorful people make them great.

5. The laminated maps won't fall off the walls any more! Now they are glued and nailed on - and have their own crown-molding frames. I had to erase Easter Island, though... some things (like electricity) are more important than unsolved mysteries of the past.

6. My new desktop reflects the colorful mood I'm in. Apple blossoms from my visit to Indiana last April fill the monitor now. There are plenty of things in my little office lagoon to smile about.

7. The maps are easy to get to - just under the half wall that leads from the stairs to our bedroom. The blue walls are a lovely canvass for my school room favorites.

8. My desk is anchored by the neglected file cabinets that have been in our garage for a year (and in storage for two years prior to that). I don't know what to do with myself now that I'll have all that filing space again! My piles are the next project on my plate. Check out that blogging station! I'm swimming in glee.

9. Minga likes her new perch atop one of my favorite IKEA blankets. The maps, my love of quilts, and the bold colors of this soft woven throw were the inspiration behind our paint color and quilt swatches. You can see the tan couch behind kitty dearest - a gift from a super friend, also. Now we have a place to relax and read, play x-box, watch movies or educational videos, do school work, or sleep!

This room serves many purposes, and now we can all enjoy it as a work of art. I am totally beat after our three full days of hard labor, but it was a labor of love. I hope to do it again some time in the future. The rest of the house is jealous.

Sprittibee's Decorating Advice:

1. Don't wait until you are about to move out. Do it now so you can enjoy it. Don't make the mistake I made with our last paint job (that we only got to enjoy for a week or so before selling our house).

2. Find an inspiration piece (a map, a quilt, a blanket, some artwork, etc.) and look through home decor magazines and books to find an idea to build on.

3. Allow your kids to share ideas. We were considering painting my desk white until I decided on using a greenish throw blanket to cover my white desk table and Morgan suggested using one of the antique brown and red dining chairs. Even kids can help bring the room together. Her chair idea made the entire corner look natural.

4. Ask friends to help (or better yet - offer to help THEM). The fun when you do it together is worth every bit of the back ache.

5. Stick with colors and things that you love.

6. Let your own style show through.

7. Ammie (my gifted, quilting decorator pal) says, "be willing to edit" - sometimes more is too much. I was really going crazy towards the end - letting my enthusiasm get the best of me.

Have a great weekend... and be sure to link your project here in my comments section if you are so inspired that you start one after seeing this!

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, project, home, Organizing, painting, decorating, Homeschool, home decor, Getting Things Done, colorful, design, quilt, walls, house, summer, life, personal, home office, declutter, inspiration

Yesterday Was All a Wash

2008-07-17T11:14:00.005-05:00

We created our own "Oasis" in the upstairs game room turned school room. That was the paint color's name (we got it at Wal-Mart) that we did our color-wash with. A fitting name for a tropical turquoise blue. I still have it on my feet and fingers, but there's only one tiny spot on the carpet. And I'm still married today since my husband hasn't seen it yet. He comes home tomorrow. Need prayers.

The furniture is still in stacks in the middle of the room, and there is much housework to get done before said husband returns. These kinds of surprises need to be tempered with home-baked cookies, favorite hot meals waiting when the door opens, and a clean house to return to! Thankfully, at least my mother and the kids love it. The jury is still out with me. I haven't ever been much of a "blue" person. Funny that everyone I love is a blue-lover. This particular teal happens to be my mother's favorite color... and is almost the same color as my husband's dreamy eyes.

My buddy Ammie and her talented photographer daughter helped me do most of the painting. The younger girls got in on the lower wall action as well. Ammie's eldest took the pictures in this post. She's a hip teenager with an artistic flare. I warned Ammie that if my husband arrived and hated the walls I was going to blame her for the entire event. She's not scared. She likes living on the edge.

So what do you think of my ocean of blue? How would you like to do your homework, read, play x-box, blog, and watch movies in this multi-purpose teal-flavored family room?

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, project, home, Organizing, painting, decorating, Homeschool, home decor, Getting Things Done, teal, design, husband, walls, house, summer, life, personal, home school, declutter

Shhhhh!!!! Don't Tell My Husband.

2008-07-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy bee. I told you I had some projects I was working on this week, right? Well one of them involves a can of teal paint and the relocation of furniture. My bedroom-bound computer is migrating to the school room when the walls dry. Someone is going to be very surprised when they come home from their trip this week! That's what happens when you leave a woman alone at home for a week!

In the mean time, please visit Dawn's blog and the HSBA where you can now participate to win tickets to the HOTM conference.

Or stop in at the man interesting blogs in my feevy links on the sidebar in here...

I may be out of pocket with my aching painter's arms and unplugged computer for the next day or so. Check back in here for an AFTER photo of the school room when the project is complete! I'm so excited I can hardly wait to crack open that paint can!

Anyone have any tips for colorwashing?

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, project, home, Organizing, painting, decorating, Homeschool, home decor, Getting Things Done, teal, design, husband, walls, house, summer, life, personal, home school, declutter

Ticket Winners... and Monday Mind-Mush

2008-07-14T13:36:00.002-05:00

Here are the winners of the free HOTM i-conference tickets from my Bee and Peach contest:

Spookie's Spot

Christy

MommyP4

Those are the ladies that actually posted about it and used my graphics. Thanks girls! Be sure to let your readers know when you post about your win that they can still get free tickets to the conference (now that the price has gone up) if they watch the HSBA and Dawn's blog faithfully in the next week or so. I think Dawn is giving away up to six more tickets and HSBA is giving away five. Hop over to those sites and bookmark them now so you won't miss the announcement post!

Now about my lazy Monday...

We were gone from last Thursday to yesterday, so we are unpacking and doing laundry today (and doing 'school-lite'). After getting in at 10pm and getting so little sleep over the past few days our brains have turned into mud-puddles. I actually visited two states in the past 4 days, riding along with traveling buddies in a spur-of-the-moment trip. Daddypoo is traveling for work this week. We're missing him; but glad for the time to get the house in order before our guests arrive this weekend. I've got several projects I'm working on to keep me busy. I'll showcase one of them once it is finished (it's a chore chart we are making ourselves). Maybe I'll get a chance to post about that long list of stuff I mentioned Saturday night, too? I'll be crossing it off as I go!

Hope you have a fabulous week... and if you are in want of some super links, Mrs. Dixon and Amy B have published some perfectly wonderful lists to keep you reading all day long!

See you tomorrow!

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Buzz Words: blogging, life, homeschool, conference, heart of the matter, education, homeschooling, online, HOTM, contest, free, winners, tickets, parenting, Christian, getting things done, personal, busy, family, motherhood

Weekend Drivel and Saving America's Economy

2008-07-12T23:18:00.002-05:00

We're listening to Lemon Jelly at a hotel... planning the abstract for an energy plan to release us from the evil clutches of foreign oil. Yep. I know the answer. But I'm not sharing it without some demands met by big government, cowgirls and boys. I want a life's supply of chocolate and no income tax for my entire family line. A few billion dollars might be nice, too.

If you are interested in America's economy and the oil crisis, hop over to Sen. Cornyn's blog. He's running a week of "Energy Independence Days" on his public blog headquarters. I like his spunk. If only I could have his ear for a moment - maybe I could talk some sense into congress. One can hope big things.

What else... oh, yes... we've taken quite a bit of pictures on our trip (like the one above). Smiles and laughs. Pizza and trips to the creek. Cousin Ty even stepped on a snake and lived to tell about it!

I know you have been waiting forever to see who won those free tickets to the HOTM Conference from my earlier contest. I have chosen some winners. Not like you guys gave me much of a choice since I have more tickets to give away than people who entered. So I'm passing on my free passes to Dawn, my Georgia Peach, so she can give them away on her blog. So if you didn't win, hop over to My Home Sweet Home and be watching for her give-away. The HSBA is going to run a give-away, too. We're just generous like that. And who would want to miss hearing Dawn and my Southern accents? Or hearing Andrew Pudewa speak? Heavy on the Andrew Pudewa. Because he's like - a REAL homeschool speaker... who won the best homeschool speaker of the year TWICE (hat tip to TOS magazine).

I'm full of plugs tonight. I know. I had time (for a change) to sit down and actually READ my Spring 2008 TOS magazine this month. BOY, that article on "Is Your Homeschool Ready to Collapse" by Diane Wheeler was lifechanging. I admonish you to pick up a copy and keep that article handy in your dayplanner. I know that's where it will be for me from now on. The rest of the magazine wasn't too shabby, either. Thanks for the encouragement, TOS!

I have so many things rolling around in my brain to post about.

Who won my HOTM tickets

My neglected Field Trip Foto Friday series

A post about scope and sequence

Menu Plan Monday (if I'm home by then)

Parental Rights

A review of some U.S. Constitution curriclum

A review of some art software we love

A link to an article about religion and homeschooling

My long tardy but not forgotten tags by Dawn and Sheila

The last part of my 2006-7 homeschool series

The rest of our Michigan Robofest Mega-Field Trip

The final pictures of those groovy weavings the kids made in art class

My new photo meme

Lots of links to Holy Experience because she's such Christian inspiration

The Carrot Cake Recipe you've been waiting on at GM

Speaking of GM (Gathering Manna)... go check out my daughter's first self-made culinary masterpiece: a cake. Photos are at the site. She's such a sweetie.

I should be home Sunday night, but you just never know. These Texas roads are stretched thin across such a large state and I'm prone to detours and I'm riding with friends. The Lone Star sky has been such a lovely shade of blue these last few days. It is hard to imagine that the world has so many problems when gazing up at the puffy clouds drifting by. Thank the Lord for beautiful sunsets and sunrises despite our imperfections and lack of contemplation and praise. He is merciful and good.

'See' you when I 'see' you.

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Buzz Words: energy, Cornyn, Blogging, HOTM, weekend, life, personal, photos, family, inspiration, happy, oil, photography, pictures, Texas

July & August Swap at HSBA is OPEN!!!

2008-07-11T23:33:00.004-05:00

Join us for some gifting fun at the HSBA. We're swapping homeschool supplies, neat stuff and possibly chocolate. YES - I SAID CHOCOLATE. Who cares if it comes in the mail in liquid form. That's the price of summer, baby.

See my past swaps at the tag below... and hop over to the HSBA July & August Swap post to sign up and get in on the fun.

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Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Homeschool Blog Awards, Fun, Friends, swap, gifts, Homeschool, Personal, Buddies

July Edition of HOTM - Why Homeschool?, Part 2

2008-07-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

My current series at HOTM has been about homeschooling... more particularly the reasons why we chose to homeschool. Stop over there and read about it and be sure to visit all the other inspiring articles as well. With time to reflect in the summer, it is good to reflect on the big picture.

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Buzz Words: reasons, magazine, writing, Heart of the Matter, homeschool, summer, life, homeschooling, July, parenting, family

Wordless Wednesday: 'Songs About Rainbows'

2008-07-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

My eyes lift,
Watching shafts of color push back the mist of storm.
Broken and still beautiful - tied up; a package in light...
Gift.
I smile.
He's remembering His promise.

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Buzz Words: rainbow, color, God, hope, light, life, beauty, photos, Wordless Wednesday, inspiration, happy, personal, photography, pictures, clouds

(Home) School Supplies for the New School Year

2008-07-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

What do homeschool moms do during the summer? Most of us are planning out our lessons and getting the new curriculum, books and supplies for next year ready. One of the great things about being a homeschooler is not having to go to the store when everyone else is there. Just try to get school supplies in August at Wal-Mart or your local grocery store and you’ll know what I mean. Remember back when you were in public school as a kid? And mom forgot about your supplies until the last minute? Or was that just me getting run over in the isles and borrowing stuff from friends in class?

It is nice to be able to shop at leisure for school supplies at times when everyone else is at work or school – but there’s still a better way: online. With gas prices going up and expendable income going down, shopping from home sounds better and better! I heard about EZ School Supplies and decided to check them out. We live way out in the boonies, so saving trips in to town saves me big money. EZ School Supplies is a school supply company that ships supplies to your doorstep so you don't have to leave the house and waste your precious gas money driving in to (and around) town. I thought that was a great idea! Wish I had thought of it first.

EZ offers 10% off if you click over and buy your supplies from my blog (the promotion code – EZMB007 - is on the graphic in my sidebar – just enter it when you check out!). They also give 10% to a charity called the Learning Legacy Education Foundation with every order that isn’t associated with a public or private school. LLEF is a non-profit association that helps teachers and kids who can’t afford supplies get what they need for school. Aside from competitive prices and convenience, EZ School Supplies is running a teacher supply give-away contest for $1000 worth of free school supplies. Anyone can enter their child’s favorite teacher – including homeschoolers (hear that mom?)!

We found a lot of great stuff on our personal 2008-9 supply list there – including kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, rubber cement and tissue paper for art projects, 3 inch view-binders, index cards, storage boxes, calligraphy pens and red pens for grading and correcting papers. My kids thought they were getting a present when the box arrived. It got them excited about starting up the new school year and we aren’t even finished with this one yet!

Now I don’t have to drive thirty miles round trip in to town spending $4.00 per gallon along the way, drag the kids in and out of the store in the 100 degree Texas summer, and waste precious time we could be getting things done at home. I think I could get used to ordering my supplies for school online. I already order my curriculum that way if I can’t find it at the book fair’s resale store. If only they had a grocery store delivery service! Now that my supplies and curriculum are checked off on my list, I won’t have to worry about buying extra things in the “checkout isle” either (“Mom, can I pleeeeeeease get it?????”).

One more trip to the teacher supply for laminating our chore cards and we are ready to start 2008-9! Well… besides lesson plans. Too bad you can’t buy a teacher-clone from EZ School Supplies to do my lesson plans for me. Guess there will still be some work to do ~ but luckily now I’ll have more time to do it. If we could ever finish THIS school year's loose ends up!

After you get your supplies ordered, stop back in here for some lesson plan links, pdf planners, and other helps for the next school year. I hope to get a download page set up some time before the school year.

One home-school tip and a time…