We had a Family Reunion in Chicago this past weekend. It was wonderful to see everyone again and it not be for a sad occasion! While there, the kids rode a train for the first time and we attended a boating event on Lake Michigan and my younger children got to experience the beach for the first time!
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Well, we lost Leah over the weekend. We held a short memorial for her and then she took the "Porcelain ride to the Great Beyond". My children handled it very well.
J3 is doing fine and has lost hie tail completely. I haven't noticed any signs of depression or anything. Here are some pics I took of him today after cleaning out the bowl.
Though I teach my children how to multiply, divide, and diagram a
sentence, but fail to show them love, I have taught them nothing.
And though I take them on numerous field trips, to swim practice and
flute lessons; and though I involve them in every church activity,
but fail to give them love, I profit nothing.
And though I scrub my house relentlessly, run countless errands, and serve three nutritious
meals every day but fail to be an example of love, I have done
nothing.
Love is patient with misspelled words and is kind to young
interrupters. Love does not envy high SAT scores of other homeschool
families.Love does not claim to have better teaching methods than
anyone else,It is not rude to the fourth telephone caller during a
science lesson, does not seek perfectly behaved geniuses, does not
turn into a drill sergeant, thinks no evil about friends' educational
choices.
Love bears all my children's challenges, believes all my children are
God's precious gifts, hopes all my children establish permanent
relationships with Christ, and endures all things to demonstrate
God's love.
Love never fails.
Where there are college degrees, they will fail; where there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we teach in
part. But when the trials of life come to our children, the history,
math, and science will be done away and faith, hope and love will
remain;but the greatest of these is love.
I didn't realize a tadpole could change so quickly!!! We had a scare today. I peaked out of the door this morning to check on J3 and Leah. He was floating on top like he had died. I told three of my children and my oldest son was really hurt. I got the gloves and the "Porcelain Express" ready. (I was surprised at how sad I was) I picked up the bowl trying to think of some words of condolences...then J3 starts splashing wildly! We were so happy! I know it sounds funny, but I didn't feel like dealing with a dead tadpole/frog at the time. I changed their water after this picture was taken and put a large rock for J3 to sit on. Hopefully, we will be able to keep him for awhile. BTW, Leah is still Leah.
He is on a plastic Lillie Pad my mom insisted that I put in the fishbowl.
I made these for my children about two years ago. They are wonderful and come in handy on a regular basis. They are excellent to put up on the table when the children are being easily distracted with each other. To make them a little more "welcoming" for my kids, I put their favorite characters on the covers and throughout the inside by using stickers, ect.
If you plan to make one or two of these, my advice is to make sure the information that is used inside of them, matches whatever curriculum you use. For my older children's Writing Office, I looked through their L.A. curriculum, copied the needed pages and replaced it with whatever was suggested on the website.
My daughter is now in the 7th grade, so I tweaked her offices to make them fit her needs, especially in the area of math. For her's I put in the formulas of finding the area of different shapes, along with the volume & total surface area formulas. One thing she really needed help with was Measurements, so that was definitely included.
Someone from my church laminated all of them for me. (Thanks, Chris) Free of Charge!!!
To explain the pics below: I have the front cover, followed by a pic of the entire office on one side, (sometimes there are pics of the back side, if I used them), then a pic of each section. I'm sorry some have a light from the flash on my camera. On some of the covers you will see a white blob- it's where my children's names are at and I purposely blobbed it for privacy reasons.
Oh! I purposely made the pics big so they could be seen.
Hope you enjoy!
If you have any questions, email me!
Here are some links along with printable templates:
Teaching Heart's, Busy Teacher's Cafe, K-2 Printables
Today, I cleaned out the fish bowl that our tadpoles are in. We were in for a surprise- J3 has arms! The water was murky green color and we couldn't see too much in there over the last couple of days, so that's why it shocked us. I think I will have to add a few rocks, lower the water level and definately buy a little piece of screening to go on top of the fishbowl. I would hate to see J3 on the floor one day.
I told my children that it is almost time to let the frog go. My youngest son said he didn't want me to let J3 go becasue he would never see him again and he would miss him. I told him in that case we will keep him as long as we can. They are bullfrogs, which get pretty big!
Here's some pics of J3 showing off his arms to us:
I finally get to respond to those who wished me a happy birthday-THANK YOU!!!
I recieved two special "blog gifts" I got tagged for the first time and I recieved an award!!!
Here is my response to being tagged:
1. All right, here are the rules.
2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight
things and post these rules.
5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged
and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re
tagged, and to read your blog
Now here are 8 little known facts about me:
1. I am ambidextrous- I am really left handed, but PS forced me to be right handed, therefore I am now ambidextrous.
2. I absolutely hate the movie, "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"- everytime I watch it, the little men make me sick!
3. I have famous people in my family- one day I might actually claim them, just kidding.
4. My nick name is "Grace". I am 5'11" so, when I was younger, I was always too tall for my age. I would constantly fall or trip over something. Everytime I did, my mom would call me Grace. Thankfully, she put me in Ballet, Gymnastics and Dance classes to help me out, but every now and then, when I least expect it, I am on the floor looking up trying to figure out how did I get there.
5. My favorite scent is the smell of freshly washed linens- I wish they had a perfume that smelled like it.
6. Sometimes, I crave for garlic bread and orange juice. Yeah, I know, sounds gross, huh?
7. I talk to God continually in my mind.
8. I am a complete Night Owl
I pass this on to:
Educating Mummy , Triple Threat mojmommy Princess Melenie Daredhead and Amber waves of Praise
The second blog gift I got was something I will always cherish:
What a compliment! Thank you so very much Garringer9 for both of my gifts!
Well, I am now officially 35! Hmmmm, where did the time go? I thank God for allowing me to see this day . 
All of my life, God has been good to me!
"This is the day that the Lord hath made. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it"
I will post more later on today, its after 1 AM and I just wanted to be up when my birthday came.
Here's the latest pic of our tadpoles. I learned to keep them outside so that they will change quickly. I put them outside last week and when I changed the water, I was surprised at how long J3's legs had grown! Leah's legs are very small, but I don't think her's will take long to catch up.
Spiderman had to check things out...
Today is my mom's 61st birthday!!! Thank You Jesus!!! You would never know- You would think she was 41. I LOVE my mom. I thank God for a wonderful mother like her everyday. I don't ever want to take our relationship for granted or be carefree about it. A lot of my friends wanted my mother for theirs. I told them they couldn't have her, but I would be willing to share-sometimes : ) My mom is my friend. That one sentence really speaks volumes. When we talk about some things, I tell her I need her to turn off the "mom mode" and listen to me as a friend and she does. I pray one day (today) I will be to my children what she is to me.
One more thing- I find out that the older I get, the smarter she is...go figure!
I LOVE YOU, MOM!!!!
My Mom with some of us at Magic Kingdom Disney-she's on the right, I am on the left.
Proverbs 31:10-31
(10) Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
(11) The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
(12) She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
(13) She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
(14) She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
(15) She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
(16) She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
(17) She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
(18) She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
(19) She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
(20) She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
(21) She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
(22) She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
(23) Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
(24) She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
(25) Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
(26) She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
(27) She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
(28) Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
(29) Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
(30) Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
(31) Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
This looks pretty good- one of friends shared this on their blog and I thought I put it on mine as well:
