Thankful Thursday

This year has been a very hard year. I have been learning how to lean into God more than ever and how to be thankful in everything. Here is my Thursday Thanksgiving Thirteen.

1. I am thankful for my Savior who loves me unconditionally.
2. I am thankful for my dear sweet amazing husband, Daddy Reg.
3. I am thankful for my 4 little arrows that God has blessed us with.
4. I am thankful for the home that God has given us to live in.
5. I am thankful for the mini van that gets my family to and from where we need to go.
6. I am thankful for the food God has given us to eat.
7. I am thankful that I know how to cook and bake so we can make everything stretch.
8. I am thankful for the job that Daddy Reg has, even though it is part time, I am still thankful for the job.
9. I am thankful that somehow the bills get paid every month.
10. I am thankful for being able to homeschool my kiddos and be the one who molds and shapes their character.
11. I am thankful for my friends and church family.
12. I am thankful for Little G's fever breaking and her seeming to be better today after a long night.
13. I am thankful for all the modern conveniences and that I don't have to work as hard as the pilgrims and colonists to keep my home.

What are you thankful for?

1Chronicles 16:34
Oh give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Thanksgiving Prep Day

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This week has been so full of activity and we have only just begun. We finished our Thanksgiving lapbooks (I am going to post those later when I have some time to take some pics.)
Today, I began my baking marathon that will take me the rest of tonight and most of tomorrow. We spend Thanksgiving and Daddy Reg's parents house and the most important thing that I make every year is my pumpkin pie. I also am in charge of the apple crisp. This year I took on more though. I am making cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole. I have prepped the pie crusts, cooked the cranberry sauce, prepped the apple crisp topping and the sweet potato pecan topping. I will be finishing up what I can tonight and prepping the dry ingredients for my pumpkin pancakes, a Thanksgiving morning tradition.
Little G (I can't call her a baby anymore now that she is 2) got sick today suddenly. But now I think she is feeling better. She developed a fever quick suddenly and was extremely fussy. Then her stomach decided it wasn't happy and projectile... well you get the idea. Needless to say I spent about an hour cleaning her, me, the carpet, the coffee table (tossing the crayons that were the crayon container on the table. I draw the line at trying to clean and disinfect crayons.) the DVD player and well everything else in its path from the living room to the bathroom. Even Daddy Reg got hit. I sent him for new crayons so the kids could color today. Little G spent most of her day on the couch just sitting there - not normal at all - she usually runs around like a wild child even when she is watching a movie. Tonight she is back to herself. I just rescued her from the top of the couch.
And now I am off to corral the little one again and hopefully start on the next step of baking. And finding my magic wand that cleans the kitchen... just kidding I don't have one.

Weblink Wednesday - Thanksgiving Lapbooks and Activities

I stumbled upon some cool Mayflower stuff looking for more ideas for our Thanksgiving unit and lapbook we are doing.

First, here are the resources I found for the lapbooks. I am pulling from different sites and using what will work for the kids grade levels. (4th, 3rd, and 1st)

I am using this Thanksgiving Lapbook page and the free lapbook from Lilliput Station to make our Thanksgiving Lapbook. I am also using some elements from Cranberry Thanksgiving Lapbook. (I was going to get the book from the library but it was checked out until December.)

Here are the Mayflower sites and activities.

Mayflower History is a treasure trove of Mayflower information.
Mayflower Math is a really neat activity where you use math to draw the Mayflower.
Mayflower Compact Lesson Plan has a copy of the words of the Mayflower compact and some ideas of how to use it in a lesson.
Scholastic's First Thanksgiving has some cool stuff to do.

Also, here are some fun Thanksgiving Crafts if you need some ideas. A freind of mine made the turkey nut holders with her kids and they had a lot of fun.

For more great weblinks, visit Homeschooling With Encouragement.

Enjoying the Fall Leaves

We have had some unusually warm weather lately and after the day I had on Friday, I was determined to enjoy the kids and let them relax a bit. This weekend, I let them jump in the leaves. They did all the work to get the leaves from one end of the yard to the other. And had a blast. I couldn't make them stay inside and do school work on another glorious day so I let them have fun again today. I think that I made a great choice, it seemed like they still needed to relax a bit. The weather people say this beautiful weather will be gone by the end of the week so letting them enjoy it now will pay off when it is just too cold and wet to be outside - our yard turns into mud when it is wet.

I took this when it was getting dark so I had to lighten it up to see it.

This pic says it all about how much fun they had.

One of Those Days

It was one of those days today. A day where nothing seems to get done. It started out as a promising Friday when all of the kids slept in until 8:45 including Baby G (however, she was up from 3:30 to 4:30am). Then it went down hill when I hadn't even gotten to finish my first cup of coffee and my step-dad decided to stop by on a whim. He does this always at some inopportune times. He stayed and visited for a while -- totally fine. We had a nice conversation and then I decided the kids had to start school. So, I had them start and he went on his way. Okay not a big deal one interruption is fine. Then my precious Baby G decided to show me she was ready to be with the big kids during spelling. We had a 20-minute spelling lesson that took an hour! After 10 minutes of G's talking while I was trying to explain the -in word family to two confused girls (still not sure why, it was almost the same lesson as yesterday and yesterday they got it.) I caved and asked Daddy Reg to put a movie on for Baby G. The problem was the movie she chose was not one of her stand-bys that the kids are bored with. Noooooo, she chose a movie that hasn't been watched in months. Ugh, I can’t win. As the TV is in direct line with the dinning table by default - there really is no other way to do it with the house design. I lost the battle even though I kept trying. We will be repeating that spelling lesson on Monday - I know that they will not retain a thing I taught them. I fixed them lunch as by this time it was already 12:30! After lunch, we had to get out so off to the library where I checked out sooooo many Thanksgiving books I feel bad for anyone hoping to check out any books on Thanksgiving because what I didn't check out are the ones that someone much more prepared than I am checked out 2 days ago. Or, I would have checked out more. Then naptime for Baby G - yeah some peace quiet and sanity. Oh, wait, no I still had so much to do but by then realized it would be a good idea NOT to try to do more school with the kids. Instead, I did what needed to get done and tried this cranberry sauce recipe but added some chopped apple. Note to self, reduce the sugar just a tad, and add some orange zest. It was way too yummy. And Daddy Reg and I made dinner. Okay that was a shortened but still long story of my day. How crazy.
I know I lost my focus today and I know that I probably should have just decided to not do school maybe but sometimes I get so task oriented that I forget the bigger picture. It is as if I get tunnel vision and all I can see it the end that I want to get to. I don't see that there are little detours that I can escape the tunnel and leave the mountain early.

I Am Soooo Behind!

On my blog reading that is. You see I haven't had much time to just sit and read blogs. Or blog myself. I have only posted 4 times in November! That is so sad. I opened my Google Reader tonight and found that I had 207 unread posts! I can't read that many unless I figure out how to freeze time. So... I picked one post to read on about half the blogs I read and only commented on about a fourth of those. Sorry bloggy friends I am just overwhelmed. And now I am marking all blog posts as read so I can start fresh in the morning and hopefully, be able to sit for 5 minutes without anyone thinking that I really need something to do.
If I have commented on your blog it is because I sat down for 5 minutes and no one noticed. :) And your blog post was at the very top of the list when I sat down.
And now, I have posted 5 times this month.
Oh... I am so far behind.

Weblink Wednesday - Clip Art and Crafts

Happy Wednesday! I have some weblinks to share.
First up is a site full of great educational clip-art.
Clipart ETC has an enormous amount of great clip-art. I have been using it with our Human Body Unit and for anything else I can come up with. If you lapbook or notebook, this site is for you. Tons of stuff, check it out.
The other site I want to share, is to a fun Thanksgiving tradition in our house. Four or five years ago, I found this great turkey craft on DLTK's site. This craft has become a tradition in our house and is so much fun to do. I save the turkey we make and label the year on the back. So, here is the...
Handprint and Footprint Turkey.
For more great homeschool links from homeschool moms, visit SoCalVal at Homeschooling with Encouragement.

kreative blogging

Morgan tagged me for the Kreative Blogger Award Meme. Which is a good thing as I have been slacking on my blogging lately and my blog reading for that matter. Don’t hate me bloggy friends, I am just a tad bit stretched thin and will be back to commenting soon. (I hope)

1. what i did before: I made midnight runs to WalMart with my roommate to get items to redecorate our apartment-and say hi to Daddy Reg (though then he was “the man I am going to marry” Reg) I nannied two amazing little boys who are now adults. (Wow, I am old!) Those two amazing boys walked me down the aisle. ahhh memories. I digress, so I also coordinated childcare for a rather large women’s ministry in town and was a preschool teacher. Went to college but never finished. Got my EMT certification and worked at an elderly residential. Okay none of that was in order. Where is my brain today. Oh well, I guess you get the point.

2. what i do now: I keep my home and make it a safe haven for my family. I help and support my husband in everyway possible. I am raising up young people who love the Lord and are learning what it means to be reckless abandoned to Christ. I am raising up young women who will be amazing wives and a young man who will be a perfect gentlemen to his future wife. Oh, and I also home teach these young minds everyday. I cook, clean, sew, blog (of course) and pour into moms and young women whenever I get a chance.

3. what i'd like to do: get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, learn how to quilt, knit, and anything else I haven’t learned. grow in my walk with my Savior and become more reckless abandoned to Christ. See the lost and hurting come to know the amazing love of their Creator.

4. what attracts me to my husband: my husband is my best friend. I am attracted by his commitment to his family both his parents and siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles… and to me his wife and his kids. when we met he was ripped - he was working for a roofing company - yeah, I was attracted to that.

5. favorite foods: coffee, chocolate, my father-in-laws spaghetti, polenta, homemade bread, biscuits (with gravy, jam, honey, butter…) cookies, donuts, tea, and bubble tea, homemade tortillas, pumpkin pie just to name a few… I love food.

6. what i say most often: “Where’s the baby?” “I need you to focus.” “I need coffee.” “I love you.”

So... for tagging, I am going to not tag because it is way too late and I should have been in bed hours ago. If you want to do this meme, consider yourself tagged. And comment me so I can be sure to read yours.

Quirkiness

Diane tagged me with a quirky meme. Now why would she do that? Would it be that posting 100 things about me was not enough? Or, maybe she really wants to know more than my 7 random things. Maybe, she thinks I need to post something, as it has been over a whole week since I have posted. Maybe she thinks I am full of quirkiness. Or, I bet it is because she already knows me so well she wants to see if there is something she doesn't know.

Random Quirks Information

Here are the rules: “MY UNSPECTACULAR QUIRKS”
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell 7 unspectacular quirks about you

4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they have been tagged

What exactly is a quirk? A peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; an odd mannerism.
I like that word peculiarity. Those who call Jesus their Savior are called to be a peculiar people. So… I guess having quirks is a good thing. Without further procrastinating here they are, 7 unspectacular quirks about me, Mommy Reg

1. There is a frozen yogurt shop in town that has been around for well um forever pretty much. I will only eat frozen yogurt with a plastic spoon. Metal spoons make it taste funny. And, top that with peanut butter cups, on the side, please.

2. Speaking of things frozen and peanut butter cups… My favorite candy is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups - miniatures --> From the freezer. Yep, if you open my freezer you will see a bag of miniature peanut butter cups.

3. I only drink milk if I am dunking chocolate chip cookies or Oreos. Then, before I pour that glass of milk, you will find that cup in the freezer. I like my milk and my cup ice cold.

4. I love symmetry and cannot stand it when things are asymmetrical. Decorations, candles wall hangings, it does not matter, I need them to be symmetrical.

5. I also love even numbers. The volume on the television has to be on an even number or I will accept a number divisible by 9. Often, I will put it on 27, which is an odd number but can be divided by nine. But, 26 and 28 would be preferred.

6. I have lived in our current home for almost a whole year and I have not put any pictures up at all. Okay, except for the much-needed curtains in the kitchen. And the map, skeleton, and school white board. That is the extent of décor in my place.

7. If I am watching a movie, chances are I am crocheting, prepping for school lessons, blogging, folding laundry, or picking up the living room. I have a hard time sitting still.

There you have it. 7 unspectacular quirks about me.
Okay, now to the task of tagging poor unfortunate souls to do this quirky meme. Hmmmm let me see. I think I will refrain from tagging anyone but if you feel so inclined… go ahead and list 7 unspectacular quirks about you.