Simple Woman Daybook - March 2

For Today... March 2, 2009 (I wrote most of this late Sunday night/early Monday morning, but I forgot about finishing it! Sorry)

Outside my window... Cold and dark. Very cold. (Yep, still that way now late Mon night/early Tues am.)

I am thinking... about what handicrafts I can take along to the support meeting tonight, and also what crafts my daughter would like to do at her party Friday. And I am not crafty.

From the learning rooms... Freshly printed assignment sheets for the month. I adore lesson planning!

I am thankful for... DVD's from the library

From the kitchen... well, not much happened in there today - macaroni and cheese emerged at lunch and I wasn't here for dinner, but I bet they ate PBJ.

I am wearing... light blue thermal jammies (long johns), my fleece robe, fleece socks, and black slippers. (That was last night, but tonight is different jammies and everything else the same.)

I am reading... Miracles by C.S. Lewis. Still in Isaiah in The Message, although I didn't read there last week. I finished a book by Jeffery Deaver this past week and haven't started another book. I just ordered North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. CAN'T WAIT to read it.

I am hoping... that my beta readers will find time to read Forget-Me-Not (my novel) sometime soon.

I am creating... a list of literary agents to query regarding Forget-Me-Not and a query letter to send out.

I am hearing... the ending of Northanger Abbey. Man, I LOVE THAT MOVIE!

Around the house... I looked around here and it looks pretty much the same as always. lol

One of my favorite things... stepping on the scale and seeing a LOWER number than I saw there the week before! I have lost 15 pounds in the last 2 months.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Emily turns twelve this week! Lessons Mon-Thurs, Co-op Friday, querying and editing every afternoon if possible. Monday night is support group meeting, James has soccer clinic on Tuesday night and the girls have Keepers at Home, Wednesday is Pioneer Club. Friday night, Emily is having her birthday party, Saturday we've been invited to a friend's house. DANG! Busy.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
How many Legos can one boy have? (Well, two boys, but just one really owns the Legos.)

Friday Fill-in #113

And...here we go!

1. I'm a writer, I'm a reader, but I'm not much of a cook.

2. Why do I have high speed internet and not cable television?

3. How does this publishing thing work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put yogurt on my Kashi.

5. I consider myself lucky blessed because I've been able to educate my children at home for all these years. (I don't believe in luck.)

6. One day we’ll see WOLVERINE: Origins. (May 1, to be exact)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching North and South with friends, tomorrow my plans include picking up Angel Food, cleaning house, and going to BOOK CLUB and Sunday, I want to relax with my family!

Check out JellyTelly

VeggieTales founder, creative genius, and all-around good guy Phil Vischer has launched an online children's TV network called JellyTelly. The free network, which streams programming 24/7, is aimed at kids ages 5-11.

In an introductory video to parents on the website, after noting how many hours kids spend in front of the TV -- especially the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon -- Vischer says, "Is it any wonder that our kids are growing up knowing more about Hannah Montana than about the Apostle Paul? Or that they're more emotionally engaged in the outcome of American Idol than in the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the work of the church around the world?

"JellyTelly is a way to bring the Bible to life for kids on a daily basis, to show them the work of the church around the world and the role they can play in it, to teach their faith and what it looks like to live it."

If anyone can get through to children through the means of visual media and new technologies, it's Phil Vischer. May God bless this latest endeavor.

From: Movie blog at Christianity Today

From Lisa: We watched a selection of programming at JellyTelly today. My kids enjoyed it a lot, even the almost 12 and 14 year olds. The Moody Science video that was adapted for the show was a little long and complex for my younger two, but my older ones watched the entire thing. It's short and funny (think Sesame Street mixed with Veggie Tales), but filled with good content as well. Give it a try. It's streaming video, so if you don't have high-speed internet (I feel your pain), you may have trouble getting it to work.

Simple Woman Daybook - February 23

For Today... February 23, 2009

Outside my window... Darkness and snow. Isn't that cheery? (It's just past midnight.)

I am thinking... about Howl's Moving Castle. Will be blogging at Mirkwood about it soon.

From the learning rooms... I'm redoubling efforts to make learning more relevant and hands-on, while balancing that with the need to teach four children and accomplish it before 1pm.

I am thankful for... so many things. Do I have to pick just one?

From the kitchen... Um. Clean counters?

I am wearing... TWO long-sleeved grey t-shirts, plaid flannel pants, my fleece robe, fleece socks, and black slippers. Keeping myself warm, doncha know?

I am reading... Deadly Reunion by Florence Case (Love Inspired Suspense - I won this in a blog contest!), Start Your Own Blogging Business, and Miracles by C.S. Lewis. Still in Isaiah in The Message, although I didn't read there last week.

I am hoping... that I can get Forget-Me-Not edited this week.

I am creating... a weekly menu, lesson plans for March, and a novel!

I am hearing... the weather forecast on Channel 12, since I haven't yet turned off the TV from watching the Oscars.

Around the house... Got "new" plates at the thrift store. They are Pfaltzgraff and they have a grapevine design.

One of my favorite things... Nutella!

A few plans for the rest of the week... Lessons Mon-Thurs, Fun Day planned for Friday, editing every afternoon if possible. James has soccer clinic on Tuesday night, Wednesday is Pioneer Club. Bob is going to do some painting at church on Wednesday morning. Friday night, I am going to watch North & South at a friend's house. (Wanna come?) Saturday morning is Angel Food pickup and Saturday night is my BOOK CLUB - Jane Eyre Night! David has a youth event Sat night.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Suzy dressed up "like in China" - note the chopsticks in her hair and her hands tucked into her sleeves. I apologize for the blurriness. I have a clearer photo, but you can't see the chopsticks.

Red Robin Field trip

What an awesome field trip! 25 children were able to sign up for this tour of the Red Robin restaurant which included a free kids meal for each one! Our tour guides split us into two groups and we toured the restaurant, getting a close-up view of the storage areas, the carbonation canister, the employee "lounge", the refrigerators, the fry area, the prep area, the "expediting" area and the entire seating area. They got to wear hair nets, aprons, and rubber gloves (all optional) and then to wash their hands at the employee work station. Each one got to pour his or her own fountain pop and then choose one of the many choices off the kids' menu. Everyone was well-behaved and I know *I* learned a lot. I hadn't eaten at Red Robin before but really enjoyed my tasty Chicken wrap, though it was on the pricy side for lunch.

In the pix, Suzy is wearing a candy pink sweater, Emily is wearing a short sleeved dark red shirt, James is in a dark blue sweatshirt, and David is one of the really tall ones and is wearing a black hoodie with a white print. James ended up in the other group so he wasn't in too many of my pix.

I took two more kids along with us, so I had a total of six kids with me, but I got to eat at a table with my friends. It was fun!

Weekly Review - Week 24

[EDITED TO ADD SOME PICTURES]
Our week included just 3 full days of lessons (Mon-Wed). Thursday we went on a field trip to Red Robin, although I did have the kids each do math and literature that day. (Will blog about that field trip tomorrow.) Friday was co-op. All the kids were invited to sleepovers Friday night, so Mom and Dad had "parent-teacher conferences". :-D

This was a week that I dropped the ball in Bible time. We met just twice this week for Bible study - once to read part of the Brothers and Sisters book and once to read 2 Kings 23-24. I do want to add that I really am pleased with the kids' singing once they start to get the hang of the songs. Even (especially?) David sings, and we usually sing a capella. Only twice this week is totally my fault in not getting started at the right time and then just skipping it, which is lazy. Next week, I'll work harder, but I won't double up lessons to "catch up".

In Algebra I, David learned the Cartesian coordinate system (also called rectangular coordinate system; you know, with x-coordinates and y-coordinates). He took the test and did the honors lesson. He finished his literature book Streams to the River, Streams to the Sea (which was about Sacagawea). He finished his Science module on the earth and the lithosphere and took the test. He's been listening to Book 5 of History of US on audio this week, but is way behind on History. I did assign him much more than usual and we were behind a week waiting on the audiobook from the library. Not sure what I'll do about that.

Emily finished her literature book King of the Wind (about an Arabian horse) and is writing a book review. Her math lesson was on prime and composite numbers and multiplication by 12. Subject/Verb agreement was the grammar lesson this week for both David and Emily. They also watched the instructional DVD for lesson 11 in their writing curriculum which was about report writing.

James' math lesson was on multiplication by 7 and also by multiples of 100. He is reading the book Fish do the Strangest Things and writing about it in his literature journal. He loves this series of books! I highly recommend it for a young reader. In Explode the Code 6, he has been working on "ie" words.

Suzy started subtraction last week and continued working on that concept this week with the focus being -0 and -1. She read several Bob Books this week and wrote about them in her literature journal. She has almost finished Explode the Code 2, in which she has been studying final consonant blends. In Alphabet Island phonics, we have FINALLY reached long vowels.

Spelling words and communication journals went on as usual, as did handwriting, typing, and computer art. They usually work in a program called ArtRage and I just allow them freeplay in the program. They are learning to use the tools in the program and this will carry over to other drawing/editing/art programs.

Birds' nests and eggs were the topic in the younger kids' Science this week and they've gathered the materials to make their own nests, although they haven't actually done it yet. Maybe tonight. They also illustrated 6 kinds of nests and explored the inside of an egg. Bob is working with them on making a bird house.

We also made up one lesson in History from last week, to get caught up. We read a rather long lesson about the Mohammad's life and the birth of Islam.

The crackers are the Scrabble Cheez-it ones I mentioned in my Daybook. Emily is doing her Spelling using the modified Spelling Power review sheet I like better than the booklets the company sells. Bob is looking at the science book to figure out what he needs for the birdhouse.

Friday Fill-in #112

1-3 are courtesy of Mar this week.

And...here we go!

1. Give me a book and I'll probably read it. No matter what it is about. If you recommend it, I'll probably add it to my list.

2. Whenever North and South is on, I'll be watching! (That'd be the BBC version, NOT the Patrick Swayze. Just in case anyone was unclear.)

3. I wish I had a fancy laptop.

4. Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious. (see pic below)

5. To live in this world requires a sense of humor, faith in the Almighty God who created it, and a lot of endurance.

6. Other than this one, Twisted Education is the last blog I commented on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a night alone with my husband (I think!), tomorrow my plans include surviving the winter storm we're supposed to get (5-8 inches) and Sunday, I want to read and relax! (Oh yeah, and watch Hugh Jackman host the Oscars!)

Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap
Originally uploaded by Nicole'

Simple Woman Daybook - February 16

For Today... February 16, 2009

Outside my window... a very sunny day but COLD. We have a little snow cover back again, thanks to some snowfall over the weekend. More flakes in the forecast this week!

I am thinking... about getting more into couponing. Wanna get some great deals!

From the learning rooms... An effort to include more hands-on instead of skipping it because it's too much work. For instance, today I sent the littles out to gather materials for building their own bird nests.

I am thankful for... the opportunity my son had to attend Acquire the Fire youth conference over the weekend. It was unexpected and a blessing to have his ticket paid for!

From the kitchen... going to roast a turkey today. In fact, I better get it in the oven right away! We made Valentine cookies over the weekend, but since we only have one heart shaped cookie cutter, we ended up with Valentine stars, teddies, and feet in addition to the hearts. I also made a streusel sort of dessert with apples and nuts and toffee and puff pastry. BLEW my diet! lol

I am wearing... Jeans, grey pull-on sweatshirt over a long-sleeved red t-shirt, black socks, black slippers. Make-up is on! But hair is not done yet.

I am reading... Jane Eyre! Loving it! Also reading Isaiah in The Message and thinking about picking up one of my C.S. Lewis books this week.

I am hoping... to do one complete edit of my novel this week - just a first go-through - and then pass it out to my beta readers.

I am creating... a weekly menu. A bit late.

I am hearing... my children crunching their snack - Cheez-it crackers that look like Scrabble tiles. They're playing Scrabble, sort of, with the crackers.

Around the house... Looking at some laminate to replace my kitchen counters. Our counters are some old-fashioned surface that has been covered and recovered and covered yet again with contact paper. I've lived with that for fifteen years and am now (finally) getting REAL countertops.

One of my favorite things... my slow cooker!

A few plans for the rest of the week... Lessons Mon-Wed, field trip Thursday, co-op Friday and editing every day if possible. Tonight I have a meeting to discuss the IEW curriculum, Wednesday is rollerskating night for Pioneer Club (I may strap on the skates myself), Friday night the girls have a sleepover for their Keepers at Home group.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... my Valentine tulips.

Weekly Review - Week 23

I wished this Weekly Review would write and post itself. Since that didn't happen, all you're getting is some photos. LOL February blahs!

We did our lessons 4 days this week and had a Valentine party on Wednesday. The kids did math and literature that morning before we left. So here are some pictures of learning to use chopsticks (project for Mystery of History). I showed them a youtube video or two since I myself do not know how to use chopsticks. David got it, Emily and James tried hard, and Suzy gave up, as you can see.

The rest of the pix are from the Valentine party day - a couple of doing math beforehand and the rest at the bowling alley.

The Rhythm of a Day

I have had conversations with several friends recently that brought home to me the fact that each family has its own unique rhythm to a day. I thought I'd give you an idea of what sort of basic events happen in what order in our home on a day when we have no outside commitments.

Sometime around 8 or 8:30 everyone gets up. If I am exercising, I try to get up a little earlier (alarm goes off at 7:30), but I don't always do very well with this. Everyone has to be dressed, fed, and groomed by 9:30.

Usually at 9:30, we start our Bible time, which includes singing, reading the Bible, and praying as a family. I usually try to follow this with any other subjects that need to be done as a group (History, Science).

I spend the rest of the morning overseeing lessons, giving one-on-one time to each student as needed. Most of their work is independent, given on their assignment sheets. I have to make sure to leave time to do Spelling with 3 kids, to do Phonics & Reading with Suzy, to go over David's comprehension questions with him, and anything else that needs my assistance. I also check their work as we go along. Bob handles the math lessons during this time and sometimes pitches in with other items. They usually have a snack around 11, but they don't get a break from lessons. (ie: No recess)

Around 12:30 I start thinking about lunch and we aim to have it on the table at 1:00. Yes, that's late, but I'd rather get more done during the AM because of my afternoon writing schedule. Usually the bulk of David and Emily's work is done before lunch and most days Suzy and James are all finished by then.

During lunch, I read a chapter aloud from our current book and then supervise the clean-up.

I try to be sitting at the computer writing by 2pm, but quite often it's more like 2:30-3:00 before I can actually buckle down to writing. I try to write until 5pm, taking a break for a snack around 3:30 and also making any necessary preparations for dinner. I take periodic motivational breaks, like playing a round of a word game every 500 words. I also check email throughout the afternoon. During my work time, Bob is in charge.

I stop writing around 5pm and finish dinner prep (along with 2 of the kids), aiming to have dinner on the table at 6pm. After dinner, the clean-up team (the other 2 kids) gets the kitchen and dining room in ship-shape, and we move on to whatever activities happen in the evening. That may include baths, church activities, meetings, library visits, soccer practices or games, or watching DVD's, among other things.

Bedtime for the little kids is at 8:30 and Emily (age 11) is at 9:00. David (age 14) is supposed to be in bed at 10, with no audio after 11. I am aiming for an 11:30 bedtime currently, but in practice it's more like 12:10 am. lol

What does the rhythm of YOUR day hold?