Homeschool Memoirs #8: Study Spot

THEME:
This week share your favourite spot to study with your kids. There are many places you can sit down to teach, learn, and work, but where do you prefer and why? You’re welcome to include a photo of your study spot! Looking forward to seeing everyone’s!

Over the years, our main study spots have changed. We have had a homeschool area in the dining room, then one in the kitchen and now we actually have a room. Of course, none of those areas kept us confined. When the boys were older, they would actually spread out. Sometimes you would find them in their bedroom working, other times they would be in the family room in front of one of the computers, and at other times you would even find them outside reading. Or, as son #2 just reminded me, you could often find them all reading while sitting on different heating vents with a blanket tented around them! No, the house wasn't that cold...but something about the warm air on a wintry day felt, oh so, good.

I am finding things are not much different with my daughter. Yes, we have a school room and I would say that MOST of our work is done in there. We still roam around though. In fact, yesterday all school work that was accomplished was done in a car in a parking lot waiting for kid #2. We have been known to school in the kitchen. Kid #4 sits at the counter, while I work on getting a meal together. You can sometimes find us taking our books outside enjoying nice weather. If you come by often enough, you might even catch us working at the dining room table, because that is where the laptop is usually set up and I didn't feel like moving it.

However, the assignment was to share our favorite spot. :) Over the many years of homeschooling our kids, I do not think my favorite spot has ever changed!! Nope, for me it has ALWAYS been the same.

Sure the couches have changed, but getting cozy and snuggling up next to a child and sharing a good story or even a textbook lesson has ALWAYS been my favorite. I'll even bet it is all my kids' favorite study spot!

BFS #104 Never Leave Home Without It

Memory Verse: Matthew 28: 20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

Intro: Never Leave Home Without It (Marketing Credit: American Express) Diapers, bottles, wipes, bibs, pacifiers, extra clothing, cell phone, PDA, ipod, iphone, credit or debit cards … what would you never leave home without?

Assignment: In the memory verse Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, not even at the end of the world. He assures us in this verse that He will be with us and that means through everything we go through in life. I thought it would be interesting to write about the things we would never leave home without. For some it might be baby needs, others it might be a gym bag and bottle of water, and for some it might be your Bible and a notepad or small journal, maybe even your son or daughters favorite blankie! I’d like for you to write about something that you would never leave home without.

Well, I have to give this some serious thought. We are past the baby stage and kid #4 isn't involved in a bunch of sports that keep me sitting on the sidelines like when the boys were younger. Back then I had a list of things that always went with me.

I guess right now, life is pretty simple. Things I never leave home without all fit in my purse. Sure, there are times I take water, books, paper, coupons, or even a snack....but those times are not the norm. However, my purse pretty much follows me everywhere. (although, there have been a few recent instances when I decided to live on the edge and left my purse at home!!! Hubby was driving.) Now, what is in my purse that I feel I MUST have? My cell phone and sun glasses are the two biggies. I just have the need to feel that I can be reached if someone needs me (like a kid). I also like to know I can reach someone if I need them. I don't know HOW I lived before I had a cell phone! hehe....ok, so you think I have fallen into the marketing trap of believing I NEED the phone. Seriously, I could leave it at home. Really, I could.....just don't make me prove it to you, OKAY? As for the glasses, I have sensitive eyes. Just a little light makes me squint, then before I know it I have a raging headache. Wimpy, I know! But those are the two biggies for me. My purse also has band aids for kid's boo-boos and that has come in handy for more then just my kidlet. Let's see...in my purse I also carry my inhaler, that I really only need if I am around cats. My wallet with ID and debit cards is pretty important, too.

Since my purse goes everywhere with me, I decided to splurge on my birthday. Well, I let my parents splurge and spoil me for my birthday is more like it. You see, they were wondering what I wanted and I was trying hard to think of something practical to use around the house. Then it hit me.... I wanted one, I've wanted one for years! So, I called up my mom and told her what it was I wanted. We went shopping the next day and NOW I have a purse I love.

My very own Vera Bradley bag! :)

It's that time of the year....

One quick check on a countdown site and I see that it is just 79 days, 4 hours, and 50 minutes until CHRISTMAS!!! Where, oh where did the days go? Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were packing up the last of the Christmas decorations?? Oh....maybe it was just yesterday and we said we weren't going to talk about that! Anyway, it's that time of the year AGAIN! Every year I say I am going to be on the ball. I am going to get my shopping done early, have the most fantastic surprise gifts for everyone, wrap presents as they enter the house, make some homemade gifts that will be cherished by all who receive them, deep clean the house early AND keep it that way, get a family Christmas picture done in the fall, write an amusing must read every word Christmas letter, decorate by Thanksgiving, send all my cards out by December 1st, and leave the ENTIRE month of December just to bake cookies and make fun holiday crafts! Yeah....and then I wake up and it's December 20th and nothing is wrapped, what cookies I made are all eaten, cards still haven't gone out, the house needs some serious picking up, and....you get the picture.

Why do we do it to ourselves? Maybe it's only me! Anyway...this year I know I am not going to get it all done, it isn't going to be perfect, I will be up on Christmas Eve wrapping those last gifts, and it is ok. I am ok with that! No one has ever complained, so I need to just cut myself some slack.

I think we all have good family memories of Christmas....well, except for a few years ago when I spent Christmas in bed with the stomach virus. Other than that year, and the year kid #1 had chicken pox for Christmas, and the year grandpa slept on our couch suffering from influenza, and the year grandpa fell during the annual Christmas football game and broke his collar bone and the year......oh nevermind! The point is, whatever gets done or is left undone and whether everyone is healthy or sick, and whether or not the bows make it on the packages; Christmas is a special time around here and we just love being together.

Tomorrow I officially begin Christmas shopping. I only have ideas for the younger kids and that's where I will start. I still hope to wrap them as they come in.....

By the way, Christmas is now 79 days, 4 hours and 13 minutes away!!

Fall Reading Challenge Review

Just thought I would check in and share where I am at with my Fall Reading List. I think I have done pretty good. :) It has been fun having books laying around. I have always loved reading, but with young kids my reading time was pretty much limited to magazine articles. You know, things that could be short and sweet. There are different kind of readers in this world and I happen to fall into the group that has a hard time putting a good book down. That is especially true once I pass the 3/4 mark. ;o) Yeah, I can't help myself. I've been known to make a meal with a book in my hand. Of course, it wasn't a gourmet meal....but it was edible! Now that we are down to just one kid at home, it seems that I have more time to read. I have taken advantage of that and the best thing is it has been encouraging the kid to read more, too. Can't ask for better then that!!

So, anyway, back to what I have read. I have 15 books on my list and I am currently reading #5. Books 6 and 7 are sitting on my dresser waiting for my attention. I did want to share about two of the books. I am keeping track of the books I have read in a list on the right hand side.

If you have read and enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, I would like to recommend her other books. I think they are BETTER then her Shopaholic books. They are not part of a series and each one stands alone. The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep a Secret? are fun, light reads that I have enjoyed the past few weeks. In fact, before the Fall Reading Challenge I read another one of her books called, Remember Me. It was really good. You can click on the links to read some reviews.

Currently I am reading Beginnings by Kim Vogel Sawyer and it is NOT even on my list! I just like making things more challenging for myself. hehe

K-mart Double Coupon Deal

I love double coupons, especially when a store offers to double coupons valued at $2.00. Our local K-mart is running that special right now until October 5th. So, I went through my stash and pulled some of the bigger value coupons and headed over. I did make one mistake that had me kicking myself there...but oh, well! The mistake? Oh, yeah...I left a $5.00 off entire purchase coupon at home! Grrrr. I just have to get over it.

Anyway, we got there and found we were not the only ones walking around with a handful of coupons. ;o) I got some items that I needed and paid a little for them. Then I got some items that I didn't really need at the moment, but paid nothing for them! They are things we will use...like toothpaste, but we happen to have a few tubes stocked already. I added a few more. hehe I can't help it when I am looking at free. Yes, you can go overboard and have more toothpaste then you can possibly use in a year....but that isn't the case here, so don't worry!!

Let me show you a picture before we go any further.

Quite a few of these items were on sale. Even with the sale the total came to over $92.00. I paid $21.63. (still wish I had that $5 off coupon, but let's not go there)

I got 9 Johnson Bath Buddies Soap bars for free. Five tubes of toothpaste were also free. Another good deal was the fabric softener. Those two big bottles cost me $2.58, but they will last me a year. Here's what I do..... I put some fabric softener in a spray bottle and add water. About 1 part softener to 3 parts water. Then I spray a little on a washcloth and pop it in the dryer. It's just like a fabric softener sheet. I have a little basket in my laundry room filled with cheap white washcloths bought just for this reason. :) I paid full price for the deodorant because I needed it and all my coupons were for 2. I didn't see the need to buy two, so I just got something on sale.

I could go on about all the other deals...but I don't need to bore you to tears. Just check your local K-mart and see if they are participating. Super K-Marts are also participating in certain areas and that would be wonderful, because you could use more food coupons! Our K-mart has a very limited stock of groceries. Have fun shopping!!

Homeschool Memoirs #7- Snack Foods

THEME:
Awhile back Mother Dear received a question on what snack foods to buy for homeschooling families, on the go or at home, and she inspired this week’s theme. There are so many different kinds of snack foods, store-bought and homemade, and I would like to invite you to share what snack foods your family usually snacks on throughout the week. You’re welcome to make season lists too. I know there are different meals we eat during the colder seasons than we do in the warmer ones, and I imagine there are also seasonal snack foods as well.

I'm curious to see everyone's lists. I looked at a few and they all sounded the same. It seems homeschoolers snack on fruit and popcorn....A LOT! hehe It's on our list, too. We don't have set snack times, but I do think its more common to have a little snack in the afternoon here then not.

Here's a list of the normal everyday stuff...

Popcorn (probably the most asked for snack by kid #4)
Fruit (bananas, apples with peanut butter, grapes, cherries, berries, oranges, etc) or Fruit Smoothies (made in the vita mix with some baby carrots thrown in!YUM)
White Cheddar Corn Puffs from Trader Joe's
Granola Bars
Wasabi Peas
Yogurt
Nachos with salsa
Cookies.... if they happen to be around

Now for the things I like to throw into the snack selection once in a while....

Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites
Banana Bread
Anything chocolate ;o)

I am trying to make more homemade baked goods, as opposed to store bought. I think I see Pumpkin Bread with mini chocolate chips in the near future. (my daughter just saw this, so I think the near future just got closer!!) Mmmmm, I can almost smell it baking......

BFS Assignment #104

This is WACKY WEEK here at Blogger Friend School! Everything is wacky fun! This week YOU, the student, get to share something of your choice that is little “Wacky”!!!
Have you done something crazy in your homeschool? Do you fingerpaint with your toes? Do you let your children do your hair? Do you wear your pajamas during homeschool? Oh, the list is endless, but it’s up to you and how much fun you want to have.

Oh my goodness, we are definitely a wacky homeschool family. This was fun to reminisce over the past 15+ years of homeschooling. Back when the boys were young, I didn't have a digital camera and I wasn't really one to stop the fun and take a picture anyway. I still forget to take pictures!! We just like to be silly and have fun. There was the time I used a washable marker and wrote the name of the bones on all the boys, so they would remember them. (it really worked, too!) Then, there was the time we had a huge "Thankful Tree" on our foyer wall and everyday each of us added a paper leaf with something we were thankful for written on it. We've had forts and teepees, dinner on the floor without utensils, dropping eggs off the fort in various packing material just to see what worked best, and so on. All those pictures are on "old fashioned" paper and I don't have the time to hunt for them and scan them.

So, we will have to just look at some wacky moments with kid #4. She likes to have fun, too. (and we laugh and laugh almost every single day over something silly)

To us, homeschooling is something that occurs anytime, anywhere. It really is just a way of life. We don't always learn sitting at a table and looking at books.

We like to dress up!!

We love learning about animals!

Even our snowmen have a sense of humor. These two were smiling with their little yarn smiles. Then it started to rain and look what their little smiles did!

We love art, even silly art. This picture was done with all sorts of things added to the paints.....like crushed egg shells, salt, flour, etc.

Silly faces are common in this house!

Having fun cooking and decorating is a big part of our school!

Pets are included in celebrations!

Where else, but in a homeschool room will you find a monkey sitting on top of the world and the student still learning.

Well, that was just a little look of life here. I really must start carrying that camera around more!! The point is....have fun and remember learning is an ongoing process. Every minute they are taking something in and processing it. Make sure it includes silly moments that have nothing to do with reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic!!