Frustration!

Hi everyone,
I write today in hope that expressing my frustration will enlighten a solution. We have been using a computer program and I absolutely love it for homeschool however what I love is not important as what my son's learning. He is not good at independent study and I struggle to be involved with it as it is not lessons I planned so I am going back through the well-trained mind and my printouts on teaching the trivium I think he did so much better at this. Now the math program on the computer is really working well so I will stick with that however what do you all do for History, Bible and science. I used the Well-trained mind language program last year and it worked however we got it late in the year and did not finished so I think we will resume that. My son learns best from me reading with him, and from reading aloud together and things he can participate in. I want to find something that involves little princess too when she has the patience to sit still, worksheets work well. I need to get more organized as this is 5th grade year for him and pre-k kindergarten for her. Can you tell I am stressed and unfocused today so we finished our history for today and are taking the rest of the day off to regroup any suggestions... I think a packaged curriculum is not working for us so those of you that use a bit of everything or parts of some curriculum how do you organize your lessons, stay on track and make sure you get everything the state needs while keeping the kids on track and learning fun... I dont want the fights anymore I want learning to be fun for them and me:) they are smart kids I just need to find what works. this is only our second year homeschooling and starting after public school has been a challenge. Thanks for any input you can share.

I love Saturday's

Today we are just lounging around this morning, thats not to say we won't get anything done but on Saturday mornings we are really low key and laid back. Every other day of the week we have to get ready to do something(school work) or go somewhere for groceries or field trips that we do with the local homeschool group and On Sunday we get ready to go and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ so it is a busy morning getting out the door. So I realized last week that Saturdays really are our only down day when nothing is required. So I let the kids enjoy their morning with whatever they would like right now they are playing lego's nicely together...you know one of the benefits that I have seen from homeschooling is my kids really are best friends. Its awesome. At first it was a struggle when I brought ds home from School a year and a half ago but now he has transformed into the kid he always was in the summer with her but now it is full time and that is the boy I always new was there, a loving thoughtful young man. Not saying that boy didnt exsist in school but I definitley saw the influence of some of the less Godly boys lets put it that way. And dd just so looks up to her big brother it is beautiful to know she will always have someone watching out for her:)
So anyway today we do have to get some laundry finished and clean up a bit so that tomorrow is about enjoying the Lord and not trying to clean up as well as it is my week to provide snack for fellowship time so I will be making about 10 Doz cookies probably Choc. Chip as that is what I have enough supplies for or maybe 1/2 sugar 1/2 choc we shall see....well off I go have a blessed weekend everyone:)

Book Review

Hi everyone,
A couple weeks ago I signed up to be a book reviewing blogger with Thomas Nelson.(see squares on my blog if you are interested in signing up)

I just finished The Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook

I really enjoyed some of the tips in the beginning of this cookbook. Most of them were pretty basic that anyone who has been living frugally will be familiar with however if you are just finding yourself needing to be frugal due to the economy, job loss or what have you then this section will teach you important tips of the trade. Also new wives and young women could benefit from this when learning how to manage a house grocery bill. The recipe's in it use a lot of fat free ingredients which I do not stock however can be made with the regular version of said ingredient just as easily however you will loose some of the low cal/ low salt/ low cholesterol if you do so. The recipe pages were nice because the include on the side bar a complete grocery list for everything you need to make the recipe broken down into grocery store sections so you can easily make a menu for a week and then go page by page as you make your produce, poultry, dairy and packaged item grocery list. Also it has suggestions for making it a complete meal with a side dish on most recipes.
Overall I recommend this cookbook for busy moms, and busy people everywhere. I think the recipe's in them are simple enough to try (some cookbooks make it so complicated even on fast recipes that we dont even try them) and also they are tasty for the whole family. As well as if you need the low cal, low cholesterol and such this is a great speedy cookbook for those in need of that! Great cookbook:)

Catch-up Monday! What are our priorities???

Here is what we woke to yesterday morning:) what fun in the Snow a wonderful Lords Day!

Hi everyone:)
I hope Monday finds you all well and living to your fullest God given potential. Sometimes we fail to really miss what God has for us daily and his plan don't we? I know I do I get so busy with the daily stuff that God's will for me tends to escape my day and then it is bed time and I have done nothing to his Glory. This morning I sat down and made a list of things I need to do today as the weekend unraveled the house and thing. Tell me if you see what is missing in my list? I put things in order of how I would like to accomplish them to keep myself on track.

1. Get Dressed-Start Laundry
2. Unload Dishwasher
3. Load Dishwasher
4. Hand wash pans and pots
5. clean off counters-switch laundry loads
6. clean main bathroom
7. clean my bathroom
8. fold couch blankets
9. fold all laundry and put away
10. wash little princess sheets-remake bed
11. put flannel sheets on our bed
12. sweep kitchen
13. mop kitchen
14. vacuum


I know this seems like a long list but I really want to get house pretty for hubby's return...but i noticed I left some things out... first I need to involve the kids and we can have fun .....i was thinking this morning ...no I wil do it much faster by myself but then they wont have pride in cleaning their bath and stuff then maybe they wont keep it as clean? Also I dont have anytime in here to just be a mom with the kids... I think I will add our read aloud time and some bible related things in here to be growing my kids for God...I tend to leave that part out sometimes and have to remember that My life is for God not for Me or even for My Hubby,, God has to come first in everything, if we are neglecting God then we are neglecting things we need to be able to be the Mom and Wife that God wants us to be...
These were just my thoughts after I re-read my list and a couple of my blogs from friends that I follow:)

So my new list goes like this
1. dress-start laundry Already done
2. Dishes out and back in DONE
3.Read aloud with the Kids- Little Prince has already finished all his homeschool assignments for today and would like to study lightning...so we will read then find some websites to help him with this
4. have kids clean up their bathroom and have little princess wipe counters and sink, little prince can clean the toilet I will handle the tub and floors
5. I will clean my bathroom
6 Bible study with kids- Work on thier Awana things for this week and listen to Audio bible during lunch
7. have kiddos fold blankets
8. have little prince help fold clothes give little princess socks to match up and work as a team:)
9. wash little princess sheets have her help me make her bed
10. change my sheets to flannel....this is all me:)
11. sweep kitchen little princess can use her broom little prince can vacuum baseboards while i do major sweeping
12. mop kitchen and baths with little princess she just loves moping she has her own little mop I dip and squeeze for her then she goes to work:) It is so cute!
13. vacuum Little prince enjoyes this so I will do edge work he can do centers
14. Sit and play a game with the kids I just got a motion game for kids at target and have not yet played it with them so today is the day.
This list seems more in line with what I want to be doing which is raising my kids to thier fullest potential...

Be Blessed and Make today a Glory Day for the Lord:)
Tiffany

Keeping the Home TV!

This will return in a couple days my page wouldnt load right with the Cereal video and KTH... I have not figured this all out quite yet but it will be back soon:)