The homeschool Mother's Journal-June

This is a linkup with "The Homeschool Mother's Journal" hosted by Sue at www.thehomeschoolchick.com  please visit Sue to read other homeschool mom's entries. Enjoy!

In my life this week…

Got back from mine and Mr. Darcy's weekend in Vegas...still trying to acclamate back to a real schedule.

In our homeschool this week…

We are planning out our theme units for next year. So many ideas, so little time...

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Academics are paramount, but so is teaching your child manners, courtesy, and respect for others.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

As part of our "Cirque du Science" celebration (my twins picked the themes "circus" and "science" for their birthday party that is coming up), we are taking all our kids to the circus tomorrow! They are very excited, especially the birthday boys, who have special needs.

My favorite thing this week was…

I am not a big gambler, so imagine my hapy surprise when i put $10 in a penny slot machine last weekend while on our Vegas trip with Mr. Darcy and won over $277!!!

Questions/thoughts I have…

I'm having a thought after looking at Audrey's second grade curriculum for next year that our school days this coming year are going to be much longer...

Things I’m working on…

getting the house 100% organized before the new school year starts...drawers, closets, shelves, you name it!

I’m reading…

I have started re-reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen as it will be the book discussed at my next book club meeting in July.

I’m cooking…

I have been re-vamping my menu choices for my family. Especially since it is summer. Taking advantage of more garden fare and staying away from anything premade, processed, or that has sugar.

I’m grateful for…

the ability to stay home and homeschool my children. I feel so thankful I get to be present during their little years.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

not bad for penny slot machines...

and the view from our room at the Cosmopolitan. Thank you for my date weekend, Mr. Darcy!   Have a great week, everyone!

Blessings,

Thank you

Thank you so much to Jenny at Our Homeschool Journey for giving me

The rules of the award are:
Thank the giver.
Tell seven things about yourself.
Award fifteen bloggers with the award.

So here are 7 things about myself, in no particular odor:

1.  I have five children; two have special needs. I love being their mother. All of them.

2. I love cooking and believe food should have a simple journey. Our bodies need healthy food.

3.  I am currently in the process of planning a birthday party for my twins who picked "SCIENCE" and "CIRCUS" as their respective themes....we are calling it "CIRQUE DU SCIENCE".

4.  I love the movie "Facing the Giants" and literally could watch it over and over and over. It is a must for every family. Please make it your next family movie night movie!

5. I love doing yoga. For an interesting article about "is yoga sinful?" from Catholic Digest,  click here.

6. I started a "Jane Austen Book Club" this year. It has 7 members.

7. I love traveling, as a couple with Mr. Darcy and as a family. I want my kids to feel like citizens of the world.

Here are a few blogs that I love:

for free blog buttons & bling  Rose Petals from Heaven  www.rosepetalsfromheaven.blogspot.com
for homechool resources:  2 Teaching Mommies  www.2teachingmommies.com
for recipes: Simple Bites  www.simplebites.net
for party ideas:  Kara's party ideas  www.karaspartyideas.com
for pretty kitchen inspiration: Bluebird Notes  www.bluebirdnotes.blogspot.com
for simplifying your life and your homeschool  www.bemorewithless.com

Thanks again!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal-Wedding surprise

In my life this week…This was a great week; thought it was quite busy! I attended the end of the year Girl Scout party with my daughter and had an orientation for new leaders for the upcoming year. I am also super happy that Mr. Darcy and I had a meeting this week with a landscape architect to start planning what we want to do with our backyard, which is an acre.  Phase one starts in 2 weeks and will be a re-landscaping of our pool/pool deck area and an addition of a sitting area poolside. I am so excited!! Also, Mr. Darcy hung misters on the front porch and my niece got married! (No wonder I didn't post very much this week!)

In our homeschool this week…We are continuing doing French and reading daily this summer.  I  got the rest of our curriuclum items picked out for next year and am excited about the new year we will be starting this fall. If you would like to see what we will be doing when the 2011-2012 school year starts for us in September, click here.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…Just like you pay the bills first in your budget, I feel a successful homeschool is one where the basics are taught first and they need to take precident over extra curriculars. If your child is excelling in an activity but can't read or write at grade level then priorities need to shift. Our first and foremost priority is the the education of our children.

I am inspired by…Due to scheduling, I was unable to travel this week to Oregon for my niece's wedding but through the wonders of the internet I have been able to view photos and videos of it all week. I was inspired by the beauty and authenticity of my her wedding. She and her groom stayed true to their vision and had the most ethereal setting in a NW wood.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… This past week, my eldest daughter enjoyed a wonderful week at Vacation Bible School at our Parish. This weekend Mr. Darcy and I are headed to Las Vegas for a child free weekend.

Things I’m working on…designing two different blogs; one for a friend of mine who is a new blogger and one for the girl scout troop. 

I’m reading… finished Pride and Prejudice (again) just in time for Book Club next week!

I’m cooking… alot of vegetables thanks to our garden!

I’m grateful for…everything.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… This is the processional from my niece's wedding. Be prepared to be WOWed. My niece worked on this surprise for her groom for over a year. He had know idea what the bridal party was about to do...ENJOY! 

Blessings to you, your family and your homeschool this week, and congratulations Emily and Andrew!

Fairy Gardens 2011

We started making our fairy gardens a few weeks ago. The girls helped me pick out some beautiful spring flowers: marigolds, primrose, cyclamen, ranunculus, and some gorgeous Soprano Lilac Spoons.

I love how their petals look like little spoons.

We got the idea for making the fairy gardens from one of my favorite Waldorf  homeschool sites, The Magic Onions (click here to see their tutorial post on how to make your own fairy garden).  Planting the flowers was a fun family endeavor. We love hanging out in the front and back yards.

They have been a work in progress but so far, we have made miniature clotheslines (anxiously awaiting the day some fairy petals laundry is hung on the line), and beds and bathtubs out of large shells. We hotglued small stones on the bottoms of the shell bathtubs to help them sit level and  to give them a pedal-tub effect. Here is Audrey's fairy garden bathtub, hidden for fairy privacy and next to it is a little table (a wooden spool  and top she painted and glued together) just perfect for placing fairy towels...

There is also a small sitting area, with a little dresser for fairy clothes...

Timothy helped us plant flowers for the front porch. He did a great job helping me carry the soil and ferry the pots to the perfect places.

Mr. Darcy installed misters for us on the front porch and bought and planted flowers and hanging baskets.

and so now, even with a hot summer upon us, we have a cool, shaded, misty, spot to read and relax as a family; and it is the perfect spot for sitting in the evening and looking for signs of fairy visitors.

Blessings,

The homeschool Mother's Journal

Here is my addition of the Homeschool Mother's Journal: Summer Edition. Please stop by and visit Sue, hostess of this linky at http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/ and read the other participants entries!

In my life this week… Seriously can't believe I have not posted anything, anything, since last week's link-up. This past week found my eldest daughter, age 7, gone to her first sleepaway girl scout summer camp! Also, had a planning meeting for the GS troop for the coming year (I am one of the new co-leaders) and got signed up for two GS classes (Brownie leadership and Beginning outdoors)

In our homeschool this week… Lots of reading with the three siblings who did not go to summer camp...just in time for the summer reading challenge I set for our family! For more info on the challenge, click here:

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share… Best advice I ever got was "you can't homeschool if you are never at home". Meaning: don't load up your kids with 1000 activities out of other people's concerns for their socialization.

My favorite thing this week was… getting surprised by Mr. Darcy....we are headed to Las Vegas for a child-free date weekend at the Cosmopolitan and leave in one week! Best. Husband. Ever.

Things I’m working on… living conscientiously and getting really fit.  I have been striving to be really conscience about the food I put into our bodies (as the main food preparer here) and I have renewed my love of Yoga practice and modified our diet.  So far so good, I have dropped a clothes size since starting.  If you don't like going to classes, the Trudie Styler (yes, Sting's wife)  home yoga DVD's are fabulous!  I've also been spending alot of time with Rosetta Stone TotalE: French.

I’m reading…Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (again). I formed a Jane Austen Book Club this year and P and P is our first novel we are all discussing together. I am in the middle of reading "The Pemberly Chronicles" by Rebecca A. Collins, which is a sequel to P and P, (and a very good one, I might add!)

I’m cooking… To see what is going on at the Brighton Park Kitchen this week, click here.  and... I am looking for some good organic cookbooks that focus on organic, simple foods. Know any?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

My friend Beth sent me this link  (click here). It is from a site called "Regretsy"; a site that highlights items found on Etsy for sale that are, well, DIY gone really badly. I laughed outloud... Enjoy!

and two: my girl, headed to camp.

Blessings! and Happy Summer!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal...

(To read other great entries, hop over to www.thehomeschoolchick.com where Sue hosts the Homeschool Mother's Journal every week!)

In my life this week…We celebrated Brooke's first birthday with a wonderful garden themed party and had friends over for a Memorial Day cookout.  Our garden has really taken off. Mr. Darcy spent a few days building a wonderful sun shade for it so it is covered (necessary to have a good garden in our hot climate). At present, we have tomatoes, peppers, squash, and  herbs on one half  and pumpkins on the other half.  

And I can't believe that...I had a dream this week where dreamy Robert Pattinson (you know, the uber-dreamy actor from Twilight and Water for Elephants) was sitting on the couch. He, in all his "Edward"-dreaminess says to me, "Well, I'm going to turn in". I say "okay. Love you". He comes over, and gives me a hug and says to me....."I love you too, MOM".  Then I woke up. feeling really old.

In our homeschool this week… We started our summer reading challenge. Starting June 1, we are keeping track of how many books the kids read or have read to them and see how high we can get this number to grow over the next 12 weeks. Want to set a goal for your family and join us?

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… Mr. Darcy  took me out for dinner and a movie. I love date nights!  and I love movies with Bradley Cooper and at least I haven't ever dreamed (yet) that I am HIS mother!  Lastly, Audrey will be leaving for Girl Scout camp in a few days (sleepaway). She is super excited, but I am going to miss her!

My favorite thing this week was… The twins birthday is coming up. They always want to share one party. This year, however,  for the first time ever, they want different themes. Tim wants Science and Sean wants Circus so we came up with ....."Cirque du Science".  I am already loving the planning of this...

What’s working/not working for us… Starting earlier continues to work for us.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have… I'm in the process of planning out next year's curriculums and plans.  I have decided to add more hand-ons science, which leads me to share:
www.stevespanglerscience.com   You can sign up for his science experiment a week, delivered directly to your email inbox. love that. Of course, its more fun if your kids are wearing labcoats and goggles...just sayin...

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… Garden... a view of our pumpkins

Blessings,

How to make Magazine Butterflies

When we chose a garden theme for our daughter Brooke's first birthday party theme, her older siblings (ages 10, 10, 7 and 4) wanted to be in on the decorating.  One of the favorite handmade elements from the party was these adorable magazine page butterflies they made for her:

They didn't just make a few....they made a basketful...

We turned the light over the kitchen table inso something extraordinary...

and they lit on everything  from mantles to picure frames...

Here is how we made them:

1. Tear a page out of an old magazine and trim the edge.
2. Cut the magazine page in half so you have a top half and a bottom half.
3. Accordion fold one half lengthwise and accordian fold the other half  shortwise.
4. Bend a 12 inch pice of pipecleaner in half and twist its rounded end into a small loop.
5. Pinch the middle of each folded square and center them between the pipe cleaner's arms (folds facing outwards, and not flat).
6. Secure the wings by twisting the pipe cleaner armes together above the wings, then pinch the loop closed and crl the loose ends into antennae.

We put the lengthwise folded sheet on the top for fuller top wings. If you want small butterflies, use a 5 inch square of paper and a 4 inch square of paper instead of two halves. We found the bigger sheets of paper were easier for little hands to fold. My sons who are 10 and have special needs were able to do this activity with minimum help and were SO PROUD of the decorations they made for their sister. (Gardening and Food magazines make great choices as their photography includes bright colors). For more great photos of Brooke's party CLICK HERE.

This post is hooked up to "No Ordinary Blog Hop"...come join me there, by clicking here. Also, linked up to "All Spunk and No Junk" at Twig and Toadstool.

Enjoy!

Pretty Things and Giveaway winner Etiquette...

A few weeks ago, I won a beautiful giveaway prize from one of my favorite blogs, French Charmed.

It was all so lovely, The pillow, the candle (champagne cake scented, no less!) and the gorgeous dress form towels...

Did I mention that Chelle has a sister website that is her French Charmed Boutique...where you can go and get your own lovely French items for your home? To visit, click here.

I have been fortunate to win two giveaways since I have been blogging, and just like you should write a thank you note when you receive a gift, I encourage you if you win a blog giveaway to write up a short post about the generous blog hostess who provided it to you, just as I have here.

  Some other great blog community etiquette to follow? Try...

• When joining a blog hop or linky, always be sure to at least visit the blog listed before and after yours... this way, everyone gets some linky love!
• When you do visit blogs through a linky or hop, leave genuine comments. I can always tell when someone has just left a vague comment, hoping for a quick return or follow. I can tell when you didn't really read the post.
• Take one post a month or every other month to really share about a blog that you found that you love.  Why do you love it? What does it provide for you? (homeschool advice, inspiration, great recipes, humor?) People will come to you if you provide good content, but they will flock to you if you are generous enough to direct them to other's good content.  Some of my very favorite blogs I have found through others recommending them through a blog post and not just a list in the sidebar.

I am so thankful to all the great blogs I have found this past year. I have made new friends, I have been the beneficiary of their generous comments, I have found great recipes and home ideas....Each time I find a new one, I am amazed how many wonderful, kind, and talented women there are out there! Please leave a comment and the name/ link of a favorite blog. I want to visit them...and you!

Blessings,

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

"Train them up in the way they should go..."