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Showing posts from April, 2016

Countdown!!! {Going to (Home) School, Installment 2}

Elasa has been counting down the weeks and then the days until school is over for some time now, but this week we really are at the finish line, with only three more days of books to go: tomorrow, Thursday and Friday and then we're done ! It is a very satisfying place to be, and I love the feeling of completion as we finish all three subjects (math, reading and language arts) in this final week. Gavin still has about 16 more days in his BSR reading program, so I am not quite off the hook yet, but I am already anxious to put the free morning hours that should be opening up to work! I haven't officially come up with a list of all the things that I would like to do (think sewing projects, deep cleaning, freezer meals, a bit of gardening) between now and mid-July, when the baby is expected to arrive, but I have a lot of ideas and hopes floating around in my head, and I am optimistic that having more of a morning in which to work will help dwindle the list down significantly!

Fun with a Teacup Exchange

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It's no secret that I enjoy a good cup of tea, so it should come as no surprise that I am a bit taken with the accouterments of this particular beverage as well! I have never officially collected teacups, but I do have a growing collection of teapots- with a special thrill for finding ones I like at thrift stores- and when I saw a blog that would be hosting a teacup exchange, I was fascinated! The idea of sending a teacup to someone and receiving one in the mail sounded like a lot of fun...as well as a great way to start a unique teacup collection with teacups that have a special meaning and story behind them! The teacup exchange was held in March, and hosted by Stephanie of The Enchanting Rose . Part of signing up for the exchange included filling out a brief survey of things like hobbies and interests, favorite kind of tea, ect., and this information was then given to the person who received your name & address, which in turn was very helpful in customizing a special box

Book Reviews for the Month of April {Ode to Books,Installment 2}

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April has brought with it a whole new world of fine weather and blooming dogwoods and laundry lines eager to be put to good use and windows thrown open to capture the fresh breezes, and yet, in the finest mixing of the old with the new, there are still books to be read and tea to be drank, and for this wonderful combination of so many of my favorite things all at one time, I give thanks... For even springtime would lose some of its luster without a good book on the nightstand to welcome me at day's end. And the first picnic of the season would be a little less grand without tea...even if it is iced!!! I love when I come upon a good author who I not only really like, but who also writes a good series, and right now I am reading through a two-book series by Kathleen Grissom which I have found to be both compelling and spellbinding! The first is The Kitchen House and the second is Glory Over Everything , and in both cases, the story is told through two voices, each with a dif

Achievements {Life in a Random Word, Installment 2}

There's a good reason why I am thinking about the word achievements today: I spent the morning administering achievement tests to a group of six fifth-graders in our church basement, and I plan to do the same tomorrow! Achievement tests are meant to be a standardized way of checking up on our children's progress in some basic functions like reading, language, math and spelling, and yet, sometimes I wonder just how accurate they can really be as there are just so many variable here, including each child's aptitude with test-taking, their reading comprehension, and the curriculum they've been exposed to. We all know how futile it is to put children and their learning abilities into boxes, and yet, achievement tests do bring out some very interesting patterns, and since I had all of these children two years ago when they took their third-grade tests, it's fascinating to ignore the variables for a moment and to see different patterns emerging even as we're loo

Things That Are New {Best of the Season, Installment 2}

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Parker has reported several times recently that it looks like winter is coming! I can't blame him for being confused, as he goes barefoot one day and the next has to wear a winter coat, but I am happy to report that indeed, what he is seeing is actually winter receding !!! A brief tromp through my herb garden today showcased some pleasant surprises by way of tender little plants bravely pushing their way through our unwieldy soil, and they were both proof of the season and proof that there are actually some plants out there hardy enough to withstand this mediocre gardener! I love herbs and flowers, and get quite inspired by their variety of colors and textures and uses, but sometimes I think I enjoy them the  most when they're still sitting all perky and lovely at the greenhouse! Once I get them home and planted...well, that's when the mediocre part starts coming out and when they become susceptible to my neglect and to certain other acts of terror in the form

Bible-school Then and Now

This has been a normal Monday for me thus far. I drank a cup and then a little more of coffee as I ate my eggs and toast and got my morning started. I gave Elasa flash cards and reminded her to begin her sentences with a capital letter (just when will this become second nature, instead of something that requires prompting?) I taught Gavin about the long o and long u sounds in his reading program and showed him how to make little doggy bone shapes around the long o words on his workbook page. I made multiple trips to the basement to pull laundry in and out of the washer and and dryer, and spent some time valiantly scrubbing, albeit in vain, some very determined stains on one of Elasa's dresses. I read a Berenstain Bear book about manners to Parker and hauled him upstairs to get dressed shortly before lunchtime (not that he minded plowing around in his nightwear, for he loves his pajamas!) I remembered to take my iron supplement, although it turned out to be closer to