Little White House Farm

Week 5 {2012} or the week we battled germs

2012-02-05T21:05:00.001-06:00

From the title of this post, you can probably tell what we did all week. We started the week with three sick and ended the week with three sick. (And a different three at that!) Despite our war on germs this week, we did step outside of our home (though we went no further than our yard) and enjoyed some beautiful sunshine.

The beginning of the week started with water streaming into the air across the street from us. We had a huge back-hoe in our driveway as he dug a hole in our yard to repair the leak. (And somehow spared one of our crepe myrtles when digging right beside it. I was very impressed with the operator’s tractor skills.)

As we started to feel better, we would go out and enjoy the beautiful weather. I had to snap a picture of my boy in his black boots and red shorts.

By Thursday, our house looked like this as many of us were busy battling those germs that were making us sick.

We had to close school on Thursday due to sick students. So I finished up that unfinished recipe organization project in between taking care of my kiddos.

On Friday, my babies were feeling better (almost all of them) and we ventured outside into the beautiful, spring-like weather and dug up carrots. (The best tasting carrots ever, according to the girls.)

It was warm enough to pull out the flip-flops. (If the weather stays warm, then Mama most definitely needs a pedicure!)

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see my little blessings out in the sunshine after a week of feeling badly.

Makes my heart want to sing

because I sure do love these kiddos!

{Goals} February

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I wrote a review of January’s goals. Today, I’m going to write out my new goals for February. Then I’ll print it out, post it on my refrigerator, and get to work!

Goals for February:

Spiritual

Wake early for quiet time and continue to work through the book of Ephesians
Memorize 4 new Bible verses

Bible verses that hang on the cupboards by the sink. These will be replaced with new verses.

Family

Plan a summer get-away (set aside funds)
Go on a fun family outing this month

Home

Clean out clothes and closets
Clean out two drawers a week

Health

Exercise 3 – 4 times a week
Bed @ 10:30
Drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day (make a chart for accountability)

Garden/Farm

Build trellis for berries/grapes (and work on things on this list)
Continue with February planting/starting seeds
Redo chicken coop and run

My husband is the artist. However, this is my attempt to draw my idea for moving the chicken coop and run. It is so not to scale nor even readable by anyone but me. I am not an artist! {laugh}

Financial

Money flow plan – continue from previous month
Pay off my student loan (Yippee) and 1 credit card (double Yippee) – snowball payments onto other debt

Personal/Blogs/Hobbies

Sew something! (Setting aside Monday nights, possibly early Saturday mornings per my advice to myself here. See the things I learned note.)
Read at least 1 book
Move blog to Wordpress? (still contemplating)

Did you set any goals last month? How did it go?

{Goals} Reviewing January

2012-02-01T20:39:00.001-06:00

People often complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem. ~ Zig Ziglar

For me, I need goals. If I have no goals and have not planned, I really don’t know where to direct my focus. I will simply look at the many, many things that need to be done or that I want to do and become overwhelmed because I am focusing on too many things at once.

Last month, I decided to start a list of monthly goals that I would like to accomplish for each month. Will I finish everything? Maybe. But maybe not. Am I going to beat myself up and feel like a failure if I don’t accomplish everything? No. I’ll either just take it off the list or move it to the next month. This list is simply a tool to help give me direction & focus and perhaps accomplish a little bit more than the everyday tasks.

First, a review of January’s goal:

I’ve crossed through accomplished goals and made notes in green as needed.

Spiritual

~~Participate in the Gentleness Challenge at Women Living Well as I work on speaking softly and gently to my children.~~

Start studying Ephesians using the SOAP method with the Good Morning Girls (Did this last month – still in progress)

Family

Continue reading time with Dad at night (Dropped off at the end of the month – need to do again)
~~Have a family night one day a week~~ ongoing

Health

Exercise 3 times a week – NO EXCUSES {smile} (actually about 2x a week + gardening – lost weight too!)
Bed by 10:30 sometimes…{sigh}

Home

Make a list of repairs and remodeling to be done per room/area of house (in progress)
Organize recipe binders (in progress – sick kids happened)
Decorate office nook in living room (removing from list for now)

Garden/City Farm

~~Cut back raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. Transplant all but grapes to new areas.~~
~~Draw garden plans/ Make list of needed seeds & plants~~
Plant pansies (didn’t do this)
~~Draw/plan for chicken run extension~~

Financial

Set year’s financial goals with Dave (some goals set – others still in progress)
~~Make a money flow plan for each paycheck (Meet with David when paid and assign every dollar a place to go before we spend it)~~

Blog and Personal

~~Post 2 or 3 times a week~~
~~Set aside a day each week to visit blogs and comment~~
Update side bar of blog and pages across the top (some completed)
~~Read at least one new book~~

*What I learned this last month:

It helps me to get my goals accomplished if I set aside a specific day and time to complete the task. For instance, with blogging, I now have “office hours” set aside just for writing posts or commenting on blogs. The same thing goes for exercise and other activities beyond the basics.

Well, I was going to post February’s goals but this post is all ready incredibly long. Next post up…February’s goals!

Blessings,

January and February gardening in Louisiana

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

I’ve had some gardening friends and family members ask me about when it was good time to plant this or that so I figured that I’d post the planting information that I have here on the blog for those who live in our area.

All information that I am providing comes from the LSU AgCenter site {look down the page for the link to Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide to see the actual planting dates).

Can plant in January:

beets, broccoli (seed), carrots, cauliflower, swiss chard, cabbage, chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce (last day to plant 1/31), onion sets, English peas, Irish potatoes, radishes, turnips, mustard greens

Can plant in February:

snap beans (pole and bush), beets, carrots, cauliflower, swiss chard, chinese cabbage, sweet corn, kohlrabi, Irish potatoes, radishes, turnips, mustard greens

This blogger who lives in Dallas, Texas (similar climate to ours so I often use her information as a guide also) has more information on planting and starting seeds in Texas.

What we have in the garden right now:

mustard greens

snow peas

carrots

swiss chard

broccoli (trying to start from seed – new for me so we shall see)

turnips

lettuce – leaf & butterhead

Still need to put in some cold weather crops and soon!

Have you started your 2012 garden yet?

Week 4 {2012}

2012-01-30T20:04:00.001-06:00

I’m jumping on this bandwagon of documenting each day of your previous week in pictures. Problem is…I can’t always remember what I did on such and such day! So I’m taking a little bit different approach.

In week 4 of 2012, we…

Enjoyed some beautiful weather at the beginning of the week by spending time outside {The City Chicks loved it too}

Stayed inside due to rain {except when we had to leave} but we learned to play Mancala during our studies of Africa

Found some beautiful flowers after the rain that reminded us that spring is just around the corner

On family night we enjoyed a movie {Courageous – it was an awesome movie} and I planned out the spring and summer gardens while watching

Prepared the garden boxes for early spring planting

The weekend began with a sick little one, ended with another sick little one, and the new week (today) started with another sick child

{In the garden} January

2012-01-27T07:14:00.001-06:00

The garden is kind of quiet right now in January. But it won’t be quiet for much longer! However dull it is right now in the garden, I like having these monthly updates on the blog. Just the other day, I was blown away by the beauty of the summer garden while looking back at my blog posts. It gives me hope and motivates me to work out there right now while it is so blah!

We’ve had some warm temperatures lately and my little garden has been calling me out to work. So when the kids need a break during the school day, we head outside and I work on pulling the weeds.

So what is in the garden right now?

Weeding the mustard greens

Not much. Some mustard greens that are finally growing well because I’ve been thinning them and giving the extras to the chickens. There are also a few carrots. I spotted a few turnips that are trying to grow. And there is some kind of volunteer plant growing in some of the boxes. I’ll have to wait and see what that is!

The front of the garden looks very different because we moved all of the raspberries and blackberries out of the front boxes and to a different location. I was very saddened today as I counted five whole strawberry plants that survived this past summer’s drought. That’s five whole strawberry plants out of about 30. The remaining strawberries will be relocated and we will plant new strawberry plants. Such is the life of a gardener!

I still have not decided what to put in place of the berry plants. More herbs? Definitely. Lots of flowers? Good possibility. We know that all of the wildflowers will pop up in that area too.

The City Chicks love the weeds from the garden

We will soon be making some changes to our garden area too. Some of the things about to happen are:

a new privacy fence on the east side
new garden boxes on the south and east sides
replanting of fruit trees (we planted them too closely…hope we don’t hurt them when we do this)
more composted dirt for the garden boxes
making some of the beds taller especially for the root vegetables (may have to do this in stages for now)
cleaning grass out of garden boxes before adding the new composted dirt (in progress)
build a trellis for recently moved berries and a trellis for the grapes
extend the run on the chicken house, repaint the chicken coop, build a few things that are needed around the coop (ok, so the chickens are not technically part of the garden but they do contribute to the garden)
build a new compost area for chicken coop compost
add a new kitchen scrap composter
buy a grow light so we can start seeds

A lot of work in the garden right now is planning. I’m planning to use heirloom seeds this year. I had no idea how many heirloom tomatoes there are! The other night I spent a few hours reading through the heirloom tomato descriptions as I searched for tomatoes that would work well during our extremely hot summers. (Last summer, it got so hot that the tomatoes just quit producing right at the peak time.)

an extremely rough draft drawn while the kids were at swim practice

I have a lot of plans in my head for now…like the shade garden I want to add to the ugly spot of the garden…and the plants that I want to plant around the chicken coop to make it blend in to the garden surroundings…and new veggies to try this year. Will I get it all done this year? Probably not but I still like to dream of what I envision for our little city “farm”.

Need some gardening inspiration? Check out these links:

Baker Creek Heirloom Catalog

Path to Freedom (my first encounters with an urban homestead began with this site many moons ago)

An Oregon Cottage (great organic gardening info, also the home of Tuesday Garden party which starts back up in March)

Traveling Memories (Shannon has great gardening posts. Check out what she is doing in her garden right now. Here are links to some of her helpful gardening posts.)

My Square Foot Garden

If you have a favorite place to visit for gardening inspiration, I’d love to hear it!

Simplifying to organize

2012-01-24T07:14:00.001-06:00

The other day I read that to truly organize your home, it is easier to just simplify what you have. The author (and I can’t remember where I read this) said it much better than I did but the gist was this: instead of repeatedly organizing stuff, just simplify the amount of stuff that you have. I believe that the author was talking especially to the stuff that we don’t use or that we are holding on to use one day – the stuff that takes up space but gives us little return because it’s not likely to be used.

Since our family lives in a small house, it seems that we always have to organize.

Always.

Seven people bring in a lot of stuff. And it seems to easily get out of control and take over our home.

We seem to always be organizing our stuff.

Always. (I seem to be repeating myself too…)

It’s time to end the cycle. Time to quit just putting stuff into a new container, box, or whatever and just leaving it there until the next time we organize {again}.

This month I am starting a purge of the extra stuff and have started small. I decided to simplify and organize my recipe binders. If you look at them here, they don’t look so bad – just a little untidy and well-used.

But then you open them up and

It’s crazy chaos that’s quite hard to use. Who has time to leaf through pages and pages of unorganized recipes?

So what steps am I taking?

Purging recipes that we aren’t likely to try or recipes that we didn’t enjoy. (I am being very ruthless with the culling and am going to keep those that we know we like…this step is in progress)
Reorganizing recipes into useable groups {main dishes, side dishes, desserts, canning…} (coming soon)
Making a section for recipes to try (these are recipes that I want to try before I put them into the binder. If the recipe is not well received then it will meet the recycling bin.)
Setting a budget for how much to spend on the simplifying/reorganization project (I’m going to try to keep it at $10 for a new 3 ring binder and some scrapbook paper. Planning to try to use dividers that I all ready have)
Setting aside some time to make new, functional, and pretty recipe binders (still to come)

I’d like to have this project finished by the end of this week because the next area up for simplification is a biggie:

The closets and the clothes!

Now you know that I’m keeping it real around here because I just showed you our messy master bedroom/craft/sewing/catch all closet.

(Can not believe I just showed you that! {smile})

In addition to the recipe binder and closets, I am trying to clean out and organize one drawer a day. By choosing just one drawer a day, I am not quite so overwhelmed with the task at hand.

Before I go, I’d like to tell you about a great book that I am reading. I have wanted to read this book a while and the other day it ended up being a free Kindle download. The book is Organized Simplicity.

I’ve not completed the book but so far it has been quite an inspiration to continue on the path of simplifying in order to organize.

Unfortunately, the free Kindle download version of this book seems to not be available anymore.

**I also want to say that I am an Amazon affiliate. I’m not entirely sure but I think if you purchase an item from Amazon through a link on my blog posts, I will receive compensation. I’ve put a little note on the sidebar about this. All money made will be used to support our homeschool. I would still recommend this book even if I were not compensated for it in this way. {smile}**

Do you have any areas in your home that you feel would be more organized if you just simplified the amount of stuff in those areas?

Last week in pictures {or moving it – family style}

2012-01-23T20:29:00.001-06:00

One of my goals for the new year is to move more. My family seems to have been bitten by the move more bug too. (Even though the kids all ready move a lot!) Here are some pictures of our family “moving it” this week!

We took a holiday on Monday of last week and the weather was beautiful. So Grant set up a circuit training course for himself and his little sister.

They ran a certain distance, did some jumping jacks or other activity, and then ran back to tag the other.

On Saturday, we all headed out to the city track.

The kids rode bikes.

David and I walked/ran…for over 4 miles!

We live on the edge of our city and right down the road from us is this park with a trail where many people come to walk, jog, and ride bikes.

The funny thing is this: you walk/run/bike right beside some cows! (See those dots in the picture above on the left side? Those are cows!)

You’ve got the highway, some cows,and a running trail!

After we had warmed up, Dave would say, “Let’s start running at that sign (tree, line on the trail…) and then run until we get to that second tree (sign, ….) up there.”

Of course then I would say, “You mean that second tree waaaaay up there?” {smile}

After we reached our destination, we would would walk for a bit and then repeat the whole scenario again.

This picture is of us right as we had approached the 2 mile mark and had finished running to that bridge in the background.

Not so great of a picture because I kept moving before the camera was done taking the picture! And I did not “pretty up” to go for a run. (Ok, ok…I do have on mascara and lip gloss!) {smile}

Then we had to walk back for a little over two miles.

That’s when the fun began!

Four out of five bicycle tires were flat.

Two little ones were tired. They took turns either riding on Daddy’s shoulders.

sitting on the little bike and being pulled along by a parent. (See the jackets being used to help pull the bicycle along?)

(Don’t know why we all look so pink in these pictures…it was not that cold out there especially once you started moving. Still trying to figure out the phone camera.)

It didn’t quite turn out as planned but it was fun. We all got out and moved.

When it was all over, we got Icees and coffee – a great way to end a week of moving it!

{In our kitchen} Menu plan for January 23 – 27

2012-01-23T07:14:00.001-06:00

This week I thought that I would challenge myself to use some of the Pinterest pins in the {In the kitchen} section. Just a little warning…do not visit Pinterest and search for food ideas when hungry…speaking from experience here {laugh}!

Our dinner menu for this week mostly comes from Pinterest pins. I didn’t want to put too many new things out there for the kids though I honestly don’t think they will complain about the new recipes (links included).

Monday

Roasted chicken (an old recipe for us but easy & well loved), potatoes and carrots, green beans, and spinach salad

Tuesday

Chicken Enchiladas, salad, cornbread

Wednesday

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice, green beans, salad

Thursday

Eat out night

Friday {Family Fun/Movie Night}

Pizza Casserole, salad, ice cream sundaes

Breakfasts (serve with either fruit or smoothies)

oatmeal 2X
pancakes
cheesy eggs and toast
fried eggs and toast
Cheese/Peanut butter toast 2X

Lunches (serve with a veggie/salad & fruit)

spaghetti
sandwiches and pretzels 2X
hot dogs and mac & cheese
nachos with taco meat, salsa
peanut butter sandwich, bananas, pudding

Snacks

popcorn, fruit, trail mix, apples with peanut butter or try something from here

Menu Plan for Mom who is trying to lose weight

Breakfasts

oatmeal sweetened with a little brown sugar, fruit, and a sprinkle of pecans
boiled eggs and half a grapefruit
egg white omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes

Lunches

sandwiches, pretzels, fruit
baked chicken (cooking ahead this weekend) and steamed, seasoned veggies

Suppers

smaller portion of dinner menu item, heavy on the veggies, and a salad {smile}

I will be linking to Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie once the link up goes live and I get a break to get back on the computer today. {smile}

Hope y’all have a happy Monday!

Five on Friday

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

It’s Friday! I really like Fridays. They are busy days for us as we wrap up the homeschool week, clean the house, and do weekend kind of stuff so I’m going to keep it short and sweet today by making five quick points. (This also helps me have a place to put those random things that I want to share.)

~Number 1~

A while back I told you about a little girl named Tori who is fighting brain cancer. Tori’s Mom, Penny, is a friend of mine from high school and college. Tori is still receiving chemo treatments as she battles this disease. Would you please pray for Tori, Penny, Todd (Dad), and Hunter (big brother)? I’ve included a video that was made of Tori as she dances to a beautiful song. I’m amazed as Penny tells stories of Tori as she goes through some tough times battling this disease. Tori has such a grace and a strength that I honestly don’t know if even I as an adult could have during this time. She is a special young lady.

~Number 2~

It has been incredibly warm here. Tonight I sat with the seeds & seed catalogs and realized that I might as well start planting my early spring garden. I’m probably going to do a lot of gardening this weekend. I’m afraid that if I wait too long, it will be another very hot/very early summer (and it seemed like no spring) like we had last year. Now watch, we will probably get the coldest weather we’ve ever had once I plant some veggies!

~Number 3~

A while back, we came up with a new chore system based on the one that I read about on a new-to-me blog, Sacred Mommyhood. We’ve been using the plan and tweaking it here and there which is why I have our names written in pencil (the author of the blog used color-coded ink). After we get all the kinks worked out, we will also color code our chart. We recently implemented an incentive system to go along with the chore chart. There will probably be more on that later.

~Number 4~

Do you pin? I’m talking about Pinterest. Have you heard about it? I’m not one to jump on social media bandwagons too quickly. (I still won’t touch Twitter…yet.) However, Pinterest is different. It’s like a pinboard where you “pin” interesting and useful (and sometimes just funny) ideas from around the internet. Some are crafty, there’s a lot of food and fashion, educational, gardening…pretty much something for everyone. All of these great ideas in one pretty little space. It’s pretty much awesome! I’ve put a button above my picture in the sidebar. You don’t have to follow me (unless you just want to) but if you’re ever interested in finding some good stuff, you can check it out by clicking there. I’m going to try to plan next week’s menu just from my Pinterest pins. I’ll let you know how it goes!

~Number 5~

I needed an incentive to help me get up and exercise. (I mean besides the obvious ones like losing weight and being healthy! Sad, isn’t it? {smile}) As I thought on what would be a good incentive, I realized that I love cheap costume jewelry to add to my outfits. So for everyday that I exercise, I’m going to buy myself a bracelet or a necklace or a headband at the {cheap} jewelry store. Or I’m going to save up my dollars and buy a scarf or a flower pin because I’m really loving those trends right now. Is it working? Well, as of the time I wrote this post, I had earned one piece of jewelry. I still have two more days to exercise this week so we shall see!

I hope y’all have a great weekend! See you all again soon!

{Recipes} Angel biscuits and pancakes

2012-01-19T21:55:00.001-06:00

I love church cookbooks. Oh wait…I’ve said that before. So I guess it’s no surprise that these two family favorite recipes are both from church cookbooks.

While I try to lean towards healthier whole grains for our family, I have to admit that both of these recipes taste better with white flour!

{Gasp!}

I have tried 100% whole wheat for both. Hated it. And hate is a strong word so that’s how much I disliked it.

I’ve also used a 50/50 mixture for both and that’s ok. Not the best but ok.

I still love them with 100% white flour. But it’s not so bad… I’m using unbleached white flour so that’s a little better. Right? {smile}

And now for the good stuff!

Angel Biscuits

1 pkg dry yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water
5 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
4 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. oil
2 c. buttermilk ( I was out of butter milk so used milk with a smidge of vinegar to sour it.)

Sift dry ingredients together and add milk, oil, and yeast mixture. Mix well. Turn out on a floured board and knead a few minutes. Roll out and cut into circles. Place into a lightly greased pan. Bake 12 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees. (I like to brush ours with a little butter when they come out of the oven.) Recipe says that the mixture can be stored in an airtight container for about 1 week in the refrigerator. We just bake all of ours at one time. This recipe makes a lot of biscuits.

It is odd for a biscuit recipe to have yeast. I like it because I’ve not quite mastered biscuits without using the yeast to help me out. These are incredibly yummy biscuits.

Pancakes

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 TBSP sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. milk (I add a bit more – probably a couple of teaspoons)
1/4 c. oil

Mix all of dry ingredients together. Then mix in wet ingredients. Beat until blended and pour onto hot griddle. Flip when bubbles pop. Enjoy with favorite toppings!

Years ago, we gave up using Bisquick for pancakes. For quite some time, I searched for a pancake recipe that we enjoyed as much as Bisquick pancakes. And for quite some time we were disappointed with the findings - until we found this recipe. It is really good and makes thick pancakes. I always thin our batter out by adding a bit more milk.

Both of these recipes are found in the First Baptist Church of Zwolle, Louisiana cookbook. Actually, they are from the one that I showed here with the broken binding. It is a wonderful cookbook!

A day in our home and homeschool~

2012-01-18T23:02:00.001-06:00

All around the internet you will see people documenting a day in their homes. I have to be honest. I {love} those kind of posts. Sometimes they inspire me or give me new ideas. Some day-in-the-life posts make me want to get up and do something. (Kind of like the way that I always want to bake something after reading a Little House on the Prairie book. {smile})

I don’t know that this post will do any of the things above but it was fun to put onto ~~paper~~ our blog what we do on a typical day. I’m sure I’ll look back one day with fond memories of our sweet but busy homeschool days.

~~~~~~~~~~

6:30 ~ My day begins with quiet time and a cup of coffee.

There’s just a wee little problem with that…it was supposed to start at 5:30. I overslept after staying up to talk to David the night before. I’m not complaining though. I love the late night talks we squeeze in at the end of the day. Since I’m running late, I skip my morning shower. Did I mention…

I love my morning showers? Oh well!

David starts cooking some pancakes for breakfast. I take over while he finishes getting ready for work. He kisses us goodbye and heads out the door while the three little ones eat their breakfast.

8:00 ~ The big boys wake and quickly eat. Then all of the kids set off to do a morning chore, put away folded clothes, pick dirty clothes up off of their bedroom floors, and brush teeth. If they have finished all chores in a quick fashion, they get a little TV time before school.

I flit around the house and start a load of clothes washing, take some pancakes out to the chickens, straighten our bedroom, and help assist as needed on morning chores.

After a quick check to see if morning chores have been completed and done well, I punch the kids’ chore tickets. (This is a new system we are using and if it works well, I’ll write about it later.)

9:00 ~ School begins!

First, I meet with the older three and discuss their independent work.

Then, I head to the kitchen with the two little ones for their school time.

working on sight word “the” and drawing pictures in shaving cream

Baby boy heads to the living room to play some computer games and Sunshine Girl (Kindergarten) follows when she is finished with her school work.

I rotate amongst the three older children and teach/make corrections with each as needed. We try to cover as many of the core subjects as we can before lunch.

11:00 ~ It becomes apparent that we need a little break and it is beautiful outside! We head out for a little sunshine.

While the kids play, I talk to the chickens, check for eggs, take care of laundry, and prune the grapevines.

11:30 ~ We head back inside and the little ones play with blocks. The older kids and I work on our Bible study of Matthew and read about Martin Luther. We hear David come home and he begins making lunch.

After we finish our Bible time, I head off to take that missed shower and the kids either finish independent work or have free time before lunch if the work is all ready done.

Lunch is eaten and then everyone pitches in to help clean the kitchen. They receive another hole punch on their chore cards.

David heads back to work.

12:30 ~ We have D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read) time. Even I sit down to read. It is nice. {smile}

1:00 ~ Our Littlest Man is tucked in for a nap in Mommy & Daddy’s room.

Sunshine Girl goes to the living room to watch Veggie Tales.

The older three kids work with me on our joint subjects (Geography, Science, and History).

Then I again rotate amongst the older three to finish any core subjects that weren’t finished earlier. We end the school day with my 8th grader and I doing pre-algebra.

2:51 (exactly) ~ We finish school and I send everyone off to a quiet place for 30 minutes of down time. Then I hear Little Man call to me from our bedroom,

“I’m not tired today!”

He did not take a nap! {laugh} So he joined the older kids in the living room and watched a little TV.

Usually during this time, I’ll read some blogs on Google Reader or read a book but today I decided to go out and take care of laundry.

That’s when I was sidetracked and decided to make a wreath out of the grapevines I had cut earlier. I decorated the chicken run door with the new grapevine/English ivy wreath.

I was quite enjoying myself outside when I heard a little voice say,

“Can we come out too?”

The thirty minutes of quiet time were over and it was very pretty so the kids came out to enjoy the nice day too.

4:00 ~ I headed back inside to start dinner and make a little snack.

The kids ran in and out as they played and stopped for some popcorn along the way.

I pulled out some ingredients to make some Angel Biscuits and before I knew it, I had a kitchen full of people who wanted to help!

So everyone had a little hand in making our dinner that night.

5:00 ~ From here on, it becomes a bit of a blur. David came home. We ate dinner. Some kids had baths during this time. Then David and the kids went to church.

I stayed home and worked on folding laundry while I watched Biggest Loser.

I wanted to squeeze in some exercise too but still had a big pile of laundry to fold. I decided to stop in the middle of folding and just exercise. This year, the whole Biggest Loser show is about no excuses so I decided to not let this be my excuse. I even have proof…

Not the best picture but this is me after the exercise (and still sweaty) while watching Biggest Loser.

After that, I went back to folding laundry. (But feeling really good!)

David and the kids came home. We got the little ones to bed. I was actually supposed to work on school stuff and maybe squeeze in blogging time but I was tired.

I spent some time talking and joking with my two older boys before they went to bed. I love those times with them too. {smile}

After all the kids were in bed, Dave and I talked while we finished up the kitchen. Then I headed off to bed and read for a while before turning in for the night.

This is a typical sort of stay at home school day for us. We have a few days a week where our routine changes so that we can head out the door for swim team practice. But no matter what our days look like, we try to fill them with learning, laughter, and love.

Let’s talk about hair

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

For years, I have been fighting my hair’s natural tendency to curl. The past (at least) 16 years have found me straightening my natural wavy locks with straightening irons and sometimes chemicals. And the process is not an easy one. I can spend at least 30+ minutes trying to straighten these locks. (You can see it straight on this page.)

And that was easy 16 years ago when it was just David and me. But now…now there are five kids and a house and a homeschool…you get the picture. There are just not 30+ minutes a day to spend on the hair.

How incredibly cheesy is this picture!?!

So in an effort to save valuable time, I’ve decided to go with what God has naturally given me and go with the curls. At first, the curls really wanted to stay frizzy. So I talked to a curly-haired friend and found out that she uses products on her hair to help her curls not frizz. (I hadn’t been using hair products besides a little hairspray to hold my bangs.)

Feeling just a tiny bit vain with all of these pictures of myself! {laugh}

After battling the frizzy waves, I tried Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse. That was the ticket. The curls now have more shape and less frizz. And the time I saved was amazing! All I did was put in mousse and blow out my bangs, spray a little hair spray to hold my bangs and wait for the curls to dry. (And then gave them a little fluffing here and there.)

It’s kind of hard to take pictures of yourself. {smile}

It was a few weeks before I was brave enough to finally venture outside of the house with the curls and you know what?

People liked it!

So for now…sometimes I’m straight

and sometimes I’m curly – especially on the busy days!

Oh this picture makes me laugh! Like I said – it is hard to take a picture of yourself.

Since I tend to pull my hair up, I tried that style out too. Works for me.

And that is the last of the pictures of me for a long time!

I like to pin hairstyles on

and I think that now I will try to find some that will work with curly hair.

If there are any curly-haired girls reading my blog, do you have any pointers for pretty curls and no frizz?

{In the kitchen} Menu for January 16 - 20

2012-01-16T18:55:00.001-06:00

In an effort to save money, I’m trying to get better at making our menu and actually sticking to it. We are also eating a lot from the pantry and freezer in this week. Here is what is on our menu this week:

Monday

B ~ Oatmeal & Toast with cheese or peanut butter, fruit
L ~ Spaghetti, corn, fruit
D ~ Roasted Pork Loin, carrots & potatoes, peas
Snack ~ Bananas and Peanut butter toast

Tuesday

B ~ Pancakes, strawberries
L ~ Grilled Cheese, carrots, noodles, fruit
D ~ Omelets, potato pancakes (for our studies on Germany), strawberry smoothies
Snack ~ Banana or applesauce muffins

Wednesday

B ~ Cheesy eggs, toast, fruit
L ~ Tacos, corn, salad, fruit
D ~ Pork fried rice, stir-fried green beans, carrots
Snack ~ Trail mix

Thursday

B ~ Oatmeal and smoothies
L ~ Hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, carrots, fruit
D ~ Teriyaki chicken wings, roasted potatoes or brown rice, green peas
Snack ~ Cookies or muffins

Friday

B ~ Angel biscuits with eggs & cheese, fruit
L ~ Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese, fruit
D ~ Either pizza or hamburgers (Eat out)
Snack ~ Popcorn trail mix

*Fruit for meals will be whatever we happen to have on hand at the time. It’s usually bananas, apples, oranges, or applesauce this time of the year. We have much more variety in the summer.

I’m linking to:

Our week in pictures

2012-01-16T16:11:00.001-06:00

I am blessed with some great friends. Each friend of mine inspires me in some way and I could write many blog posts about each one. I am very thankful for the blessing of great friends.

Today, I want to introduce you to one of my friends. Her name is Salinda and she has been blogging for quite some time. She has recently started a new blog named S as in Sam.

So why am I telling you about Salinda on a post titled “Our week in pictures”?

Well, for one…I got this idea from her because of this post. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to take (at least) a picture a day and write a blog post at the end of the week with an overview of what we’ve done?” Of course, this idea probably mainly appeals to the Grandmas of our kiddos but I thought that I’d roll with it.

But did I take pictures everyday? Nope. I sometimes forgot to even pick up the camera.

So here is my effort at a week in pictures. These aren’t from everyday last week but from some of the days last week.

(And you will probably see Salinda in one of the pictures which is reason number two for introducing you to her. {smile})

Learning about farm animals

Singing and making animal sounds

which led to sillness

and lots of laughs…

~~~~~~

Speaking of farm animals…

The chickens enjoyed some time out and about as David readied their home for a cold snap.

(The City Chicks were very intrigued by the glowing light inside their coop. They each checked it over really well!)

~~~~~~

Time with friends doing a little tie-dye for Mardi Gras

(This is Salinda whom I talked about earlier.)

Messy (not too bad, really) but fun!

~~~~~~

And some quiet, sweet times too

(Kind of blurry but too sweet to not share)

What we are reading

2012-01-12T22:51:00.001-06:00

As far back as I can remember, I have loved to read. I love reading so much that I got in trouble in First Grade because one day I chose to read a book instead of coloring the color sheet that the teacher had given us to do. {smile}

Since I love to read, I was super excited when my parents gave me this gift for Christmas:

It’s kind of hard to see it in the dark picture but that is a Kindle and it is

AWESOME!

{I wrote that in my sing-song voice so make sure you read it in a sing-song voice!}

My plan is to read at least one new book a month but I have a feeling that I’ll be reading even more with my new totally AWESOME gadget! So here’s what we have read or are currently reading this month:

A Sane Woman’s Guide to Raising a Large Family

This is a great book and is easy to read. The reviews said that this book would be good even for those with smaller families. I agree. The author, Mary Ostyn, had many great ideas throughout the book. We have implemented some of those ideas into our home and these ideas would work for any family. The author also has a website if you’d like to learn more about her and her family.

Weekend Homesteader

This is an ebook that I came across on the Kindle. It had a lot of info about fruit trees and since we are planting some, I thought this would be a good read. I’ve not read the whole thing but so far, it’s been good.

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre

This book is one that I was able to borrow on the Kindle. I’ve read a few things, mainly the stuff about chickens and I learned a few new things too. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have this one since it was borrowed…a month, I guess.

Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise

I don’t take time to read much fiction anymore but this one was listed in the free books so I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve enjoyed getting to read something just for fun again. {smile}

Reading for school:

Turn Homeward, Hannalee

We are studying the Civil War and this book is set during that time.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

We are studying Germany right now so I am reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales to them since the Grimm Brothers were from Germany. It’s a little harder to read but the kids are enjoying hearing the fairy tales and comparing them to the modern day fairy tales.

The kids are reading:

White Fang (Bryce – 8th grade)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Grant – 6th grade)

The Courage of Sarah Noble (Emma – 3rd grade)

What’s next on my reading list:

The Secret Holocaust Diaries

This is another free book that I downloaded. I’ll be diving into it soon.

Absolutely Organize Your Family

Again, a free download…thought I’d give it a try.

The Money Saving Mom’s Budget

Can.not.wait.to.read.it!

I’ve been reading Crystal’s blog for years and I’ve heard good things about her new book.

And for the fiction…going to tackle something a little harder but by one of my favorite authors:

Northanger Abbey

Do you have any books that you love or think would be a good read?

Goals for January 2012

2012-01-10T07:38:00.001-06:00

A new year, for me, begs for new goals to work towards. I love goals. They give me a focus and set my feet on a path of purpose.

As I went back to check out last year’s goals, I realized that I just have a hard time focusing on goals for an entire year. I love the 3 in 30 idea of just focusing on three habits over 30 days. I have participated in it before and may again. This year, I thought that maybe I’d write a list of goals for each month and work to focus my extra time on those things. Here are my goals for January. We’ll see at the end of the month if this is going to be a doable thing or not. {smile}

Spiritual

Participate in the Gentleness Challenge at Women Living Well as I work on speaking softly and gently to my children.

Start studying Ephesians using the SOAP method with the Good Morning Girls (Loved studying 1 John that way! Not sure if I’ll join a group or not. Maybe I’ll just participate from afar again)

Family

Continue reading time with Dad at night (more on that later)
Have a family night one day a week

Health

Exercise 3 times a week – NO EXCUSES {smile}
Bed by 10:30

Home

Make a list of repairs and remodeling to be done per room/area of house
Organize recipe binders
Decorate office nook in living room

Garden/City Farm

Cut back raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. Transplant all but grapes to new areas.
Draw garden plans/ Make list of needed seeds & plants
Plant pansies (I need some flowers!)
Draw/plan for chicken run extension

Financial

Set year’s financial goals with Dave (we’ll have a meeting and a DATE this weekend to do this! YIPEE!)
Make a money flow plan for each paycheck (Meet with David when paid and assign every dollar a place to go before we spend it)

Blog and Personal

Post 2 or 3 times a week (I’ve got a new plan for this which is why I’ve actually posted 2 days in a row!)
Set aside a day each week to visit blogs and comment (Since I have little time on the computer, most of my blog reading is done with google reader. The problem with that is that I can’t comment. I’m missing talking with some of my blog friends and meeting some new ones.)
Update side bar of blog and pages across the top
Read at least one new book (more on that soon too)

Most of my goals are new habits that I plan to carry over into the upcoming months. Some of them are just things I need to cross off of my to-do list for the month. It looks like a lot! Yikes! I’ll update at the end of the month and let y’all know how if this worked for us. {smile}

Did you set any yearly/monthly goals? I love (seriously, I do) to read other’s goals. If you want to share, just leave me a comment or a link to your blog…I’d love to meet you!

My word for the New Year

2012-01-09T07:13:00.001-06:00

All this past week I’ve had this blog post swirling around in my head but have not been able to write because of internet problems. What has been going in my head has been quite comical too. {smile}

You see, when I first began thinking on my word for the new year, I had one particular word come to mind. And I mean it immediately came into my head when I started thinking on what my word could be for the year... I’m pretty sure there is no denying that this is my focus word for the year.

But all week while I waited for the internet to be fixed, I’ve been trying to change my word. My conversations with God went a little something like this:

So I’ve been reading Philippians 4 and I think that Joy would be a good word. I need to do less complaining.

And I would still hear this other word in my head.

What about Contentment? I could sure use a big dose of that!

And yet again, I would hear this other word.

I even tried this one:

I could focus on all three. Make all three my words for the year.

I then remembered how I tend to take on too many things and focus on too many things therefore making my life a little cah-ra-zy! It needs to be simple. One word.

By now, you’re probably ready for me to get to the point of the blog post, huh? {smile} So my word for the new year is:

Others

I have recently seen…who am I kidding…I’ve always been painfully aware of my tendency to make it all about me. Yes, I do need to focus on me some in regards to my health and stuff like that…not talking about that. Talking more about making sure that I focus on truly giving myself for others.

Giving myself to my kiddos without complaining or sighing
Giving my husband respect and helping him without complaining or sighing (my pattern is starting to appear, isn’t it?)
Spending mornings with God and really diving deeply into His word. Being open to His calling (dare we say it?) without complaining or sighing.
Opening my home to others and letting go of my insecurities about it
Making sure that my friends have a safe place to come to in times of need…anytime
Being the kind of neighbor that I need to be and not expecting anything in return
Being there for my extended family – my parents, Dave’s parents, our Grandmas, all of our brothers and sisters-in-law, aunts & uncles, and nieces & nephews & cousins. I want them to know how much they mean to us and making sure that I show them.
Loving the “un-cool” of the world or those that tend to be looked down upon. They need love too.

Most of us are very busy. And in my busy-ness, I tend to forget to focus on others. I can get so caught up in the laundry and dishes that I forget to smile at my family. Or when called to help with a task, I’ll let out a big sigh. Or I forget to call a loved one on his or her birthday. Or I’m not there to listen to a friend who needs an ear.

We need to be busy taking care of our families and doing our day-to-day tasks. But my prayer is that in my everyday, I will take time to not just get the next task done but to show love to those around me. To truly give myself to

Others

And I have a feeling that when I start focusing more on others and less on myself, I may just get to experience those other two words (joy and contentment) that I tried to make my focus words of the year.

Looking back at 2011

2011-12-30T16:18:00.001-06:00

This time of the year always finds me looking back over the year that has passed as I anticipate the approaching new year. I’ve seen this kind of post on other blogs and thought that it would be fun to do one too. It really has been fun looking back over my posts for 2011!

Doing this has also sparked my love for why I even began blogging in the first place. I loved reading back over our year and seeing how my kiddos have grown!

January~

January began with a sick mom who had been sick for most of December. Honestly, it was a very trying time for me and I needed something good to focus on. From there, the year of thankfulness lists began to help me focus on the positive, beautiful things of life.

February~

We actually got snow in Louisiana! (A big, big deal down here) We also started getting our household schedules and routines more organized. (Something I’d like to write more about in the upcoming year as we are always working on that around here.)

March~

Our homeschool days continued as we made time for preschoolers during our school days. We also began to spend more time outside as the garden began to come to life. (Love, love, LOVE spring) March also began the birthday months for us as we celebrated the birthdays of our oldest two boys.

April~

Gardening posts started to dominate as spring continued to warm up the deep south. I talked about my gardening basket, garden therapy, and garden harvests. We introduced y’all to the City Chicks and celebrated the birthday of our Sunshine Girl.

May~

Our homeschool year ended with butterflies and playdough, as well as a trip to the lake for Flower Girl’s birthday. I also wrote about our goals for the summer as school began to wind down. And the garden…WOW…I always forget how pretty the garden is in the late spring.

June~

Summer began and I began writing our homeschool story (part 1, part2). I also shared some tips for how we stretch space in our little house. The City Chicks went from six to four as we discovered that we had two roosters in our midst.

July~

July was some kind of hot as we continued with temperatures in the 100s for many days. And I must have been escaping the heat by being on the computer because I wrote a ton of posts that month! Flowers were a-plenty in our garden this summer. (Oh! I miss the flowers right now!) My Baby got his first bike for his birthday. We also found out that cantaloupes grow really well in our Little White House garden…we just had to find out when it was the right time to pick them! The City Chicks got to forage even on days that it was impossible for them to free range. And my thoughts started to turn towards thinking about school and planning for the little ones.

August~

We took pictures on our first day of school and told y’all a little bit about our school. There were also posts about our first week of grade school/middle school and Kindergarten. And we had our first egg in the chicken coop too!

We shared our “school room” (which is totally different now) and I finally wrote that curriculum post that I love to read on other homeschool blogs (but don’t care to write!{smile})

September~

School was in full swing and we were busy but we shared our homeschool must-haves and some games that we like to play as we learn to read. The blog became so quiet that I wrote “An Ode to My Quiet Blog”.

October~

The blog became even quieter. (I think I do that every October. Maybe it’s just fatigue from end of garden/start of school.) But I did write about our drought stricken garden and some plans for the fall/winter.

November~

November found me talking about food. First it was for my Honey’s birthday and then about my love of church cookbooks. The City Chicks gave us a glimpse at a day in their lives.

December~

December found us sharing some of our Christmas traditions and some of our memories. And I revived my Losing Adriane posts in hope that I might not add too many pounds back on with all of the holiday eating.

This has been great to look back over the year. (And it was a lot of fun too!) I can see the many blessings from God through our ups and downs of 2011. I am looking forward to 2012 to see what the Lord will do!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Christmas 2011 memories

2011-12-28T07:39:00.001-06:00

The decorations are put away. The Christmas food goodies are almost gone. But the memories…they last forever!

Our Christmas was wonderful. I really loved having Christmas fall on a Sunday. My Mom, Dad, and Uncle came to worship with us on that day. I loved that. Then we all went to our Little White House for some family fellowship. And I only got one picture on the actual day of Christmas – one. whole.picture. Not even a good one at that…

However, that’s not all of our pictures. We have some wonderful memories from our 2011 Christmas.

Christmas with family and many cousins

A Christmas parade (one of two that the kids went to this year) and lots of candy catching

Friends and gingerbread houses

Lots of laughs, candy, and icing (and two mamas had some time to talk)

(cracks me up every year but each gingerbread house always reflects the personality of the maker)

Christmas lights at Roseland

See the smile on his face? That’s because he was bouncing the ball that floats on the water!

Opening a joint gift to all the kiddos (the one in which we surprised them!)

Christmas was great and now we are just enjoying some days of hanging out with each other and cleaning the house before we start a new year and school starts up again.

I hope you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas season. See y’all soon!

Losing Adriane {the holiday edition}

2011-12-14T18:51:00.001-06:00

It’s been a while since a Losing Adriane post. (That would actually be 5 months since a post!) Honestly, I kind of put the whole weight loss thing on hold. I was doing ok – not losing weight but not gaining either. I figured that after Thanksgiving and Christmas I’d get it in gear and stick with it this time. (Why, oh why is it so hard to stick with?) Not to mention I was getting a lot of compliments about my weight loss from others. So I figured it wasn’t so bad…eh?

Then I noticed that my jeans were getting tight in the waist again.

And I looked and noticed that I was sitting smack dab in the middle of the two holidays where we eat, and eat, and eat, and eat!

Now, I’m not knocking eating. I quite enjoy it myself. {smile} However, I just do not want to gain any more weight during this Christmas season. So I’m picking up with this Losing Adriane thing again…right now…at possibly the worst time of the year.

My goal is not to actually lose any weight over the next few weeks but to simply maintain where I am right now. (Which is now 185 pounds. Up from 181.) But if I do lose weight, I’ll be ok with that. I’m just hoping by doing a few things this holiday season that I’ll be able to realize that every little bite that goes into my mouth affects my body and perhaps keep myself from overeating.

So what am I doing to keep from gaining weight over the holidays?

Water, water, water

I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Tervis. She is a little bit on the expensive side but ain’t she pretty? (Yes, I just said ain’t. And no, I don’t let my kids say it! {smile}) She goes most places with me and some how, she motivates me to empty her of her 24 ounces of water many times a day. (I think it’s her pretty polka dots!) I feel fuller and eat less when I’ve been drinking water.

My Fitness Pal

I recently had to update my cell phone and was so excited that my new phone had apps on it. I found an app for My Fitness Pal, which I was all ready doing online. But since I can’t get to the computer 3+ times a day to update, it wasn’t quite working for me. However, my phone is close by and it is so easy for me to fill in my food for the day or pull it out and see how many calories are remaining for the day. This really helps me to decide if I need to eat that extra cookie or {fill in the blank} that can often be found around the holidays. (My Fitness Pal is very easy to use and free too!)

Reduce the amount of soda

You may notice in my food diary above that I have not kicked the soda habit. Oh how I would love to be done with the horribly bad for you but oh so yummy drink of totally empty calories! For some reason, I lack the will power. (excuses) Right now, I am just limiting myself to one a day. Drinking coffee (fewer calories) and lemon water is helping me to not reach for a soda as often.

Move, move, move

My exercise story goes like this:

start exercising, enjoy exercising, get sick, stop exercising, resist starting again, finally start again, enjoy exercising, get sick…

You can probably see where this is going. {smile}

Not too long ago I had started exercising, then I twisted my ankle (and not even while exercising) and now I am sick. I know that I must exercise to lose weight. For me, it is the only way. I am setting a goal of 3 times a week for 20 minutes each time…even with this cold. I’m just going to do it!

There you go! That’s my plan for the last few weeks of this year. Hopefully this plan will help me to think about what I am eating before it goes into my mouth. I will be documenting my weigh-ins on Mondays by updating this page that I’ve created. You can find it by clicking on the tab at the top of my blog. Please feel free to check in on me and hold me accountable for what I say I am going to do. {smile}

To read some of my old Losing Adriane posts, click here.

These days

2011-12-13T15:33:00.001-06:00

I love days at home. You know…those days when no one has anywhere to go and we all just get to hang out together…those are my most favorite days of all!

And just what do we do on our days at home with no pressures or timelines beating down on us?

We drink coffee or hot cocoa and watch the birds from the kitchen window.

We laugh hysterically at the chickens taking dust baths. (Truly a very funny thing to see!)

We plant fruit trees! (Yay! We’ve put in a peach tree. Next tree in is an apple…so excited to be growing fruit.)

We stomp and tromp in our {stylish} muck boots.

We decorate the chicken coop for Christmas.

We bring Mommy some ~~dead~~ flowers. {smile}

And then we scatter the seeds from the ~~dead~~ flowers so that we can enjoy the living ones in the spring and summer.

We drink more coffee as we sit in the glow of the tree and begin dreaming of our spring and summer gardens.

And because all days are not spent at home…especially this time of the year…we might also be found

singing about our Savior and His love for us.

Some days at home and some days out & about

I love both kinds of days especially since I get to spend them with my crew.

I love these days.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

photo taken by Emma

This post is very late what with Thanksgiving happening a week ago. And even though it is quite fashionably late, I’m going to post it anyway. Over the last few weeks of blog quietness, I’ve been thinking on why I have this blog and what I want to do with it. Honestly, I came close to just deleting it. Sometimes I feel so…lacking…when it comes to this blog. I am not really a writer. Nor am I a photographer. I wondered if the world really needed another blog.

Then I realized that the world might not need another blog but I needed this blog and my family needed this blog. First, I need an outlet – a place to create something and express my thoughts. My family needs me to preserve our memories. And with that, I had the purpose for this blog. I want to write down what we do in our everyday as we strive towards our dreams. I love to look back at some of the older posts and see my kids and how they’ve changed. It’s a lot of fun to see the garden over the years and read about our homeschool. Yes, I needed to keep the blog open.

And then, quite unexpectedly, someone commented to me that my blog helped them. What? This little blog helped someone? At first, I panicked because I felt totally unqualified or unable to actually help someone. (Still do, really) But then I felt…honored (and quite humbled too). Honored that God would use this little place to speak to someone in some way. It is my prayer that I will always use this space on the web to bring glory to Him!

And what’s that got to do with Thanksgiving?

Nothing really. {smile} Other than just to say that sometimes this place might be a little behind on the times or not so eloquent but I’ll still keep sharing what’s on my mind and in my heart.

So…on to Thanksgiving… {smile}

photo taken by Emma (and that’s her feet too)

I love Thanksgiving. Always have. It is such a simple day. Just a lot of yummy food. Family. And no pressure. We talk, we laugh, we remember.

Thanksgiving has taken on a whole new twist for me these past few years though. Six years ago, I met at the same house you see in the above pictures. Six years ago, I stood in this yard and I talked with my Baby Brother. We joked. We had “our jokes”. We laughed. He was carrying a burden that day too. He was going through some rough times in his life. We talked about that too. It’s just what siblings do.

photo taken by Emma (can you tell I was too busy talking to take pictures at Thanksgiving)

And that was the last time that I talked to, hugged, laughed with, and advised my little brother.

Now I’m not trying to be all sad or make this a sad post. Quite the opposite, actually. I miss my little brother and I think of him often…especially at Thanksgiving. But his death made me very aware that there are many things we need to do in our short times here on this earth. And you’ve probably heard these same things many times but they are always worth repeating…even if it’s just to drill it through my thick head again! {smile}

Emma shooting a b.b. gun

Live everyday to its fullest.

Laugh as much as possible and as often as possible.

Don’t cry over spilt milk. (so cliche but so true)

Abby riding at PawPaw and Grammy’s house

Spend time with family.

Take a lot of pictures…and take pictures of everything.

Let people know that you love them. Hug them. Let them know you appreciate them and how special they are to you.

I spent time in my Dad’s garden the day after Thanksgiving…does it get any better than this? {smile}

Give generously to others.

Give not only your worldly goods but your time to others.

Spend some time doing what you love.

fresh green beans from Dad’s garden

Spend time with God. He is the Author of true peace and comfort.

Know God’s Son, Jesus. Believe in Him. Follow Him.

Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams or be different from the crowd.

Grant shooting at targets with a b.b. gun

Don’t be afraid to show the real you.

Let others know you’re not perfect. (I’m not saying complain but let others know that you mess up. It makes you real. So talking to myself right here!)

And I’m sure that there are other things I could list but my tired mama brain is not bringing it forth right now. (See…letting you know that I’m not perfect! {smile})

What about you? What would you add to this list?

Our Christmas traditions ~ trimming the tree

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Years ago when David and I had our first child, I remember my Dad encouraging us to start our own holiday traditions. We have taken his advice and have worked to incorporate traditions that we brought with us from our families as well as some new traditions over the years.

This past weekend we decorated our tree. Actually, the kids decorated it…entirely…and by themselves. David and I just handed out ornaments and reminded them that breakables needed to go towards the top. {smile} And even though the tree is a little different that I may have decorated, I think it may be my favorite decorated tree ever.

Some of our Christmas tree decorating traditions are…

Tradition number one: Each child gets a new special ornament each year.

The ornament is usually something that is special to the child. The plan is that the children will take their ornaments to their new homes when they are adults.

for our cowboy

for our car lover

for our animal lover

for our girly girl

for our dinosaur lover

Tradition number two: We make new ornaments every year.

I love monograms so this year we went with these very easy but very cute monogram ornaments. The glass ornaments can be found at craft stores (and are usually 1/2 off). Fill them with a little shredded paper of your choice of color. (Also at the craft stores)

Tie on a few ribbons of your choice. Stick on a scrapbooking sticker for the letter of your choice and you’ve got a very easy and super cute ornament!

Tradition number three: We have gumbo, hot cocoa, and make a special dessert on Christmas tree decorating night.

Tradition number four: We listen to Christmas music while we decorate our tree. (Some how we mixed in a little 80s music this year too. It was so much fun to see everyone dancing around while decorating the tree.)

Tradition number five: We add one new family ornament each year. According to tradition number one, we will be giving away our ornaments when the kids are older. Since that may result in a very bare tree one day, we are adding a new family ornament each year too. This year we added

a monogram ornament

and

a coffee pot!

These are our very simple Christmas tree decorating traditions. The kids love to decorate the tree. David and I simply love to watch them as they talk about the ornaments, remember Christmases past, and think on the approaching season.

In the garden {end of November}

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Gardening has been on the light side lately since the temperatures have been dropping. We’ve finally been getting some cold temps at night so I brought in the last of the peppers this week. I’m hoping to squeeze in a little pepper jelly and pepper sauce making time.

I love gardening in the fall. Granted, you can’t plant some of the favorites like tomatoes and watermelons. But it’s just not too hot to work outside. It is downright pleasant to dig in the dirt right now. And I really love…

that I can fill the pockets of my favorite sweater with my garden finds. Today it was pecans from the neighbor’s tree that it generously deposited into our yard. Sometimes it is eggs from the chickens and sometimes it’s a pepper or two.

Remember in an earlier post where I talked about giving the chickens leaves from the yard compost pile to dig through? The chickens turned those leaves into some beautiful looking soil. That soil has been added to some of the garden boxes to work its magic over the winter. This spot is marked for tomatoes! Can’t wait to see if our city chicks will help boost our soil quality and garden production.

The garden looks quite bare right now but there are some winter crops planted. So far we have collard and mustard greens, turnips, and carrots. The peppers will probably be composted soon and the pumpkins pulled.

We have never been able to successfully grow pumpkins before (those squash borer worms that get my squash get my pumpkins too). I decided this year to just persevere without using chemicals. The vines looked rather rough but some of the pumpkins did make it. This pumpkin is just starting to turn orange. I haven’t a clue what I will do with an orange jack-o-lantern pumpkin in the winter!

And a garden post wouldn’t be complete with out a picture of our girls! They are working hard and giving us 3 – 4 eggs a day. They are also eating a lot lately. I’m not sure if it is because it is getting cold and they need more food for energy to stay warm or lack of grass but they are really eating a lot. David built a new little feeding area to keep their food dry since we usually get rain during this time of year. So far, it works well and looks super cute!

Since we are entering winter, a lot of garden dreaming will be going on. I’m sure you’ll see a post or two in the future as I dream of our spring and summer gardens!

Church cookbooks and a pot pie recipe

2011-11-29T20:45:00.001-06:00

I love church cookbooks. I have quite a few. Some are from churches that my father pastored, some are from the church David grew up in, and some are from other churches we have gone to or were given as gifts to us.

Church cookbooks are usually full of yummy recipes. Some of our family’s favorites come from the two cookbooks shown. I’ve used this one so much that it is falling apart. The recipes are that good.

I love to look through the cookbooks and see the names of people whom I have stood and worshipped with. Some of the names are those of my family. Some of the names are church family whom I will not see this side of heaven again. So many memories are in those church cookbooks…so much more than recipes.

The blue cookbook was given to by my Mom when I got married. My Mom is an excellent cook. I love to look through the cookbook and see the little smudges left by the fingers of my Mom as she worked or maybe by the fingers of my brother or me as we stole a little taste test from the dinner she was cooking. (I think of smudges in cookbooks and on recipes as the sign of a really good recipe and a really good chef!)

I will always cherish these cookbooks and they will always find a place on the shelves of my home.

That old blue cookbook recently gave us a yummy pot pie recipe. We could not get enough of this pot pie. I think it was the best I have ever had. So I thought that I would share our new best ever chicken pot pie recipe. (Sorry, forgot to snap a picture…)

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheese Crust (We are going to try it with turkey this week)

1 lg. fryer, cut up
1 c. celery
1 c. diced onions
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 can mixed veggies

Cheese Crust

1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 TBSP water
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Place chicken in 2 quart pot and cover with water; add 1/2 cup diced onions and 1 cup diced celery. Bring to boil; reduce heat; simmer, covered 30 minutes. Cool and reserve broth. Debone chicken and chop meat.

Saute 1/2 cup onion in butter until tender; add flour blending until smooth. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups broth. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.

Add salt, pepper, and mixed veggies including the juice.

Place chicken in a greased 2 quart casserole and add sauce. Top with cheese crust.

***For crust, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter. Add egg and water, blending well. Stir in cheese. Roll flat on lightly floured board to fit top of casserole. (about 1/4 inch thickeness)

Bake the pot pie at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Yields 6 to 8 yummy servings!

A day in the life of the city chicks

2011-11-15T22:28:00.001-06:00

The city chicks are up with the birds…literally.

{And don’t even think about being late or Pecky Sue will fuss at you!}

A little breakfast of chicken food and some fresh water prepare the city chicks for the hard day’s work that lies ahead of them.

Later in the morning usually means a snack of kitchen scraps for the city chicks

and

checking the nesting boxes for eggs.

A brown speckled egg…not sure why it is speckled. Need to research that because sometimes they aren’t speckled.

Most of the city chicks’ days are spent exercising and digging for bugs. Sometimes they exercise in the run, sometimes in the chicken tractor, and sometimes {if they are lucky and we are home} they get a day of roaming around the yard. They love those days!

In the afternoon, another round of snacks are delivered to the chickens (they are definitely well fed). Some days it might be kitchen scraps. Most days it is a few shovels full of yard compost (leaves, grass clippings) and some chicken scratch. They also get some fresh water and chicken feed.

As the sunlight fades, the city chicks tuck themselves in for the night.

We simply come in to close the coop door

and

say goodnight to our hard working city chicks.

The girls on their roost for the night

Tomorrow morning, we awake and do it all over again

and

enjoy the fruits of having some city chicks. {smile}

My honey’s birthday and a honey bun cake

2011-11-10T15:54:00.001-06:00

Wednesday was the birthday of my “honey” (aka David). Since Wednesdays tend to be busy days we decided to celebrate his birthday on Tuesday night.

Storms were rolling into the area and it was getting quite dark outside so we decided to make a sign for Daddy’s birthday as we passed away a rainy evening. David was out of town for work. What we didn’t anticipate was that he would be two hours late getting home. But that’s ok…it gave us plenty of time to work on this:

This is a honey bun cake and it is yummy! (Recipe to follow. And about the candles…for some reason the birthday candles were missing so we just used what we could find. There is no rhyme or reason in relation to the birthday honey’s age.)

Daddy and his little buddy

Little Buddy singing his heart out

Happy Birthday to our honey! We love you!

And as promised…a honey bun cake recipe.

Honey Bun Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup sour cream

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and sour cream. Mix well. Pour half of batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter and swirl together. Pour and spread remaining batter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30ish minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Pour glaze over cake while still warm.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 TBSP. milk

Easy and yummy!

Tuesday this & that

2011-11-08T16:23:00.001-06:00

Outside my window::: Kind of gloomy today but warm and lots of beautiful leaves falling. Fall has come to the deep south.

I am thinking::: that I need to make a new header for the blog. I’m ready to change things up a bit around here. Now to just find the time to make those changes.

Taken by Emma ~ age 8

I am thankful for::: My wonderful husband. Tonight we will celebrate his birthday. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful man to spend my days with.

From the learning rooms::: We are studying South America, the Civil War, rain forests, and the three R’s. Our Kindergartener is beginning to read words! That is so much fun!

I’m also starting to think on high school for our oldest. (He’s in 8th grade.) That’s a whole new ball game for us. {smile}

Taken by Emma ~ age 8

From the kitchen::: Tonight is a birthday meal of tacos and nachos. (His requests!) There will be a honeybun cake for dessert. The change in seasons has me wanting the cold-weather favorites like taco soup, chili, and stews. And chicken pot pie…need to share a new yummy recipe with y’all.

I am creating:::: Lists. {smile} I am creating plans for the upcoming Christmas season.

Taken by Abby ~ age 5

I am reading:::: The Bible. I am following along with the Good Morning Girls and using the SOAP method to study I John. I am really loving studying the Bible this way. Also reading:

Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours (for me...about reality based discipline)

Heidi, Shades of Gray, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and a General Science textbook (for school so I can keep up with the kids’ readings and discuss it with them. I’ve actually read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory many times but I’m just reading it to refresh my memory so I can discuss it with my child. I loved that book when I was growing up…hence why I’ve read it so many times.)

I am praying::: So many people in my life are fighting cancer right now. Some are very young, some are older, and some are my age. They are on my mind and in my heart everyday and I pray for them all often. Lately, I’ve heard of others fighting cancer who have lost the fight. I’m praying for those families as they grieve.

I am hearing::: video games being played, a snack being made in the kitchen, and quiet from the younger two who are napping…all the sounds of a busy home at the end of a school day (actually a bit quieter than normal)

Taken by Abby ~ age 5

On Losing Adriane::: I’m trying to stay serious about this weight loss thing. I had been maintaining my weight until this weekend when I actually put on a few pounds! My goal is to lose but I was ok with at least not gaining any weight. But now…ay yi yi! I’m thinking that I’m going to create a page at the top of the blog to post my goals and weekly weigh-ins so I don’t have to commit to weekly postings. ( I just can’t promise weekly posts during this busy season of life.) More on that later…

Around the house::: We’ve been making changes in our Little White House. Right now, I need to do some decorating. Planning some decorating for the Christmas season too.

In the garden & chicken coop::: The garden needs to be cleaned up. I’m thinking on which boxes I want to plant in over the winter and which boxes I need to add compost to and cover until the spring. The chickens are giving us 3 or 4 eggs a day. (Our Barred Rock has finally decided to lay again!)

Taken by Adriane ~ age young at heart

One of my favorite things::: After lunch today, we turned on Staying Alive by the Bee Gees and the whole family (minus David…he was out of town today) started to dance around the kitchen. Lots of laughter and lots of fun. I love getting to share these kinds of days with my kids.

Picture thoughts I want to share:::

Just a bunch of everyday pictures. Most of the pictures were taken by the girls. The name of the photographer is under the picture.

I love my boys

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

In our front yard we have a tree with leaves that turn the most beautiful yellow every fall.

I love that tree and the color that it adds to our home in the fall.

Yesterday I noticed that the tree looked a little different.

(You may too if you look back at the previous picture in the top, left-hand side.)

Yes, that’s a rake in the tree.

That’s a rake in the tree about 15 (or so) feet off of the ground.

I’m not sure if he was trying to hide the rake or if he was just experimenting in his usual got-to-see-what’s-gonna-happen fashion…but I knew just who had done it.

My son admitted that he had thrown the rake into the tree but he did try to get it down.

I just chuckled. I love my boys and their just-got-to-see-what’s-gonna-happen personalities.

Fall traditions

2011-11-04T22:14:00.001-05:00

A little tissue paper

a little contact paper

and

a little mess

and

we have one of our family’s favorite fall traditions.

Fall leaf (and pumpkin) sun catchers

On our to-do list for next week is another one of our family traditions: our tree of thankfulness. (But I’m planning a little twist on that tradition.)

Do you have any fall traditions that your family likes to do?

The fall garden and the city chicks {October}

2011-10-31T22:33:00.001-05:00

I figured that since it was the last day of October that it might be a good time to write a garden update. What I’m wondering is: Is it seriously the last day of October? Has this year flown by or what? {smile}

From the looks of the picture, it might seem that the garden is kind of neglected right now. That would be because it is. Between the drought, the extreme temperatures this summer, and school starting, there has been little time (or want to) to spend out in the garden. When the kids are having a school break in the mornings, I will putter around the garden and pick a thing or two here and there. It is so neglected that I feel like the whole title of this blog is a fraud. But a girl can hold on to her dream even if she hasn’t the time to live it…right? {smile}

So what is growing in our Little White House garden?

Peppers

Pumpkins

This box was filled with green bean plants until the city chicks scratched them up. The girls have now been banished from the garden unless they are in this:

We built a chicken tractor to hold the city chicks so that we can move them around the yard. We simply put the tractor over a raised bed, place the chickens into it with a little water for drinking, and they work to scratch up the ground for us. They get bugs to eat and we get well worked soil. A win-win for all.

We’ve also planted collard greens and carrots. We will share the collard greens and the green tops from the carrots with the chickens this winter.

Things to do still for a fall/winter garden:

plant mustard greens, more carrots, and possibly cabbage for the winter

replant turnips (also met their fate from scratchy chickens)

plant a few fruit trees

research transferring bramble berries and strawberries

build a new trellis for the grapes

cover unused boxes with black plastic for the winter

We now have four chickens. Three of those four are laying eggs. Well, actually, the fourth also laid about three eggs and then quit. We haven’t a clue what happened there. The three layers are giving us about 2 – 3 eggs a day.

Two of the chickens will lay eggs in the nesting boxes. (Actually they seem to prefer only one box.) The third chicken likes to lay her eggs right inside of the large door that we use to access the chicken house.

One day the kids told me that one of the chickens had laid a really big egg and I needed to go see it. Here is what they were talking about:

I knew they were joking with me so I’m glad it was just a basketball and not something that would scare me like a bug or snake or anything of the creepy-crawly origin.

Even though the city chicks have been with us for a while, it is still a very big deal to get eggs from the coop everyday. The kids will even wash the eggs and they love to count them. Everyone loves the little green eggs that our Ameracauna lays.

The garden posts will probably quiet down for a while now since the garden won’t be producing much over the winter. But I’m all ready planning for next year’s spring garden and possibly a few more city chicks to add to our flock so I’m sure I’ll share a bit here and there.

Fall fun memories

2011-10-29T19:36:00.001-05:00

Last night was our church’s fall festival.

David and I were accompanied by two ballerinas and a cowboy. The older two boys didn’t get to join us because they are away for a weekend of hunting at their Grandparent’s house. (But my oldest got to take his first shot at a deer today. He missed but there’s always next time. {smile})

The fall festival always has our favorite things: bouncy houses, cotton candy, snow cones, chili, lots of games, hay rides, and friends.

Today has been a wonderful fall day too. The windows have been open, an autumn fragranced candle burning, little girls still in tutus running around, a little James Taylor or Bee Gees music playing, and a little dancing with giggly girls.

Fall is a wonderful time to make wonderful memories.

We sure do love the fall!

Five things

2011-10-26T16:40:00.001-05:00

Hi Y’all! I know it’s been kind of quiet around here. Everything’s good here in the deep south. I’ve just felt a need to be quiet. I blame it on the introverted side of my personality. There is so much to talk about that has been going on during the past month that I thought I’d just do a quick catch-up post.

Number 1

A few weeks ago I had what I’ve heard called “stinking thinking” going on in my mind. I kept hearing “think on what is pure, holy, lovely…” when I’d start wandering off into the negative thinking. I knew that I needed to surround myself with good thoughts. I thought of a friend who has scripture written on index cards that she has posted above her kitchen sink. I decided to make some cards of scripture for our home too. But once I started writing, I could not stop. There are so many words from the Word of God that I want and need to surround me during the day. So now we have scripture hanging above the sink, on the mirrors, above the light switches, etc. Everyone in my home has loved having it too. My husband loves to read it, one of my older boys has asked for a card to put by his bed, and it has totally transformed my attitude.

Number 2

We have completely rearranged our little house. I mean completely. As in every room in the house is a new room (except the kitchen and bathrooms). It is like we moved but stayed in the same house. Actually, I am still unpacking some of the rooms and need to get things on the wall. This small house requires creative measures to house our family. It has been good though because we now have a large dining/school room. (We were using the room for another purpose.) I love having everyone around one large table as we do school. It is so much easier for me. Even the kids are working better.

Number 3

Speaking of school, we have been meeting with some friends who are also doing My Father’s World – Exploring Countries and Cultures for an “end of the study of _____ country” celebration. We met for a fiesta when we finished Mexico. (pictures are on the other computer) Last week, we met to discuss Canada. We met at the park and had some Canadian themed food and we played. We usually do presentations too but we found out that those are hard to do at the park! Next up is Brazil. Hopefully I’ll have some good pictures.

Number 4

All of the eggs in the picture above are from our City Chicks! How cool is that? We get 2 –3 eggs a day. I’ll write soon about our City Chicks and let you know what they’ve been up to.

Number 5

The weather has been great here. We have even gotten a little rain which our drought stricken land definitely needs. The enjoyable temps have made me long to be out in the garden. Last week, I spent time picking peppers that finally decided to produce. I need to get out there today and pick some more because we are supposed to get some rain and cooler temps. I’m not complaining though. After this summer’s 60+ days of 100+ degree temps, I said I would not complain about cold, wet weather this winter! {smile}

My computer time is up but I should be around soon to talk about the garden, the City Chicks, our homeschool, and whatever else strikes my fancy!

See y’all soon!

This girl loves the great outdoors

2011-09-26T22:26:00.001-05:00

I have been one grouchy, grouchy mama lately.

I’m not proud of it but I’ve got a good excuse.

It’s called

insomnia.

Yes, a week of very little sleep will leave a mama in a not so great mood.

It’s sad, but true. (I’m only human.)

And how do you cure it?

Well, obviously get some sleep but

then we’re back at that insomnia thing…

vicious cycle, I tell ya.

For me, there is a great pick-me-up.

On the morning after the worst night of sleeplessness in history, I headed out to a place that brings me joy, peace, and energy.

The Woods

We all felt so at home in the woods as we

explored,

worked,

and played.

And even though I was bone tired, I lost my grouchiness (and I’m sure my kiddos were quite relieved) as we walked back and forth along the long road between the deer stands.

We had some great talks on that road about

temperate forests (what we’ve been studying in science and now we were walking in one. How cool is that!),

animal tracks,

and

(we can not forget our talks about) scat.

That’s poop, by the way.

Evan pointed out every little bit of scat he saw along the trail.

And don’t worry, he’s not touching it above.

He’s hovering right above it and I’m saying,

“Evan, please don’t touch the poop!”

But I do keep a little antibacterial cleanser around, just in case.

The guys worked hard getting the stands in place for the hunting season

and

building hopes of a season of getting some food for our freezer. (Me too.)

I chased littles around and helped out when

one fell with his candy on the ground

and made faces while we listened to the radio and tried to escape the heat for a while.

(The girls took these two pictures of each other…)

We left the woods and we were

happy,

hopeful,

peaceful,

and

tired.

Tired, did I mention that?

And I think we all found the cure for insomnia

and

an escape from the cares of the world that sometimes lead to insomnia.

And that’s one (of many) reasons why this girl loves the great outdoors.

Learning to read is fun

2011-09-22T19:59:00.001-05:00

I love to see my children learn to read! It is simply one of the best things in life. We’ve used many approaches in order to learn to read. My preference is to mix a phonics approach with a sight word/whole language approach. In my school teacher years, we called this balanced literacy. I see pros to both methods so to me it just makes sense to mix the two approaches in learning to read.

We begin early in teaching our little ones the letter names. We take a fun, hands-on approach when learning our letters. By the time our kids start kindergarten, it has been easy to move on to letter sounds and the blending of sounds because they have been exposed to the letters for over two years.

It takes a lot of repetition to get the letter sounds committed to memory so we try to make it fun. Some of our favorite learning to read are games. Some of the kids’ favorites are:

A simple file folder, some markers, and a little time can made a board game that our kids love. We use this to review letter names, letter sounds, and sight words. It could be used for math too.

For a little variety, I quickly made this game on a piece of cardstock. Despite its poorly drawn path, the kiddos enjoy using it for a quick review.

Our curriculum calls for a weekly letter name review. Sometimes we play go fish or memory with the cards. One day, I just dumped a bunch of letter tiles out onto the table and called out a letter. They would try to find as many letters as they could as quickly as they could and put them back into the jar. Such a simple game but they loved it!

We can’t forget about good old Bingo either! We’ve had these cards for years but it is really easy to just make Bingo cards too.

We have recently added a morning message to our calendar time. I write a message with the children who are with me. (This morning it was just Abby. Sometimes it is also Evan. He joined us a little late today though.) We write a quick message and I have Abby help me fill in what she can. I plan on incorporating more sight words into the morning messages and having Abby find the words.

At the bottom of our morning message, we work on different reading concepts. Today it was rhyming words/ –at word family. We’ve also worked on number words, color words, and words beginning with the letter sound we are working on. They love to watch me draw goofy pictures to match the words. (I am so not an artist.) Then they try to draw the pictures too.

This year, we have been using the sight words printables from 1+1+1=1. We go very slowly through the words. Actually we spent weeks just going through unit one. For more great ideas, be sure to check out 1+1+1=1. She has wonderful ideas!

One of the most important things we do is read! We read a lot. Everyday, the little ones and I sit down and read books…many, many books! They love it and I love it.

Resources we use to learn to read:

The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading

My Father’s World Kindergarten curriculum

Easy books like Bob Books

Abeka’s Letters and Sounds

I’m a little bit country, I’m a little bit city girl

2011-09-21T20:59:00.001-05:00

I was born in a large southern city and it was my home during my early years. At the age of eight, my dad began pastoring a country church in another state. It was a bit of a culture shock as I learned that I wouldn’t spend every Friday night at a certain seafood restaurant eating popcorn shrimp. The state we moved to didn’t even have this restaurant in the nearest larger city. (This restaurant did eventually open in this city though…but many, many years later.)

Despite the culture shock of going from city dweller to country dweller, I learned to love the country during those two years that we lived deep in the country in the church’s parsonage. There was a pond out in front of the house and I would spend my days there fishing with my Dad and asking him to take the fish off of the hook. There were woods around the house and I made a little house on the edge. I played outside daily and encountered all sorts of wildlife.

Then our family moved to a small town. Our new town was so small that we had one store, one (small) library, a post office, a school, and a caution light! (They later added a bank too. {smile}) I spent most of my life there in that small town…even came back after college to live there during the first four years of our marriage. My childhood days were spent working in Grandma’s garden, going hunting with my Dad & brother, and working with friends in chicken houses.

the kids eating frozen fruit pops out front…this made me smile

David and I chose to leave that small town with our two young boys and move to a middle-sized city where he worked. It has been a move that worked for us as we were now able to spend more time together as a family. David’s commute was cut drastically and we’ve been very happy here.

I’ve lived in one of the largest cities in America right down to a country town that didn’t even have its own zip code! (It used the zip for a “larger” town nearby.) Sometimes I wonder if I’m more of a country girl or a city girl?

my silly kids

I count myself as a country girl. I love working in the garden and love getting my hands into the dirt. I love my city chicks. I love wearing my “muck” boots and walking barefoot through the grass. I don’t mind animal yuckiness even though I don’t care for blood too much. I would rather be outside than inside any day. I love exploring nature and wildlife here in my own backyard.

But I’m a little bit city girl too. I love to wear high heels and getting my hair highlighted. I love to wear my wide-legged trouser pants to church with my heels and pearls (and then come home and go check on the chickens while wearing this outfit). I love the convenience of the city. I love being able to go out to eat and having many choices. I love being able to do my shopping in spurts instead of spending one entire day shopping in the “big city”. I love the activities and culture that the big city has to offer.

My heart is in the country. One day we hope that our family will live in the country and have a real farm. But for today, we live here in the city. We aren’t really farmers (even though we call it our farm)…we are far from that dream. But we do try to live a simpler country life here in the city.

And it can be done. If you are a city dweller who dreams of living in the country, you can make steps toward that dream. Turn part of your backyard into a garden. You will be amazed at what you can grow in a small space. Learn more about gardening as you work towards your dream of country living. That’s what we are doing…paying down debt by living a little more simply and learning about gardening.

If you are a city dweller who just wants to slow down a little bit, you can do that too. Evaluate whether you need to add one more activity to your to-do list. Don’t be afraid to say no when needed and cut back as needed too. Stay home a little more. Plant a few vegetables or herbs. Just enjoy a slower lifestyle even if it’s only for a few days a week.

Or maybe you are a city dweller and you love the city and don’t care to go country…that’s ok too. I say just be who you are no matter where you are.

As for me, I am a little bit country and a little bit city girl.

And I like it that way. {smile}

Ode to my quiet blog

2011-09-15T21:54:00.001-05:00

I remember in a college literature class having to read the poem, “Ode to a Grecian Urn”. It always made me laugh that someone would write a poem to a vase! And I realize that I probably was totally missing the point of the poem but it always gave me a good laugh when I thought about it. (I don’t remember ~~anything~~ much about the poem other than the title which still cracks me up.)

So tonight, I want to write an ode to an inanimate object…my quiet blog…and share the last week of our lives in pictures and snippets. (And I will most definitely not pattern my ode after the ode spoken of above. Because John Keats, I am not. {smile})

Oh, my quiet, quiet blog,

Why do you look so forlorn and lonely as of late?

Is it because your authoress is busy and neglects you so?

Is it because she must drive her kids to and fro?

Is it because she spends her days amongst piles of books,

papers and pens, and sometimes kids’ dirty looks?

Or could it be that as the school day ends, she has laundry to fold,

dishes to wash, and kids to hold?

Oh, my quiet, quiet blog, please don’t fret and worry.

Some days you may be neglected simply because your authoress has chosen not to hurry.

Perhaps some days beside the chicken coop she stands,

with the kids and their awaiting hands…

to find if another City Chick is now laying eggs.

Imagine how they run around quickly upon their legs,

when they find that now the Barred Rock joins the clique

of the egg-laying City Chicks!

Oh, my quiet, quiet blog, you really need to know

That your authoress does not mean to neglect you so.

You are a place for her to create and to share memories of her busy, busy days.

But those memories must be lived first and in so many, many ways.

Some days there are…

football games to watch,

songs to sing,

naps to take,

and guitars to play as we let the music ring.

But

please do not forget…

that even though her days are busy and full

she will come back to this quiet place

to share her life with cyberspace!

{After rereading this poem, I do believe that I may read too many Dr. Seuss books!}

Around the Little White House Farm {September}

2011-09-07T22:54:00.001-05:00

Pecky Sue, the Rhode Island Red shown in the background of the above picture, is giving us an egg a day. So far she is the only bird laying. The Girls (also known as the City Chicks) are loving the cooler weather we’ve been having. They spent a large portion of Labor Day out and about in the garden.

After many, many days of over 100+ degree temperatures which left me neglecting the garden, we finally had some temps that inspired us to get out and clean up the garden. We harvested peanuts and pulled many plants. Soon, we will be putting in the fall garden. We are so very thankful for the much cooler temperatures these past few days.

Most of the garden boxes have been pulled and are awaiting some seeds for the fall but we do have a few things that stood up to the high temps we’ve had this summer:

okra

Butternut squash

Cayenne Pepper

watermelon

After the hottest summer that I can ever remember, we have finally had temps down in the 80s. It has been heavenly! Labor Day was so nice that we opened all the windows and left the air conditioner off for most of the day. It makes me want to decorate for fall…love it!

Now it is time for us to plant some fall crops and some fruit trees. We are also waiting to see which City Chick will be the next egg layer.

There’s always something fun happening at the Little White House Farm!

Our homeschooling “must haves”

2011-09-02T13:29:00.001-05:00

We all love new school supplies at the beginning of the school year.

Some of my favorite “must have” supplies are:

Sticky Notes

I {love} sticky notes and pretty notepads. I leave notes for myself and the kids everywhere. Sticky notes torn into thirds mark pages needing to be corrected or mark pages to be read.

A Planner

I’ve talked before of how I {heart} binders and normally I just use a binder for our school planner. This year, I bought The Well Planned Day planner. I really like it. It’s easy to use…and it’s pretty. That makes me smile.

Blank lesson plan forms

For many years, I’ve used a blank lesson plan form for the kids’ weekly assignment checklists that I’ve printed from Donna Young. This year I’ve started using a lesson planner that I got from Mama Jenn’s blog.

Index cards

{especially the colored ones} We use index cards for many things…vocabulary, memory work, math facts, games…

Paper Clips

I do use regular silver paper clips. But sometimes I like a little pizzazz. Some of my paper clips are the small colored paper clips. And some are these larger clips. The pretty one came from a craft store’s dollar spot.

Spiral Bound Notebooks

Right up there with my love of binders is my love for spiral bound notebooks. They hold my to-do lists, my thoughts, shopping lists, price lists, budgets, the kids’ grades…and we can’t forget the kids’ work!

Color

I love color! Lots and lots of color! Colorful highlighters, colorful dry erase markers, color, color, color. And a few black ones too because sometimes I need to be understated.

Number Cubes

These are used daily around our house. They are great for playing games, adding numbers, multiplying numbers, counting games, and on & on.

A good manual pencil sharpener

We are tough on pencil sharpeners. We’ve broken electric ones and manual ones. We aren’t picky! I have found that a manual sharpener stands up to us a little better than an electric one though. PS. Check out this blog post where I posted our sharpener from the past…see what I mean about how tough we are on sharpeners?

What are some of your “must haves” for your homeschool or your home?

I’d love to hear!

Music to my ears

2011-09-01T22:07:00.001-05:00

The Little Ones are learning the hymn “This is My Father’s World”. We added hand movements to make it a little easier for them to remember. It is adorable to see them as they sing. It is even sweeter to hear them sing it. I wish I could share that with you too.

It is sweet, sweet music to my ears…hearing lovely, pure little voices singing about God.

This is my Father’s World,

and to my listening ears,

all nature sings

and round me rings

the music of spheres.

This is my Father’s World

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees and skies and seas

His hands the wonders wrought.

If you would like to hear what we are singing, here is a clip of a version of “This is My Father’s World” from youtube.

{The 2011 – 2012 Curriculum Post}

2011-08-31T23:10:00.001-05:00

I wrote that title in my best booming announcer voice.

You can hear it, right? {smile}

Seriously though, I am finally writing this post that I’ve kind of been putting off writing. There are many reasons why but I won’t get into those.

My Father’s World Countries and Cultures

A few things to share, though, before the {big announcement}! ::wink::

As I was choosing curriculum there were a few things that I was keeping in mind or trying to keep in mind.

Because, you see, I love books and I love curriculum shopping. I would definitely overdo it if I didn’t keep the big picture in mind.

Here are the things that I was looking for in our curriculum:

1. It needed to use living books or whole books. I tend to shy away from textbooks.

2. It needed to combine subjects that can be combined {history, geography, science, art…} to teach many grade levels.

3. This year, I really wanted an easy to plan curriculum. I needed something where most of the planning was done for me.

4. It needed to meet our family’s educational mindset which is a little bit Charlotte Mason, a little bit Classical, and a little bit traditional.

For many years I have been researching and looking at My Father’s World curriculum which, by the way, meets all of the criteria I have listed above. (Except it’s not so much traditional. I just like traditional approaches to some subjects.) This year, we finally decided that My Father’s World (MFW) was the way to go. So far, we love it!

Sonlight American History plus some other History resources that we use.

The following are our curriculum choices for our 8th, 6th, and 3rd graders. I wrote about our Kindergarten curriculum here.

Combined Subjects

My Father’s World Countries and Cultures {geography, science, art, music, Bible}

English from the Roots Up {Latin and Greek roots}

Sonlight American History {started last year, we will finish this year}

Artistic Pursuits (older boys) and Drawing with Children (the girls – the older boys have all ready done this)

Every 6 weeks, we will do an artist study or composer study. We will also have nature study about once a week.

Bryce’s subjects (8th grade)

In addition to the above, Bryce will also study:

Life of Fred – Pre-Algebra

Applications of Grammar

Spelling Power

Christian Kids Explore Chemistry (1st semester)

Christian Kids Explore Physics (2nd semester)

Writing Strands 4

Literature selections from Sonlight and This list

extracurricular ~ guitar, youth choir, swim team, Boy Scouts

Grant’s subjects (6th grade)

In addition to the combined subjects above, Grant will study:

Literature Selections from Sonlight and This List

extracurricular ~ guitar, children’s choir, swim team, Boy Scouts

Emma’s subjects (3rd grade)

In addition to the list of combined subjects above, Emma will study:

Singapore Math/Teaching Textbooks

Language Lessons for the Elementary Child

MCP Phonics

The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading

Cursive Connections

Daily Grams (we have an older book)

All about Spelling

Literature Selections from Sonlight and This List

extracurricular ~ piano (possibly soon, we hope), swim team, children’s choir

Resources that we use in our homeschool

These are some extras that we like to have around to supplement our studies:

The Story of the World History books

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

The Usbourne Internet-linked Encyclopedia of World History

Veritas Press Timeline Cards

FREE math facts sheets from Math-Drills

The Usbourne Internet-linked Science Encyclopedia

Creative Kids:Simple Cooking Fun

1000 Good Books List

Well! If you read all of that, then I thank you very much! It was a lot to read.

That’s it folks! Our 2011 – 2012 curriculum choices post is now complete!

Kindergarten week 1 pictures and curriculum

2011-08-29T22:16:00.001-05:00

Sunshine Girl has been so excited to begin Kindergarten this year. This girl loves to learn. We were originally scheduled to start school on August 15. Seven days before that, Sunshine Girl started counting down the days until the beginning of school. Every morning, she would run to us with her little fingers showing the number of days and exclaim, “Only six {five, four…} days until school starts!”

Imagine how upset she was when the big day finally arrived and she woke up sick! I really thought her first day of school would not really be enjoyable with a fever and a cough so I postponed the first day of school. She tried her best to persuade me to go ahead with the school plans but by mid-day, she was feeling worse so it all worked out for the best.

A week later we finally got to have Sunshine’s first day of Kindergarten. She was thrilled! Little Brother, who is three, sits in on his sister’s lessons just like he has for the last three years. I was actually surprised on the first day of school how much he all ready knew. I’m not pushing him at all. If he shows interest in what we are doing then he is more than welcome to join us and learn with us. Today he became bored with an alphabet game we were playing so he went on to play something else.

We are loving our activity bags from the swap we participate in during July. The two little ones sit on a blanket during the older kids’ Bible and memory work time and work on the activity bags.

Sometimes I need to keep the little ones occupied while I teach the older kids. I wrote here about some of the activities that I keep on hand in plastic shoe boxes that I can easily grab and distribute. Also listed in that post are links to sites that offer wonderful printables and activities that I keep on hand for fun extra practice.

Our Kindergarten Curriculum for 2011 – 2012

My Father’s World Kindergarten

Abeka’s Letters and Sounds (phonics)*

Essential Math (Singapore)**

Language Lessons for Little Ones

In Kindergarten, we mainly focus on learning to read, write, and do basic math. And we read a lot of books! The little ones also listen in on the lessons of the older kids. Today the little ones could almost repeat the entire list of pronouns that the older children were memorizing! I am amazed at what they pick up!

In addition to the above, Sunshine Girl will also be participating in:

Nature Study, Artist and Composer Studies, Learning to read music, Children’s Choir, Running Club, and Field Trips.

(Possibly piano lessons too if we can figure out how to get the piano that my Mom has given us to our house.)

Notes about the curriculum:

* Both My Father’s World and Abeka’s Letters and Sounds teaches children how to read. After looking at My Father’s World, I realized that it may move a little too slowly for Sunshine Girl. She is so ready to read. I decided to supplement with Abeka’s reading. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to meld both of them together but I just love MFW (My Father’s World) so I’m going to do both…unless it proves to be too much. I’ll keep you posted on that. I am also adding in sight words to her reading lessons that I get from 1+1+1=1.

** MFW has math integrated into it but Sunshine wanted a math book so badly. I almost went with Horizons having used it before with one of my older boys but I decided to go with Singapore’s Essential Math. We haven’t received it yet but Sunshine Girl talks everyday about getting that math book. She can’t wait!

So far our Kindergarten is off to a great start. We are just beginning week 2 and all ready, Sunshine Girl is learning so much. She is so much fun to teach because she really, really wants to learn to read! It is so exciting. {smile}

In our homeschool {week 1}

2011-08-27T15:00:00.001-05:00

This week was our first week of official homeschooling for the 2011 – 2012 school year. We had a blast! First, we love our new curriculum. {more about that soon} Also, we had a light load this week. I like to “ease” back into the new school year by starting with a few subjects and then adding a few more the next week. Starting a new school year this way is so much easier and less stressful for us all.

We began the week with filling out applications for our passports {from My Father’s World curriculum ~ Exploring Countries and Cultures}. We will be visiting places all around the world and learning more about the cultures, people, and ecosystems of those areas.

One of our projects in geography was to draw the continents and equator onto an orange representing the globe. Then we carefully peeled it and tried to make a flat map. We found out that it is quite difficult to make an accurate flat map. (The objective of the lesson.)

One of the things that I loved most this week was the books we read together. During our Bible time, we read the book, God Speaks Numanggang. This book is about a family who moved to a foreign land and helped the people write down their language. They then taught the people to read/write this language. Then the family went on to translate the Bible into the language of those people. The book moved me to tears.

image from amazon.com {click image to visit link}

Another great book this week was Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman. Last year, we began Sonlight American History (this book is part of that curriculum) but we went so slowly through it that we are going to complete it this year. The waterworks flowed as I read this book also.

Earlier I mentioned that we did not cover all of the subjects this week. That’s not totally accurate. Actually, we start our day with Bible and memory work time. During memory work time, we memorize verses, Latin/Greek roots & meanings, parts of speech, geography, history facts & dates, science terminology, math facts, and much more. In those few minutes a day, we cover many subjects worth of information. On certain days, we also complete notebooking pages about the info that we are memorizing.

We ended our week with our first field trip to an art gallery. We were able to work on some art projects such as:

tissue paper flowers

creating sculptures

weaving

We also were able to tour the art gallery and learn some American history while on our tour.

Guess who made this bell?

Love it when you see the history you’ve read about with your children right before your eyes!

It truly was a great first week back to school. We are looking forward to this new week where we add a few more subjects into the mix. The kids are even excited. I’ve been told that they “can’t wait for a new school week”. We’ll see if they’re still singing that song when grammar, spelling, and writing get added to the weekly lesson plans! {smile}

{Our Kindergartner and Preschooler will have a separate post about their first week posted soon.}

This post will be linked at

First day of school

2011-08-22T19:32:00.001-05:00

Today was our first official day of school for the 2011 – 2012 school year.

We had a great day!

The kids loved our new curriculum which I’ve not written about yet but will soon…

It was fun and they learned so much today.

And that was just the first day!

We can not wait to see what this year holds for us.

Let me introduce you to the students of

W.C.A.

{our last name Christian Academy}

Baby Boy {Smiley School}

Sunshine Girl {Kindergarten}

Flower Girl {3rd grade}

Grant {6th grade}

Bryce {8th grade}

School colors: Purple and Gold

School Mascot: Tigers

School verse: {still under consideration}

School Motto: {still under construction}

I get to spend every day of this school year with these five blessings as we learn, laugh, and do things together.

And I consider that a blessing!

First egg

2011-08-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

I was outside this morning when I heard a little commotion coming from the chicken coop.

I checked to make sure that the City Chicks were all safe

and walked away wondering if this was the big day.

And it was the big day.

I returned a bit later and found this little bitty brown egg…

not in the nesting box, mind you

but our first egg from our City Chicks.

We’ve had a blast checking it out and learning a bit more about chickens and eggs.

(That picture makes it look big. It’s really small which is normal for first eggs. Those are Baby Boy’s hands. Actual size of the egg was about 1/2 of the size of a large egg from the grocery store.)

We can’t wait to see which chicken is next to lay an egg!

Our school room

2011-08-17T19:38:00.001-05:00

I always hesitate to say “our school room” because we actually learn in many rooms of our home. And yes, our school rooms do come with a very energetic 3-year-old. (see picture above– bottom left)

Our first learning area is our living room (shown above). This is where we begin our days with Bible and memory work. You’ll find us returning to this area to read books together and play blocks & games on the rug.

Behind the couch is our “middle school” for the two older boys, 6th and 8th grades.

Tucked behind the living room door is our nature table and memory work board. As the year goes on, this area will be filled with nature finds and books.

From our living room we go into our middle room which is the home to our “elementary school” for the girls, 3rd grade and Kindergarten.

There is a folding table (you may see it in the picture above – under the calendar) that is pulled out and set up for the girls to do their school work.

To help keep up with paint, extra glue, and other supplies we use a shoe organizer behind a door in the middle room.

We also have little storage containers to take to the desks that hold pencils, markers, crayons, etc.

And shelves…you can never have enough shelves to help organize school things.

These shelves hold books and items that we will need this school year.

Our children’s books, unused school books, manipulatives, art supplies, and preschool things are on shelves in the hall.

I’ve written more about homeschooling in a small house here.

This post is linked to Heart of the Matter’s Not Back to School Blog Hop.

Garden and city chicks updates

2011-08-16T05:10:00.001-05:00

I woke up at 1 am this morning to take care of my Baby Boy who needed his mommy and then I couldn’t go back to sleep! I figured it was a good time to do a little update for the blog. I just hope it makes sense seeing as to how I’ve only had a few hours of sleep!

The Garden

Every August, our garden looks bad and produces little. This August, it looks a little worse than normal. We have been having some extremely high temperatures this summer. The news reported 30+ days of 100+ degree temps. (That report was about 2 weeks ago. That number would be higher now.) According to my observations (sure wish I had written it down), we have had 100+ degrees temps for most days since June 3. Add very little rain to that and you can imagine how bad the garden looks right now.

Some days we’ve had temperatures of 111 degrees (and that’s not the heat index)! Despite watering by hand two times a day, the garden is having trouble standing up to the high temps. (Funny story…today, I looked at the thermometer and said, “Oh, it’s only 104 degrees today.” My son responded, “It’s a cool one today.” And it did seem cooler. I guess we are getting used to the higher temperatures.)

We’re now thinking it’s time to pull out most of the garden and wait until it cools a bit. Then we’ll plant some fall crops.

It’s not all bad. We’re getting plenty of cayenne peppers and the okra will probably produce soon. And there are a few baby watermelons on the vines. Also, we need to dig peanuts so there may be some hidden goodness that we can’t even see yet!

The City Chicks

The City Chicks are doing well. There are no eggs yet but it should be soon. We calculated that they will be 20 weeks (egg laying age) around Labor Day. How funny would that be for them to labor to lay eggs on Labor Day!

I’ve not given a tour of the coop yet because we aren’t quite finished with it. David got the nesting boxes built. We still need to add details and paint. We were thinking about a light yellow but I’m leaning more towards a soft green now. I’m also thinking on a name for the city chick’s cottage. When we’re done, I’ll give you an official tour!

The City Chicks come running when they see me walk out with something in my hands. The kids say that the chicks know I’m the lady with the yummy treats! The City Chicks love cantaloupe, tomatoes, and any greens we give them.

Hopefully soon, we’ll be showing our first egg!

I hope you have a blessed day! ~ Adriane

School Supply Shopping

2011-08-13T15:20:00.001-05:00

He did it! David fixed the PC so that I can use Windows Live Writer on it! Now back to regularly scheduled posting.

Our family loves new school supplies!

We tried something a little different for this new school year.

Normally, I just come home with bags of school supplies for the kids. They love to dig through the bags and see what goodies will be used for the new school year.

This year, we all went shopping together. Everyone with his or her own little list in hand…even the three-year-old.

Of course, I kept a master list on hand in case anyone lost his or her list.

I wish I had pictures but it was a little crazy.

Five kids all shopping for supplies at the same exact time.

I may need to rethink that part next year. {smile}

But it was fun.

Right now is a good time to stock up on some supplies. We got some great deals at Target.

I’m always using 40% coupons at the craft stores to stock up on things that we love:

This year we will also be using some of our swagbucks to buy these resources for our school:

What supplies and resources do you love to have for your homeschool?

A little blog break

2011-08-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all!

I was not intending to take a blog break because I've got so much to talk about right now like:
curriculum
school rooms
gardens (in 100 plus temperatures)
and the city chicks...
not to mention my five city~country kids and their antics
but
my laptop is not working
and
it has Windows Live Writer on it.
To top it off, our PC won't let Windows Live Writer fully work on it!
And I don't know about you but I find typing my posts on this blogger post writing thing entirely too hard.

I am spoiled by Windows Live Writer.
(If you don't use Windows Live Writer, it is a free download. Just do a quick search and download. It makes writing blog posts super easy!)

So, I guess I'm on an unexpected blog break.
When my sweet husband gets a chance to see if he can get Windows Live Writer working on the PC or get the laptop working again (we think it's the powercord on the laptop) then I will be back again.
Then I'll be all about telling you about
curriculum
school rooms
first day of school
gardens
the city chicks
and my five city~country kids.
Have a blessed weekend! See y'all soon. {smile}

Birthday {loves}

2011-08-08T20:17:00.001-05:00

A morning with church family singing praises to God and hearing a sermon & Sunday School lesson that were {just what I needed}

Sweet praises being sung by Sunshine Girl to help pass the time on the road {and a smudgy mirror…keeping it real}

Wish you could hear her sweet voice {smile}

Open skies…this city-living, country-loving girl sure loves open skies

The love of my life who wrote beautiful words to me for my birthday that brought tears to my eyes. This man makes me {swoon}.

I had to sneak this picture, by the way! {smile} He’s not mad. (as my daughter asked when she saw the picture. Actually, he’s rarely ever mad.) He was just thinking and probably wishing I wasn’t trying to snap a picture of him!

Country roads, take me home, to the place where I belong…

~ Family ~

A homemade cake made by my Mom with 40 candles…my Dad made sure it had 40…no less!

Still getting embarrassed when people sing “Happy Birthday” to me

Wish we could have gotten a picture of the haze left by the 40 candles and that you could feel the heat they made. Of course, it was the big joke at the time! {wink}

Cards made by my kids. Something I will keep forever.

Birthday surprises from a friend. Thankful for God’s blessings of friends.

Awaking to a new day and realizing that 40 is not so bad.

It doesn’t even feel any different than 39. {smile}

Carpe Diem ~

2011-08-05T09:43:00.001-05:00

And that, folks, is the extent of my Latin.

It is Latin, right?

~smile~

Whatever it is, I do know what it means.

Seize the Day

I love schedules, list, routines…if it organizes my days, I love it.

Those things keep me moving forward, give me focus, and help me to feel like I’ve had purpose to my days.

But there is one thing I have to always remember about schedules, lists, routines, etc. It is that they are simply tools.

I don’t need to let them rule my life and make me miserable. If I’m feeling stressed about completing a list and snapping at my family, then I know that I need to step away from the list.

It’s so hot here right now. (111 degrees one day!) So outside time consists of swimming in the pool and jumping in the sprinkler at the same time. Even though it was dusk when this picture was taken, it was still very hot outside.

This week I did ok with keeping myself from being so focused on a list and I stayed fairly laid back. (Trust me, sometimes I am so not laid back!) But I realized the importance of just throwing the schedules, lists, routines out the window for a while.

Sorry for blurry pictures. My camera doesn’t do so well in low light. But notice that the kids had set up a spot light for their night swim! Cracked me up!

The other night, the kids asked if they could go swimming.

It was bedtime.

Now, I realize that they may have been trying to stretch out that bedtime as late as possible. They always want to stay up later. (Which I so don’t get. I’d go to bed early if someone made me!)

And even though it was late. We said “YES”.

Seize the Day

They swam for quite a while that night. David and I actually got to sit and talk to each other for a while. It was nice.

The next morning, they asked to go swimming again.

I looked at my awaiting to-do list and said “YES”.

Summer is almost over. School will bring with it routines, schedules, and lists.

Seize the Day

Childhood goes by rather quickly. I have one child who will begin high school in one year! I want his memories of his childhood to be filled with fun family times.

Will the work that needs to be done get done?

Yes.

Will everything on the list get done?

Maybe not today. ~smile~

But I’ve got happy kids. And happy kids make for a happy mom. We all know that a happy mom makes for a happy home.

Carpe Diem

And now I’m off to seize my day. Today I will be catching up those things on my to-do list that can’t wait and probably going out to sit in 100 plus degrees while kiddos swim.

This weekend will be a weekend of fixing up the school area and there is something pretty big happening this weekend too! ~wink~

Next week, will probably be a lot of homeschool talk since that’s all I can think about. ~smile~ But if you need a little weekend reading, check out the curriculum choices on the “Not” Back to School Blog Hop.

Have a blessed weekend, my blog friends!

Wednesday is Laundry Day

2011-08-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Let’s talk about an area in our home that I truly believe is the nemesis of my days as a mom…

Let’s talk…laundry! ~smile~

(For the record, I am not complaining. I am extremely happy to have clothes to wash and a family to wear the clothes. Laundry is just an area that I sometimes let myself get a bit behind and things pile up rather quickly.)

Truth be known, I can not do all of our laundry in one day.

For our family, I must wash 2 – 3 loads a day. Our laundry schedule looks a bit like this:

Monday – sheets and towels
Tuesday – permanent press clothing
Wednesday – towels, rugs, and special items
Thursday – any special items not washed on Wednesday
Friday – permanent press items
Saturday – towels

So why do I have a laundry day if I wash all week long?

One reason is that I make sure to focus on the laundry area on that day. The washer and drier are wiped down (and wiped out if needed). The floor is swept (our laundry is in the garage so it gets dirty quickly). I take inventory of the laundry detergents and such to see if we are running low.

A second reason is that I need a day to focus on things that I don’t wash often. Some laundry days, I will wash the shower curtains or certain window curtains. Every other month, I will pick two children and wash their comforters and air their pillows on laundry day. Then the next week, I will pick another 2 or 3 children so that the kids all get clean comforters and pillows every other month. Every laundry day the bathroom rugs and small kitchen rugs will be washed.

Since I sometimes get behind on the folding and putting away, I try to make sure that all laundry is folded by Wednesday night before I go to bed. We all work to put it away the next morning.

Sometimes Sunshine Girl likes to wash her doll’s clothing too!

Little White House Farm

Week 5 {2012} or the week we battled germs

{Goals} February

{Goals} Reviewing January

January and February gardening in Louisiana

Week 4 {2012}

{In the garden} January

Simplifying to organize

Last week in pictures {or moving it – family style}

{In our kitchen} Menu plan for January 23 – 27

Five on Friday

{Recipes} Angel biscuits and pancakes

A day in our home and homeschool~

Let’s talk about hair

{In the kitchen} Menu for January 16 - 20

Our week in pictures

What we are reading

Goals for January 2012

My word for the New Year

Looking back at 2011

Christmas 2011 memories

Losing Adriane {the holiday edition}

These days

Thanksgiving

Our Christmas traditions ~ trimming the tree

In the garden {end of November}

Church cookbooks and a pot pie recipe

A day in the life of the city chicks

My honey’s birthday and a honey bun cake

Tuesday this & that

I love my boys

Fall traditions

The fall garden and the city chicks {October}

Fall fun memories

Five things

This girl loves the great outdoors

Learning to read is fun

I’m a little bit country, I’m a little bit city girl

Ode to my quiet blog

Around the Little White House Farm {September}

Our homeschooling “must haves”

Music to my ears

{The 2011 – 2012 Curriculum Post}

Kindergarten week 1 pictures and curriculum

In our homeschool {week 1}

First day of school

First egg

Our school room

Garden and city chicks updates

School Supply Shopping

A little blog break

Birthday {loves}

Carpe Diem ~

Wednesday is Laundry Day

Tuesday is Kitchen Day