Keeping It Simple

Update from my previous post " Being Honest With Myself ". I have to tell you this hurts a bit: That's the "other side of the garage"- scary, huh? At the risk of sounding like I am defending this mess, this is actually worse than when I began- you know how when you are sorting and cleaning, it gets worse before it gets better? On the flip side, this is the same amount of clutter- just not neatly stacked, and, really, clutter is clutter whether it is neatly stacked or not! Lots of stuff has been hauled away! I have thrown a lot away, recycled much plastic and paper, and given anything worth having to charity. I also managed to give away lots and lots of textbooks that I had been saddled with (see above linked post). It feels good to know that those books found homes rather than being tossed. On to tip #1- How to sort a pile of papers: Quickly go through the pile H ave a toss basket right next to you.  Pick up a piece of paper and qui...

We came home from the HSSV with instructions for making blankets and toys for the "kitty condos". The kids were all on board for doing this as a thank you to the wonderful people who showed us such a good time at our field trip . Knowing that they are helping some of the animals at the shelter was a nice feeling too.  As per instructions, Mark starts cutting the first blanket.  Making the fringe to knot.  Boys can't braid! I never thought of it before, but they never have a reason to. They can now and they did an awesome job! Good work CK.  This girl has some mad skills when it comes to braiding. These are for kitty toys also as per instructions from HSSV.  Kyle and James worked together to cut and knot this blanket.  Julia and McKayla did an awesome job on this two sided blanket. It is simple, but it takes a lot of patience to tie all those knots.  Speaking of mad skills- Paul cut strip after strip of material for the cat toys.  Completed...

A few weeks ago, we released our butterflies. So sweet!                                                                   You would have gotten a play by play if our computer was not down. ;) We have done this a few times, but I don't think James (8yo) remembered. He was in awe over the tiny caterpillars as they grew (so quickly!), and then as they began the process of becoming pupas ("mom, come quick, you gotta see this!!"), and, finally, when they emerged as butterflies. Unfortunately, they all emerged during the night hours. But, it was fun to wake three mornings in a row to new wings fluttering in the enclosure. N...

Meet my daughter ! :) I think she is pretty sweet. I don't know that she will love blogging enough to keep at it, but I hope she will. She has lots to say, and I think it will be a fun creative outlet for her. Right now, she is having fun arranging and rearranging her blog.

Getting back to it after my computer crash- Kitchen: Create a meal plan for Sept.-Nov. I know I can do it!! Health: Drink Water (no soda) This is an ongoing struggle, but I am reading "Made to Crave" and am becoming more convinced it is a vice I need to conquer! School Room: Complete school plans (outline) and finish organizing the school room. I have been "organizing the school room" since January!! I am going to set the time for 30 minutes each day and focus on that one task. I will have my boys rotate being my helper (things go much faster when I have someone to run and put things away or take trips to the trash- plus company is nice). I plan to link to Mama Manuscripts for Goal Planning Monday .

Working on it! This grid below is just a help to me keep things straight. Galloping the Globe has very nice plans, but I do better when I can see everything at a glance. The top section is the guideline for me to follow. The next section will change with each new country we "gallop" through. It gives me the specific lesson that we will do having to with a country. The bottom section is a place for me to fill in notes from Trail Guide to World Geography . I have not quite figured it out yet, but I plan to supplement with that for Paul as he is a bit older.  This little box is our geography resource box. The books that I have on hand to use, and the books we check out from the library will stay in the box. And, yes, below is a dish rack. First spotted on Pinterest, I have seen it all over the web. I have to say that it works... well, okay. It is not made for folders, so the low divider makes it so the files bend. I purchased some new files folders and they are not mak...

This turned out to be a rather long, rambling post. I should have a prize drawing for those who actually read it. ;) I'll have to think on that. My most recent homeschool grad is going to what might be called a trade school. This has brought about some interesting reactions. I am asked where my daughter is going to college. I respond that she going to a salon school, and ... ahem... awkward silence and a raised eyebrow follows. Not from everyone, but from lots of people. Especially homeschool people! I find this interesting and it has given me lots to ponder . As homeschool parents we are very vested in the "outcome" of our children. Are they proper scholars? Will they attend the best colleges? As a whole, we are parents who want results, and we take our children's success or perceived lack of success personally. I have experienced this firsthand- I know more than one parent who now rethinks his/her position on homeschooling because of the "result". ...

After reading the particulars about the  NOBH theme (homeless animals) the month of August, I thought it would be fun to hear from Paul, who adopted his dog from a shelter, about his experience. Tell me a little bit about your dog, Jack. Jack is a total and complete crazy, funny, kinda lunatic dog. He is fun. Jack came from a testing place and he basically lived in a cage. That is all they told us about him before he came to live with us. When he first got here he did not know what grass was and did not get the whole step thing. He would fall off steps or run straight in to the porch steps. When he wanted to go to the far side of the yard, he would walk across the border around the grass so he did not have to touch it. He basically didn't know how to be a dog. I think he was treated very nicely where he was, but I don't think he was treated like a dog should be treated. I don't think they walked him or anything. Why did you want to adopt a dog? I...

I am so excited to share about this field trip! A perfect addition to our dog unit study - and it was lots and lots of fun!  First, the kids got to help socialize and exercise two "foster" puppies. The foster mom works at the humane society, so she brings them to work with her each day. My group was more than happy to help out.  These little guys (Rottweiler/Pit Bull mix) were absolutely adorable.  Then we were given a tour of the facility. These are the kitty "condos". So super cute! Lots of room and very clean. Pretty fancy!  All the kids would have walked out of there with a half dozen animals if they were allowed.  This is the kitty playroom. If you look closely at the sun on the wall, you will see a sleeping kitty.  My awesome group of field trip kiddos. I love this picture. The HSSV has been in operation for 82 years. It began when our valley was primarily an agricultural area and there were lots of horses. The first animal taken i...

I enjoy memes (or link ups- whatever you choose to call them) for the accountability they provide. The Picture Book Challenge  staring me in the face every day pushes me to read more with my 8 year old, Science Sunday is just beckoning me to share, and now Phyllis at All Things Beautiful  is hosting a Geography and History meme. Plus I get the best ideas from reading what others contribute! Much of our focus this year is going to be on Presidents (using A Kid's Guide to To Drawing the Presidents of the USA ) and Geography (using Galloping the Globe as our guide), so this will be a fun link up for us to participate in. I did not have anything new to share as we are on summer school schedule, but I did link up our 3-D map making post (we love these!). You can stop by All Things Beautiful to join in or see what other homeschoolers contribute this week.

We have been considering tortoises for a few years. We decided to go for it. Oogway, Jughead, and Sumo   It seems like every time we turn around that we learn something we "should have done" or "shouldn't have done" before beginning this endeavor. Happily, there are lots of turtle/tortoise enthusiasts around who are willing to share their expertise! Just praying these little guys can withstand out inexperience. They are not lacking in attention and care!

I'm back!!! The parts arrived and my dh fixed my computer!! It is a miracle. ;) I have been having some summer fun trying out new recipes: Patty shared some yummy sausage drop biscuits . How do you say comfort food? I first saw these egg sandwiches "pinned" on Pinterest. I can whip up 16 sandwiches in just minutes!! (or Paul can ;)) We have been making these egg sandwiches as a regular breakfast. (and freezing the leftovers- as many as 24 at a time) . No pictures, but this is the most seriously delicious macaroni and cheese ever! I made it for an "at home date night" for just hubby and I, and we both loved it. It is a "just for two" recipe, but it should work for our whole family as a side dish. I also made these crab stuffed mushrooms for our "date night". Heavenly!! These chicken salad sandwiches  made for a magical Saturday afternoon lunch with our neighbor, Grandma. I am not really much of a cook, but these ...

I am not a hoarder! I am not a hoarder! I am not a hoarder! Only, pictures I have taken belie that statement. I promise, if my courage holds up, I will share them when my computer is up and running. I have to stop here and state that this post is in no way meant to offend anyone that has a serious mental disorder that leads to hoarding. I am just trying to come clean about a few of my own struggles. A few weeks ago, I came across a recommendation from Netflix Instant Watch for a show called "Hoarders". Not having TV, I had no idea what this show was about until I clicked "play". Even more, I had no way to know that I would learn so much about myself and my tendency to "hoard". What a shock it was to hear my words coming out of the mouths of people who had trash piled 3 feet deep throughout their houses. Time to do some serious evaluating!! Like all on that show, I have a story. First, life gets complicated (medical issues, emotional issues, or just...

I know that I previously said I was going to write just one short post, but as long as I have a few minutes of access to a computer, let me introduce myself. On my birth certificate, my name is Laura D. (same initial as my married name). When I entered school, I became "Lori D.". I was also called Lori at home except when I was in trouble, and then it was L-AUR-RA ANN! Somewhere around fourth or fifth grade I decided that "Laurie D." looked prettier, and that is what I stuck with until... way back when I first joined the online community, I joined a forum that every version of Laurie that seemed reasonable was taken. Reenter "Lori D.". So, if I have had an email exchange with you using multiple spellings, or you happened to notice in my review on Curriculum Choice that my name at the top of the article is different than that at the bottom... the confusion all started here. online. Either way, it is nice to meet you!! :) From, Lori D (for now) Up...

I have just a few minutes and access to a computer (a very old cranky one ;)), so I am going to throw everything into one short post. First- In my earlier curriculum post, I mentioned that I'd share more about English for a Thoughful Child. Well , if you hop over to the  Curriculum Choice , you can read about our experiences with this book! I have to confess that I struggled sharing on a forum other than my own comfy blog, but I am hoping that after doing it once, it will seem a little more natural. Next- A few parenting/homeschooling thoughts that I wanted to share: I was watching a dog training video with my boys when the instructor said, "you need to create an environment where your dog can succeed". For some reason this has really stuck with me. (Please- I am not comparing my boys to dogs! :)) It occurred to me that when I have challenges with one of my children, rather than stepping back to see how I can help create a situation that allows for succes...

Will be back soon. :) I can browse and comment from a portable device, so I hope to be around- just not blogging for a few days. As a side note- we discovered our dd did not understand the "system" and her entire year's worth of pictures (her senior year!) were not backed up. I know it is small in the scheme of things, but could you say a prayer that we are able to recover them for her? Thanks!