Emptying My Brain for Your Reading Enjoyment

• There is a 10 year old little girl in Hannah's theatre reading "Twilight."  Seriously.  If you've read the book you know that it is absolutely not appropriate for a child to read.  I did hear from a softball mom that they have a "Twilight" book club at one of the local elementary schools so I guess it is not uncommon for ten year olds to be reading this book but still.  That's just wrong.  
• This is the last week for baseball and softball, can I get a woohoo!!!  I can't wait to have my normal life back.  For a couple of months at least.  I think Joe will be playing again and the season starts mid-January.  Grace has opted to not play again for now.
• I am loving the book I'm reading, "The Thirteenth Tale," it's wonderful, I highly recommend it!
• Last call for Chick-fil-a calendars--I've sold a ton but still have lots more to sell if anyone local wants one or two or ten.  They are $6 a piece and have more than $25 worth of coupons for free food.  If you are a regular Chick-fil-a goer you may as well buy one and support Hannah's theatre company and get free food.  It only makes sense.  
• I spent almost 4 hours the other night prepping, "Life in Plymouth Colony" for Grace and Joe.  That means we can fly through it this week and next and maybe even finish before Thanksgiving.  
• I haven't eaten meat in a few weeks and see no real difference in my arthritis so although I'm limiting my meat intake considerably I'm no longer a vegetarian.  
• Grace got the game ball last week for "most improved player."  She was pretty excited!  I was a bad mom and didn't take a picture.  
• I've decided not to get a head start on Christmas this year.  I'm going to wait until after Thanksgiving to even think about it.  I'm thinking I may even wait until after Hannah and Joe do "Suessical, Jr." the first weekend of December.  Maybe our Christmas cards will be the last to arrive instead of one of the first this year.  I'm determined not to stress out over Christmas this year and not to do too much.  I'd rather enjoy the holiday season.  
• Okay, the dishes are calling my name...
  

By the Way...

The book I used to do the Native Americans study is up for sale for a whopping $6.  That's about half price from what I paid new.  Anyone want it?  "Life in Plymouth Colony" will be available in a couple of weeks for $6 as well.

History Pockets "Native Americans"

We wrapped up our unit study on Native Americans today. This has been such a great study. I absolutely love Evan Moor's History Pockets. I have had this one for about 4 years and finally got around to actually using it and I'm so glad I did. Grace and Joe have enjoyed learning about Native Americans and there similarities and differences. This study had one "pocket" for each of 8 tribes. Each pocket consisted of a short reading, three vocabulary words to add to the picture dictionary, a "stamp" to put on the map, and a craft or two. We combined this with lots of reading of our own of fiction and non-fiction books about Native Americans. We still have a lot of good books to read and will continue to read even though we've finished this part. I am most excited about two "Dear America" books I found on Julie's shelf yesterday. Tomorrow we start another History Pocket, "Life in Plymouth Colony." I figure our study of this time period in US history will take us through until Christmas break. Right now we are reading aloud "Stories of the Pilgrims" and then we'll start in on the Dear America books. Any other pilgrim and indian read aloud suggestions? So--here are some pictures of this project. Grace and Joe both did this but I've only included pictures of Grace's. I didn't think you'd really want to see two pictures of everything. The rest of the pockets each focused on a different tribe.
This was the first pocket and we added to it each time we did a new tribe. We added three words to the Picture Dictionary and a stamp to the map and filled out the chart. The chart had columns for clothing, food, and shelter.

Just Another Manic Monday

Good morning friends! I'm tired and not so ready to start this week but it's here anyway. Last week really wore me out with just too much going on. This week is more normal which means that it is still busy but doable. Just two more weeks of ball season...I think we're going to make it. I've now made some friends there and will actually miss my time hanging out and chatting and watching the games. I have a few random things so bullet points are in order...

• I went to a health seminar thingy yesterday afternoon and am really hopeful again that I can fight my arthritis and just improve my overall health. It won't be easy but I feel hopeful again.
  
• Update on my 40 days of change--I've done MUCH better about computer time. Moving my laptop to a less comfortable, more out of the way spot was a great thing. I've ended those late night, surf sessions so I've gotten to bed earlier and done more reading. As far as eating--well, let's just say I'm still working on that. Cutting out meat and dairy has been easier than expected but it's the sugar that's still getting me. I need to cut out all three if I want to get better. I'm actually suspecting that the meat isn't that big of a deal but I need to test it a little longer to be sure. So, pray for me to stay away from the sugar. Unfortunately, it's all in my house still from Halloween and just last week I got some of those break and bake cookies--they were on sale and a friend gave me coupons so they were super cheap.
  
• I read "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks this weekend. I love his books. He can really tell a great story. That is the first whole book I've read in over two weeks. I think that's a record for me but the weekend before I spent most of my free time working a wonderful puzzle. I also read my way halfway through the Hobbit for bookclub. I can't decide if I want to finish that one or not. I liked it better than I thought I would but it's still not my type of book.

• I went to Target yesterday and saw all the wonderful holiday things that I don't have. I don't shop much because it makes me want stuff. If I stay out of the stores I don't know what I don't have. Yesterday I saw that I don't have some great holiday dish towels, Christmas mugs, some really cute winter clothes for the girls, and much more. I am reminded though of all that I do have--all that I need!!
  
• I used to love to cross stitch. I started in 7th grade when I took a class at school and always had a project going until the year Grace was born. Well, I'm taking up needle and thread again to make a Christmas present. I bought my supplies yesterday and I can't wait to get started. I hope I can get it done. I have two more weeks of bleacher sitting and I should be able to do it there. I also have lots of Tuesday afternoon park sitting as well.
  

Well, I'm off to get this party started--breakfast, chores, laundry, school, school, more school, rest, dinner, game, bed, rinse and repeat!!
Peace out!!

Learning About the Seminole Indians

Grace and Joe are in the middle of a great unit study on Native Americans, I plan to post lots of pictures when we are done next week. Anyway, I signed up for this field trip two months ago not realizing that we would be doing this study at this time. It could not have been more perfect! We had a "pocket" on the Seminoles that we did the day before this field trip and so we already had some knowledge of the Seminoles to now build upon. Our group traveled to five different stations and the first was Patchwork. This nice lady taught us about the patchwork clothes that the Seminoles made and wore.




This lady shared some of the Seminole legends and had some great animal skins to go along with her stories.

Then we learned about clans and each kid was put in a clan. Hannah, Jake, and Tyler were in the bear clan. Joe, Katherine, and Evan were in the Otter clan. Grace was in the Snake clan but I didn't get a picture. We learned a lot of interesting things about the clans from our teacher who is a Native American himself.


Then we got to make pottery and learn how they made and used pottery.
And finally to the "kitchen" where we got to taste some corn mush--not the right now but I don't remember what she called it.
The field trip was wonderful and I'd love to go back for a tour through the Indian village. That was the afternoon session and we weren't able to stay for it.

Teacher Work Day and Creative Correction

I am totally behind on housework around here.  My tub is growing mold, I have a pile a mile high of clean and dirty clothes on the chest in my room, my kitchen is overflowing with dishes from last night, and the bunny cage is filthy.  So, I've declared it a Teacher Work Day around here.  It's our short school day anyway because we spend our afternoons at the park and some Tuesdays I make it our home ec day.  Lately though we've been doing regular school on Tuesday because we've needed to.  We need to today too since we have field trips the next two days but oh well.  I need to get this house in order or I'll have a big ol' freak out and that's not fun for anyone.  Speaking of big ol' freak outs--I am trying to keep from having those with my children.  I learned so much last year when I read, "Have a New Kid by Friday."  I still am using what I learned in that book but I was very convicted by a blog post I read today here.  I have done my share of yelling in my life and although I am better I still do it sometimes.  I am determined to really work at not doing this.  That's where I need your help.  I need some ideas for creatively correcting my children--Hannah specifically.  As she enters the tween years and trying out some new behaviors with me that I am definitely not happy with.  In my opinion she is too old to spank and my words seem to just make it worse when she's in a mood.  So--any advice for a smart mouth?  arguing?  bossiness?  complaining?  Help me out here people!!  I am looking for specific corrections so that when she talks back or smart mouths I can just mete out the consequence and move on without getting either of us riled up.  

Well, I am off to whip this house into shape so that I don't freak out.  

Daybook Style

This week...we have 4 ballgames, 1 practice, 3 theatre rehearsals, one book club, two field trips, and a Bible study. Not to mention just keeping up with daily life--meals, cleaning, school, etc.
I am reading...The Hobbit for book club but I am not enjoying it. I do not like fantasy...but I am reading it because sometimes in book club you have to read things you don't like. I got started late so I am in a hurry too. I got the book, the CD, and the little "MP3" player thingy so I'm reading it and listening to it. Hopefully I'll be done by Thursday. Before The Hobbit I read a book of the testimonies of Calvary Chapel Pastor's wives and it was really interesting. Calvary Chapels really grew out of the Jesus movement in California in the 70s and these women have some great stories. I was really blessed and inspired to read about their lives. With the kids I am about to start reading "Stories of the Pilgrims." It's a great book to read as we prepare for Thanksgiving.
I am...staying up way too late. With the time change it's only 10:30 but my body "thinks" it's 11:30...time changes always mess me up. It will be at least a week before I quit calculating in my head the old time. Everybody else seems to not like it getting dark early but I like it. Feels like fall. Now if it would just cool down! I think a cold front was moving in tonight, won't be much of one but I'm not complaining. I think the high will be below 85 degrees.
I forgot...to buy snack for Joe's team when I was at the grocery store. I already have Capri Suns and I'm thinking about making banana chocolate chip mini muffins so I can avoid going to the store but then I am not sure that some parents will be weird about it being homemade and not pre-packaged--such is the screwed up world we live in. Any advice on that one?
The song(s) stuck in my head...another Suessical song! Hannah and Joe are in Suessical, Jr. coming up in December and these songs are seriously catchy. I am constantly singing something from the show, even when I wake up in the middle of the night. It's going to be a long month until this show, and then a week or more after the show to fully get them out of my head.
I found...the birth certificates I've been looking for but not before paying $27 to order new ones for all three kids. Ugh!
I'm going...to bed--good night!