Minivan Moments

I find it interesting that the day after i investigated my lost packages, which the post office didn't have, FedEx didn't have, and Amazon.com couldn't track, 2 out of 3 of them arrived.  Then, the day i called Amazon for a replacement, they informed me the post office had it and they couldn't refund or replace it.  The next day, the package arrived.  Hmmm.... So, a package can be lost in the system for 8 days, but the day i inquire after it, it shows up and gets delivered?  Interesting.... Well, at least all of my packages have now arrived safe and sound.  Odd, but happy, ending. :^)

i want to know REALLY BADLY what happens to all the millions of dollars of merchandise "lost" in the shipping system.  FedEx/UPS/USPS had it in their hands, they say they lost track of it in such-and-such a location, but they can't find it?  REALLY??   Well, someone found it.  It didn't just disappear !  When someone found it, where did he/she take it??  IT HAS MY NAME AND ADDRESS ON IT.  It wouldn't be so very hard to get it to the right person, so i am left to believe that A STRANGER GETS TO KEEP MY STUFF. This is especially frustrating at the holidays when multiple packages i am counting on for Christmas will not be here because someone "misplaced" my boxes.  In the past, i have lost personal boxes that contain items that cannot be replaced, some various curricula, a Nintendo Wii, and now several different things this year.  It doesn't just frustrate me that they will not arrive in time, but the fact that the shippers involved are always...

Looking back on the year i've had, i am left with a resounding "WOW" in my head.  Anyone else have one of those years??  The kind of year that makes you cry, laugh, sigh, scream, rejoice, and dance.... In 2010... i wept often and laughed much. i prayed both passionately and passively. i found new reasons to be thankful for my friends. i rediscovered the Truth of the Living Word of God, and i spent a lot of time with His Son, Jesus Christ. i felt the love of family, friends, and a Holy God. i renewed my love of motherhood, which had taken a sound thrashing but was struggling to hang on. i rejoiced in new life, remembered those we've lost, and understood the delicate state that is our humanity. i shared my love for Christ and His love for me with as many people as i could pin down. i made both mistakes and enemies, but i repented when necessary, and learned to walk away. (this one's huge for me!) i learned that "peace at any cost" isn't pea...

Are you aware of your child's eye strain?  Did you know that current educational advancements are partly responsible for the decline in eyesight among the young?  Yeah, i didn't know either... until last week. In a routine eye appointment with our family eye doctor, we discovered a few interesting tidbits: children are supposed to be far-sighted when they're young (that means they see well far away, but not great up close); my eldest needs reading glasses; and fifth grade is apparently a typical point when we see children begin having trouble with print, though normally it is temporary.  In discussing this stage of "need them now but probably not forever" with our doctor, we learned something fascinating: the educational system we enjoy in this country is a large contributor to eye strain in the young, which leads to a need for glasses.  Huh.  Seriously? The doctor told me about a study that was done over 50 years ago in which the Eskimos were evaluated, the...

Lately, i have noticed incredibly high numbers in my blog traffic. ( Cheer! Cheer! ) Upon further inspection, i note the various countries from which people are visiting.  ( Cheer! Cheer! ) Then i wonder, "WHY?"  So i look at what is driving them here... and it is the clicking on "Next Blog" in the upper portion of the Blogger Bar. ( Cheer! Cheer! ) Hmm... why, do you suppose, is it that folks from all over the world are popping in by clicking "Next Blog"... especially when i discover that most of the visitors to my blog stay "less than 5 seconds?" ( Boo! Boo! ) Seriously, there's not much i write on here that can be digested in fewer than a few seconds, so i have to assume that these people in other countries are, for the most part, passing through quite quickly.  Still, i wonder, why now?  i mean, this is dozens of instances in a given week... all of a sudden. Ah, well, doesn't much matter if they aren't staying around long e...

Thinking about a few years ago when i walked into the bathroom to wipe the tush of my then-three-year-old son to discover a toilet full of blood got me thinking... about, well, blood.  Some people faint at the sight of blood.  Some have nearly-physical pangs of an empathetic nature.  Still others have a resolute, lets-get-this-figured-out-and-taken-care-of manner about them. Blood is the life force - the giver of oxygen to necessary organs, the circuit through which nutrients and chemicals travel the body, and a healer in many ways.  But blood, when not seen, is easy to think of scientifically.  Once it is oozing from the body or collecting in a vial, though, it becomes something a bit more... disturbing ... for some. That day, many years ago, the sight of that blood beneath my small child was a panic-inducing nightmare.  Turns out, he has a severe sensitivity to digesting dairy.  Cease panic.  Phew! Other days, while restraining my younges...

There are so many things in life we are led to believe we don't need to know... by the government, by our doctors, by the school system, sometimes by our own friends or our churches.  Things that people believe they can "protect" us from. But the truth is, ignorance is NOT bliss.  NOT knowing something has never blessed me.  You? I'm the one in the doctor's office asking, "How much is in the syringe? Will it hurt? Does the stuff have any side effects? Will i get better without it? Do i need it?"  I'm the one in the grocery store looking at labels, muttering, "MSG?!? Really? In chicken stock? Milk? In a fruit drink? Natural Flavors, huh? Well, which natural ones: cow, dirt, blood?" Asking questions is certainly something that i am compelled to do.  And it bugs most everyone. {smile} But it is by asking questions and seeking answers that i have discovered that too much protein increases a woman's chance of cancer, phenylalanine caus...

What does being "blessed" really mean? Okay, i'm moseying along, minding my own business, raising my children, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, cooking for my family, giving to the poor, reading my Bible, commiserating with friends, praying for healing, and BAM!   I get knocked down. Yeah, yeah, like the song, " i get up again ."  I dust myself off, look around for where that slam came from, take stock, and head down the road again... washing, teaching, cooking, reading, praying... BAM!   There it goes again! Okay, so i get up. Again .  But now i'm starting to wonder what in blazes is going on? I look around again, see nothing out of the ordinary.... But i sense the presence of evil just as surely as i sense God's presence in church on Sundays.  I know it's there, but i can't see it.  I know it just knocked me down, but i can't tell where it's coming from. Eventually, i figure out the evil is coming from within .  From with...

Okay, first off, i am not a dieter by nature. Second, no, it isn't because i am a toothpick who can eat 2 Whoppers with fries and sit in front of the computer all day sipping calorie-laden soda and never gain an ounce. ( those women should be force-fed carrot sticks until they turn orange... just sayin' ) Finally, i have not EVER in my life been on a diet that was a true diet in the sense that i was dieting to lose a certain amount of weight. Still tracking?? Okay, that said... i have found the P-E-R-F-E-C-T recipe for weight loss, quite by mistake. First, let your house get really messy.  I mean messy, folks, not 20-minutes-to-good-as-new!  I'm talking, we had a nuclear bomb go off in the house, followed by a small tornado, then the closets all barfed their contents... messy . Next, schedule an appraiser to come estimate your home's current market value... in a sink-hole-of-a-housing-market era... so that you can take advantage of the astronomically-low inte...

So, in the midst of my already-crazy life, we are trying to refinance our house to get on a 15-year mortgage.  That means i am getting our home ready for an appraisal. Um... Er... Blech . Well, here i am, scrubbing, painting, trashing, filing, cleaning, dusting, sorting, organizing, and patching, and it hits me: Spackle. Duh. My life can be represented by the wall in my stairwell: there are dozens of fingerprints from all the people who have touched me, making their mark on my life; there are nicks from the times something got away from me along the way; there are cracks from the settling that naturally happens as we age, threatening to expose what is hidden away; there are half a dozen or so nail pops from screws and nails that are trying to get out of the original construction, which need time and attention to restore; and there are scuffs from people getting carried away and not being aware of the damage they are doing. The Stairwell Wall = My Life. Okay, so my life needs a...

Do you ever feel so misunderstood that you wonder if you're losing your mind? I often have trouble with my memory, so it is a handy excuse for anyone who comes against me to use... and it is offensive to be told i must've "had that conversation with myself" just because the other person doesn't remember it.  It is possible that i am not the only person who forgets things... so why can we not just admit we don't remember?  Why cast blame?  Why trash someone else's character? Because in the midst of the battle sits an enemy .  It's an enemy i have met before.  It's an enemy who has tormented me in the past.  But this enemy's got nothin ' on my God... and my God's got my back. Little things become bigger,     Bigger things become vast.         It gets hard to progress when            Someone's throwing up your past. Through Christ there is healing,   ...

How is it that i can have a child that still surprises me after nearly 11 years in the Parenting Jungle? How is it possible to have more than one child and still be taken off guard by the next? What does it mean that i can have a Bachelor's Degree in early child psychology and still not understand how my children tick??? Oh, i know their personalities, i understand their temperaments, i've even figured out some of their gifts and a few of their struggles.  But how is it that after a surprising 20+ years of dealing with children, i am still floored by the simplicity of their minds?? Stickers!! STICKERS!! Yes, for pity's sake, i finally decided to try using reward stickers for my struggling youngest children and wouldn't you know it!?  Success!! Stickers?!?!? REALLY?!?!? {sigh} Sheesh.  Someone needs to send me the men in the white coats, 'cuz i may not make it out of this Jungle with all my wits about me. [muttering to self] ...stickers... who kne...

How many times have you met The Straw?  You know the one: it's the very last straw you can handle... the one that "breaks your back?"  Furthermore, how many times have you met The Straw... only to find you can handle more than you thought you could?  Yeah, that's God. Sometimes, i really think God has a LOT more confidence in me than He should... until i remember that He doesn't actually want me to handle any thing.  He wants me to give it all to Him and Let. Him. Handle. It. All . Okay, i'm a work in progress, and i am teachable.... mostly.  Well, He must still think i am if He's still wasting His time on me. Several times over the past year, i have believed that i have reached the peak of what i can handle.  You understand - you've been there, no doubt.  Not surprisingly, though, i have mostly been wrong.  I can apparently handle quite a bit.  This past week, month, year, i have learned a lot about myself, a lot about my family, a lo...

... that the whole world has gone mad and you are the only sane person left?  I realize that is often the definition of insanity, but sometimes i really think it's an accurate assessment of the situation. Imagine a world in which everyone took responsibility for his/her actions and words. Imagine a world in which people cared about other people's feelings more than their own. Imagine a world in which people who supposedly cared about you didn't resort to throwing stones whenever their feelings were ruffled. Imagine a world in which a ridiculous situation could be cleared up with a simple "i'm sorry" or a turning to truth. Imagine.... 'Course, that would be Heaven, 'cause it sure ain't happenin' here on this Earth.

After a long weekend of hiking about in the Fall Creek Falls State Park, i have come to a stunning realization: God 'gets' me.  That may seem like something of a ' duh ' moment for some of you, but i have begun to understand for the first time in my life that i am fine just the way i am.  I am quirky, anxious, compassionate to an extreme, moody at times, generous to a fault, pessimistic more than optimistic, fearful of just about everything, and overall, a strangely functional person with a variety of oddities. However, in all of that, God 'gets' me.  He understands where i have been, knows what hands i have been dealt in life, and is aware of my hang-ups and coping skills.  He 'gets' me. He created me SO THAT i could go through all that i have gone through and SO THAT i would come out of it all in JUST such a manner as i have.  He 'gets' me. So, though i often struggle with the people in my life who do not understand me, i can rest in the ...

The word "normal" comes from the Latin roots that indicate "made according to the square" as in a carpenter's square.  So, you have this tool - it is inanimate and does not move... therefore it does not change.  Hence, you make something using it or according to it and you get... something square, right?  That's normal.  That follows the norm.  Makes sense. But to say something is "not normal" or a person is "not normal" is to indicate that there is something "off" or "different" or "not quite right" with it/him/her.  You tracking?  I am "not normal" in that i can feel a UTI before it develops and can take steps to ward it off.  Never had a full-blown UTI in my life thanks to this "abnormality."  I am "not normal" because i have bunions on both feet and cannot shop for shoes in "normal" sizes or "normal" stores like the rest of the planet.  I get to spend wa...

My Grandpa Don passed from this earth yesterday morning.  He was a lively fellow with a quirky sense of humor and a real love of life.  I got to know my Grandpa Don when i was 18 years old and moved in with my Nana and him in Jacksonville, Florida.  I learned a lot about the way God works, i discovered peace in the midst of chaos and turmoil, and i found a gentle spirit and a perseverance that i had never witnessed before. Those days, weeks, months, that i spent with my Nana and my Grandpa were among the most stable in all my life up to that point.  It became a turning point for me, a landing zone, and a launch pad.  I became a stronger young lady for those times spent with Grandpa and Nana; i became a more understanding and accepting person; i began walking a path that led me to Christ. Sadly, i never shared these thoughts or expressed my gratitude to my Grandpa Don... or to my Nana, for that matter.  Yesterday, i lost the chance to thank him for the c...

I've had an A-HA! moment.  I discovered something that fascinates me, so naturally, i must inform the rest of the world!! My kids have had to help with household chores since the age of 4, and as they age, they are required to help with more and more disgusting complicated chores.  My son has a difficult time with doing chores, and he pouts a LOT .  Since i believe he has a condition that lends itself to this behavior, i am trying new techniques for eliminating it... so far, we've improved, but we haven't abandoned the pouting altogether... yet. Today, i stumbled upon a way to get him involved in the cleaning with more eagerness, though i am certain it is just a passing fancy that will not stay around....  Cleaning supplies.  Honest. You see, over the course of the kid's life, he has not been trusted to handle anything more toxic than the vinegar bottle we generally clean with.  Those other chemical-based cleaners i have up high are the Big Guns, and w...

I have begun making hats and headbands just for fun, and i discovered i could be good enough to sell them... so i went out and invested in some cuter yarns, some flowers, and some add-ons, and i am going to make them available to the general public!  Yay! Keep in mind, the hats take on average 2 hours to make, unless they are really simple and really small.  The headbands obviously use less yarn and take less time to crochet, but they have time-consuming and expensive decorations. Okay, here are the ones i did this weekend - some are for sale, but some are already taken but don't worry!!  I can make whatever you like if i don't still have it. :^) Teddy Bear Hat in gender neutral cream of thick and soft 100% acrylic yarn. $12 - $15 depending on size (this one is toddler size, age 1 to about 3) Newborn hats in blue and pink, coordinated for fraternal twins in this photo. $10 with no embellishments $12 - $15 with embellishments $20 for a matching/coordinating pair ...

Okay, i'm not a potty mouth as a rule, and i often cringe at the colorful language in our everyday lives.  If i could slap my hands over my children's ears to save them from ever hearing the expletives uttered by unthinking adults, i surely would.  However, 3 kids times 2 ears apiece, divided by my 2 hands doesn't equal successful mathematics, so i will continue to educate them about the choice each of us has with our words. That being said, there are days i think like a sailor - those are the days that i seem slow-witted because everything i want to say is being dredged through my child-friendly filter.  Now, however, with online chat and text-messaging as a regular method of interpersonal communication, there are handy abbreviations for all those devilish adjectives... and i feel proud to have learned a new language at such a ripe age! This morning, my sleep-deprived brain was unable to properly filter a colorful reaction to a seemingly-unreal scenario - but it's ...

When i try and it does no good, i am tired - of trying. When i give and it doesn't get returned, i am tired - of sacrificing. When i pray and i feel no relief, i am tired - of hoping. When i hurt inside and i can't make it stop, i am tired - of hurting. Life is so hard, but i have to trust that God knows what He asks of me. One thing i am sure of: when i think i absolutely cannot take any more, i think of Jesus and all He suffered for me... and i pick myself up out of the Self-Pity Pit and keep trusting God. I may be losing some of the battles, but i know how the war ends... and that helps.

In the child development world, we have numerous terms that apply to various stages and developmental milestones, as well as terminology for skills that are learned and mastered.  One such term is "fine motor skills," which basically means a child can use his/her hands and fingers to do smaller tasks.  These skills change and grow as the child changes and grows, which is why fine motor skills are delineated according to which developmental milestone rather than age (we know children mature at different rates, so saying a child should be able to do peg puzzles at a particular age is vague and unhelpful since some will do it earlier, others later, and the rest fall somewhere in the middle - thus, there are averages in place for us to "get an idea" of where our children lay on the spectrum, but we mostly think of it in terms of developmental ability rather than age level). ( i say all this because i tend to talk like everyone knows these terms, and i am frequently re...

Okay, so i'll just lay it all out on the table here: we have flies.  LOTS of flies.  Someone told me it is because flies, like mosquitoes, flourish in wet conditions so all the standing water we had in May with the flooding encouraged their over-$#@%&*-abundant procreation.  But it's fine; i'm not upset by flies. Here's a little background for you, Dear Reader: when i lived in my first real house in this lovely city in Middle Tennessee, we noticed that there were a lot of flies in July.  I was opposed to rampantly annihilating them just because we're bigger than them, so we humanely left them alone. ( you can stop chuckling now ) Well, as you can probably guess, it wasn't long before i was sweeping in my kitchen and noticed that those "grains of rice" were wiggling!  Ewww!   I'm not ashamed to say that ALL FLIES MUST DIE in the interest that i NEVER stumble across maggots in my home again. So, fast forward 6 years and the fly population bei...

... on all of it. Lately, i have realized how infrequently i feel confident in my job.  As a mother, i fret about lost tempers and overreactions.  As a wife, i worry over doing too little or expecting too much.  As a teacher, i stress about the wrong fit for curriculum, child, activity, grade, attitude, etc.  As a household manager, i panic over the bill that i forgot to pay and wonder at the laundry that piles up when i take a day away from the washer. It seems there is always more to do, a better way to do it, and a feeling of being out of my element.  There is always something i can improve, something i need to stop doing, and something i need to figure out... and generally, these happen simultaneously (not much surprise there!).  All of it leaves me feeling like we are always in upheaval, i am seriously underqualified, and my kids are getting less than they deserve in me. So, trying to get a handle on our household, i have been rearranging furniture ...

... the phone rings and you don't have to even think about getting it. ... the bathroom smells like a cosmetic counter for a few minutes everyday. ... you can tell whether you'll be walking on eggshells for the day by how she acts about breakfast. ... spending the entire day with a friend doesn't appease your daughter's need for a sleepover with said friend. ... you don't have to make your own coffee, wash all the dishes, or change out the laundry, but you still have to remind her to feed the dog. AND FINALLY... ... you are not only often wrong but you're rarely right.  About anything.  Ever.

I want to write on my blog regularly, but i'm often at a loss for words.  Hard to believe, i know. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy while i spend some time with God. We went camping with The Smallish Man-Child 's Best Bud in April.  It was in the low 40s the night before.  In a tent.  Good times. Littlest Drama Princess ... Proud of herself for decorating the dog.  He's not convinced. The Smallish Man-Child plays baseball. The summer reading program at our house...  ...no pictures, please. Mmmm...ice cream is how we bond. Practicing for Puberty.  Oh, my! Final thought: Count your blessings, not your hardships. Think of all God's done for you. Remember good times, grow in sorrow; There is much still left to do.   ~ Angela Varela , 2010

God is in control when babies are born early.... God is in control when a woman develops complications during pregnancy.... God is in control when we wait expectantly for news that everything is going to be okay.... God is in control when we celebrate good news.... God is in control while we worry, fret, cry, panic, and pace... and thankfully, He doesn't relinquish control to our way of handling stress.

For the past few weeks, it has felt like i was transported back to Florida and someone forgot to tell me!!  The humidity and heat have been overkill, for sure.  However, last night, a quick shower brought in some cooler temperatures, and today felt more like the Tennessee weather i have come to know and love! We were able to spend more time outside, and nobody melted or combusted. It was a good day. Tomorrow, i have high hopes for more of the same....

We had a nice weekend... we spent loads of time together with family and friends just kickin' around at home, did up a spectacularly hot baseball game, took a family bike ride, smoked a chicken, cooked up a small vat of laundry soap, and made some peanut butter fudge.  The baseball game was close, the bike ride burned my biscuits, the chicken was paired with sticky rice, the laundry soap will last us months, and the peanut butter fudge was a first - it came out of a cookbook my grandmother sent each of us so we could make her Christmas-time favorites for years to come. Yum. We have been blessed beyond measure. Now, i'm going to fold the mountain of clean laundry on my bed before it begins to multiply like rabbits, gulp some H2O, and head back out to supervise the little bear cubs at play.  Fun times. Have a good one, Y'all!

Today could've been a Monday.  Again. Clearly, i have not been experiencing enough Mondays in my life. However, i have it on good authority that it is Wednesday. Praise. The. Lord. Today, The Littlest Princess had more cavities filled (yep, Mother of the Year , right here) and a space maintainer put on her teeth.  Fun times.  The poor thing talks with a bit of a lisp now.  Her advanced speech is blown, and she has to wear this thing until the adult teeth come in... By the way, they're molars (yep, still got the MotY Crown on). The best thing that happened today was that my eldest child and i spent some quality time together (thank You, God!): we went for a walk and watched the lightning show (what a sight!); we went to the store and shopped (and got some great deals on meat!); and we talked.  About nothing, really.  But.  We talked. All in all, despite a rocky start, it was A Good Day.

Today is a new day. I am no longer a member of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Crew . It is a sad thing to be sure, but i confess that i am also looking forward to settling into some sort of routine with schooling... sticking with something for more than 3 weeks sounds good right now.  Who knows, though? I am staring at the Compose screen, and i am at a loss for something to write!  I am so used to writing several reviews during the week that i have gotten off track with personal posts - just a couple every so many days.... I could tell you about our cookout this past weekend... but that just reminds me that my husband broke his foot, my eldest sprained her ankle, and my youngest got her foot slammed in the door.  Tainted memories. I could talk about my journey down the learning disabilities path and the mounds of books i am currently reading regarding Sensory Processing and labeling children... but that overwhelms me.  Taking a break. I could eve...

This Memorial Day... ...offer a toast to an unseen soldier who is whiling away the hours in the sun... in full fatigues and loaded down with heavy artillery in the Middle East. ...say a prayer for a soldier headed out on a plane to an exotic location... to serve and protect far from hearth and home. ...give thanks to the men and women of yesteryear who dedicated themselves to the military in spite of homesickness, strenuous training, new births, heat and cold, family tragedies, little pay, daily risks, and losing friends to enemy fire. ...remember those who have served to keep us a free country... and got buried for their trouble. Memorial Day is not just a day to save money at the mall or get a better deal on a car... it is A Day of Remembrance... A Day of Honor... A Day of Prayer... A Day of Respect... and A Day of Thanks. For the countless members of the armed forces who train, equip, dispatch, salute, rescue, protect, risk, and sacrifice even their lives so that i can sit a...

My Final Crew Review.  Wow.  Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I am going to step back from homeschool reviews and concentrate on things around here.  Being a part of the Crew has been an amazing blessing, and I am so grateful to go out with a BANG! The second book we received from Kregel Publications was called Andrea Carter and the Trouble With Treasure by Susan Marlow. Here is the summary from the publishers: " When innocent horseplay temporarily lands Andi and her friends in jail, they decide that a trip into the mountains will leave their troubles far behind. Accompanied by big brother Mitch and armed with a map showing old gold diggings, they canít wait to strike it rich. What could be better than two weeks of camping and horseback riding? But instead of gold they find heaps of trouble — trouble that leaves Mitch gravely wounded. Andi needs help fast. But who can she trust? And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in...

Yesterday, the kids and i made a solar oven and cooked hot dogs in it for lunch.  The oven got up to 175 degrees and cooked the hot dogs in one hour.  The Smallish Man-Child was VERY impressed and requested a second hot dot... then was joined by the others wanting another, too! Then we went to the store and bought our yearly blow-up pool (smaller this year, though, so we don't annoy Daddy). We picked up some popsicles and ice cream while we were at it, and added a couple of new water blasters to our collection.  Fun times! This morning was a beautiful morning, and our weekend was so crazy that it was nice to soak it up on the back patio with my coffee while the kiddos filled the small pool with water.  Then i got a wild hair and decided to mow the grass for my hubby.  Let me just tell you, that mower is not built for a 120-pound, just-over-5-foot-tall female.  Furthermore, you sure notice how lumpy and hilly your yard is when you're pushing a mower thro...

Okay, here's a fun review: LobsterNetwork .  The idea behind this is that you've got stuff, your friends have stuff, your extended family members have stuff, your local church members have stuff, and maybe, just maybe, you need something, like once .  Example: your Little Angel caught the latest stomach virus and, of course, she just had spaghetti for dinner... eww.  You can't go to the store to rent the Rug Doctor ( or whatever That Monstrosity is called ) because it's 10 o-clock at night and, well, you're coddling The Puking Princess .  You know someone was telling you that they just got a carpet cleaning thingy and you can't remember who it was, but you're sure they'd let you borrow it if they knew you needed it.... So, you hop onto the ( Wonderfully Wicked ) World Wide Web and log into your LobsterNetwork account while The Puking Princess naps on the floor by the commode, and you notice that your neighbor has a carpet cleaner listed that she is wi...

The seasons will change, on that you can bet. And this Spring will be one we won't likely forget. A cake - or TWO - what fun! What a joy! For a TWINS baby shower - a GIRL and a BOY !! From Minivan Moments The very next day, a surprise Mother's Day gift Was a garden - a raised one - how perfect is this?!? From Minivan Moments We also acquired a couple new pets... From Minivan Moments From Minivan Moments So you see, this Spring isn't one we'll forget.

We recently received a video from Cerebellum Corporation/Standard Deviants called AP Exam Prep: History of the U.S . Although my children are nowhere near needing Advanced Placement classes in U.S. History, I watched the video myself for the purposes of this review.  Having no experience with AP classes myself, I can only guess at the substance of the video, but it looks really good. The beginning of the video is about the exam itself: what to expect, how to take the test in the most efficient manner, tips for writing the essays, and how the test is scored. Then there is a quick , but thorough , review of 30 main points in the United States' history from the early colonists to the Vietnam War ( they call this "30 in 30" - 30 historical tips in 30 minutes ).  Yep, I said it was quick.  Altogether, the video is 73 minutes. There is also a digital workbook included on a separate disc that the student should print out and use along with the video.  It looks like ...

Here are the winners of the 2010 Homeschool Crew Seaworthy Awards: Favorite Language Arts Product => EDUDPS Favorite History Product => Bright Ideas Press (All American History and Mystery of History) Favorite Science Product => Nature Friend Magazine Favorite Math Product => Math Mammoth Favorite Online Math Product => Mathletics Favorite Handwriting Product => Zeezok (Presidential Penmanship) Favorite Fine Arts Product (art, music, etc.) => Artistic Pursuits Favorite Pre-school Product => Time 4 Learning Favorite Elementary Product => Critical Thinking Favorite Upper-Grade Product => Professor in a Box Favorite College Prep Product => Cerebellum/Standard Deviants Favorite Special Needs Product => Super Star Speech Favorite Health and Beauty Product => Virginia Soaps & Scents Favorite Christian Product => Grapevine Studies Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed => Studypod Best Homemaking Product =>...

Tonight, i am putting on my Student Hat and researching some new concepts i didn't even know about until an hour ago.  I need to go back to the basics with each of my children for a week or two and evaluate their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.  I am hoping to find some gems in my search that will help me understand them better as a mother and as a teacher. God keeps upping the ante around here and asking me to do a little more... the good news it that He asks after i have already done some of what He has laid on my heart to do.  I figure He must be taking me through some big stuff, and being God, He understands how i function so He is feeding me in small bits to keep me from being overwhelmed!  I look back over the past 2 years and i wonder how i got here, but then i see all the place markers along the way where God has stopped me and taught me something new. I hope to be a lifelong learner, but more than that, i hope to encourage a love of lea...

As a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew , I received a free download from Ideal Curriculum .  Now, this one is a bit different.  Ideal Curriculum offers a full school year of monthly kits (9 altogether) just for preschool.  You can get a print version of each monthly unit for $55 or a downloadable version for $30. I received the downloadable files for the first month/unit, which is Transportation.  In the downloads there are things to read on the computer, things to print ( yes, that's right! There is a FILE of things that you can expect to print so there is no guessing! ), music files, and teacher files.  The curriculum covers early literacy, math, science, and social studies. I found the program to be well organized and expertly directed... if you want a formal preschool curriculum.  We don't particularly, but if we did, this would be one of my first choices!  There is a schedule, a teacher's guide, and a wide range of ...

It is hard enough to go back to daily life around here after seeing the horrifying images of our fellow Middle Tennesseans in various stages of disaster.  It is hard enough to cook our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners knowing there are hundreds of people still without power.  It is hard enough to plant my garden and dream of the fresh veggies and fruit that will come out of it knowing that there are families nearby who are dreaming of the days they had a bed to sleep in and a roof of their own. To say that it has been difficult for me to sit and do nothing is an understatement!  I have sent supplies, washed flood-affected laundry, cooked meals, and met some of the faces of the Nashville Flood of 2010.  But i am humbled by what i saw yesterday in East Nashville.... Ruined furniture and broken pieces of people's lives litter the curbs in the communities devastated by the floods.  But these people are back at school, back at work, and waiting for the gutted shell...

We had the opportunity to review English For Life: The Madsen Method with the TOS Crew .  We were not sent this package and forced into it.  I spoke with Joe Madsen by telephone.  The product is expensive and somewhat different from the average Language Arts curriculum, so he wanted to be sure we would want to try it.  Perfectly understandable. Let me tell you about my initial reactions. I love the idea of The Madsen Method (TMM) .  I love what it's setting out to do.  Speaking with Joe Madsen cemented that for me.  I believe in their goals, their passion, and their dedication.  I understand from a child-development stand-point just what it is they are trying to accomplish.  It makes sense.  I agree.  100%. TMM believes in teaching the whole brain, and I whole-heartedly agree!  You teach the kids to say to hear and write to see, and you demonstrate the 4 ways that doing so puts information into their brains.  This co...