Weblink Wednesday - Resources and More Resources

With the homeschool conference still fresh in my mind, I thought I would share with you some of the resources I discovered this weekend. These are just a few that I pulled from my notes and that are from the speakers we saw.

Excellence In Writing - Andrew Pudewa is one of the best speakers I have heard. He imparted so much useful information we decided to purchase the cds of all his seminars. If you are looking for some language, spelling, or music curriculm, his might be what you are looking for.

The Nature of Learning - This site is Marian Soderholm's she is a Learning Disabilities Specialist who is down to earth and makes a lot of sense. There is a link on her site to a huge amount of resources for all sorts of learning differences. She also does assessments if you are so inclined.

Family Ministries - Reb Bradely and his wife hosted workshops. We went to one called Winning your Child's Heart. I am going to post later about that one. It was amazing. So, they have books and CDs about parenting among other things.

Preschoolers and Peace - If you have a preschooler you have to visit this site. Kendra was so encouraging with every word she spoke. I left her workshop equipped and knowing that I will be able to survive this year. We already started using some of her advice with amazing results.

Exploration Education - These guys had a booth in the convention hall. They have hands on science curriculum that includes everything you need. A friend of mine who is a veteran homeschool mom (she has graduated 2 of her kids and is currently homeschooling her younger 2.) told me she used this and it was really easy and fun. She also told me the kits include everything. So, Daddy Reg and I decided we are going to order it.

HSLDA - I am putting this on the list for anyone who is just new to homeschooling or hasn't heard about them. Homeschool Legal Defense Association is any homeschooler's biggest asset. They work hard to keep homeschooling legal no matter what state you are in. I highly recommend every homeschool family becoming a member. Along with legal defense you also have access to resources of all kinds.

So, there you have it. Just some of the many resources we discovered this weekend. I hope that something here will be of use to you.

For more great weblinks visit Homeschooling With Encouragement and Weblink Education.

A Peaceful Morning

You know how some of the simplest ideas are the best ideas? Okay most of the simplest ideas are the best. Anyway, one of the many wonderful workshops Daddy Reg and I went to at the homeschool conference this weekend was with Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers and Peace. Her workshop was called Preschoolers, Preparation, and Peace. Both of us were so encouraged when we left. I was reminded of some things that I had done in the past that I should try again. I also learned new things that I can do to make life more peaceful.

When we started homeschooling Little Man was 4, Princess K was 3, and Miss H was 14 months old. I had learned through trial and error how to school with little ones underfoot but that was before Baby G (She has made me rethink everything I thought I knew about training little ones.). By the end of this year, I felt defeated. I was sure we did not progress as much as we should have through the year and I was wiped out. I know now what I am going to do differently.

Okay now the simple yet absolutely genius idea was this. Have 5 daily tasks that are done every morning. There are tasks we do every morning without order or consistency. There were mornings that the kids would not be dressed until almost lunch. Kendra talked about having 5 things (5 fingers/5 things) to do every morning. It just clicked that we needed to do that. Then hopefully mornings would become a little less crazy and not as drawn out as they have become.

This morning, Daddy Reg sat down with the kids and told them the plan. Then he put the list on paper so we could put them on the wall for a reminder. After we consoled Little Man, who had a melt down, (Change is not something he handles at all.) we put the plan to work. It was amazing to watch Little Man follow through with what we asked. He read the list, did the task, and went back to the list. He did not goof around or get distracted. He just focused on the list. Princess K is very scattered brained and is constantly forgetting what needs to be done. This helped her so much in knowing what needed to be done next. I love this idea and I know that next month, this will be such a habit because we are going to be consistently doing it every day. Thank you so much Kendra for imparting your practical tips to make life run more smoothly and peacefully.

Here is our list.

Daily Five

1. Eat Breakfast/Drink Coffee
2. Tidy Room - (bed, books, cups, clothes)
3. Get dressed for the day
4. Bathroom time - Brush teeth and hair.
5. Pray for the day

I Am So Encouraged

I just spent the last two days at a homeschool conference/convention. It was so encouraging and uplifting. I am so energized for this year now. I cannot wait to put everything I am processing into words. Daddy Reg and I went together without the little ones. It was a nice little get away that was, I discovered, much needed. We went to several workshops and seminars and perused several different exhibits of different curriculum, books, manipulatives and other useful (some not so useful) tools (there were well over 100 booths). If you homeschool or are thinking of homeschooling, you must go to a conference. It will give you so much more than I can put into words. Stay tuned for some posts of what I learned this weekend.

To the mom I talked to in the lapbook workshop. (I completely blanked your name so sorry) I hope I was able to encourage you and point you in the right direction.

Thursday 13 - Your Identity In Christ

Today, for a Thursday 13, I am going to list thirteen of the many verses we found that tell us who we are in Christ. We are researching these verses for church on Sunday.

1. Galatians 4:7 - I am not a slave. I am God’s child.

2. Ephesians 1:4 - I am chosen to be holy and without blame because I am loved.

3. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - I am a new creation.

4. Ephesians 2:19 - I am a member of God’s family.

5. Colossians 3:12 - I am chosen by God. I am holy and dearly loved.

6. Ephesians 1:5 - God has adopted me as his child.

7. 1 Corinthians 3:16 & 17 - I am a holy temple. God lives in me.

8. 1 Corinthians 12:27 - I am part of God’s body.

9. Ephesians 1:3 - I am blessed with every spiritual blessing because I belong to Christ.

10. Ephesians 2:10 - I am God’s workmanship. I was created to do good works.

11. Ephesians 1:7-10 - I am redeemed and forgiven.

12. 1 Peter 2:9 - I am a member of the royal priesthood. I am a member of the holy nation.

13. 2 Corinthians 5:18 - I am reconciled through Christ.

Let me encourage you to read this list aloud. Then look up those verses and commit them to memory. Know that if you have come to know Christ, you are those things. Your identity is not in what you do but in who you are in Christ. Know he died for you and paid your debt not because of anything you did but because Christ loves you even when you are living in sin. If you have stumbled across this blog, know that it was not an accident. God wants you to know that He loves you and wants you to know Him.

Weblink Wednesday - Olympics Lesson Plans

The Olympics are just around the corner. I love the Olympics and try to watch as much of the games as I can.
The kids are going to do a unit study about the Olympics and I decided to share with you the resources I found.
Ancient History of the Olympics
Brief History of the Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Unit Study and Free Lapbook
Sports and Olympics Activities
The Olympic Games at Enchanted Learning - Some things are members only and others are not.
Olympics at ABC Teach

For more great homeschool links visit Homeschooling With Encouragement.

Teaching a Child How to Sit

A while back, I started this discussion about what the Bible says regarding children being with the adults during worship, prayer, and services. I want to give you some practical tools in helping you train your kids to stay seated and quiet in service.

When you first want to get your kids to sit for service you need to know that it is not as easy as it sounds. Just tell them it is time to sit and listen, right? No. It is not that easy. What you need to so first is to set up training sessions at home. Sit them on the couch. Tell them it is time to sit and listen. Read something to them. A perfect choice would be a Psalm straight from your Bible. Nothing with pictures. Start with 5 minutes and slowly increase it. Then at church, tell time it is time to sit and listen. When they start to act up, take them to the back of the church. Remind them that it is time to sit and listen. Do not put them down or let them run. Make sure that the outcome of them not sitting is not fun for them. At church, let them have a Bible, a notebook, and a pencil. Teach them to “take notes” by drawing pictures. I let the kids draw pictures of Bible things. As they become able, they can write down the verses that are being preached on. And eventually they will be taking real notes. Many kids actually can pay attention better when they are doing something to keep their bodies busy. Think about how many people doodle while talking on the phone. It is the same concept. I do not let them play with toys. I do give them a little snack and a sippy of water when they are young. Service is always during their snack time and we go early so eating breakfast is earlier than they are used to. You cannot expect a little one to sit quietly if they are hungry. So a little bag of Cheerios and a sippy of water or milk are important.

We are training Baby G to sit and listen. We started her straight from birth. Even before she was able to understand, I would tell her to sit and listen so she could recognize that cue. She is still learning and isn’t as cooperative when she is tired or hungry so I do make sure that I watch her cues to know what she is feeling. When she decides she wants to play instead of sit, I take her to the back of the room. I do not let her get down, or make noise. I hold her quietly and remind her it is time to sit and listen. When she is compliant, I take her back to my seat. (I sit in the front row.) She is not rewarded for inappropriate behavior. She is learning and for her, she is doing great. Some kids are easier to train than others are. She is just 20 months old. She can sit for most of the service without incident. She has a picture Bible, a composition notebook, a couple of crayons, a baggie of cheerios, and her sippy. We sit on metal folding chairs so I put her on a little blanket for a while, because it was unsafe for her to sit in a folding chair by herself. Now, she is bigger and able to sit on the chair, so I do not put her on the blanket anymore.

Here are the posts about why we do not let our kids go to Sunday School.

    Teaching Children to Worship 

    Teaching Children to Worship pt 2

My goal here is not to shame you into putting your kids with you. My heart’s desire is to encourage you to evaluate why you do things the way you do. What is your motivation? Do you do it this way because it is how it has always been done, or because it is how your church works? Do you do what you do because you have found it to be the best for your family? Or, (being absolutely honest here) do you put your kids in children’s service because it is easier and you would love a quick break? Keeping your kids with you is not always an easy task. It does take work and there will be some days that you will question your sanity. Just like any other thing you want to train your kids. I do know that in the end all the hard work will pay off and be worth it.

Church Time is Family Time

Church is family time for my family, and for my church for that matter. We do not put our kids in Sunday school for someone else to teach them while we go in the adult service. We do not believe that children need the Bible dumbed down so they can understand it. I am not saying that all Sunday school lessons do this but I have seen a trend in the lesson books doing this. A benefit of my kids sitting with me in service is that I know what they are being taught and I know if they understand the teaching or not. This week, my kids learned about who they are in Christ with no fluff and stuff. The were listening very intently the whole service.

They also got an assignment of finding 3 verses about who they are in Christ and learning what they mean, to share next week. The entire congregation got the same homework for next week. Everyone is going to share one of the verses they found and talk about what it means to them. I am excited for them to learn something so amazing at such a young age. Instead of getting just a Bible story, they are getting the nuts and bolts of what it means to be a child of the Most High God.

Related Posts :

    Teaching Children to Worship 

    Teaching Children to Worship pt 2

 

Weblink Wednesday - Flannel Board Felt

My kids love playing with the flannel board. They make stories and play games with the felt sets we own. And, I love using the flannel board to teach. We have a beach scene for math along with some for shapes, fractions, If You Give a Mouse..., and some that I have cut out on my own. The link I would like to share today is to Felt Source. They have awesome felt for preschoolers. When I taught preschool, I discovered that they have some of the best felt around. If you have preschoolers, I highly recommend felt and flannel boards as a teaching tool. Even as they get older, it is still a great math tool.
The Felt Source is reasonably priced and you can get it pre-cut. Though I usually sit down to a movie and start cutting when I get new felt. Now I feel like I just did a commercial.

The Felt Source

For more great links to other great homeschool resources visit Homeschooling With Encouragement for Weblink Wednesday.

Stay tunned for a post on how to make your own flannel board.

Great Trials - Strong Faith

I am always amazed at how God is so faithful to provide for every need. Daddy Reg hasn't had a permanent steady job for 4 months now. (Click here for the last time I blogged about this.) God has given him a temporary part time position. It isn't much but we are still thankful for anything. I can only guess that God is allowing us to go through this season to teach us more than we could ever be taught when things are going better. We are learning a whole new level of relying and trusting God for everything. Our faith is growing and I am learning how to be anxious for nothing.

"The only way to learn strong faith is to endure great trials."
• George Mueller •

We have been given so much food that I haven't actually gone grocery shopping for months. When we do go, it is for minor things like produce. We have been given milk when we need it more than once. Out of the blue, people who don't know us, gives food to a friend for us, who brings it over. It is absolutely amazing.
A couple of weeks ago, we needed eggs. We hadn't had eggs for a week and I finally decided we needed to just buy some. We were going to go after dinner, but then changed our minds and decided to go in the morning. Not even 20 minutes after that decision was made, a friend who lives a half hour away 1 town over, came by with 4 1/2 dozen eggs! Wow, I am so thankful and blessed by God's timing. (Do the math and when I finally decided to buy eggs in the morning, they were already on their way here.)

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day
as if nothing yet had been done."
• C.S. Lewis •

Today, we got our utility bill, it was a negative balance! When we were done managing apartments, we had to pay a huge deposit to have utilities put in our name because we hadn't had them in our name for 8 years. They said after we pay on time for so many months, we would get it back. And, that time was now. When we need it the most. Our utilities are paid this month and next month and if we conserve most of the month after that. God knows ahead of time when we will need the money and for what.

"Faith never knows where it is being led,
but it loves and knows the One who is leading."
• Oswald Chambers •

I have no idea what God has in store for us in the future. I have no idea why he is allowing us to go through such a long time of "famine." What I do know is that he is so faithful to take care of us in every circumstance. Our job isn't to know why. Our job isn't to complain. Our job is to lean in closer to the one who loves us enough to carry us through the fire. Our job is to be recklessly abandon to Him no matter what the cost. Our job is to rejoice in Him always, to pray always, and to give thanks continually in all things. I am so thankful that our needs are being met. And I am praying that God will continue to show us what he wants us to do next.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Happy Birthday America!!!

Happy 4th of July! America is 232 years old today. The kids and I spent the last 2 weeks learning so much about the birth of our nation and our forefathers. We put much of what we learned into lapbooks. :) I love lapbooking. They are so excited about them and can't wait to share them with everyone that comes over. Here are some pictures of all of them.





The following can be found here. I read this and had to share it. To my knowledge this is accurate, at least from other things I have read.

Did you know that 52 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

It is the same Congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, '"Give me liberty or give me death."' But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he actually said: '"An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."'

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks. Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this '"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."'

Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: '"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator. "' He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role.

On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, '"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."'

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States reaffirmed this truth when he wrote, '"The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."'

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: '"The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."'

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the '"Schoolmaster of the Nation."'

Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: '"The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on the character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology."'

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook, rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the scriptures: '"Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation for our children to follow the moral principles of the Ten Commandments? James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: '"We have staked the whole future of our new nation not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."'

Today, we are asking God to bless America. But, how can He bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him? Prior to September 11, He was not welcome in America. Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots.

100

This is post 100 on Mommyhood Adventures! I am so excited. In blogland tradition, I am posting 100 things about me to celebrate. Drumroll please......

1. I enjoy doing the overheads for worship at church. I have been doing the overheads since I was in high school. It is actually hard for me to worship when I am not doing them.

2. I love to play the tambourine.

3. I can play the tambourine and do the overheads at the same time.

4. I play the flute - but now not very well, even though in school, I was first chair.

5. I am not a morning person - at all. My body does not really start functioning until about 10 am.

6. I can play piano but I am not the greatest.

7. I met my husband when I was 17 (he was 20), we started dating when I was 18.

8. My hair is so straight it will not take a perm. I tried in high school and I fried my hair.

9. I collect cookbooks. I have over 20 of them right now.

10. My favorite bread to make is challah bread, if I could make it everyday, I would.

11. I make a really good pumpkin pie. It is my son’s favorite dessert.

12. I cannot parallel park. I am so bad at it that I will not even try anymore. I will just drive around until I can find a spot.

13. I did not get my drivers license until I was 20. I got my first car when I was 19.

14. I went to 9 different elementary schools.

15. I went to 1 Jr High and 1 Sr high.

16. I have lived in Wyoming, California, Texas, Nebraska, and Utah. Not exactly in that, order and I moved to Texas twice, Nebraska twice and California 3 times and then moved to many different areas all over CA.

17. I was born in Wyoming.

18. I love to iron. Do not really know why.

19. I love biscuits - all light and fluffy how could you not? Biscuits and gravy, biscuits with jam, honey, butter, honey-butter, with eggs & cheese… mmm now I am hungry for biscuits.

20. I love scones too, a biscuit only sweeter.

21. I really do not like being cold.

22. I can French-braid my own hair.

23. When I was a little girl, my hair was always long, past my waist.

24. Now, I prefer my hair to be around shoulder length.

25. I am obsessed with coffee. I can drink 60 oz of coffee in one day if it is there.

26. I own a normal coffee maker, a coffee press, and 2 moka pots.

27. I love peanut butter.

28. I like to dip a chocolate bar in peanut butter.

29. Sometimes I put peanut butter on a dill pickle. Even when I am not pregnant, I like the flavor. I like the contrast of sweet and sour, and soft and crunchy. I know, I know it sounds nasty. I tried it on a dare when I was 13 and liked it.

30. I met my hubby when I was going into my Sr year of high school and he was in college.

31. I am allergic to onions. When I cut them, I do more than just “cry” I actually swell up. However, I cut them anyway.

32. I love buttered onions on burgers, steak, grilled chicken, and bratts.

33. When I was a kid, I would stay up until 2 in the morning, reading by my nightlight, the streetlight, the moonlight… whatever, I was not that particular.

34. I have read the Narnia series at least a dozen times, if not more.

35. I learned how to read when I was 4 years old. (But I did not read Narnia when I was 4.)

36. I am obsessed with organizing. I love to organize my cupboards and drawers. Though looking at my house right now, you would never know.

37. I really do not like traveling. I prefer staying home when I am on vacation.

38. We spent our honeymoon in town. We enjoyed all our town has to offer, watched movies, and ate take-out. It was so stress free and fun and, not to mention, inexpensive.

39. I taught preschool before I had kids.

40. I was also nanny before I was married. I love kids.

41. I used to play school with my younger siblings when I was a kid. I was the teacher.

42. Now, I teach my kids everyday. I think I see a pattern.

43. When I was little and asked what I want to be I would answer any and/or all of the following. (clearing throat) A nurse, a teacher, an archeologist, a paleontologist, a missionary and a mom.

44. I love chocolate! Dark chocolate is my favorite but not too dark.

45. Peanut butter cups are one of my favorite candies.

46. I love to sew. I wish I had the time to sew more. I really want to become a capable seamstress.

47. I love the color purple, deep dark purple.

48. Tulips are my favorite flower.

49. I love to write. (I know that is probably obvious.)

50. I love reading Louisa May Alcott. Many people only know Little Woman but she wrote many other good books. My favorite of hers is Eight Cousins.

51. I really hated taking English in school.

52. I really loved Math and Science in school.

53. I got married in my in-laws back yard.

54. I do not follow recipes when I cook. I like to improvise. (Even though I collect cookbooks.)

55. I do not like fish. I really do not. I cannot stomach the taste of it. Except tuna, I like tuna as long as it has the mayo, relish and touch of mustard.

56. It takes me a year to unpack completely from a move. I know it is crazy. You should see my garage right now.

57. It has been 6 months where we are now and I still have not put up the pictures and stuff on the walls.

58. I took 5 years of French in school. I do not speak it very well but sometimes I dream in French. Weird.

59. I took 2 years of Spanish in school and I can speak and understand Spanish more easily.

60. I love playing Monopoly. Even though in all the 20 plus years of playing it, I think I have only won twice. No exaggeration, I always lose at Monopoly.

61. I have big babies. 9lbs 3oz to 10lbs 3oz. Yep, big babies. The shocker is my non-pregnant weight averages 110lbs. Go figure.

62. I do not like to exercise. Sometimes I enjoy a nice walk in the park. That is the most exercise I enjoy.

63. I need a lot of sleep and on most days, if you ask me how I am I will say I am tired. Especially lately.

64. My favorite books in the Bible are Song of Songs and Philippians.

65. When I am frustrated about something, I bake. I bake a lot as a stress reliever. You know something stressful is going on if you see several pies, loaves of bread, cakes, and muffins... in the kitchen.

66. I read manuals. You know the user manuals for well, everything you purchase? I enjoy reading them. I think I could make a career out of it.

67. I do not own a lot of jewelry. In fact almost none. I have a little box that has everything in it and only my wedding rings and one necklace is worth any value over $10.

68. I was an apartment manager for 8 years. From the time, my son was 2 months old until a year ago. It was a way for us to make ends meet and me still be able to teach the kids.

69. When I was in college, my roommate and I used to run to Wal-Mart at midnight and beyond to get décor items for our apartment. I was nuts when I was young.

70. I really have no decorating style. I wish I did. I just cannot seem to be able to see the bigger picture when I look at something in the store.

71. I just recently started liking the color pink. My little Princess K is rubbing off on me.

72. I love cheesecake. It is one of my favorite desserts.

73. I am a hard sell. You cannot just convince me to buy something without convincing me that life will actually cease to exist if I do not have it.

74. I love Girls Scout cookies. Life will cease to exist without Girl Scout Cookies. (Just kidding life will go on but it will not be as yummy.)

75. I like to garden. I love going out and being in the dirt and eating the literal fruits of my labor.

76. I love tomatoes. Tomatoes are so yummy straight off the vine.

77. I worked with Junior Highers after high school. Both Daddy Reg and I were on Jr High staff at the church we went to until we got married. Then decided to take a break.

78. I can do many small home repairs by myself. I am very handy that way. And resourceful.

79. I do not really like talking on the phone very much. However, I can talk to certain people for hours if I get the chance.

80. I am discovering that this is much harder to do than it sounds.

81. I want to learn Italian. I actually started teaching the kids Italian a little.

82. I absolutely love being a mommy.

83. I love being a helpmeet to my best friend Daddy Reg.

84. I am very black and white and no nonsense about life. I have learned to lighten up quite a bit for the kids.

85. I like green bananas but not yellow. They must have some amount of green on them in order for me to eat them. Once they turn all yellow, they are only good in smoothies, muffins, bread…

86. I love watching Fox News.

87. I love my Dell computer and I am not fond of Macs. Though I am not impressed with Windows Vista (it reminds me too much of Windows ME which was also a flop.)

88. I have been married for almost 11 years.

89. I am part of the over 30 crowd. But according to my father-in-law, I still look like I did when I was 14. Yep, he has known me that long.

90. I love watching my kids play together.

91. I like to watch movies. When we were dating, Daddy Reg and I would go to the movies almost every night.

92. I do not like buying things I know I can make myself.

93. I like being frugal.

94. I love playing games like Tetris and can get very addicted to them.

95. I like watching Jeopardy.

96. I enjoy doing pencil puzzles and crosswords.

97. In real life, I am actually shy and more reserved.

98. I love brownies. Baking brownies, smelling brownies, eating warm brownies with a cup of coffee… for breakfast. (Okay so this list is making it look like I have a food problem. But I swear I don’t.)

99. I actually eat a healthy diet. One of my favorite things to eat is wilted spinach with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt. (More nutrients are absorbed when it is cooked than raw.)

100. My heart right now is for moms. I love encouraging moms in their adventure through mommyhood. Being a mom should be fun and rewarding. As a mom you should look forward to being with them everyday not dreading it. My heart is to encourage women to embrace their role as a mommy and realize that this is the greatest job in the world.

If you made it this far congratulations and thanks for reading.