Over Thanksgiving holidays, I had this conversation with Phillip, who did not know that green bean casserole contained onions (of course, I’m not sure if french fried onions count).
Me: Phillip, you left a few onions on your plate.
Phillip: From what?
Me: From the green bean casserole.
Phillip: What?! I ate onions?! I guess I like onions then!
We discovered a little over a month ago that our current van has transmission trouble. We immediately started shopping on craigslist for a replacement vehicle, hoping to prevent being stranded without a vehicle. The fact that our inspection sticker on our current van expires in December and can’t be renewed with a bad transmission also helped motivate us in our search.
Because we max out a mini-van, we decided to go with something a little bigger. So, I have now been searching a little over a month for a 12 passenger van. What I found is a 12 passenger if you count the wheelchair it is equipped for. Otherwise, it is an 11 passenger. I’m not sure, but I think this one will be big enough! 😉
We call it “The Bus.” What do you think?
Thanksgiving 2008 can be marked as the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever had away from my extended family. We were invited to spend Thanksgiving with some friends of ours, and it worked out really well because neither of our families have extended family living nearby. The Kowalczyk’s informed us that, for that day, we were considered part of the family! And boy was being a Kowalczyk fun!
We showed up at their house at around 10 am and jumped right into cooking Thanksgiving dinner. After eating a delicious dinner in which everything tasted so good we weren’t sure what to call our favorite, we spent all day playing games and talking. We played Scrabble, Air Hockey, Rummy-O, and some old Nintendo games! It felt like we had stepped back a decade, and we were young again!
We had so much fun! I know Thanksgiving is all about family, but I learned this Thanksgiving that it is also about friends! And what better celebration of Thanksgiving is there, in the absence of family, than to spend it with friends that love you just the way you are! We feel blessed to be friends with the Kowalczyk’s! I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as we did! God Bless you, Brett and Jessi!
Had on time 2 rewet & style hair this am. Fortunately it is raining! The rain is my friend! 11:39 AM Nov 15th from txt
Straightening up the house for company this evening. Kids are helping and excited to do it! 🙂 1:51 PM Nov 14th from TwitKit
Making hot tea, baking pies, and cooking beans (yes, the same ones I soaked on Wednesday…just a bit behind on that one). 😀 10:51 AM Nov 14th from TwitKit
Drinking hot tea while blogging (still). 11:30 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Reading the Bible with my hubby. 11:02 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Can you tell I changed my wording in my last tweet? Was supposed to be “my” son, not “your son,” although if yours is singing, I”ll let him. 9:40 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
How can I tell your son to be quiet in bed when he is singing scripture? Maybe I’ll just let him sing himself to sleep. 🙂 9:35 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Maybe it has something to do with missing out on a bath for 3 weeks b/c of a fractured leg. 9:07 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Wow! I think my 10 mo old is going to keep me way busier than the others! She was all over the place while I was trying to bathe her! 9:07 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Putting my kids to work cleaning in the kitchen while I bake banana bread. Gotta do something with those over ripe bananas, right? 🙂 2:21 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
But that ain’t all. You’d be doing yourself a favor if you read it. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. 12:48 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
2 Corinthians 3:17 is especially relevant to the US. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 12:47 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Great Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. You might have to read it a few times to really understand it. 12:43 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Anybody ever heard of 2-knuckle scrolling? That’s what I was doing while eating a juicy orange. 🙂 12:32 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
So much for being such a great homemaker today. After soaking the beans, I didn’t get them on in time to actually eat them before church! 3:46 PM Nov 12th from TwitKit
Making brown rice for lunch & soaking beans for supper. I’ve got this homemaking down today! Now to get the kids down from the ceiling! 🙂 12:34 PM Nov 12th from TwitKit
How is it that my 10 month old can push one key on my laptop and throw the very message I am reading in the trash? 3:09 PM Nov 11th from TwitKit
Somehow mopping the floor led to rearranging the furniture. I know what you men are thinking, “Women!” But I just can’t help it! 🙂 3:04 PM Nov 11th from TwitKit
For those of you who didn’t know, 2-finger scroll is way cool! 11:45 AM Nov 11th from TwitKit
Trying to figure out how to shrink a link. 🙂 11:24 AM Nov 11th from TwitKit
My 8YO is saying, “Duh!” to my 10 month old to hear her say it back. She almost has the tone down! 🙂 7:07 PM Nov 25th from TwitKit
My computer is being taken hostage by my 8YO who needs it for school. 12:22 PM Nov 25th from TwitKit
My 2YO has learned to open doors. Knew it was coming soon. Now I just need to teach her not to go in her room when my 10 mo old is napping. 11:48 AM Nov 25th from TwitKit
I am SO glad that God provides for our needs and does it at the exact right moment!!! 4:30 PM Nov 24th from web
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab Do people still wear watches? I used to but don’t seem to need it anymore since I have a clock on my phone. 9:17 PM Nov 22nd from TwitKit
Candice just took three steps!! 8:55 PM Nov 21st from TwitKit
My 2 YO just asked to watch Spy Kids? Heh? 4:01 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
My 10 mo old just took a single step before falling!! 1:57 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
A yell in the house is more difficult to hear than a whisper. 12:17 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
Why is it that my 2YO wants to ride my 10 mo old like a horse? 😐 7:49 PM Nov 18th from TwitKit
My 10 mo old is on a roll today. She has learned to raise the toilet lid. Fortunately I rescued her before she took a potty bath. 🙂 6:00 PM Nov 18th from TwitKit
Crushed Ice, I love you!!!!! 9:55 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Grumpiest teething 10 month old I’ve ever met…..EVER!! 9:35 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
My 10 month old has learned how to flush the toilet!! She’s done it twice tonight. Yes, the toilet lid was down! 🙂 9:04 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Funny. My 8YO always asks if a small meal portion is “too much,” while my 6yo always asks if a humongous one is “enough.” 6:57 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
My (almost) 3YO has learned to say “NO WAY!” Only problem is, she has no idea what it means or when to say it! 🙂 4:30 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Just said a thought was “slipping my hind.” Just one wrong consonant, right?
Luke is doing a group writing project reminding us to be thankful this season. Here are seven things I’m thankful for (in no particular order – except the 1st one).
God
I am thankful that God is there with me through thick and thin, and that’s saying a lot! I’ve been through some pretty thick and pretty thin times, and He hasn’t failed me a time!
My Blog
This may sound like a funny thing to be thankful for, but I have always been more comfortable with a pen in my hand than talking. Words just come out better on paper. I don’t know why. I believe people who read my blog probably know me as much as, if not better than, those who only know me in person.
My Husband
The only reason I am thankful for him is because he got my blog going. Just teasing! He is the most awesome guy on the planet! I couldn’t ask for a better husband.
My Children
Being a mother has been a dream of mine for as far back as I can remember. Now I have five little blessings running around. Life would be boring and not complete without them!
Sleep
Can you imagine not ever getting sleep? What a nightmare that would be! Wait a minute! It couldn’t be a nightmare if I never slept. So there’s another reason. What could we say when something was really bad if there were no nightmares! There would also be no one saying their “dream came true.”
Family Night
It is so cool to end each work week with a fun evening with the family. It gives us all a break and gives us an excuse to have some fun together.
A Phone
We live in New England, and my parents, my sister, and other loved ones live down in Mississippi. There is no way I would be able to communicate with them if I did not have a phone.
Several months ago, I dropped my refill bottle of liquid hand soap, and the lid busted. I was quite disappointed, not only about the mess I had just created, but also about the fact that I could no longer easily refill my soap dispensers. I knew there would be even more mess each time I went to refill them.
Finally the dreaded day arrived, despite the fact that I had only let the kids wash their hands once a day!* It was time to make a mess pouring soap from a big bottle to a small bottle. I was in for a pleasant little surprise. No mess!! The soap poured quickly but quite neatly into the little soap dispenser. I didn’t even have to wait for the air bubbles to come up after each squeeze, like I normally had to!
Now that the refill bottle with the busted lid is long gone, I remove the lid of the refill bottle for every refill. It actually works better! Never have I been so happy to have lost my lid!
*For those of you who didn’t catch my joke, I was kidding about the once a day hand washing. I actually limited it to once a week! 😉
While visiting with friends from Singapore last week, we were introduced to a new game similar to jacks. It is called Five Stones. It is a fun game that can be played with stones or can easily be made. The game would be a cool gift idea this season. It could also save you money to put toward something more useful.
A video really can’t capture the game well because it is done so fast, so watch closely. If you want to try playing, go ahead and read the rules. Have fun!
I realized several years ago that I don’t like going Christmas shopping and maybe not even birthday shopping. I would rather go out and buy something for someone just because I thought of them on a regular day. It makes them feel how special they truly are to you when you present them with a gift for no particular reason.
Forget gifts on their birthday and holidays. They get gifts from plenty of people on those days, and if you are consistently making sure they know how special they are to you, they are probably not going to be upset if you don’t get them something on “that special day.” (Seth Godin’s mom would agree on this point). However, I am sure at least some of them would appreciate a card (especially if you make it yourself) and/or a phone call on that day. Then you can give the money you saved by shopping out of season and spending it on the best gift ever.
According to The Advent Conspiracy, it would take $10 billion to supply the whole world with safe drinking water. Sound like a lot? It actually sounds like a very small amount when compared with the $450 billion Americans spend each year on Christmas purchases!
I did the math. $10 billion is only 2.2% of $450 billion. Do you think you could spend 2.2% less on Christmas purchases this year and give it to a worthy cause? That means buying $9.78 gifts instead of $10 ones; $19.56 gifts instead of $20 ones; $48.90 instead of $50 ones. It means giving less than a quarter for every $10 you spend on Christmas!
It would be easy to make this a family or group project. You can make up a chart for your family and/or church designating $.25 for every $2 spent for Christmas presents. It would be so easy to get children motivated to help out children in other countries. Just take the first step. Reach out to those who so desperately need it.
Thousands of people die yearly because of unsafe drinking water. Let’s give hope to those who could die next year and the year after that! Let’s give a quarter for every $10 spent this Christmas. Go to adventconspiracy.com for more details. If you would like to skip a few steps, click directly on this link to donate.
In part 1 of this series, I talked about Luke’s home school experience and my public school experience with social skills. In part 2, I posted a Luann comic about socialization in public school. Here is my input on homeschooling and how it is actually better at teaching social skills than public school.
According to dictionary.com socialize means “to make social; make fit for life in companionship with others.” Because the definition for “socialize” uses the root word in it, I went ahead and looked up the word “social.” Dictionary.com defines it as “seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious.”
When I think of my public school experience, the definition above does not come to mind. A typical school day consisted of free time before school, class, several minutes to change classes, lunch and recess (in elementary school). In high school there were two 5-10 minute breaks instead of recess. Because students typically were not allowed to talk in class, the time to socialize was before school, a 20 minute lunch (barely time to eat, let along talk), and breaks/recess.
While it is true that sitting still and being quiet is a social skill, it is only one circumstance that does not change from day to day. Children are taught to be quiet during class, but there are not many other opportunities to learn other social skills. Even when children are allowed to discuss and/or share their viewpoints, only those who already have social skills and are brave enough to speak up raise their hands to answer and share. The others are very likely to sit back and look like they are listening.
Children who are home schooled encounter many different circumstances and opportunities to learn a variety of social skills. They are more likely to go on many different field trips that teach them how to become “fit for life in companionship with others” as listed in the definition above. Different social skills are used to visit a science museum than are used to visit an art museum or the fire station. Not only that, but because home school groups are usually smaller than public school groups, there is more opportunity to speak up and ask questions and actually interact. Because public school groups are so large, it is easy to sit back and listen to what everyone else has to say (like I used to do) instead of interacting.
Socialization at my school was limited to children of my own age, my teachers, and maybe my school bus driver. We lived in a rural area where there were not many children to play with (until Luke’s family moved in), so there was not socializing after school. Just boring ole homework. 🙂
Home school students are constantly around children of diverse ages. They work with their parents to learn their lessons and then are able to teach the same concepts to their younger siblings. From the younger sibling’s point of view, they interact with older siblings and also get to learn the same concept taught in multiple ways. In Luke’s family, the younger siblings also got to spend time with their nieces and nephews and children from other home school groups.
Home school groups allow home schooled children, regardless of birth order, to learn to interact with children of various ages and adults. There are home school groups all over the country, and they are usually pretty easy to find. The groups usually have activities for both similar age children and children of all ages. The amazing thing about most home schooled children is that they get along with children of all ages – and actually enjoy it.
When I got together with my home school group last month, three teenage girls took temporary ownership of my 2 year old and enjoyed it thoroughly. I had to do very little for her because these older girls were eager to do it. The whole time the group was together there was a constant game of capture the flag with children ranging in age from 5 to 17! They didn’t just play side by side; they played together. They were “seeking or enjoying the companionship of others;” being “friendly, sociable, and gregarious” as the definition of “social” states.
I feel that it is necessary at this point to say that I do not oppose public schools. Some of my kids’ best friends go to a public school. There are public schooled children who get along with children of all ages. There are those students that make a point to raise their hands and participate and, in so doing, grow up with wonderful social skills. Your child can learn awesome social skills, regardless of whether he/she is in public, private, or home school. The key in any aspect of a child’s learning, including social skills, is the participation of the parents. I will talk more about the role of the parents in teaching social skills in “Are Home Schoolers Socialized Part 4.
Anyone else notice that it is that chilly time of year? In order to celebrate the time of year, we recently ate chili for supper. Bethany got to help cook for the first time, and Candice got to eat chili for the first time. Bethany did a really good job stirring the chili, and Candice did a good job…..well…..eating it (and making a mess)! They both enjoyed themselves thoroughly! Can you tell?
