June 29, 2010
Simple Woman’s Daybook
Outside my window… the sky is the perfect summer blue and the sun shining.
I am thinking… that I’m so thankful that I finally cleaned off my desk.
I am thankful for… my husband having two weeks off.
From the learning rooms…(if this applies) planning for next “year” is taking place.
From the kitchen… everything is ready for our potluck with our tonight with our small group.
I am wearing… a black t-shirt and my black and white floral skirt I made last summer.
I am creating… mini offices for my kids.
I am going… for a nice walk tomorrow with my friend.
I am reading… Beezus and Ramona with the kids.
I am hoping… that the State of California passes a budget and we get our full pay back.
I am hearing… the swamp cooler fan blowing. Thank you Jesus for that sound and the cool breeze it produces!
Around the house… the dogs are relaxing.
One of my favorite things… being with my husband. He really is my best friend.
A few plans for the rest of the week… are to enjoy relaxing tomorrow, birthday shopping with Bethel Daddy on Thursday and celebrating Bethel Boy’s birthday on Friday.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing…(add your picture here)
June 28, 2010
Happy Homemaker Monday
The weather in my neck of the woods: Summer is here in Northeastern California! days are mid 80’s and sunny, nights are in the 50’s.
Things that make me happy: Having my family around me. I just love these three people that the Lord has blessed me with.
Book I’m reading: I’ve been reading a fictional account of the story of Abigail from the bible.
What I’m enjoying on TV: Not a whole lot. I have enjoyed a few Barbie movies with my daughter in the afternoons.
On the menu for dinner: Grilled Tri tip.
On my To Do List: Plan meals for July, deep clean kids rooms and celebrate birthdays this week!
New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: I made these biscuits, I’ve never been good at making homemade biscuits but these were the best! I froze a large portion of them to be cooked as needed. I always have a problem cutting the butter or shortening into the flour mixture and because you grate the butter into the flour no issues.
In the craft basket: A dress for Bethel Girl and 4th of July skirts for both of us.
Looking forward to this week: Bethel Boy’s birthday (on the 2nd) and my birthday (on the 3rd). Leaving for Vacation on the 4th.
Tips and Tricks: I don’t really have anything.
My favorite blog post this week: This might be over a week old, but I just cracked up when I read it. I just love Amanda over at Baby Bangs, my kids are a little bit older than hers, but so many of the feelings she shares are things that I’ve thought or felt. Here is a little story about her son Jackson, who reminds me of Bethel Boy.
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers): I don’t have one this week.
No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share): Bethel Girl dancing at her recital. Is she not just the cutest thing?
Lesson learned the past few days: It’s ok to say no, even to really good things.
On my mind: Wondering if we are going to get everything done that I want to get done during our first week of vacation.
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Philippians 4: 6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Head on over to Sandra’s for more Happy Homemaker Monday posts and to link up with your own!
Our Homeschool Home is a great blog. I love her pictures, recipes and her passion for educating her child at home.
She asked the question if we have any big plans for the 4th of July – Typically the 4th is a day we just lay low at home. We are all tired from celebrating Bethel Boy’s birthday on the 2nd and my birthday on the 3rd. We are pretty partied out by the time the 4th comes around. This year we will be getting ready for vacation that we leave for on Monday the 5th. I’m sure we will grill something, make some homemade ice cream and watch fireworks from our back yard!
Meal Plan Monday
Monday – Beer Butt Chicken – The good girl in my finds its kind of bad to say it.
Tuesday – Grilled chicken Breast and potluck with our small group.
Wednesday – chicken tostados
Thursday – Date night with Bethel Daddy
Friday – Bethel Boy’s choice since it’s his birthday
Saturday – Grilled steak, roasted veggies.
Sunday – undecided.
June 26, 2010
2010-2011 Curriculum
It’s just a few short weeks until we start school. I’m so excited and I want to start now, I know that it would be best to wait until after vacation. I did ask Bethel Daddy if we can take school with us to the lake house so we might be starting a week early.
I should start with my favorite planning tool. It’s The Well Planned Day Calendar. I love how it is laid out, I love the articles that are at the beginning of each month and I all the organizational forms. I enjoy writing out my lessons, even though I have lesson plans with our Sonlight Core 1, I love how I have everything in one place. It’s the best $24.99 that I have spent and this is the second year that I am using it.
Bible – We are using Bible Study Guide for all Ages, I think we are going to be using this in the evenings doing about 2 lessons a week. We are using the Beginning Student Pages for Bethel Girl and Intermediate Student Pages for Bethel Boy.
Both kids will be doing AWANA and Bethel Boy will be a T&T this year and Bethel Girl will be a Sparks.
We will be reviewing verses daily using Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory System.
One thing I haven’t decided yet to use or not is Sonlight’s Core 1 Bible program. I’m thinking that we will use Leading Little Ones to God as our devotion in the morning before we start school. I’m not sure about the daily bible reading. We will just have to see how it goes.
Math – Both kids will be using Horizon Math. We tried a couple programs last year but this is the one that we all liked the best. With Bethel Boy we are flying through Grade 1. It is review for him and he only has book 2 to finish. My goal is to have him finished and into Grade 2 by our first 8 weeks of school. Bethel Girl is doing Grade K math.
Language Arts – Bethel boy will be using CQLA (Character Quality Language Arts). We are using the Blue Series and are starting out with level Pre-A. Since this is our first year using this I’m really praying that it will work for our family. I like how it is all integrated for us. Bethel Girl will be using Get Ready for the Code books. I also am planning on us choosing a letter of the week that goes along with what letter we are studying in Get Ready for the Code. Since she loves cutting and pasting and everything I’ve been saving up old magazines so she can cut things that begin with that letter out and paste them on a piece of paper.
Reading – For Bethel Boy we using Sonlight Readers 2 Intermediate and for Bethel Girl we are using Bob Books and Sonlight Readers K
Handwriting – We will be using “A Reason For Handwriting” for both kids. Bethel Girl will be using Handwriting K and Bethel Boy will be using Handwriting B.
Science – Apologia Astronomy. I let the kids choose what they wanted to study for science and this is what they both chose. Bethel Boy thinks that it will make him know more about Star Wars.
History – We will be doing Core 1 history. We started this last year, but needed to step back and concentrate on just the basics, math, reading and spelling. I am adding on Story of the World and activities to make it a little bit more hands on.
Read Alouds – Since we started Core 1 last year we have read about half of the read alouds from that core. I am borrowing Core K read alouds to supplement what we haven’t read from Core 1 read alouds and then we will finish up the year with the rest of the year with Core 1 read alouds.
Along with our curriculum planning I’ve also been setting some goals that I want to see each child reach. Some of them have to do with academics, but most just have to do with a character development.
Bethel Boy’s goals: Better penmanship, develope a love of learning, making connections to what we learn in school with things that are happening in real life and most importantly a deeper love of the Lord.
Bethel Girl’s goals: Learn to read, learn to submit to authority, grow in spiritual understanding and make connections with what we learn in school to things that happen in life.
June 25, 2010
Friday Five
June 21, 2010
Happy Homemaker Monday, June 21st
The weather in my neck of the woods: Just about perfect! Mid 70’s, sunny with a slight breeze
Things that make me happy: Being married to my husband. He really is the best husband and father I could ever ask for.
Book I’m reading: Lots of school books for planning our next school year that starts in July.
What I’m enjoying on TV: I’m still watching episodes of McLeod’s Daughters in the evening when everyone is in bed. I’m in the middle of season 3. We will see if I make it through the whole 8 seasons this time. I got mad at the ending of season 7 last time . I love Netflix streaming through the Blu-Ray.
On the menu for dinner: Molasses-Glazed Chicken Breast – we had this for dinner and none of us liked it. It wasn’t the worst thing we ate, but we won’t be making it again.
On my To Do List: Laundry, meal planning and grocery list making for next month, dishes and cleaning off the buffet that seems to collect EVERYTHING!
New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: I don’t really have one. I’m enjoying the old stand buys. Maybe as I plan for next month I will come across something.
In the craft basket: A dress for Bethel Girl and 4th of July skirts for both of us.
Looking forward to this week: Bethel Girl’s dance recital. She’s going to be so cute!
Tips and Tricks: I don’t really have anything.
My favorite blog post this week: I was so busy last week I didn’t really get around to marking a favorite.
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers): I found this great homeschooling blog. Her son and mine are the same age and I just love how pretty her blog is. Our Homeschool Home
No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
Lesson learned the past few days: I really have the best husband and father to my children. While he was away on a business trip we missed him something awful. None of us slept good (that includes the dogs) and there was just a hole in our lives where our husband/daddy should have been.
On my mind: Wondering if our family is moving in a different direction with Bethel Daddy applying for a Parole job with the state. I’m trying not to worry about it, I’m just curious to the unknown and where God would want us.
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Philippians 4: 6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Head over to Sandra’s for more Happy Homemaker Posts
June 20, 2010
Heading into week two of being busy
Can I just say it’s been busy around Bethel Home for the last week and it won’t end until this Friday. For the homebody like me, it can be exhausting and I think that’s why I took a 3 hour nap today. I sure hope I can sleep tonight.
Last week the kids had VBS in the woods. They had so much fun. It was from 9:00 – 1:00 every day and as a homeschooling momma it was the first time that I had spent those hours away from my kids since I quit work almost a year ago. It made me so glad that we have gotten off the “getting out the door by 8:00” school routine. While I want us to be dressed, ready to eat breakfast and start school by 8:00 or 8:30, it’s nice not to have to worry about lunches and not forgetting anything as we run out the door.
So not only was I driving 25 miles round trip (x2 each day) I had to take Bethel Daddy to the Reno to fly to San Diego for a conference. So add another 80 miles both ways and a trip to Costco on Wednesday. We had something every afternoon while Bethel Daddy was gone and add on the fact that I don’t sleep well when he is gone, I was very tired yesterday when we finally picked him up from the airport.
This week Bethel Girl has her first dance recital on Thursday night. We have rehearsals Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Thursday late morning and we need to be at the recital by 5:00 on Thursday night (but it doesn’t start until 7:30). Add on Bethel Daddy having to go to Redding to apply in person for a State Parole job and we are very thankful that vacation starts on the 26th for two weeks.
So because of this crazy schedule I have decided I needed to meal plan this week.
Monday: Molasses-Glazed Chicken Breast
Tuesday: Spicy Shredded Pork This makes a lot so I had some in the freezer. It’s so good heated up and served on warm corn tortillas.
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner
Thursday: Chicken Caesar Salad.
Friday: Hamburgers
Saturday: BBQ tri tip
I’m joining up at Our Homeschool Home for Mingle Monday. I hope you enjoyed stopping by and visiting my blog!
June 10, 2010
Homeschool Villiage: Taking a Break and relaxing
This week has been a delightful time of resting and refreshing after our first year of homeschooling. The year wasn’t what I wanted it to be, yet it was exactly what the Lord knew it would be. I think it’s more about what I learned and not so much academically what the learned.
I’m a planner by nature. What I lack in execution I more than make up for in planning. 🙂 So for me these few weeks of our “summer break” is enjoying my kids (oh how I have learned to enjoy them since coming home from working outside the home a year ago), reading a few books just for pleasure, sewing, watching some movies and did I say just finding joy in my kids.
I spend a little part of each day planning, but for me that’s fun. Also Bethel Girl has been excited to start school NOW! So we have been doing some pre-handwriting sheets, math and teaching reading with Bob Books. I was going to use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons, but she just doesn’t like it. She’s doing well sounding things out so I’m thinking we will keep going with the Bob Books. Any suggestions to use these effectively would be helpful since Bethel Boy learned to read in public school kindergarten. I decided to cultivate that desire to learn while the desire is there.
Please stop by Layton Family Joy to see how others are refreshing before the upcoming school year.
June 8, 2010
Media Free Tuesday #1
So today was our first day without tv, internet, talk radio, Wii, DS’s, etc. And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The day started off great. Both kids came in and cuddled me in bed. After talking and praying for the day we got up so I could have a cup of coffee and read the paper. Both kids sat next to me and looked through the paper at the pictures and read a story or two.
Bethel Boy had a dentist appointment at 9:00. It took all of 15 minutes and then we came home and went outside to so I could read a chapter in our read aloud (Mrs. Piggle Wiggle) and Bethel Boy could read to me a chapter out of his book.
The kids played until it was time for dance.
When we got home from dance I fixed lunch and then we played a game of Star Wars Trouble. It’s great fun to see both of their competitive nature come out.
In the heat of the day it was a little harder. The kids didn’t quite know how to entertain themselves and I had a few things I wanted to do, like clean the hearth and rearrange the furniture in the living room. Both helped with that chore.
Both played outside until dinner was ready and then after dinner we had bible study at the park.
So my thoughts on this first day – We will keep plugging along with it. Next week should be really easy since they will be gone all morning at VBS. I also think it will be much easier once we start school in July. It will give them something to do most of the day and we can be more focused.
I also should note (so I can remember it) that I did check my e-mail, but not respond to any or read any that didn’t require my attention. Once the kids went to bed, both Bethel Daddy and I “plugged in” and had some independent computer time. I don’t know if that will continue or not, we will just take it one week at a time.
June 7, 2010
Happy Homemaker Monday!
The weather in my neck of the woods: It’s finally BEAUTIFUL!!!!! As perfect as weather can be. Mid-70’s, breezy, sunny – DELIGHTFUL!
Things that make me happy: unexpected phone calls from my hubby during the day.
I’m reading: I discovered reading books on my ipod touch. I love it!
What I’m enjoying on TV: As I’m typing this I’m watching the kids jam to Toby Mac videos on You tube. We just got a BluRay player that connects to the internet. It’s great for watching movies on Netflix too.
On the menu for dinner: Chicken Caesar Salads. I don’t have to cook anything, everything is all ready to go.
On my To Do List: Organize my desk, move furniture around and sew.
New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: I made these Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. I did make a couple subsitutions, I added a 1/2 a cup of crunchy peanut butter and used a 1/2 a cup of butter and melted them together. I also added chocolate chips since I was making these more for “cookies” than breakfast bars.
In the craft basket: dress and short set for Bethel Girl and binding on a quilt.
Looking forward to this week: The next 5 weeks. This is our summer vacation and I’m looking forward to getting some projects done and planning the start of the new school year.
Tips and Tricks: I’ve got nothing.
My favorite blog post this week: I don’t have one.
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers): I love this homeschool blog. Our Homeschool Home
No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
Lesson learned the past few days: God is always working on me, molding me and refining me. It’s not always fun, but it is so needed.
On my mind: The future. Bethel Daddy is applying for a parole agent job, which would mean we would need to move. I’m not anxious about the move, I’m just anxious about the uncertainty that we have going on right now. Once I know that he has the job and that we are moving it will be great, it’s just the not knowing.
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: I guess I should remember Jer. 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to giveyou a hope and a future.”
Head on over to Sandra’s for more Happy Homemaker Monday posts.
Bethel Home Academy 
