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Teacher In Service Day – Oh Help!

23 June 2011, 12:21 pm

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I’m taking the day “off” today to do some long neglected and way overdue ORGANIZATIONAL stuff.  I like being organized but why does getting organized have to hurt so  much?

Take the math, please.  (barum pum, tshhhh!)  Like my rim shot?  You should, I played drums in school.  (Checking to see if Kim is paying attention.)

Anyway, the math, for just the 3 youngest kids, I am making/have made 4 pages per kid, per day.  So the equation looks a little like this:

3 kids times 4 pages per day times a variable number of weeks left in the Summer depending on how I look at it minus another variable number of days each particular kid gets to go to work w/Dad equals about 4 million pieces of paper I have to sort, 3-holepunch and put in logical order in their respective notebooks, and then we have to factor in the distance I can get from this pile of papers if I jump in my Suburban at 12:30 p.m. and head north at 90 miles an hour on 3/4 of a tank of gas  (assume a 32 gallon tank when full) and a track record of 15.5 miles to the gallon, because math makes me run away screaming under the best of circumstances, and we’ve already covered the fact that this day is no fun whatsoever.

And NO, the kids cannot help do this!  Do you want to see what I look like bald-headed from all the hair pulling that would bring on?  Good.  Then why even bring it up?  OK.  I’m glad we got that squared away.

And now you may well ask, “I thought you LURVED that Teaching Textbooks math?”  And my answer to you is, yes, yes we do love TT to the max!  But there is a familial trait at play here, one that causes math facts to bounce off of our brains like a watermelon dropped from the window of the third floor into a swimming pool filled with jello mixed to four times the proper density, as in “jello jigglers.”  Plus, Rachel is not ready for 3rd grade TT yet.  Maybe she will be after this nasty Summer-O-Math-Facts-Bootcamp.

BTW~ all I really got online for just now was to look up that math drill site and print off some more pages.  Stop distracting me already!

Filed under Extra-Categorical.
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A Prayer for Rain After a Long Drought

22 June 2011, 11:18 am

Thou hast never left Thyself without witness, but hast been continually doing good, even to the unthankful and unworthy, in giving them rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with joy and gladness.  We acknowledge that the heavens over us might have been brass, and the earth under us iron.  We have justly deserved the calamity; and Thy power, without a miracle, could have inflicted it.  But though Thou hast tried our patience, and awakened our fears, Thou hast not forgotten to be gracious.  We praise Thee for sending us the seasonable and plentiful rain, by which Thou hast refreshed and revived the drooping fields, so that the earth promises to yield her increase.

 

Another wonderful prayer from Prayers for the Use of Families by Rev. William Jay.

Find it free at:

Oh, and just so ya know, it rained here last night.  While I was at the vet’s office this morning I talked to a man who lives nearby, he said his rain gauge measured 3/4″.  Pretty cool!  More rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow.

Filed under Prayer, Rain.
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Black Bean Soup

20 June 2011, 5:28 am

I’m so tired of beans!  But we have to eat the beans because we’re old and beans are ever so good for our health.  So I have been searching, SEARCHING, searching for yummier bean recipes.  So far this is the one.  And it’s easy, so now I have the double-duty of making myself continue to search so we have variety and don’t get burned out on this too.

The recipe started out on Allrecipes.com and I changed it a bit.

You’ll need:

  • 2 T coconut oil (or whatever oil you like to sauté your onions in)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T chili powder
  • 1 t cumin
  • 1 qt chicken stock
  • 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can corn, drained, I like to use the Fiesta or Mexicorn style ‘cuz it’s zippier
  • 1 – 8 oz can chiles, chopped
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1½ c parboiled rice
  • 1-2 t salt

I like to cook this in my enameled cast iron dutch oven.  Sauté the onion in the oil.  While that’s happening you need to open all those cans.   Drain one can of beans and put it into the blender, along with the can of tomatoes (don’t drain those) and the can of chiles (don’t drain them either).  Liquefy the whole mess.  Rachel said it looks like a black smoothie and it does look kinda icky at this point.  Add the seasonings, the rest of the beans, the corn and the black smoothie.  Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the rice, give a good stir, plop the lid on, turn the heat to low.  Now go sit down and drink some iced tea, ‘cuz it’s hot out there y’all!  Stir the pot every once in a while and after about 20 minutes you can take the pot off the heat, leave the lid on and let it sit until supper time.

This is the tastiest beans and rice I’ve ever made, maybe.  And did you notice?  It’s easy and it’s vegetarian and it’s good for ya!

Do you have a favorite bean recipe?  Care to share?  I need more variety!

Filed under Beans, Soup, Supper, Vittles.
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Pray for Rain

17 June 2011, 10:25 am

–Are there any of the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He, O Lord our God? Therefore will we wait upon Thee, for Thou hast made all these things.

Thou visitest the earth and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God which is full of water. Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the springs thereof. Thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness and the little hills rejoice on every side.

We have been made to feel the worth of this blessing by the want of it; and it would be easy for Thee to continue the privation till the heavens over us were brass and the earth under us iron; and the husbandman be ashamed for the wheat, and for the barley, because the harvest of the field is perished, and because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

But, O deal not with us after out desert. Turn not a fruitful land into barrenness. Command Thy rain to descend. Cause Thy grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man, and bring forth food out of the earth.

A Prayer for Rain from the book Prayers for the Use of Families by Rev. William Jay.

Available for free in the following locations online and on your phone.

Filed under Extra-Categorical.
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Teresa is out, Leslie is in, and Shannon is da Bomb!

16 June 2011, 5:23 am

I tried, Teresa, I really did.  But you kept on trying to kill me.  I had to put you away, for now.  When I am more fit I’ll get you out again and give you another opportunity to help me.

For now I’m gonna let Leslie help me.  She’s a kinder, gentler fitness trainer.  I don’t know how far she can take me.  I haven’t been that driven… until now.

I am drowning in my own sea of fatigue.  And I hate it.  I’m tired when I get up in the morning.  I’m tired mid-morning.  I’m tired in the afternoon.  I’m tired after supper.  The only time I’m not tired is when I’m actually sleeping.

I don’t think I’m sick.  I do have allergies, but I live in Texas, home of the year-round allergens.  I am over-weight.  Doctors would call me morbidly obese, another reason to hate doctors (just kidding, a little).  Anyway, the answer to my problems is to get off my giant, round, duff and exercise.

Lord, help me.

I’m motivated… again.  So, I started with T-Tapp.

Let me just give you my personal, comprehensive review of the T-Tapp exercise system.

OUCH!!!

Now lemme give you my personal, comprehensive review of Leslie Sansone: Walk Away the Pounds.

REALLY???  THAT’S ALL I HAVE TO DO?

I think about the issue all the time.  I mean, how can I not think about all the extra effort it takes to do stuff because I have the equivalent of an entire extra person I have to lug around with me everyday, all the time.  What a relief that will be to get that person off of my knees and feet!

John told me about the lady who lost 300 pounds in 3 years thru good old fashioned diet and exercise and that was a real help to me.  Just reading about her and her efforts has inspired me to, ahem, get up and do stuff.  She started off at 589 lbs and has lost 300 pounds!  Go Shannon!

Here’s my plan:

  • Walk with Leslie  M – S  in the mornings.
  • Swim with my kids  daily for 30 minutes in the afternoons.
  • Eat like Shannon – pretty sound ideas there – also adding some brown rice, but limited serving sizes.
  • Stop buying ice cream.  <sigh>

Let’s see how far that takes me.

Here are a couple of recipe links, Spanish Rice, and Brown Rice Pilaf.

Filed under Fitness, Weight Loss.
10 Comments

Artists Block?

15 June 2011, 6:45 pm

Funny, I knew it had been a while since I had gotten out my pencils and actually made any effort in my drawing book.  I didn’t think it had been 2 years!

The 4 above I drew when John was in the hospital 5 years ago.  I drew more but most of them went on the wall in his room.  I drew the weasel while John was getting a drain removed or inserted, I can’t remember which.  I do remember the stress surrounding the event, and I think it shows in the art.  The doctor who preformed the procedure, as he saw me bring my pencils and drawing pad to the waiting area, asked me, “You’re an artist?”  After the procedure was all done, and so was the drawing, the same doc said, “Oh, I guess you are!”  I thought to myself, “Arrogant snot!”  But I just smiled at him.  Stress much?  The Possum is my favorite of that group.

I vaguely remember drawing these three.  If they didn’t have the date on them I wouldn’t have a clue when it was.  Jacob says I entered the mushrooms in a contest.  Of that I have no recollection.  Alzheimer’s much?  Starting to wonder.

Anyway, it’s been almost 2 years since I have felt like drawing much.  Dunno why, just haven’t.  So I bought myself some inspiration.

Today I’m too tired to draw.  I’ll just enjoy leafing thru my new book and think about drawing.

Filed under Extra-Categorical.
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Really, I’m fine

14 June 2011, 9:07 am

It’s just that I’ve been busy with real life.  But in my email today I found something very share-worthy.

Free, printable, baby birth announcements.  Almost makes me want another baby.  Well, I kinda always want another baby, while at the same time am always glad that God is wiser than me.  Does that make sense?

But I also found these cute, puppy announcements!  Fun!  Don’t really want another puppy at this point either, but at the same time I know there will be another puppy in our not too distant future.  Am I making any sense to y’all today, or just to me?

Filed under Free Stuff.
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Online Unit Studies, aka Free Homeschooling!

9 June 2011, 5:28 am

First, I looked around online and there are approximately 473 millionbilliontrillion literature based unit studies/lapbook/notebook plans already out there, and some of it is even free for the printing!

Overwhelming?  Just a tad.

I had to sleep on it.

I came up with a S.T.E.L.L.A.R. plan.

Shop right here on my book shelves, choose several books to find unit studies for.

Lemme ‘splain it to ya, Lucy.  I’m talking about lessons for my littles who are 13, 11, and 8.  I need a combo of unit study/lapbook/notebook type stuff.

These are the books I chose off my very own shelves, and each is followed by resource links I think might be useful.

Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

  • eThemes – Plenty of info, not much for smaller kids.
  • Loyal Books Blog – A review of Mountain Born, but no links or lessons.  Interesting blog.
  • A New Coat for Anna -A book about wool, from sheep to clothing.
  • Pele’s New Suit – Another book about wool, from sheep to clothing.  Alas, this one is a bit too young for my crew.

    The Sign of the Beaver – by Elizabeth George Speare

    • Homeschool Share has an entire unit study on this book just waiting to be printed off.  It has a fairly loose feel to it.  It’s arranged by chapter instead of day-by-day.  Might just use it all.
    • Squidoo has several beaver coloring pages.

    By the Great Horn Spoon! – by Sid Fleischman

      The Cricket in Times Square

      • Homeschool Share is on the ball again.  And again, it’s all laid out by chapter.  Lots of useful, fun stuff here.  Vocabulary Bingo! I can’t wait!  Seriously folks, click the bingo link.  You can do this, make it yourself or use this grid, and make a list from whatever you are reading to  your kids.  It’s that easy.
      • This one is deep, lots of language arts pages here.  I was just wanting a page like this one to re-enforce my recent teaching of contractions.
      • Lesson Pathways has a few neat resources linked here.

      Sarah, Plain and Tall – by Patricia MacLachlan

      Some of these books don’t have much available to use with them online so I’ll be:

      • making my own vocabulary lists and playing Vocabulary Bingo.
      • creating my own “Unscramble the Words” pages.
      • copying some of the artwork right out of the book to use as coloring pages for Rachel.
      • using the illustrations in the books as inspiration for art lessons.
      • flying by the seat of my pants, as it were.

       

      Filed under Books, Free Stuff, Homemade Stuff, Homeschooling, Makin' Do, Read Aloud, Unit Studies.
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      All Android App Advice Accepted and Appreciated

      7 June 2011, 5:23 am

      If I don’t have much to say this week it’s because I’m busy learning my new phone.

      Well, that, and catching up on the laundry.

      So, everybody, what apps shall I explore?  Any and All Android App Advice Accepted and Appreciated.

      Amazing alliteration, aye?

      Hey, maybe there’s a laundry app.  How cool would that be?  I’d pay money for that!

      Filed under Extra-Categorical.
      2 Comments

      Girly Girl

      6 June 2011, 5:46 am

      Saturday night during the movie….

      Her hair is straight as a board and doesn’t hold a curl so we bought a big tub of gel.

      Slumber caps are the very next best thing to a tiara to make a girl feel princess-y. She was a real champ, slept in that get-up all night and not one complaint!

      She let a little personality show in this picture.  :)

      Now, even on a straight hair day the girl has a Tigger sized bounce to her step, but today there was monumental bouncing, which when you think about it, doesn’t seem like much.  I mean, how much could a monument bounce.  Seems like a monument would just crumble into a pile of rubble and that would be that.  What were we talking about?

      Oh yeah, bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!

      She loved those curls so much she almost didn’t want to go swimming this afternoon.  Almost.

      But right after swimming she brought me the curlers and that big ol’ tub o’ gel….

      No, not on a Sunday night.  See me next Saturday afternoon, Curly Top.

       

       

      Filed under Rachel.
      7 Comments
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