Homeschooling

We just got our Veritas Press order of books including other silver chair customers orders today and I have to say they do everything well. I was looking at their cursive writing books that I was thinking I would skip using. They are so great. The Classically Cursive bible primer has the books of the bible, the 2 greatest commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. Just a great way to get them learning these things with little effort. I love the Phonics Museum partially because I am biased in wanting to teach my kids about art as much as possible. Each letter and phonic sound(?) is on a card with a work of art and there is a museum you place the art cards on. Their history stuff is awesome. They have won awards for that. So I highly recommend them.

Cheap

I have become cheap. I confess. I started garage saling and thrift store shopping and now I am so unwilling to buy new things. I had a great haul at the thrift store yesterday. I usually don't get things I am looking for but rather things I was looking for or things I know I'll want or need later but yesterday I got things I wanted right now. It was awesome. Things you think you will have to buy new like paint rollers for house painting, file folder trays, etc.. Nope I got em' super cheap at the thrift store.

I have at least 2 Christmas presents for each of my 4 kids hidden under the bed (and I mean nice wooden toys or Little Pet Shop big thingys) and I paid less than 7.00 for all of them. It's kind of a high not to have to waste/spend a lot of money on things like toys. It's also nice to see these things being reused. Clothes (except Joffre's - not enough gigantic people around) and all our homeschooling books are also things I get great deals on. I got 2 complete Saxon Math sets (the Math I use for homeschooling) for $5.00 yesterday too. They are normally at least $50 for the whole set used. Yep I'm feelin' proud of myself like us ridiculously frugal people do. I just hope I don't become one of those people who talk about how much things cost all the time...so I better end this post.

My Talents

I have become a connoisseur of kitchen chair messiness. Let me explain. I could come into your child laden house and determine the age of your child/children 5 or under by the messiness of his or her chair. You can walk around my kitchen table and determine where each of my children sit by the degree of messiness. We had noodles today.

Yow Yow

This is my husband's rugby team. He is the gigantic sweaty one in the back. I am having a hard time getting used to watching Rugby after being a football fan for years. It looks like football with the rewind button on.

Walking Baby and A Birthday

So this one walked for the first time two days ago and has kept it up . My neighbor's comment was, "How in the world does he support that all that weight." We like em' chubby in this house!



Renata's 6th birthday is coming up and we decided to do a tea party. She is really excited and drew her own invitations. Aren't they great! She is going to color them and hopefully be able write all the info on them.

I am also making this birthday banner (it will be one long banner) for her birthday and future ones for the family. I am trying to think in terms of less disposable stuff and very lovely things we can keep for a long time. Things my kids will have affection for later. This of course is trendy right now but it is so nice to have handmade lovely things. It helps that I love to make things. I got the idea to do this from Soule Mama's post. Her new book is out and I was so hoping I'd be the lucky one out of 5000 or so to win it but alas it was not my fate. She is sharing a lot of it on her blog which is generous.

School

So I have gotten myself organized for school only to start today and feel completely disorganized. How did that happen exactly! I just need to get in the swing of it ( I hope). Here is my school room as I get it ready. We have plaster walls which are a nightmare to hang on. I have so many visual aids (of course) that I want to hang but I've got to figure out some corkboard genius plan -o-action.
I had the kids decorate their manilla folders that I am going to put each day's worksheets for them. Then I started working on a giant calendar to laminate. I love Veritas Press's letter and timeline cards. It is such a rockin' curriculum. I think I am going to finagle going to an art museum to play the letter game this week.

Pioneer Woman

I have so been enjoying the web site of Pioneer Woman as of late. She is so funny and she is a homeschooler which is fun to check out.. She has fantastic giveaways every week/day it seems too. Check it out.