Over the River and Across the Country!

So facebook has heard all about my 29th birthday present! Brandy (look I made her a link :) ) are going to Forks, WA. We had always wanted to do a 30th birthday trip together, our birthdays are 3 weeks apart. But our 30th birthday is the same summer as my 10 year anniversary to my darling hubby. 

 We want to be able to take a trip somewhere that summer. So obviously we couldn't do both trips at once. All that to say Brandy and I are going this year summer. September 10th we'll be leaving out of Richmond and flying to Seattle. I haven't been on a plane since I was 15, long before 9-11, so this should be interesting. Plus is across the country! We're staying at The Cullen House also known as The Miller Tree Inn. It's a B&B (another first) that was named the Cullen house by Forks Chamber of Commerce. It's pretty exciting for those of us who are Twilight fans! Seriously though, I'm excited about the whole thing, Forks, all the sites, La Push and the Quileute Reservation, the rain forest, and most of all the trip with my oldest friend! 

 It's also Stephenie Meyer weekend, which is pretty fab as well. We'll also be staying a very long day in Seattle touring the city and Brandy's future seminary. Then we have like 36 hour trip home, that's another long story. Let's just say the Delta Airlines is not my favorite! Then there's the whole putting my feet into the Pacific Ocean before I'm 30 thing. I always thought it was going to be in California, but the ocean is the ocean is the ocean. We'll be putting our feet in First Beach, WA in La Push!              

                                 Well there will be a lot more to this adventure, but that's it for now! :)

My Free Re-Do

So I did not have my camera for the before shots, it was vacationing in Colorado. :) Here are the pictures of the after of my bored weekend projects!

 

The New Entry Way!!!

The updated version with our new family photo!!!

 

The clock was an oak color and the table had a oak top and maroon legs and wood drawers.

                                           Added the diffuser the collection basket and a bamboo plant.

 

This was an off white with the distressed look of a beige under it, the little vases were a yard sale find last year for .50 cents each!

A closer shot of the clock!

 

This is just random, but I wanted to share, this is a perfect mollusk that Johnny found at the shipyard, the little critter was still inside, but no longer living. Johnny saved the shell for me!

The inside of this shell is a bright orange and pink, it's really pretty!

Quiet time!

Johnny has flown off to Colorado to visit one his good friends. Adam is one of America's heroes and will be deploying to Iraq next month. I was so happy to be able to send Johnny out to see him before he leaves. They moved quite awhile ago, so it's good for them to see each other. Adam was a groomsman in our wedding and Johnny was in his. Anyway, after a long day of him being gone (though probably longer for him and all his flight mess). I got the kids to bed on time and am relaxing in the quiet. I have spent most of the evening painting a bunch of small items around the house. Now, this household only has one camera so I can't show you the cool before shots, but when the camera gets home from it's vacation, I'll post the awesome afters! I painted a solid oak frame black, it had a wonderful picture of a snow covered mountain and now the picture just pops with it's new frame. I also painted a small key holder type shelf black and painted the knobs white, I also made a wood clock black and a small sofa table is now black and white. It's sounds like too much, but the entryway to the house looks great now!!! And I used some great little colored glass vases I found at a yard sale to adorn the shelf and added a basket and bamboo plant to the sofa table. It looks great and it was fun to change up the entryway free of charge.

Enjoying your kids through the Cabin Fever.

*disclaimer, this not aimed at anyone in particular, it's based of the complaints of facebook as of late.*

The weather has been insane! The schools have been closed or delayed for weeks, I think they only went to school two days last week and the week before. Now, I'm going a little stir crazy!

I have my kids all day long every day, the way I feel I'm supposed to do. I feel I'm supposed to have these little people here with me and that I'm supposed to be teaching them at home. Our lives work really well this way. Yes, it takes a lot, yes I give up a lot, but I think we're getting more in return. Yes, there are days I want to throw in the towel, I want to put them on a bus and leave it to someone else. But I take a deep breath, and go on with my day. (maybe having to issue an apology along the way)I'm happy that I can be (for the most part) happy to have them home. I'm happy that I don't feel the need to complain over and over again that my kids are home for a few extra days because of snow. As we get closer to having to hand "little man" over to his grandparents, I'm trying to take the time with all my children and enjoy them more. (even if I'm with a little less hair than normal)

Each day is new and we get a fresh start (even if our kids our quoting our words from yesterday). We all need a break, we all need a night out, a fresh start. But when you can't seem to enjoy you're kids on a Monday, because they're supposed to be in school, that's a sad day. When I asked the kids what they enjoyed the most about the snow, they replied, football, bingo, and daddy was home. So through all my babbling this morning, I guess the main point, is through the screaming, the fighting, and the endless episodes of Dinosaur Train and Calliou, they are growing and I don't want to miss it.

2010-2011 Curriculum Grades 1 and 3

I've just finished my list of curriculum for next year!!! For those who don't home school, this is a long process. I've been working on it for at least a month, comparing sites and prices is really the easy part. The hard part is sifting through literally hundreds of curriculum choices.

To date I've used workbooks with a few "real" books thrown in. I've always said come 3rd grade is when I would feel the need to have a whole curriculum. Until that point it's been easy to teach without it, just learning the basics and such. Shane will be in 3rd grade next year and on level!

Jackson will technically be in 1st grade next year. I will submit him as a first grader, but he will mostly be doing the same work as Shane. He is doing 1st grade penmanship and 1st to 2nd grade math. Sam would not be starting Kindergarten until the 2011-2012 school year, he will be in pre-K next year. He will be joining us for group projects, like science and history. As for his own work, he will still be in workbooks. I'm attaching a list of our curriculum this year, I'm pretty proud of the price list I worked out. :)

Grammar--First Language Lessons Level 3
--teacher book 13.00
--student workbook (2) 40.00


Math--Math U See
--gamma teacher book 25.00
--gamma student book 25.00
--beta student book 25.00


Spelling--Sequential Spelling
--Level 2 13.00


US History--Bob Jones University Heritage Studies
--Grade 3 Subject Kit 97.50
--Timeline Snap Shots 14.50


Bible Study--Alpha Omega Lifepac
--Boxed Set Grade 3 48.96


Memory Work--Classical Conversations
--Cycle 1 Audio CD 30.00


Science--Bob Jones University Grade 3
--Subject Kit 140.50
--Science Kit 37.50

Penmanship--Horizons Grade 3
--Grade 3 Kit 24.63
--Grade 1 Kit 24.64


Random Scholastic:
Tunes That Teach American History-13.59
180 Essential Vocabulary Words-10.39
Pizza Fraction Bulletin Board-9.59

*I've been contacted by a rep from Alpha Omega Publications, they are the main Pub. of the Lifepac and Horizons curriculum that I'm using, they asked that I add a link to their site, and I would be thrilled too, I think their stuff is going to be awesome!!! Alpha Omega Publications.

Scout Suday 2-7-10

Today is Scout Sunday nation wide! We attend Newington Baptist Church here in Gloucester.

It's great, it's right across the street from the house, literally less than a mile. We did not set out to choose Newington, but they are the charter church for Pack 175. So last year Johnny took Shane to Scout Sunday, they liked it so much that they went for two more weeks. On the third week, me and the other boys joined them. It was a trying time for me since I had never been to church in my life. (well besides those few times with friends in high school). So after I got over whatever it was that was bothering me, I began to embrace the church family. I adore them! We attend Sunday School called FISH (faithfully in search of Him) and Johnny and I both attend Bible study, Ladies and Mens :). Part of my joy comes from watching my boys learn about God and all the good things that come from that. I love listening to them talk when they don't think I'm listening. I love watching them jump for joy when it's Sunday or Tuesday (Bible Study night) Recently Johnny joined the choir, so now we get to watch him sing up front on Sunday mornings! So it was a gross morning all wet and frozen, but we had 10 scout families attend!

Well it's been awhile

It's been awhile, a year and a half. I was going to just start a whole new blog, but I really like the title to this one :) Anyway, I won't begin to update on everything that has happened since my last blog, but I'll just start anew. We've been snowed in again this weekend. That makes for two weekends.
I'm going a little stir crazy. Thanks okay though, my escape artist friend, Charity, and I are hopefully running away this week for a movie and dinner. After all Johnny is heading to Colorado on Friday morning. I just made the most awesome crock pot dinner ever. Jambalaya! So very easy for you crock pot lovers. You'll have to excuse the picture, I didn't think to take the picture until my second bowl and by then it was almost gone!!!
Recipe:

Chopped: onion, green pepper, 2 stalks of celery
Diced: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 Italian sausages
Seasonings: 1tps cayenne pepper, 2tps oregano, parsley, cajun seasoning
Canned: 1 (28oz) diced tomatoes with juice
Mix above ingredients in crock pot, 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high.
30 minutes before cook time is over add one bag of frozen shrimp without tails
Serve over your choice of rice. So super yummy!

Also I think the kids might be going a little crazy as well.

 

This is from the last few weekends.