Holiday Meme

I was tagged over at Ami. Mental...

"No one tagged me for this. But I'm tagging a bunch of people. You're probably
on the list.Yeah, you.So blog this. You know, if you have a blog and
all...Because sometimes it's hard to know what to write about.Holidaze are
busy.Some days I sit down to write something for my blog and draw a blank. If
that happens to you in the next month or so, use this handy meme. You can do the
whole thing at once, like I did, or use one question a day and have something to
write about for 25 days in a row! "

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper. Thought it would probably be much easier on hubby and I if we did gift bags LOL.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. This year we actually have a full size one. We didn't have any room till this year to have a full sized one. My SIL was supposed to give us one of hers but her being the sweetheart she is actually just bought us one. Isn't she awesome?!
3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving. Yeah we start early LOL.
4. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but can't drink too much off it.
5. Favorite gift received as a child? I loved all my gifts so I think they were all my favorites!
6. Hardest person to buy for? Hubby because he always guess what I got him way before Christmas ugh LOL.
7. Easiest person to buy for? The boys because they like anything related to Star Wars or Lego's.
8. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I want to get one some day.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? I am just terrible at this. I mean well and even buy cards but very rarely do they end up being sent *Sigh* I am awful I know.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? You know I can't think of any. I have loved whatever someone has given me. I just love that they even thought of me.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Good ol' It's A Wonderful Life . I remember watching this and the old black and white version of A Christmas Carol growing up. I still love watching them to this day!
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When ever we can afford it. Usually in Oct. or Nov.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? MMM Everything LOL. I love to raid the boys chocolate too hehe.
15. What decorations are on your tree? Well since we just got a full size tree we don't really have anything but multi color (came with lights on it) lights on it. All though Jarod got excited about having a full size tree and decided to decorate it with some of their Star Wars figures LOL. I should get a pic and post it sometime LOL.
16. Favorite Christmas song? Actually I love most of the Christmas Carols. I just really love Christmas and everything about it!!
17. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Well we don't leave Michigan but we do go to my moms and later to my Sister-in-law and Brother-in-laws home but neither is too far from where we live. I love spending time with our families!
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Hmm probably not LOL. I could probably name a lot of them but not all of them LOL.
19. Angel on top of tree or star? I like either really.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Growing up I got to open one present on Christmas Eve but with the boys young now we just do it all on Christmas Morning and then off to my moms to open more :).
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? I have to agree with Ami. Mental in that people almost being afraid to say Merry Christmas or any other holiday at stores and other places. I know I wouldn't bite any one's head off if they wished me a Happy Hanukkah or whatever. I think people should use the greeting they are most comfortable with even if it's not what I celebrate. I just think it's sad it has gotten so you can't wish someone good will. Another think that is annoying is how commercialized everything has gotten. I think people have forgotten the true spirit of Christmas. It's not really about the gifts but of good cheer and being loving towards one another. It makes me a little sad.
22 What theme or color are you using when you decorate? Don't really have a theme. It's just about fun!!
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey or Ham. Mostly the deserts whatever they maybe LOL.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I only want (I pray) for my hubby to go through this schooling and get a decent job so we don't have to worry about food on our table or a roof over our heads. Doesn't have to be a lot of money but enough for us to live on :). Other than that I have everything I could ever wish for! I have a pretty good life and that is all I want :)!!

I Tag the following people:

Amy
Carla
Kel
Madame Rousseau
The Woman
Thoughts From a Homeschooling Mom
The Weber Saga

And anyone else who would like to do it! Here are the questions without answers. This might be easier for you to copy and paste then having to go back and delete all my answers. Have fun and let me know if you did it :)...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
2. Real tree or Artificial?
3. When do you put up the tree?
4. Do you like eggnog?
5. Favorite gift received as a child?
6. Hardest person to buy for?
7. Easiest person to buy for?
8. Do you have a nativity scene?
9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
11. Favorite Christmas Movie?
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
15. What decorations are on your tree?
16. Favorite Christmas song?
17. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
19. Angel on top of tree or star?
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
22 What theme or color are you using when you decorate?
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
24. What do you want for Christmas this year?

Homeschool Memoirs #11

 
Please click pic. to find out more.

 

THEME:

“This week I’d like to invite you to share your favourite field-trip that you’ve been able to go on since you’ve started homeschool. I’d encourage you to include photos, but you don’t have to.”

I guess our favorite field trip has been the Natural History Museum a few towns over from us.  It has a lot of  different things to see and learn about.  Not exactly Creation based but we still have a good time going.  When we go on field trips Chord likes to bring his sketch book so he can draw the different things he see's.  He just loves to draw :).  We have gone there a few times and I know we all look forward to going again.  They also have a planetarium that is so cool to see too!! We all could spend all day there LOL!  Here are some pics from one of the times we went.  I hope you enjoy.

Homeschool Memoirs #10 10Timely Facts

To lean more please click the pic above.

THEME

"The time will be changing again. I think on Sunday but not sure. Anyhow this is our 10th Homeschool Memoirs so this week it’s going to be about 10 timely facts about you! Write 10 interesting, crazy, weird, fun facts about you! Include facts about you as a woman, a wife, a mommy, a homeschooler, a homekeeper, a taxi-driver, a cook, etc . I only put 10 facts because I didn’t want to overwhelm you, but you’re welcome to do more! I just posted 101 Facts about myself on my blog, which you can take a look at if you should like."

1. I like people who are quirky (Like me).
2. I have never been a follower or leader. I just did my own thing.
3. I had really low self-esteem when I was a teenager.
4. I am the total opposite of who I used to be.
5. I love being a mom. Yes it can be hard and sometimes I want to run away LOL but I love being a mom!
6. I love to sing even though I know I sound horrible!
7. When doing the dishes I have to do them in a certain order: Cups/glasses, plates and bowls, silverware and other utensils, and last pots and pans.
8. Hubby actually came to me about homeschooling the boys.
9. I love paper products! When in a store I love to go to the paper and school supplies section!! I don't care if it's books or pens and paper I just love it all LOL!
10. Just before we were married (three weeks) we ended up with custody of hubby's three teenage brothers for a year. (We were 22 years old).
11. I love my BIL's like my own brothers. Faults and all :).
12. I grew-up an army brat.
13. While growing-up we lived in Germany three different times and I still only know a little bit of German LOL.
14. I don't like living in one house/apartment for too long. We have lived in this house(we rent) for over four years now and I am antsy to move (though we can't afford it right now LOL).
15. I have to have the TV on at night to go to sleep. My mind won't shut off unless it has something else to distract it. So I put the timer on the TV. (even though I don't watch much TV during the day)
16. I wake-up at 6 a.m. Mon-Friday and Sunday so I can wake -up and do my exercises.
17. As soon as I wake-up my mind starts wondering again.
18. I helped hubby's family take care of my MIL when she was dying of breast cancer that spread to her brain.
19. I really did love my MIL! She was like another mom to me. (How lucky was I to have two awesome mom's?)
20. As babies (found this out many years later) hubby and I shared a crib because my mom and his mom were friends!
21. Didn't meet hubby again really till I was 16 almost 17 and we have been together every since.
22. I like having my hair cut but I hate going to get it cut.
23. I can cool down faster than I can warm up.
24. I am Secretary of (Voluntarily) the local MOMS Club®
25. I am not a very organized person.

I hope I haven't board you too much LOL. Can't wait to see what other's have said.

Homeschool Memoirs Theme #9 The _____ Family

THEME
"This week’s theme is about your family. Don’t worry. I’m not going to
make you write a long essay about all the great things your family does. Just
something little diddy that I know everyone will have fun with!
Watch the
youtube video below and then take this song and add your own words, about your
family. The end of the first three lines should rhyme. Can’t wait to see what
you come up with!"

To find out more Check out The Homeschool Post.

This was really fun but hard. So sorry if it's a little lame LOL. I bet there are some good one's out there though. Here is what I got...

Our last name is really silly
This family isn't frilly
We don't even live in Philly
The "C" Family

We do our school at home
We learned about Rome
We like to play with foam
The "C" Family

(Smart)
(Heart)
(Art)

This family is mostly boys
We live with lots of noise
We are filled with lots of joys
The "C" Family

LOL it's a good thing I don't make a living out of writing songs because I would be out of a job LOL. I hope you enjoyed it! Soon it's off to Church with us :).

Homeschool Memoirs Theme #8 Study Spot

Click pic. to find out more.

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!"

Let's see we pretty much study any where. The kitchen table, the couch and we even have a school/playroom we use. This year we have been using the school/playroom more. We found a school desk someone was just going to throw out. It was in great shape so we just took it and washed it off. We have a plastic desk for Jarod too that my mom got the boys when we first moved in here. It's just easier for them to do their school work in there with the desk then it is in the kitchen.

Chord likes to do his reading on the couch but he likes the school room. Jarod I think is pretty much happy doing school work any where. He loves doing school work. Chord says he doesn't but if you ask him his favorite subject he says them all LOL. I still can't figure that one out LOL. Every year is different though and we are becoming (or should I say I am becoming) more relaxed with schooling. So I am sure this will change also. I look forward to seeing other's post on this subject.

Homeschool Memoirs: #7 Snack Foods

Click on above pic to learn more.

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."

Hmm we snack on a verity of things. It changes all the time. Let me think:

1. Yogurt the boys like the Gogert too. All though we get a cheaper brand called Moo Tubes.
2. Cheeses. This varies some we have snacked on is Munster, Swiss, Pepper Jack, and String Cheese.
3. Fruit! This family loves fruit. We have been known to eat apples, kiwi's, banana's, oranges, grapes etc... So many fruits so little time LOL.
4. Salads
5. Of course there are some bad for you snacks that we like to eat too LOL. Like Cookies, Ice Cream, chips etc. Though these aren't really regular snacks LOL.
6. Granola Bars. We love our Granola Bars. All Verities.
7. Hard Boiled Eggs.

Those are just some of our snacks. We like to snack a lot around here. Especially the boys. They think they need to eat all day LOL. That's growing boys for you I guess LOL.

Homeschool Memoirs: #7 Snack Foods The HSBA Post

Homeschool Memoirs Theme #6: Summper Photo Essay

Click on above image to find out more.

THEME

"This week I want to invite you to take a moment and post a Summer
Photo Essay memoir. Starting from around the official date of Summer to this
past week - just give a basic summary of your summer as I know someone of you
are photoholics! Haha! Make sure you jot down your memoirs about each photo so
everyone can read about your summer. You can do the essay however you want. You
can journal a lot of just caption the photo! Can’t wait to see what you all
do!
Make sure you enter in your DIRECT link to your HM post and not just your
blog link. When others go back to look over the themes they will be able to go
directly to your post rather than just your front page."

1. Jarod learns to ride a bike without training wheels (they grow-up so fast!!)
2. One of our landlords cats had kittens. Mama cat feeding her babies (So cute!!)
3. Hubby and boys sticking their tongue out at the camera (my silly boys hehe
4. Me all dressed up for the MOMS Club® Banquet! Boy was that a fun time!
5. Hubby bought me some flowers just because he loves me (Awww)
6. Jarod riding his bike in the rain. We all had fun that day LOL.
7. Car shows. We went to our local Independent Dairy for their weekly car shows!(lot of nice cars!!
8. At my SIL's house swimming. This pic is of hubby coming to track me down to dunk me in the water LOL. I had a lot of water in my ears that day LOL.
9. Again at my SIL's house swimming this time hubby has a squirt gun. Doesn't he look James Bond like LOL!!
10. Boys dressed as Jedi's They love to dress-up LOL!! So imaginative!
11. A preying mantis we found in our yard. Boys loved watching it!
12. The best pic I got of these sharks at our Zoo. They usually stay at the top.
13. Still at the Zoo Pic of Chord as a giant butterfly
14. Another pic of the Zoo this one Jarod as the giant butterfly
15. Last pic of the Zoo. Here we found out that the female of these monkeys turns white when she's found her mate. (they are monogamous). Monkey form of wedding ring. How cool!
16. Jarod looses his other top tooth after eating cereal LOL.

This was fun!! I can't wait to see other's who posted to this. But for now I am off to get things done around here LOL. Have a great day!

Homeschool Memoirs Favorite Things

Click picture to learn more about this Meme

Since I’ve been making you work really hard on the previous Memoir themes I decided to take a little break, and do something fun! This week I want to invite you to share a few of your favourite things.

Some of my favorite things.

1. 1.  Getting up early in the morning and spending time with God watching the Sun rise.
2. 2.  Spending time with my family.  Wether that's going to the zoo or sitting home just talking together.  I just love spending time with them.
   3.  Watching the boys learn something new.  I love that little glint in their eye when they finally understand something that before they didn't before. 
3. 4.  I love learning.  Which is funny because when I was younger I had no appreciation for it.  Now I love learning new things.  The boys and I are learning Sign Language together through books and our neighbor who knows Sign Language.  It's really a joy to be learning this.
4. 5.  Reading.  I love to just sit and read a good book. I think if I could I would just read all day long.  I hope and pray my boys have this same desire as they grow up.
5. 6.  Ok this one is going to sound funny LOL.  But I love paper.  Paper products I just love them.  I have had this love of paper since I was a kid.  I love all kinds of paper things, books, writing paper, drawing paper, stationary.  I love the things that go with them too, pencils, erasers, pens, paper clips, any office supplies, school supplies, etc...
6. 7.  Listening to the boys play together.  Hearing their imagination as they play together is just so much fun.  Makes me want to be just like them :).  I just love hearing the many adventures they go on.  It's usually Star Wars or Indiana Jones related LOL.
7. 8. Spending time with my hubby.  Now that the boys are a little older hubby and I can have a lot more time together. Even without babysitters.  We can go in our room and just talk about nothing.  I love that our boys respect our relationship and that we can spend some quiet time together.  During these times we learn more and more about each other.  Even though we have now been married for ten years we are still finding out more about each other.  I love this time together!
8. 9.  Watching old black and white movies.  I never thought much about them before till hubby started watching them.  I watch them and it's like be transported to another time.  Can you believe one day there was a silent movie on TV and the boys quit playing whatever they were playing and watched the whole thing?  Who would have thought an old black and white silent movie would catch the eyes of children.  They really loved it. 
9. 10.  The MOMS Club® that I am in.  I have met some wonderful friends through the club and my boys have met a lot of friends too.  It's been a great experience and now I am taking part in the club itself by being the Secretary of the Club.  Love it!!!

These are just a few of my favorite things :). 

Homeschool Memoirs: #3 Routines

First I wanted to thank everyone for their well wishes. I am not feeling 100% yet but am doing much better. Summer colds are just no fun ugh. Ok on with business :)...

Please click picture for more info

THEME

"I hope last week’s theme helped you get a bigger view and maybe
some ideas about different ways to homeschool or curriculum. There is so much to
share and so I hope this helped, especially the new homeschoolers, narrow things
down a bit. I am sure some of you are still getting into your homeschool
routines. I know some people are very routine oriented while others may be more
“day-by-day”, and it all depends on your family and what works best for your
life-style. This week please post what your planned homeschool routine is. The
theme banner should give you some ideas on how to do that. I had fun making that
and adding in real info (except for the times! lol).

When you’re done
posting your routines please share your prayers for this school year, and then
sign the linky so others can visit."

I am a much more routine person than I am a scheduled person. Mostly because with a routine if it gets set back a bit it's ok. With a schedule I feel more tied down and stressed LOL. So here is our routine. Nothing really major really.

6:00 a.m. I wake up, drink my coffee and when I am not feeling ill (like I am now) I go outside and watch the sun come up a bit. After a while I come back inside check my email and get stuff around for school, and get my exercise in.

7:00 a.m. I will wake-up the boys and feed them breakfast. After breakfast they brush their teeth, get dressed. Then they have some time to wake-up and play while I finish getting everything around.

8:00 a.m. We start our school day. We start with Bible and then I let the boys decide which subjects they want to do next. Usually they want to do Sign-Language. We learn that from a Library book but we also have a neighbor that knows Sign-Language really well and helps us with signs we don't know :). The boys and I love it!!

If they aren't done with their school work before lunch (usually they are) we stop for lunch at 11:00 a.m. and then finish up what's left afterwards.

Oh and we do Science three days a week instead of everyday because that's what is recommended in the Science book they have :).

After all that they can go outside and burn off some steam by riding their bikes (which they love to do) or just playing around. During the Winter though here in Michigan their are a lot of days that are just too cold for outside play. Thank the Lord for the MOMS Club® we are in so they have other ways to burn off some energy :).

4:00 or 5:00 p.m. we usually have dinner. This depends on when we all decide when we are hungry :).

6:30 p.m. Boys have to come in the house (if they are still outside) and start getting ready for bed (IE: Taking a shower, brush teeth, put on P.J.'s). This is also about the time we have Bible Study as a family and also read a story or two.

8:00 p.m. Boys go to their room, say their prayers and then it's lights out and sleepy time. This is also about the time I take a shower.

10:00 p.m. I am off to bed myself to start it all over again the next day.


Most of the time that is our routine but on Wednesday's we have Church and the boy's don't get to sleep till later and I let them sleep in the next day. Also sometimes this stuff gets moved around because we have a MOMS Club® event or something going on so things are later than usual. But that's pretty much our routine.

Homeschool Memoirs: All About Me

I saw this Meme and thought I would join in on it. It's the first week of Homeschool Memoirs. This is the first assignment:"This week, we want to hear about YOU. The author behind the words. The Momma behind all the homeschooling kiddos. Just write up something about you, your family, and your home. How long you’ve been homeschooling and why you decided to homeschool. It doesn’t have to be anything lengthy at all, but we’d love to hear it! You might include a family photo too!"

I know I have why I started to homeschool my boys some where on here. But I will just type it up again. This will be our fourth year of homeschooling. Initially my husband approached me about homeschooling the summer before my oldest son, Chord, was to enter Kindergarten. We had talked about back when he was just a baby but it was only in passing and I honestly hadn't thought of it since then. I then got everything I could get my hands on about homeschooling and the homeschooling laws here in Michigan. From Library books to anything I could read online. After much research and lots of praying :) I agreed with hubby and haven't looked back since.

It has worked out well because I have two very different boys. My oldest learns quickly and needs more challenges all the time which I don't think a public school could provide him with. I was afraid he would get board of school and learn to hate learning. With my youngest he is a very active boy. He can't sit still for long and needs to burn energy. He can pay attention but he has to have almost a constant motion of one kind or another. He is also a very kinesthetic (hands on) learner. He has to touch and feel things to understand them. He is a visual learner too but he has to have both before he really can understand things. Again I don't think sending him to school would have helped him and I feared he would end not liking to learn too.

I think every year we find something new to keep homeschooling. It's ever changing for us. As we go along I have become more relaxed in our school approach and I have seen lots of improvement in both boys and they truly love to learn. I love to learn right a long with them :).

When I am not homeschooling them I love to read a good book, listen to music, day dream and spending time with my family :). I am also part of an International MOMS Club®. It's not a homeschool group but I enjoy being a part of it as do my boys. I am now (voluntarily) a Secretary of the club for the year. I love doing things with the boys through them and also learning new things for myself and meeting other moms :).

If you want to know more about it please go to http://homeschoolblogawards.com/2008/08/homeschool-memoirs-2008-09/ .

Stop By Saturday Meme

Stop by on Saturday


Welcome to the first edition of Stop by on Saturday.Brought to you by Anne.

Stop by on Saturday and hopefully make some new friends while you're at it. This can be done two different ways.
1.You visit a person on your blog list. If you leave a comment, try visiting the person's blog that commented before you.
or
2. You visit a person on your blog list. then pick a person from their blog list to visit and hey if you have time just pick a person from that persons blog list just keep going if you find it fun.
If you would like to post this on your blog feel free. But don't forget to add your name to the list below.
I've done both and that's how I found some of the people on my blog list. Have a great Saturday.