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TOS Review: Beeyoutiful

2012-02-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

So turns out that not all TOS reviews are curriculum! :o)

And I put this review to the test!

Beeyoutiful is a christian-owned company based out of Tennessee that specializes in all natural nutritional supplements, natural skincare, and other items and information that promote a naturally healthy lifestyle.

I received a package from Beeyoutiful and was smitten upon openning it. I pulled out a lovely Milk & Honey facial bar shaped like a beehive and a tube of peppermint lip balm.

This poor company had no idea what I was about to put them up against....Andy's skin. Dear Andy has the most sensitive skin I have ever seen. Prone to adult acne and dryness, his skin is fairly unhappy with most soaps. I'm constantly on the look-out for any all natural cleanser that may please his precious face. He willingly became my guinea pig and has used the bar for the last month.

Beeyoutiful's Milk & Honey Facial Bar contains Raw Goat Milk, Distilled Water, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Vegetable Oil, Sodium Hydroxide (lye), Raw Honey, Bee Pollen, Bee Propolis, Beeswax, Sweet Orange Essential Oil. This made me feel very good about Andy trying it on his sensitive skin as all of the ingredients are natural and beneficial to his skin. Here's what Beeyoutiful's website says about this facial bar:
"Honey cleanses dirt and impurities while smoothing wrinkles by increasing your skin’s elasticity. Propolis—a mixture of the essential oils, pollen, and wax bees harvest from plants—nourishes dry, itchy skin. Pollen, rich in enzymes and vitamins, contains the complete family of amino acids. It promotes new skin cell growth while scrubbing away built-up dead cells without stripping the skin of its natural protection. Milk & Honey’s beeswax base is the all-natural “carrier” for other ingredients that leaves your skin feeling soft and clean."

I am thrilled to report that Andy's skin has thrived this past month! He said the best compliment for the soap is that he can rarely wash his face every day because it is painful for his skin, but that he was able to this past month with no ill discomfort at all! When asked, Andy even stated that he would consider continuing to use Beeyoutiful's Milk & Honey Bar! The Milk & Honey Bar is sold for $10 or you may buy in quantity which reduces the price.

I took on the peppermint Beeyoutiful All-natural Lip Moisturizer as I struggle through the winter months with seriously chapped lips. Our home is nearly a hundred years old and she dries out when the gas heater is running in February! My lips are fairly sensitive anyway so I am constantly carrying a chapstick of some sort around with me.

The peppermint lip balm contains grape seed oil, shea butter, beeswax, and peppermint essential oil. After applying, the first thing I noticed was how refreshing the scent was, and how completely it saturated my lips. Also, one application seemed to last quite a while with no need for reapplication. My lips were much more supple and moist and appeared overall more healthy. Available in peppermint or orange, the lip balms sell for $3 each or 3 for $2.70 each.

I'd like to take a moment just to share a little about the information available through Beeyoutiful's website. There are many natural health related articles available to read/watch as well as a newsletter and chat forum. Also, if you go to the "About Us" section under "About Beeyoutiful" is a link to owner Stephanie Walker Tallent's blog, http://www.traditionalfoodadventure.com/, which I found very interesting. From their website you can shop by health concern or by product and cover a myriad of things from teas (I HIGHLY recommend the Just For Kids Cold Care tea!) to vitamin supplements and books.

Pop on over and see what you think!

Disclaimer: I was given a Milk & Honey Facial Bar and a tube of peppermint Beyoutiful All-natural Lip Moisturizer in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TOS Review: Apologia's Who AM I?

2012-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing you can bet on in the grand scheme of homeschooling curriculum- or even just life enrichment (as is this case)- it's that when you see this logo....

you won't go wrong. I mean it! We've used their science curriculum (Anatomy & Astronomy), I've read their books (How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids), and now we're working through this

spiritual journey study with the kids and I have never regretted my time/energy spent on any of them!

Apologia Press has a line called the "What We Believe" series. There are four books:
Who Is God? (And can I really know him?)
Who Am I? (And what am I doing here?)
Who Is My Neighbor? (And why does he need me?)
What On Earth Can I Do? (Available later this year)

This series strives to lead children in developing the essentials of their faith. Our children are bombarded with falsehoods and deception and these studies provide a biblcal worldview to give our children a foundation to stand on.

In Who Am I? children are given the true sense of how God views them- as intentional, gifted, worthy, and loved. This is what Apologia had to say:
"The second book in the What We Believe series, Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) helps children understand what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Most High God. This study will enable students to develop a healthy self-image based on these biblical truths: God made me in His image and crowned me with glory; He has given me special gifts and a unique purpose in life; I can creatively express God's love; I am meant to think about beautiful and praiseworthy things, especially God and His Word; I must make decisions based on God's truth; I can always know the wise thing to do; I must cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life; I am a beloved child of God whose true identity is found in Christ."

The 268 page hardback book is broken down into 8 major lessons:
1. What Are We Doing Here?
2.What Will You Make Today?
3. What's On Your Mind?
4. Can You Trust Your Feelings?
5. Will You Choose Wisely?
6. How Will You Run the Race?
7. What Kind of Fruit Are You Growing?
8. Who Do You Think You Are?

Each lesson is broken down into many key components including stories, memory verses, thought provoking discussion questions, and other means of conveying God's truth in a way that allows you to work through at your child's own pace.

Another fabulous tool is the notebooking journal which goes along with the book. This spiral bound, color journal is filled with graphics, puzzles, journaling spots, questions, activities, and games. It is great to have one place designated for the kids thoughts and work.

There is even an accompanying coloring book for your littles and an MP3-CD of the book!

Apologia sells the book for $39, the notebook for $24, the coloring book for $8, and the MP3-CD for $19.

Observations and opinions of the Cains:
We enjoy this study. The stories are interesting and relevant and the children enjoy sitting for the reading. It's a great opportunity for us to be intentional in developing a Christ-focused world-view and self-image. I will say that, while we received our copies for free in exchange for a fair and honest review, it's a little pricey for the book and 2 notebooks. I found that www.christianbooks.com had them on sale. The book is $28.99, the notebooking journal is $17.99, the coloring book is $6.99, and the MP3-CD is $15.49. I'm hoping to go back and do Who Is God? when we finish this one, and then pick up with the third and fourth in the series. I hope you will leave comments of your thoughts if you have/will try it!

TOS Review: ALEKS

2012-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to bring you another math assessment related review! We have really been focused on mastering our math facts this semester, so it was very timely that these reviews came our way!

ALEKS stands for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces. You won't believe the content of ALEKS- from Basic Math through Pre-calculus and Trig to college prep and Chemistry! This math program is fabulous because not only does it reassess your student as they progress, but it also shows them how they're doing! A pie graph is used to illustrate how they are moving along...for example...

This is appealing to me because I am visual and like to see how things are in relation to the big picture. Now, keep in mind that my children are elementary aged so we are only working through the Quicktables in an effort to memorize our math facts. This website offers so much more that we are just not ready to explore yet!

Quicktables is a fun and challenging way to practice and assess where we are with out multiplication facts (also offered in addition, subtraction, and division). Here is a sample of a QT game...

and here are examples of how we are able to see how each child is doing. The first picture is what the child sees at the end of their challenge. (Abby loves to yell at me to come look and see how her colored blocks have moved or changed!) The bottom picture is how her progress shows up on my log-in page. Keep in mind, to see the greatest amount of progress in math skills, that the folks over at ALEKS encourage 2-3 hours of ALEKS activity a week for students in 3rd grade and up .

One of the most awesome features, in my humble opinion, of ALEKS is that you can actually look up your state's standards and see how ALEKS addresses them individually based on the math course you have chosen! There are so many features on the ALEKS site that you might be a bit overwhelmed at first. May I suggest going to the training center and checking out the short video that helps you begin to implement ALEKS in your home? They provide great support and their site is chock full of ways to help your student be successful with the ALEKS program. Here is a free trial offer that you might be interested in.

Fees for ALEKS:
A subscription to ALEKS is

$19.95 per student, per month, or
only $99.95 every 6 months, or
only $179.95 every 12 months.

ALEKS offers a Family Discount for multiple children in the same home.
Disclaimer: A free trial membership was given to my family in exchange for a fair and objective review.

The day after Valentine's Day......

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am a hopeless romantic. Maybe to a fault. Poor Andy.

Some Valentine's days at the Cain house are all frilly cards and roses- there's even been a surprise steak dinner thrown in before. Some Valentine's days at the Cain house are "I love you" with the conotation of "That's gotta be enough this year." This year- well, this year was the best---but not for any of the reasons you might think.

There were no chocolates. No florist's delivery truck. No big bucks spent at Hallmark. This year there was a piece of paper on my dinner plate when I came to the table. A card printed off of the computer... it simply said "Love" on the front and "Happy Valentine's Day" on the inside. But in that distinct handwriting of my Sweetheart's was "I love you very much, Andy". All caps.

All caps.

We had a candlelit dinner with a fabulous chocolatey dessert together, the four of us. We read our favorite Valentine stories, A Charlie Brown Valentine and Cranberry Valentine, and then the kids were off to bed. We were going to pick a movie together, but Andy got tired of me Netflix surfing- so he started "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"! Yes, it made me giggle. I was thinking "Sleepless in Seattle" or "An Affair to Remember". He had never seen a Marilyn movie.

I can't stand Marilyn movies.

I piddled, folded laundry, and headed to bed.

At this point you may be wondering why I would consider this the best Valentine's Day yet.

That's what did it. That's what singled out this year's V-day as the best. Not puppy-love. Not lust-love. Not my crazy romantic movie idea of love. Sweet, enduring, in the day-to-day love. Last year was hard on me and Andy. I would even say that at one point, I wasn't sure that we would make it through together. Maybe that's what made this such a special Valentine's Day
......appreciation .....devotion .....acceptance...

LOVE.

(in caps)

TOS Review: Math Rider

2012-02-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Math Rider! The Intelligent Math Facts Game!

We have been using it for a few weeks now and BOTH, yes- you read that correctly, BOTH my kids love it! My first and fourth graders are working on committing their math facts to memory and they need every little bit of help they can get. While I'm not keen on the idea of one minute drills on the times tables, I have to confess that they worked for me! (Thank you, Mrs Tramell!) And yes, I remembered all of my facts in fourth grade, but it was after failing many a one-minute-tests and deciding that me and numbers were never ever gonna be BFFs.......a truth alive and well in my life to this very day. So how was I to help the kiddos? What tricks could I pull out of my magic Mommy hat??

Math Rider! This "intelligent" math game is quite unlike most others. Kids mount Shadow, their trusty steed, and ride off on one of many adventures. Whilst riding, children are quizzed on their math facts. I can't describe it as well as the Math Rider people- this is from their web page:

While the rider is playing, the game learns what the rider knows and what he or she still needs to practice. Every single response (or non-response) is stored in an internal database and statistically analysed by the software. In this way the program is able to custom-tailor to each rider, which questions are asked next. No repetitive drilling of random number facts the rider already knows – but real practice of what actually needs to be practiced!

Plenty of feedback is given on the rider’s mastery of each number fact and operation, including an innovative overview map of mastery for each number table. This is highly beneficial for both the rider and the parent/educator. You can see with one glance where your child is at and where he or she might need further assistance. Top challenges are also listed in a separate list box for further easy reference.

This alone might be the best selling point for Abby. She loves to see each piece shaded in and becomes quite confident when she sees something in green. I really like how the gfame can process out how well your child is mastering. I feel like this is so much better than a big red "X" over their incorrect answers!

The graphics are quite pleasant and there is a quest map that helps the children to see how far they have advanced in their adventure.

These are the system requirements for Math Rider:
WINDOWS

Intel® Pentium® Pentium 4 2GHZ or faster, 1GB RAM

Windows 7, Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise including 64 bit editions, Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2 and SP3, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows 2003 Server

MAC OS X

Intel Core™ Duo 1.83GHz or faster processor; PowerPC® G4 1GHz or faster processor

Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.4, 10.5.5, and 10.6

512MB of RAM

The Math Rider site has a special running for $37 until the 15th, at which time it will go back up to its regular price of $47. This is a great price as that allows for multiple players- not a per player fee. They offer a 30 risk free guarantee and a free trial if you'd like to give it a shot.

As always, if you do try it out, please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I was given a short trial of Math Rider in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TOS Review:Celestial Almanack Feb 2012

2012-02-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

I am not an astronomy person. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice evening under the stars and I FULLY appreciate the consequences that would come if the Earth were 10 degrees from the left of where it currently is now---but if you start talking all that space talk.....I totally check out.

Introducing... The Classical Astronomy's Celestial Almanack!

Published by Fourth Day Press, the Celestial Almanack is an illustrated monthly guide to the heavenly happennings of the night sky. This ezine covers everything you would ever want to know about the month's events as they relate to the sun, moon, and stars! The cuh-ray-zee thing, which I still can't believe, is that it only costs $3.00 per month! It is a supreme value for the money- so chocked full of fabulous illustrations to help you find where things are placed in the skies, informative and easy to understand explanations of calendar events (ever heard the term "bisextile"?), and my personal "You had me at 'Hello'" favorite- an introduction page in the grand old style of the original Poor Richard's Almanack!

The February almanack includes five segments:
Astronomical Calendar
Signs of the Season
The Sun's Declination
Seasonal Skies- Evening
The Great Constellation Orion
The N, E, and W Horizons
Dance of the Planets
Jupiter and Venus Approach
The Motion of Jupiter and Venus
Superior Planets- Mars, Saturn
Promotional Partners

While I enjoyed the Almanack for my personal enlightenment, the kids enjoyed it as well. I discussed with them why we have a leap year, how scripture points to the stars (by name!) as far back as the book of Job, and how we MUST view the "Transit of Venus" on June 5 because it will not happen again until 2117!!

We took the almanack outside and picked out many constellations, made possible by those fabulous illustrations I mentioned earlier. (They have a 360 degree view in N,S,E, and W facing diagrams!) We recognized the moon and what phase it is currently in, and are keeping track of it's night sky positioning.

I encourage you to hop over to Currclick to check out the free preview of the Celestial Almanack for February. Author Jay Ryan did, in my humble opinion, a wonderful job of penning a very family friendly account of what could be a very difficult subject. You can also jump over to Mr Ryan's site, Classical Astronomy, for other family friendly astronomy education tools including middle and high school biblically based astronomy curriculum and even a storybook entitled Moonfinder which helps to teach about the monthly cycle of the moon's phases.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of the February Celestial Almanack for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The juices are a-flowin'!

2012-01-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

Creative juices, that is! FINALLY! I found my mojo! My inspiration! IT'S BACK!........must've been that episode of Downton Abbey....or the Ooey Gooey Bars........probably the hours of Pinterest drooling!

Yep! THAT was it!

Ahhh, Pinterest....have you no end?

I digress- let's get back to my motivation. The first spark to motivate me was a Batchelor's Chest. "Huh?Why a Batchelor's Chest?" you may ask. Well, we've been cleaning out Andy's parents' garage since his father passed away and his momma gave me this old, beat up, shambles of a Batchelor's Chest. You see, I love all things old- particularly furniture. If I believed in an after-life- I'm quite sure I was present for the turn of the 20th century in England's Yorkshire. Anywho- so I could see some fabulous potential in this chest so I asked dear Andy if we could pay to have it refinished. Now, that is a huge splurge for us- we are in the throws of a structurally necessary remodeling project which has sucked up our house painting funds- there really isn't any spare for a piece of furniture. But here's my argument....Andy's parents never had much. This chest could be the one beautiful "thing" he could have of theirs. The one beautiful thing to pass down, if he ever wants to. So, we had it done and it is gorgeous. I wish I could get a better photo of it...

After splurging on the Batchelor's Chest, it came to mind that I could try to craft something to sell at our new City Arts Boutique. The City Arts Boutique is a new shop just a couple of blocks from our house in Woodlawn. It houses the most wonderful hand-crafted items for sell. Think Etsy on a local store-front level! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Brooke Fleming is a sweet soul who opened this shop and shares it's space (and charm) in a newly revived urban neighborhood. It is picture perfect and I've even told Brooke that her shop makes me want to just sit on the couch with a cup of tea and enjoy the sights and neighbors.

So here we are, delivered to the front door of my inspiration.....I saw this great post on Pinterest and decided I would give it a try. Most that I have made are 16x20 and I can customize colors for you if you're interested in purchasing one for $30. I will be trying a few new things in the next couple of days....I'll give you a hint......think "birds"!

Let me know what you think!

Fairies and Racecars!!

2012-01-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

The two hardly seem to go together, do they? Well we had two very notable events here at Cainberly last weekend- both worthy of blog representation!

First, Friday and Saturday marked a huge event in Ben's life..... his first Pinewood Derby. Now I love that I have an "I can do all things handy- and have the tools to do them at my disposal" kind of hubby- but it was Ben's job to design and build his car. Ben made a drawing of the shape he wanted his car and all Andy did was cut it out. After Ben sanded, I helped him spray-paint the car by pushing his thumb down harder on the can. (Mommies have super thumbs, don't ya know?!) Then he burnished some rub-ons where he wanted them with minimal help from Nonny. The finished product........

That's right! A trophy! For best design! He was THRILLED! (And Momma was just a little, too!) So proud of his first car! Now onto next year's design!

So....incredible thing #2-

Abby turned 10 on Sunday! Can you believe it? Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday.....

she was a tee tiny, peddled around everywhere- seeing the world from knee-high. And now she's this...

A beautiful delight to my heart. She's soft and sensitive, and opinionated, and bold, and innocent. And I love her with all my heart. We celebrated her all week long- and still could have celebrated more!

Now for the "icing on the cake"- pun intended, of course! For Abby's first-ever-double-digit birthday, her Aunt Beth made her the most spectacular of all gifts....

Is that not the most awesome fairy house you have ever seen? I was so impressed with my sweet sister! What a labor of love! Abby was totally THRILLED and loves it so very much! After many exclamations of "You should totally SELL those!"- I'm hoping she will, because this thing is magical! Now shipping it- THAT might be a doozy! ;O)

TOS Review: Maestro Classics' "The Story of Swan Lake"

2012-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

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I love classical music. Infact, when I am alone in the car- that is my preference on the radio. I started my children listening to classical music at a very young age- just different bits here and there. Mozart for lunch, Handel for playtime, and their favorite was a lullaby CD that I played for them at naptime. I remember when I had an opportunity to speak with them in the car about why I love classical music so....

"Well, I suppose I love music with no words so much because, in my mind, I can picture a story unfolding to the music. Listen....hear that fast music? It sounds like someone whipping up a fabulous baked yummy! Uh oh! The music slowed down, I wonder if their cake fell in the oven!"

And ever since that moment, classical music has grown on my babies.

Maestro Classics

produces a delightful series of educational and entertaining CDs for children ages 5-12 called Stories in music. We had the opportunity to review "The Story of Swan Lake" and were instantly hooked! There are many other versions that you can peruse here, everything from "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" to "My Name is Handel: The Story of Water Music" (which may be our next choice!).

But let me tell you a little about this excellent find!

I could not believe the content of this CD once I got it in my hands! If you're thinking it's Tchaikovsky's work with some fluff, then like myself, you are bound to be pleasantly surprised! First of all, the London Philharmonic Orchestra performs the music! Can you believe it?! So beautiful! Over the music on track one a narrator, Yadu, tells the story of Swan Lake. Track two tells of Tchaikovsky and his life (definitely myth-busting at its best! You'll just have to try it to see!) Track three was a bit different.....

Nope, I didn't paste that on the wrong review! Joe Stump- metal shredder extraordinaire! Joe shreds some Tchaikovsky for us! Now you may be wondering........but go with me on this.....perspective. It's all about perspective. Joe had my 7 year old up and banging- playing a mean Tchaikovsky air guitar! I loved that the folks at Maestro Classics included a sample of how music may be interpreted by someone with a different perspective!

Track four is about the music itself which goes perfectly with the CD cover. Ahhh the CD cover.... a review in itself! Music instruction via piano, games and activities, information on Joe, Yadu, and Stephen Simon (conductor). There's also some very interesting facts about Tchaikovsky! Did you know that he traveled to America to conduct one of his compositions for the opening of Carnegie Hall in New York City?

(Yep, you can find a pic of ANYTHING on the internet!)

So here's our opinions and observations..........

We LOVED "The Story of Swan Lake" by Maestro Classics! Abby found it very interesting and said she really enjoyed it. We liked how the story was shared with the music so that we could feel the story unfold in the rhythm, pitch, and volume of the notes. We also like how the cover was chocked so full of good surprise stuff! At $16.98/$9.98 (CD/MP3 download) I found this to be a great deal!

I also want to share with you that, on their website, is a free kids club! It has answers to the puzzles in the CD cover, and a downloadable coloring page for some of the CDs (Swan Lake had one!). But ohhhh wait til you see the Educational Materials page! Curriculum guides, lesson plans, and even lapbooks through A Journey Through Learning's website! It is a great website, even if you don't buy their product, just to have on your radar!

I hope you will consider giving Maestro Classics a shot if you are interested in teaching your children about classical music! If you do, or if you have already used it, let me know! I'd love to hear what you think!

TOS Review: Zeezok Movie Z-Guide for "My Side of the Mountain"

2012-01-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Jean Craighead George has written many wonderfully adventurous children's books. My husband's fondest memories or reading in his early childhood include memories of her My Side of the Mountain trilogy. In fact, this series made such an impression on my dear hubby that as soon as he thought Ben was old enough, he suggested we read these during our read-a-loud time each evening.

Blew my socks off!

That lady certainly does her homework, and Andy was right to suggest that we would enjoy her books! (I believe a pre-requisite for being in the Andy Cain family is that you must, to some degree, be a naturist at heart!) My Side of the Mountain is about Sam Gribley, a teenage boy who leaves the harried life of the city to seek his grandfather's land in the Catskills. Sam proves himself quite the survivalist, and you can't help learning a thing or two yourself from reading of his day-to-day life in the mountains- and of his friendship with Frightful, a Peregrine Falcon he trains.

Yep, right up our alley. Soooo I was thrilled when this opportunity came to review the movie guide Zeezok has developed to go with the 1969 movie of the same name!

Movie???!!!???

That's right, a movie was made of the novel in 1969 and the creators over at Zeezok have made a unit study movie guide to go along with it. A brief description:

"This guide contains a topic overview, movie synopsis, and ten learning activities based on the film. Learn more about Henry David Thoreau and peregrine falcons. Plan your own wilderness adventure. Design a suitable shelter for living in nature. Engage the whole family with a discussion section based on the movie and the learning activities. A brief bibliography lists suggested resources for additional reading and study. You’ve always wanted to be a rugged individualist; here’s your chance to be one vicariously through Sam’s experiences in My Side of the Mountain!"

The Z-Guide comes as a printable PDF and is chock full of fabulous comprehension questions, puzzles/games, activities, and information. Even thouh this particular guide is geared toward middle schoolers, we were able to make it work for us.

Zeezok has a ton of guides and you can find a complete list of them here. There is quite the range from "The Hiding Place" to "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" to "Kit Kittredge" or "The Red Badge of Courage"! All guides are $12.99. We located our movie on Netflix, but Zeezok also sells the movies to go with the guides at a reasonable price ($12.98-$22.98).

Our opinion.....
We enjoyed answering the questions. Also, we like a good excuse to go on a nature work or study Thoreau! The only obstacle that we encountered, and it is NO fault of the folks at Zeezok or the guide itself, is that the movie is nothing like the book. This was difficult for us to get past because my children LOVE THOSE BOOKS. The ending of the movie was VERY different from the book. In fact (<<<<>>>>) they kill Sam's companion Frightful, who is a peregrine falcon in the movie. Needless to say, this totally freaked my kids out! "Momma! How are they supposed to make The Far Side of the Mountain or Frightful's Mountain if she died???" (The sequels to My Side of the Mountain) Also, Sam leaves the mountain and goes home in the movie, not so in the book- that's right, we wouldn't get two more books if he went home at the end of the first one!
As I stated, these hurdles were not the fault of Zeezok and we still enjoyed learning about the things that intrigued Sam Gribley. I may revisit this again in a few years when we study Thoreau more deeply. The guide was actually quite fabulous if you are interested in incorporating a few movies into your lessons, which I really enjoy doing. Everyone enjoys a good movie club! I'm very excited about trying some of the other guides, such as Kit Kittredge and Mr Smith Goes to Washington, in the near future.

Disclaimer: I was given, free of charge, a Zeezok Z-Guide to the Movies for My Side of the Mountain in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A new meeting place....

2012-01-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

I've been inspired.... Have you ever heard the saying by Gandhi

Well, I was wanting a FB group that could share recipes, talk gardening and crafts, and occassionally throw in some homeschooling/homesteading/homemaking advice. I couldn't find a group with the peeps I already know on FB so..........

I made one!!!

Please come join us here!!!

I would love to have you come chat with us, try a recipe, share a good place to get seeds, post a pic of your sewing project you're working on....the possibilities are endless! (You can see the first post of what I made today that even my supremely picky-eater liked!) Feel free to share with YOUR peeps too! Look forward to seeing you over at Sincerely Home FB!

Change....and pondering

2011-12-29T11:01:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that tests my faith like a big ol' swig of change. It makes my mouth pucker, my toenails curl, and a leaves a sick feeling in the pit of my being. I used to brag that this wasn't true of me- that change was welcome in my life and the mat was always out, waiting to be trod on by a drop in visit from my good buddy, Change.

Not so true now. Change will take the swagger out of my step, the wind out of my sails, and the strength from my faith........if I let it.

Change is inevitable. Thankfully we are not God, God is. (I know, it's a huge revelation and I understand if it takes a moment for you to get a breath after being sucker-punched like that!) He gets to decide how things are going to roll and we have nose-bleed section seating when it comes to seeing His great plan. We may be able to see a speck, if we're lucky.

But Great God Almighty is on the playing field, and fortunately- He's on our team!

I was doing the dishes and had a great moment with God. (If you don't believe that can happen, please read The Quotidian Mysteries by Kathleen Norris!) He was showing me all of the change in mine and my loved ones lives over the last few years and boy was there A LOT!!! Here's the beginning of my list:
Daddy got cancer
We left home to go love on him for a couple of months while he needed us
He died
Momma moved into an apartment
Beth (my sister)got married
Andy's Daddy got cancer
We loved on him
We lost him
Andy's aunt passed away
Tomi, my bro in law, moved to WV without being able to take my sister with him because of a job
My favorite uncle passed away, leaving my aunt (after 62 years of marriage) distraught
A tree fell on my house
We moved to a 2 bedroom apartment for 5 months
We moved back home
My mother lost her job

Change IS inevitable.

I began to ask God to show me people in the bible whom I could relate to and do you know what I got????

Mary

OK Lord, fail to see the resemblance here........

Mary was an engaged teenager with a plan...marry a local carpenter, settle down, live in relative obscurity and poverty for the rest of her life...... but change happened. BIG change. ~~Life~~ ~~History~~ ~~World~~ Soul altering CHANGE!! And how did she handle this change? Luke 2:51.....she pondered, treasured it in her heart.

Did she post her opinion on with a snarky undertone?

Did she speak slanderously about the One who had done this to her to her girlfriends?

Did she crawl in the bed and refuse to get out?

Did she go buy something new and large to make up for the ill feelings she had?

Did she yell at her other children because she was at her wits' end?

She pondered and treasured the change, Jesus, and all that came with it (him)- in her heart.

Change will come, my Friends. We may not expect it- may have our head turned the completely opposite direction. May be startled, shocked, and have the wind knocked out of us. It may require that we change our plans, change our focus, change our direction. Change may require us to do something hard, something new, something...dare I say.....unwanted.

You may even have to........sit in the cheap seats. And if you do? What then?

Trust in the One on the playing field.

TOS Review: The World's Greatest Stories

2011-12-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Black Stallion. Sesame Street. Bedtime for Francis.

These were my stories on records that I listened to over and over as a child. Mersmerized by the flashing disco lights on the front of my portable record player, I sat for hours enthralled in great stories, voices, and emotions. My aunt was a first grade teacher and she used to send me these treasures and if you asked me one thing that would take me back to my childhood in an instant, it would be recorded stories.

I was thrilled to be chosen to review The World's Greatest Stories for two reasons:
1. My children have the same love of recorded stories as I did at their age and we are CONSTANTLY looking in libraries and thrift stores for something to listen to in the car.
2. These aren't just ANY recorded stories.....these are bible stories taken straight from scripture. Nothing added, noting taken away!

Creator George Sarris has a background in commercial voice-over for such companies as Burger King, PIzza Hut, AT&T, and Honda to name just a few. He is educated in speech and has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here is an excellent quote from the website:

Actor George W. Sarris brings to life in the mind's eye the characters and events of some of the most treasured stories in all of history. The texts of all of the stories are taken directly, word for word, from the Bible. They are told, however, using the art of a dramatic storyteller, incorporating carefully chosen music and sound effects. The result is a very exciting story that comes straight from the words of Scripture.

I find the fact that he memorizes each and every passage before recording remarkable- this must be how he is able to dramatize each story so perfectly and be so engaging! At $7.95 per CD, I find The World's Greatest Stories to be a great deal. Even better news is if you order all six volumes, you receive free shipping! You can choose NIV or KJV and there are six volumes to pick from as well. Additionally, there is The Real Story of Easter- taken straight from the book of John.

Opinions and observations......

I can see me ordering the other five volumes of The World's Greatest Stories in the future! Abby LOVED Volume 1: The Prophets.

When I asked her why, this is what she said:

"Momma, that man was so good! He wasn't boring at all! He acted out different voices and I liked that he was so dramatic!"

So if your children enjoy listening to a great story while they craft or are riding in the car- please consider going to the website. You can listen to an audio clip on the Tapes & CDs page. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I was given The Worrld's Greatest Stories, Volume 1: The Prophets for free in exchange for an honest and objective review through The Old Schoolhouse Crew.

The Honor of the Last Box

2011-12-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

After you deliver your perfectly packed shoebox to your relay center (maybe your own church), do you know what happens to that treasure chest? Ever thought about what happens between you and the hands of the child meant to receive it?

It goes on a fabulous adventure!

First, it goes to the local Collection Center- where all of the boxes in your area go before being sent to a processing center. For example, Mountain Brook Community Church is the Collection Center for the Birmingham, AL metro area and it gets boxes as far as 50 miles or so out. Lots of boxes......

34,358 to be exact this year!

The Collection center volunteers log your boxes (to help keep the count accurate) and check them for labels and rubber bands. They do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else to your gift!

And by the way, they do not descriminate volunteers based on height, weight, or ability to reach the counter....

From the Collection Center it goes to the processing center. There are 7 of these nationwide:

Atlanta (Our PC)

Charlotte

Denver

Orange County

Honolulu

Boone

Minneapolis

The Processing Center is the last place in the U.S. that your box will be touched. Here they are opened, your donation is taken out, they are given a quick look through to make sure you didn't accidentally put any liquids or chocolates in (or toys with weapons), then they are taped, scanned if you have a "Follow My Box" label, and cartonized by age and gender. Once the carton is taped- it will not see the light of day until it is being opened by the receiving country for distribution.

WE INTERUPT THIS BLOG POST FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR....

Please hear me now. I want to disspell some myths that I have heard circulating.....

1. Yes, plastic shoeboxes are fine. Some do actually crack/break- but they are used by the receivers as holders for their grain and water and other things that make them very useful.

2. Yes, candy is absolutely welcomed in the box! It may be, as I saw one lady post on FB, unhealthy- but look at the big picture!!! What is one treat in a lifetime??????!!!!

3. No, packing a HUGE box is NOT a good idea! A standard shoebox size box is VERY important to the logistics of box distribution. An estimated 14 shoeboxes will fit into each carton. Distribution Project Leaders in-country request a certain number of cartons based on each carton containing at least those 14- so you see how devastating it could be for a child expecting a box if he is in a line of 10 kids to get a box but there were only 4 huge boot boxes in the carton!! 6 hearts instantly broken!

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO THE REGULARLY PLANNED POST!

After the carton is taped, it is loaded and sent to the nearest port city that will be sending them off! Fairly amazing, isn't it? You know what's even more amazing? Taking a team to the Processing Center to work!

And THEN having a member of your team chosen to carton the last box of the season in the Atlanta PC!!!

(That's Lee, our Community Relations Coordinator!)

And what could possibly be EVEN MORE amazing then that?????

Being asked by my fearless leader, Jamie, to.........

PRAY OVER THE SHOEBOXES as they are sent out of the PC on the final day of processing!!!!

Just so you know, I <3 OCC All Year Long! And you can too! If you have a heart for this ministry, please consider becoming a year round volunteer in your commuinty! We have lots of roles to fill! Just ask me and I'll tell you how!

TOS review: ARTistic Pursuits

2011-12-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

The Cains are art lovers. It is a prerequisite for being in this family! Birmingham has a been blessed with having a LOVELY Museum of Art absolutely FREE to visitors. My children and I began frequenting it before they ever even knew what art was! I chose Phonics Museum to teach them how to read- just so I could subject them to more art! We would all rather paint or create in some expressive form than do just about anything else! So when the opportunity arose to review ARTistic Pursuits, I jumped on it!

It is very hard for me to find an art curriculum that I am comfortable with. I am not an accomplished artist, so I have always been intimidated by the thought of teaching my children art. My children take an art class outside of our home once a week with a FABULOUS teacher, but I have wanted something I could do at home with them that would not only cover technique but also history, composition, and different mediums. ARTistic Pursuits has been just perfect! Take a look at the first lesson below:

The lesson begins with the children learning about what it means to compose, then they actually study a composition, finishing off by composing something of their own. The lessons are fairly brief, and easily manageable. The format and material is engaging and the K-3 book still challenges my 4th grader. Here is a piece of her original work from Lesson 2 of K-3 Book 1:

ARTistic Pursuits covers up through high school with each instruction book costing $42.95. There are also art packs available for purchase ranging from $40-$100 including shipping. This is a great option to ensure that you have all of the supplies you will need when it comes time for a lesson with watercolor crayons! (seriously- the ONE art supply NOT on our shelves!) Also, you should know, the ARTistic Pursuits website is very informative and well layed-out. I encourage you to meander over there and take a look. Even if you are not a homeschooler, this would be an awesome project once a week for you to do with your children. You will both enjoy it!

Time for opinions and observations........

My kids have thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks while we incorporated this program into our days. This MAY be the "we can't do without it" product! I am happy to see them take so much pleasure in taking learning about art to a new level. .

A word of advise, check your art supply stash. If it is meek, think about investing in their supply packs. They seem reasonably priced to me, and it certainly makes project time so much easier if you're not having to go shop for supplies before you can get started!

If you give ARTistic Pursuits a shot, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: I was given the ARTistic Pursuits K-3 Book 1 manual in exchange for a fair and honest review as part of The Old Homeschool Crew.

Dear Lord,

2011-12-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

I will not tire of praising you. I will not tire of sharing how you have blessed me. I will not forget what you have taught me this year, and if sharing it with one person makes a difference, I will share it with a hundred to whom it doesn't.

TOS Review: Time Timer

2011-11-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, nifty gadget alert!! Have you ever seen something at a store and thought, "Of course! Of course someone has not only patented THAT but produced it as well! I've thought of that very same gadget a hundred times!!!!!!" This is one of those gadgets....the Time Timer.

About a month ago I received this timer in the mail (the 3' model/smallest).

My first thought was, "How am I going to use this with the kids? It's just like any old kitchen timer!" Ohhhhh not quite! You see, later that same evening, my precious girl got in the shower. Approximately 52 minutes later, she got out after much fussing and needless hot-water running in the kitchen! (Yes, I am THAT kind of Momma! I also opened their pjs when they were babies to get them to stay awake for me to feed them! There- now your opinion of me is completely ruined!) This has been an ongoing battle with Precious for about 3 years now- when she started taking showers. We've begged, cajoled, and just plain yelled.....to no avail. Hmmmmm.....

The smaller timer was perfect for me to sit on the mirror ledge where Sweets could see it while she was showering. The ingenious thing about this timer is that, with a red panel, you actually SEE the passing of the time.

The red diminishes as the time passes. Abby knows now that she has a quarter of a "red pie" when she starts her shower, and when she's down to a sliver- that means its time to rinse the conditioner out and turn the water off. She's doing much better with the timer! There is also an alarm that will sound at the end of the set time period.

The timers come in three different sizes and range in price from $30-$40.

Thoughts and opinions:
I can honestly say that the Time Timer has alleviated a smidgen of my being "the bad guy"! I no longer need to fuss for Abs to get out of the shower! I'm also starting to use the Time Timer for lessons and reading time- so I look forward to the same results in those areas as well.
There are two tiny things I do want to make sure to mention.....One is that the alarm is barely audible. It sounds once and often we never hear it. The other is that the battery resides in a deep covered well in the back of the timer. It doesn't take much jarring at all to dislodge it so if your timer suddenly stops working, please check to see if your battery needs pushed back in.
As always, if you purchase a Time Timer, please let me know your thoughts! And certainly pass on any other ideas for incorporating it into the day!

Disclaimer: As part of The Old Homeschool Crew, I was given a 3' Time Timer in exchange for a fair and honest review. I receive no compensation or commission.

Sweet Exhaustion....

2011-11-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

There comes a point when a fainting couch is in order.......

Darlings, NOW is that time! And it's not the children or the husband or the house that's causing such fatigue. No it's three simple letters...

O........C.......C........

THIS is why I do this every year (for the 15th year!) Look at that smile! Operation Christmas Child collections for 2011 end tomorrow. Tomorrow I will spend a FULL day at our Birmingham Collection Center (Mt Brook Community Church) accepting cartons of boxes received from all over the metro area this past week- watching volunteers load semi trailers to the brim. ~~Hopefully~~ Prayerfully, 35,000 shoeboxes. This year has a twist, this year I'm the Captain of the ship. Praise God I have one FABULOUS crew to help me out! My area team co-ordinators are phenomenal.....just thinking of them makes me smile.

For now, I am going to go do laundry, read to my kids, and pack our stuff up so we can be out of the house before the kids are usually out of bed. I'll post again tomorrow with some pics of the joy that causes my sweet exhaustion.

TOS Review: Keyboard Town Pals

2011-11-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to review a children's typing program, Keyboard Town Pals, recently. Here's what the website had to say about their program:

The Keyboard Town PALS Learn to Type program teaches your child to type in one hour.

Today, typing properly is a lifelong, necessary skill for success in school and at work.

■Our Mission: Our mission is to teach young children to type on a Qwerty computer keyboard in the fastest, easiest, and least stressful way. In only one hour Keyboard Town PALS’ “Learn To Type”software is able to achieve that goal.

■Stress-Free: We have eliminated the stress normally associated with learning to type and replaced it with adorable puppets who sing songs and tell stories in a relaxed learning environment. Our system has no boring drills or exercises. No mindless games. No nerve-wracking timed-speed tests. We have even deactivated the delete and backspace buttons since mistakes are never counted and scroll right off the screen. Learn more about this method.

■Wholesome: We are dedicated to developing educational software that you can depend on; wholesome products that will help you do your job as a parent – the most important and rewarding job anyone can have.

■Self Motivated: Your child will become an eager participant in the learning process and will be self-motivated to learn and complete the program.

■6 and Up: Keyboard Town PALS is best for the beginner audience of kids ages 6-12 and those with learning differences. All you need is a kid, a computer and an hour.

These are some of the characters introduced:

The main character is "Sunny"

Prices range from $30-$45

My thoughts and opinions...........

Friends, I do not endorse this product. I could not MAKE Ben sign on after half of the first lesson and he was 6! It is geared more to 4 year olds in my opinion, possibly even 3 year olds! Certainly NOT the 6-12 age group suggested. The characters are far from "wholesome", as you encounter a character VOMMITING in lesson 3! Also, in lesson 5 the characters taunt and tease some unknown character which disgusted me. Also, just so you know, Ben firmly believes that Sunny would scare small children.

Hard as I try, I can not find one thing positive about this product- which may end my reviewing career- but honesty is, and forevermore shall be, the best policy.

Getting in the November mood.....

2011-11-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ahhh....after a much needed blog break (Weren't all of those reviews INSANE??!!) I am back to share with you a few crafties I am pondering. Now don't get me wrong- our handy craft this month is leather tooling (Anyone seen my leather tooling kit??? Just a few tubs left to unpack...) so I'll be working on that with the kids, but I have found some super cute ideas that I am interested in trying with the kiddos.

Wanna see 'em???

Love this Berry Wreath over on Martha Stewart. The fabulous part is the berries are pom poms you "dye" and glue on to a willow wreath! Easy peesy! And those trivets? They're just wooden blocks covered with velvet! Genius!

Check out how adorable these are! Mel over at One Crafty Mumma has done it again! I swear I wish she were my neighbor!! You can catch the tutorial here!

Now I don't think this one would be for the munchkins to attempt, but it is just so lovely I had to post!

Jessica over at Sew Homegrown whipped this beauty up! It cost her less than $20 to make!!!!

Birds speak to me. Christmas, Easter, Independence Day- you can use them for any holiday.......well ok, maybe not Independence Day so much. ;o)

And now.....the icing on the cake! Or pie, as it will be! Get ready to drool my friends......

Do you know what this bit of loveliness is? This, Dearies, is Layered Pumpkin Pie Toffee Cheesecake! (Who would have thought of putting all of that yumminess together? They need a pat on the back.......maybe even a kiss right on the lips- but seein' as how I've yet to taste it, we'll hold off on that one!) This little delight is brought to you by the girls over at Our Best Bites. (Though they say they got it from the cover of the Betty Crocker Holiday Mini-Mag!) Oh...must....try....this....one!!!

I hope you're a smidge inspired! I hope we can unearth our crafting supplies soon and get started on some holiday projects. Nothing soothes my soul more than a good craft, a cozy Cainberly, and a nice cup of cider.

TOS Review: Say Anything

2011-10-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! This has been a marathon of reviews! I hope you've hung in there with me and enjoyed seeing some of what's out there that you may not have been aware of. This will be my last review for week or so.....and it's a great one!

The folks at Northstar Games bring us another fun family entertainment golden opportunity with Say Anything Family Edition! This game is much like Wits & Wagers (see previous review here) in how it is equipped. You receive a scoring board, dry-erase markers, dry-erase boards, a box of questions, player tokens, and the ever so "state-of-the-art" SELECT-O-MATIC 6000.

(You see that little cardboard spinner thingy? Yep, SELECT-O-MATIC!)

The judge draws a card and chooses which of 3 questions they would like to ask. Here are some examples for you:

What am I most likely to be doing in 20 years?

If I could have any musician play a private concert for me, who would it be?

What does the world need less of?

Players (recommended for ages 8+) jot down their answer on their boards, judge chooses which one they like best on the S-O-M and turns it face down. Players then place their tokens on the answer they believe is most likely to be chosen by the judge, judge flips over S-O-M and VOILA! Tons of fun and laughter!

Time for thoughts and opinions!

My kids LOVE this game! They think it is so incredibly fun to guess what everybody thinks. They felt a real satisfaction from knowing each of their family members so well- and I have to admit that I felt a littleproud of them. They were thrilled when they had their answer chosen, but they also were happy to hear each other's thoughts and opinions. It really is a great game for promoting a good dose of family unity.

Now, having said that- I must repeat my only concern which I expressed in my Wits & Wagers review-

" I love the concept, but I see buying more dry erase markers in the future- and what about the little boards once they become stained like dry erase boards tend to do?"

You can purchase Say Anything Family Edition at Target for $19.99.

TOS Review: Wits & Wagers Family edition

2011-10-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

My family loves nothing more than a good game. I think the only rival to our book collection is our board game collection!

Northstar Games has produced a challenging game of, you guessed it, wits and wages! A great trivia based game, with numbers as answers, that challenges you to bet on which guess comes closest to the true answer of a question.

Included in the Wits & Wagers box is your scoreboard, 300 questions with answers, dry erase markers and boards, and Meeples! Yes, Meeples! What are they, you ask? Apparently they are a fun little wooden person that has been popular European strategy gaming but are now being introduced to board games!

Would you like to try your wits at a question? I'll post the answer at the bottom so you won't be tempted to cheat!

How many total Disney princesses are there?

What percent of U.S. households have at least 1 pet dog?

OK, time for thoughts and opinions.....

My kids really enjoyed this game. Ben, my 7 year old, had a hard time with the percentages but endeavored to persevere and really enjoyed the game. My daughter, 9, loved it and was astonished by some of the answers! (Such as there are more than 100 feet in a mile! Amazing!) I wonder about the supplies though, if I were to be honest. I love the concept, but I see buying more dry erase markers in the future- and what about the little boards once they become stained like dry erase boards tend to do? Nonetheless, we loved it and will be enjoying another round with pizza on a Friday night soon! Wits & Wagers sells for $19.99 on http://www.toysrus.com/ . Northstar also offers Say Anything, which will be my next review!

As always, if you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Oh, your answers! 9 and 37.2%

TOS Revierw: Educating the Whole Hearted Child

2011-10-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Honey.

This book was sweet honey to my homeschooling soul!

Chock full of everything a homeschooling family needs to hear from how to get started to which picks of literature are ideal living books. I began reading....then I began underlining.....then I began highlighting! This book spoke to me- sometimes reassuringly saying "Good job! Keep doing that!" and sometimes "Oy Marla, was that the best choice for your homeschooling day?" Can I just share with you some of my favorite passages from Educating the Whole Hearted Child?

p.13 "Whatever else influences your decision, there is really only one reason in the end that should settle and seal it- that in your heart, before God and by faith, you know that being home with your children is the right thing to do."
p.19 "Your child is made for and naturally longs for the home that you can provide."
p.20 "Every Christian parents will readily affirm that their children are being raised in a Christian home. Probe a little deeper, though, and you'll find that often what they really mean is that their children are being raised in Christian culture. Let me state what should be obvious, but isn't: Christian activities and interests do not make a Christian home A Christian home is never defined by what the children are doing; it is defined by what the parents are doing."

Ouch! That last one stung a little- but definitely struck home. You must understand that while this book is full of awesome homeschooling resources, the Clarksons' goal was to encourage the reader in three particular priorities: Home Nurture, Home Discipleship, and Home Education. Below is the Table of Contents so that you can see the rich sweetness that awaits you....

Table of Contents

PREFACE: A WholeHearted Journey for Home
INTRODUCTION: Christian Homeschooling — Taking a Step of Faith toward Home SECTION 1: HOME

Chapter 1: The Christian Home — Learning to Be at Home with Christ
Chapter 2: The Christian Homeschool — Learning at Home to Be with Christ
Chapter 3: Home Nurture — Shepherding Your Child’s Spirit to Long for God
Chapter 4: Home Discipleship — Shaping Your Child’s Heart to Live for God
Chapter 5: Home Education — Strengthening Your Child’s Mind to Learn for God

SECTION 2: LEARNING Chapter 6: The WholeHearted Learning Model — Living and Learning Together at Home
Chapter 7: The WholeHearted Learning Home — Creating a Home You Can Learn Within
Chapter 8: The WholeHearted Learning Child — Understanding Your Child
Chapter 9: The WholeHearted Learning Youth — Beyond the WholeHearted Child

SECTION 3: METHODS Chapter 10: Discipleship Studies Methods — The Study of the Bible
Chapter 11: Disciplined Studies Methods — The Study of the Basics
Chapter 12: Discussion Studies Methods — The Study of Ideas
Chapter 13: Discovery Studies Methods — The Study of Learning
Chapter 14: Discretionary Studies Methods — The Study of Living

SECTION 4: LIVING
Chapter 15: Family — Keeping the Vision Alive
Chapter 16: Structure — Keeping the Homeschooling Together
Chapter 17: Order — Keeping the Home Together
Chapter 18: Support — Keeping the Spirit Strong

POSTSCRIPT: The Challenge — Keeping Faith in the Family RESOURCES
A: Books for the WholeHearted Family
B: Books for WholeHearted Learning
C: Forms for WholeHearted Learning
Notes Pages

Educating the Whole Hearted Child is published by the very reputable Apologia and sells for $22.00 on their site. (There's also a great wealth of other resources available on their site so head on over there and check 'em out!)

Time for my thoughts and opinions:
As you can tell, I loved this book and am so glad that I was chosen to review it. It inspires, encourages, and even reproofs when necessary. And I saved the best part to share with you.....those resource pages!!! Oh my goodness! Calendar planning, task lists, reading records and lists, family chore charts- all reproducible! Uh-ma-zing! There's also notes, resource lists, quotations, and supporting scriptures in the side margins!

This may sound like too much in one book but please let me reassure you- this book is an easy read. Great, well-thought out ideas. Definitely going to be a go-to book for me for the next eleven years of homeschooling!

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Educating the Whole Hearted Child through The Old Schoolhouse magazine in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TOS Review: E-Mealz

2011-10-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

OK, aside from the car, the telephone, and the computer- no invention has revolutionized my life more than E-mealz! I'll get to the particulars of it in just a second but know this.....I print a list and recipes, I shop for a week's worth of groceries (that always stretches farther than that), I spend about $90, and I no longer have the 4 o'clock blank stare into the pantry!

Cured!

Cured of the dreaded daily "What are we going to have for dinner tonight?" Cured of the multiple trips to the grocery store each week! Cured of the wasted food in my refrigerator! Cured of the enormous grocery bills I was suffering under! Cured of the "food rut" that I am occasionally accused of!

Cured!

Now, let me give you a little background- because I have some history with E-Mealz....I heard of E-Mealz a few years ago at my church. Seems it was all the rage and I found out that the founder, Jane DeLaney, is my associate pastor's wife! So I thought it sounded great and in an effort to support my pastor's wife, I gave it a shot. It lasted for a month.

Why, you ask? The menu. I had a hard time getting the menu to go over with my family. I had a couple of factors working against me...1)Small children 2) The hubs- he likes NO condiment, certain seasonings, anything from the banana family of fruit, fresh tomatoes......you see how this could impede my culinary creativeness?

I am so glad for this opportunity to re-try E-mealz. Below is directly from their website:

What is E-Mealz?

E-Mealz is a simple system to solve your dinner dilemma with easy meals based on delicious recipes and a consistent grocery budget.

e-mealz meal plans...

•are written and created by REAL moms with REAL families

•are balanced and family friendly

•are as easy as possible, but delicious and kid tested!

•consist of favorite recipes collected from hundred of moms

•come with an organized, aisle by aisle grocery list

•are for 4 to 6 people

•are based on the current week sales at your grocery

•are priced at approximately $75 per week

•Two person plans average $35 total per week

OK, so now you have a little bit of an idea of how E-mealz works so I'm going to break it down for you...it's as easy as

There are multiple plans to choose from so that you may find a fit with your lifestyle.

I chose the low-fat/4 person/Publix/tall/decaf/carmel/macchiato version...o wait...well, you get the idea! It worked fabulously! Not too many leftovers, store close by, a little healthier eating than we had been having.... and the humdinger??

$5 a month!

That's right- they post a customized menu based on sale items for the store you choose, give you a grocery list, and recipes for only $5 a month!! SOLD!!!

Time for my thoughts and opinions......

I really think I can't live without E-mealz in my life. Even though I was given a free 3 month subscription for my review, I will be renewing it when it ends. I will say that some of the recipes did not suit my family (meatloaf is not a favorite at Cainberly), but that was ok because it allowed for me to substitute in some of my meals that we love (jambalaya, stroganoff, chili, etc). Also, regarding the recipes- on a couple of them I think some important details may have been left off- chili sauce...is that hot dog chili sauce or Texas Pete chili sauce? I just don't know! Oh, and a couple of times, through absolutely no fault of E-mealz- Publix would not stock items that they advertised as on sale (pet peeve of mine!) so if my meal was based on that item I had to rethink it. One last thing you should know is that I would buy other things we needed for the house such as breakfast items, toilet paper, etc. and have the check-out person give me a total of the E-mealz items separately. The totals ALWAYS fell under or at what they were supposed to based on your E-mealz grocery total for the week.

Great job by the folks at E-mealz! What a great service for those of us who were drowning under the weight of the responsibility of feeding a house. If you're struggling, or just tired of being in a food rut, give E-mealz a shot and let me know what you think! Their website has a week's menu for you to try and some great info and recipes!

Disclaimer: I was given a 3 month free trial membership to E-mealz in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review: Always Icecream

2011-10-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Um, is it me or do you smell cotton candy? Bubble gum?

Abby must be on again!

This has got to be the sweetest, girly-est website I have EVER seen! And every time that girl of mine signs on, I SWEAR I can smeeeeelllllllll SUGAR!!!!! I even feel like this review should be entirely pink....but I'll spare you that one! ;o)

Always Icecream is an educational, fun, social website geared for girls ages 7-12. If I were to be entirely honest.....I have dreaded writing this review! Why, you may ask? Because this is the one review that we have enjoyed so much that I want to make sure not to leave anything out! This website offers so much!

First, there's the great educational games/drills/exercises! AI covers math, language arts, geography (see picture below), history, science, music, art, typing, foreign languages, and Bible! whew......

Parents are sent weekly updates via email. (Parents are given a complimentary account that links to their daughter's so that they may be aware of what Little One is doing.)

Second- let's talk FUN! There's a video round-up with everything from horses to how to draw. (Don't worry- this is moderated, videos are reviewed before they are efer posted!) There's a "Mini World" where girls can use scoops (currency) they have earned from the educational activities to buy and furnish/decorate their own house...or palace, even! And this.......

this is Pet World....Abby's version of "You had me at 'Hello'!"!!!!!!!!

Did I mention they can listen to catchy tunes while on the site?

And lastly, there is a social aspect to this website that some of you may love and some of you may hate. Let me just tell you this to put your mind at rest- ***Content on Always Icecream is subject to moderation, contains no advertising and is blocked to search engines. To assure your child’s online privacy the site is certified by Privo. (I quoted this from fellow crewmate Roberta from over at Pondering on the Prairie- go read her review as well!) There are Cutey-Patootys on there telling about the new horse they just got or their trip to DisneyWorld......it is perfectly adorable! And I honestly feel very safe having Abby get on it and converse because I know they are policing every bit of content that spills onto the screen.

Ok, here comes my thoughts and opinions......in pink! It had to be done, People!

This website is perfect if your little girl is ready to have some safe fun on the computer. It's $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year which I think is an AWESOME deal for all of the content you get! It goes even one step further and you can get a lifetime membership for $99.99! Oh I can think of a thing or 12 that I waste more than that on....and you should see how thrilled Abby is to get to practice the drills and learning games! As if, for just a moment....in a sea of pink and cotton candy- she has forgotten that she is actually LEARNING something! Great motto!

Also, in my opinion, the graphics are FABULOUS! I absolutely love that there are NO ads whatsoever to be found on Always Icecream! The only negative I could find is that it's so darn hard getting Abby off!! As I stated earlier, we are THRILLED with this product and hope that you will jump on over and take a look for yourself! Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I was given a free membership to Always Icecream in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review: Visual Latin

2011-10-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

"Et tu, Brute?"

If you're anything like me.....these and "E pluribus unum"

are the only latin that you know! Sure, I know lots of our medical words and random words here and there are based on latin- but I certainly couldn't tell you what any of them mean!

I've been wanting to try a foreign language with the kiddos. Abby had some french the last two years and Benji hasn't had any exposure to another language except for the few spanish words and sign language motions I have taught him. I was thrilled when the opportunity to review Visual Latin came along!

Visual Latin is a curriculum brain child of 2 homeschooling dads who believed they could produce a video series that would keep students engaged, and even mildly entertained, in learning latin. Dwane Thomas is the instructor and he does a fabulous job. He is very clear and obviously knowledgable (he's been teaching latin for 15 years!) and has a great sense of humor.

As far as classes go, there are two series of videos available, Latin 1 and Latin 2. You may choose to download lessons or purchase DVDs. (Dwane also teaches online courses) For Latin 1 Lessons 1-30 DVDs are $80 (on sale now from $90!) and the download is $50.

The video lesson presentation is broken into 3 segments:

Grammar

Sentences

Reading

There are also three printable worksheets with each lesson for each video segment.

Here's a few thoughts and opinions...... I tried to have Ben do this along with Abby and it was just too advanced for him. It is recommended for ages 9 and up and I would have to say that I agree with that whole-heartedly. Abby loves it, but Ben just became frustrated and ultimately abandoned the lessons. This is a great program for visual learners, which Abby DEFINITELY is! My last opinion is this- the Visual Latin website is fantastic! They have great, accurate information with answers to lots of questions and links to other latin resources. Best of all, you can download 6 FREE LESSONS to try it out!

Disclaimer: As a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse magazine, I was provided with the above curriculum free of charge in exchange for an honest and objective review.

Fair warning!

2011-10-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Let it not be said that you weren't warned!

I wanted to let you friends know that I will be reviewing quite a few products over the next 2 weeks or so. I'll mix in personal tidbits as well- but I will have reviews of everything from board games, to meal planning, to books, websites, and Latin lessons! I'm pretty excited about them but I wanted to forwarn you lest you feel barraged by reviews! I hope they are helpful to you and you enjoy them!

Coming back around......

2011-10-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I never intended to be one of those blogs that, when you look over in your blog roll to see whose is updated, fell at the bottom of the list. I always believed with my whole heart that my blog would be updated with my morning coffee. Full of lively photos, greetings, ideas- it would inspire and create new friendships.

But I have fallen to the bottom of the update list and am actually in jeopardy of losing my ability to review products for you. Thankfully, I think I'm on an upswing! Dear friends, we have moved home. Oooo, it sounds so wonderful, let me say it again...

Dear friends, we have moved home!

No more internet via the iPhone. No more walking back and forth between the apartment and the house for baking supplies. No more coaxing the children with "Please, can't you just hang in there with us a little while longer???" We're home. All is right in the universe.

EXCEPT FOR THIS MESS!!!!! But, with a little elbow grease and some TLC, that too will (hopefully, at least momentarily) be a thing of the past.

We have learned so much over the past five months. I told Andy that I really want to write a book. I'm thinking of calling it "Mommy, You Forgot My Froggie" because that's when I remember it all starting.....that crazy morning when I threw the kids in our bed and Ben needed his lovie to comfort him. I went to get it, came back, and quite literally- our world shook! We're on the backside now, and in my heart, I think I can sincerely count it all joy.

I think, with some grace and divine providence, I'm coming back around.

BIG IQ KIDS

2011-09-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

We have decided that next year we are going to take a REAL vacation. We are not going to Disney World. We are not counting trips to family as vacation. And we are not going to Atlanta for 2 1/2 days and calling that our vacation. We are going on a real vacation. On a train. Across the country. To Montana!

"Ok kids, who wants to go see my crazy friend, Jayne, and her family in MONTANA?????" I say- expecting "Woot!"s... and maybe even some "Seriously???!!"s and "Yeeeeeeee hoooo!"s. But this is what I got....

"Um, it's not as far as Nonny's, is it?"

We live in Alabama. Nonny lives in Mississippi.
Do you see my quandry?

BIG IQ KIDS

Big IQ Kids is an award winning online interactive tool that helps build math, spelling, vocabulary, and U.S. States facts mastery. They offer free lessons and a low-cost premium plan that includes some pretty great perks.

Let's talk about the free fun first....
There are free practice lessons in the areas of time, measurement, and vowels sounds. These are great if your children have already had lessons and just need some extra time praticing what they've learned. There are clocks you set the hands on for the time segment, set the ruler to certain measurements, and select the word with certain long/short vowel sounds. There is also the ability to produce vocabulary flash cards for free!
There are also free spelling and math segments.

The spelling segment includes a spelling bee, games, quizzes, vocabulary bee, practice tests and fun spelling/vocabulary games geared to meet your child's learning level.

You can tailor the math segment to your child's abilities. They are advanced based on proficiency as they build speed and accuracy. Did I mention they earn game coins when they finish a lesson and get to pick a game in the gameroom to play?
Now, here's where the Cains really needed help.....the U.S. States!

There are drills on location, capitals, spelling, and state specific facts. Did you know Montana has the largest

bear population of ALL the states?....Ben has decided he will no longer partake of the Cain family vacation. (This is why we can't camp- my boy has an unhealthy fear of bears eating him.)
The last free thing to mention is the free e-book series! Interactive and geared towards children ageas 8-12, children read at their own pace with aid available by a "click-to-hear" function. There are also built in vocabulary building and comprehension quizzes. These online chapter books are made available as children come back each week, chapter by chapter, and are printable. (The e-books have games that go along with them which can be purchased for $3.99)

The premium membership includes all of the above, of course, but also adds in some great perks. A customizable Big IQ "buddy" (avatar), for example. Also included is access to ALL of the games in the gameroom and high scores are saved. There are timed quizzes and automatic advancement based on proficiency. One of the neatest perks, in my opinion, are the automatic progress emails and tracking reports. As soon as Ben finished a round of U.S. States, it sent me an email telling me how he did and if he was moved up or not! There is a built in review as well for the children as well. My favorite perk BY FAR is the lack of advertisements during the lessons. I say this because, quite honestly, the home page has a lot of distracting ads that you have to see past. "What are the costs?" you may be asking....

The premium math membership is $9.99 per month or $49.99 for the year (which works out to $4.17 per month!). Spelling is $7.99 per month or $39.99 for the year (which works out to $3.33 per month!). The U.S. States Facts is available per year only at $39.99 (again, $3.33 per month!).

Now, here is my list of pros and cons followed by my personal opinion:
Pros
1. Could set content for each child's math drills (ex. 20% of problems 1 digit addition, 80% of problems 1 digit multiplication)
2. Ads are at a minimum for premium membership lessons
3. FAQ page and Free Vs Premium page allows you to have comparison right in front of you

Cons
1. Home page is covered in ads
2. Registering was a little difficult (but this may be due to some site re-construction)
3. Very basic graphics with robotic voices

While at first I was put off by the simplistic graphics and homepage ads- I found, upon further use, the Big IQ Kids is a very useful website. I like that my children have to master their levels before they can move on and that I can set it to receive email updates of their progress if I so desire. The children really enjoyed the games and creating their "buddy". This seems a very entertaining alternative to "Go write your 0-9 math facts 10 times!". My children are very visual learners and Big IQ Kids meets that need in them. They ask to get on it, and that, in itself, is indicative of a job well-done by the Big IQ folks.

Disclaimer: I received a free trial of the premium membership to Big Iq Kids in return for a fair and honest review.

Today....

2011-09-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

The kids are at co-op and I'm sitting in the library on the computer, getting ready to meet my Andy for a private early lunch. Our time of late has been invaded by various assorted sundries that make their mission of robbing you of moments..words....looks.....

I am happy, tired, sore, blessed, excited, busy, overwhelmed, hungry, ....

content. Grateful.

A bad time?

2011-09-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

I might possibly have chosen a terrible time to pick up a new craft.

You see, I have always wanted to make a quilt. Always. And every time I buy a new bedding set for my bed (mind you it is once every 5 years!) I cringe. The thought goes, like a fleeing deer- bolting infront of oncoming traffic, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE A QUILT!!!!!!!

"That'll be ninety-nine dollars and ninety-seven cents please." And I pay it and walk out with my tail between my legs.

So I determined that when we move back into our home, I would sleep the first night there under a handmade quilt.....made here...in the USA....in Alabama.....actually IN Birmingham. I bought the above fabrics- all my favorites that I have been eyeing for quite a while. I bought Alicia Paulson's pattern for her Olallieberry Quilt......
simple....squares.....

I can do this, right?

I have two and a half weeks and I basically have the squares all cut out.

H......E.....L....P!!!!!!!!!!!

Book review: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

2011-08-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Silly question......

Do you love your kids? (I TOLD you it was a silly question!)

A little bit tougher question....

Do you have a heart for your children?

You may be thinking, "What? I just said I love my kids, that means I have a heart for them!"

Well Rachael Carman may disagree with you.

I recently had the opportunity, through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, to review her book How to Have a Heart For Your Kids. This book is published through Apologia, a well known and respected source of homeschool curriculum and resources. With a pedigree such a this, I anticipated big things from this book! Apologia is my personal favorite pick when it comes to homeschool science curriculum and we are currently using their Exploring Creation With Human Anatomy and Physiology for our first and fourth graders.

On the whole I would say that I really enjoyed this book. Mrs. Carman made some great points and had some very wise words of encouragement to share with homeschooling parents. If I had to find one thing negative to say about this read, it would ONLY be that perhaps some of the passages became a little redundant- but I feel that was part of Mrs. Carman's desire to drive her points home.

And speaking of points, allow me to share the main points that Mrs Carman wants to leave with you:
H- Have a Heart for the Things of God
E- Enrich Your Marriage
A- Accept Your Kids
R-Release them to God
T- Teach Them the Truth

Each of these points represent a chapter in the book. Mrs. Carman uses loving detail to substantiate each point by drawing from her own experience as a homeschooling mother of seven, backing up points with scripture, encouraging with biblical models (Hannah and Samuel), and by speaking straight to the reader- as if having a personal conversation with you.

A small book and a light read, I recommend adding it to your bedside bookshelf. How to Have a Heart For Your Kids can be purchased at the Apologia Press site for $13 plus shipping. There is a sample chapter for you to peruse at the site. Also, here is what hey have to say about the book:
How well do you really know your kids? What has God shown you about who they are and who they will become? He has sent these children into your home at this specific time for His glorious purposes. Indeed, you have been invited on the adventure of a lifetime, a journey on which you will see walls fall, seas parted, and giants slain. You don't need special skills or training for this journey—you need only to seek God and hold tight to His mighty hand! As with so many things, the first step to having a heart for your children is knowing your heavenly Father. As you seek daily to share His heart for your children, keep this inspirational book close at hand.

Disclaimer: You should know that I received a free copy of How to Have a Heart For Your Kids in exchange for a fair review.

The Color in Question......

2011-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Cream Puff.

And by the way, if my name were a color.....it would be MUD!

I had just a few moments to choose a color for the trim of our house....alone....and I came up with Cream Puff.

I love it! It makes me warm and happy. I smile looking at it!

Andy hates it. I mean, went right out to Home Depot and picked another color hates it.

P.S. For those of you who voted for the porch ceiling.....

Cainberly, the Cottage, and a Plea

2011-08-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

We did it! Last Monday we started the 2011/2012 school year! And it has gone really well so far! I will confess....last week I went to bed every night at 9:00!!!!! This week is a little better. ;o) I've even been baking a little, trying to get back to my old self. I tried these donut muffins and they were yummylicious!

So down at Cainberly things have been hopping as well! We got a new roof, new A/C, new porch... now we're waiting for plaster and then I will get to painting!

Can I just say that I have nevver seen a more beautiful, undeserved HVAC in my life?!

And look at our beautiful new porch! Would you paint it or just polyurethane it???

Here's some progress shots...

This is the front room getting ready for plaster....notice openness to attic?!

And I'm sorry this is a little blurry- but this doorway is going to disappear and become a larger closet for the front room which is going to be our bedroom. This room will become Abby's/the schoolroom.

I am swinging into a crazy busy season with Operaqtion Christmas Child, soccer, Ben's birthday, school, & a homeschool play all around the corner! So I'm going to throw this out there to blogdom (and please forgive me if you see this on FB as well).......

When the storms came thru LOTS of people offered to help. I responded to you that we were ok for the moment, but there would come a time when we would definitely NEED help. Dear Friends, that time has just about come! The plaster is coming, then we (me) will have to do the painting, then the floors will be screened and restained, then we're moving back home! Just a matter of a couple of weeks....in the busiest season of our year! If you have a few moments and you'd LOVE to come help, or play with bored out of their mind kids, please give us a hollar. We'd love to have you!

Lessons I learned from skaters yesterday.....

2011-08-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

1. People are not punks just because they dress differently than you.
2. You CAN be a Christian and cuss. For pete's sake, we ARE sinners, aren't we? I stand by the bible where it says put away all filthy language from your mouth ( Colossions 3:8) but I don't believe you are not saved or can lose your salvation because you said a curse word. (or five or six)
3. 19 year olds make some of the best evangelists I have EVER seen.....and it's very convicting.
4. Mohawks, done properly, can be pretty cool.
5. Stereotyping makes you end up looking like a fool. Seriously.
6. You can be 16 and have courage that surpasses grown men.
7. It only takes one act of support to break a barrier built by many acts of conceit.
8. I am not all that. I never was- and never should have believed otherwise.
9. Christ's love unites all who claim His salvation. Black, white, hispanic, we are not meant to be segregated, we are meant to function together as one body- iron sharpening iron.
10. I have great hope for my son. I mean GREAT hope. Unshakeable-established-on-The-Rock HOPE!

FYI..Cainberly Academy 2011/2012 Curriculum List

2011-08-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we hit the Southeast Homeschool Expo in Atlanta to shop for curriculum. Of course I went in with a plan.... but Andy was with me....and he sees greatness in everything! Seriously, I love how he is around homeschooling curriculum! I've had quite a few people ask me what I use- so I thought I would just list them on the blog for everyone to see. I know I kinda sorta already did this- but this is my finalized list:
Abby 4th grade
Teaching Textbooks 4
Learning Language Arts Through Literature (orange)

Ben 1st grade
Phonics Museum
Math-U-See primer (finishing from last year)

Both kids
Apologia's Exploring Creation through Human Anat & Phys
Tapestry of Grace Y2
Sequential Spelling 1
Legends & Leagues
Copywork
Story journals
Nature Walks
Assorted curricula for review

A beginning!!!

2011-07-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to say that, after almost exactly three months later, restoration has begun!!! It's a little slow at the beginning. Right now we have gotten the trim work down so the demo of the plaster and ceilings don't trash this beautiful 90 year old wood.

I'll admit that I got a little teary when I saw the guys taking the wood down. The thought of all of the work ahead of us overcame me. But Cainberly always intrigues me and I found myself drawn to the weight system within the window sashes. 90 year old weights for the window suspension...

So interesting to me. The architecture of this house astounds me. One more pic of the trim removed around the floors...

I'm off to sign a contract. We've got lots of work to do. Anyone want to come for a visit???

A new blog button!

2011-07-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Feel free to post her on your own blog!

Crying over spilled milk......

2011-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just so y'all know, I'm still quite upset about the lost blog post! Sucked into the black hole of webdom.......

But, I have had a Pepsi Throwback and a Hershey bar....and I think I may be able to recompose now.

(How's that for drama?)

OK, my favorite things for the moment....in no particular order.....ENJOY!

1. PINTEREST Oh holy unhealthy addiction, Batman! This is a great community for finding ideas, inspiration, even recipes! Try it- you'll LOVE it! This is my newest project- for the new schoolroom/Ab's bedroom....

2. You have GOT to try Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips! Oh my soul....YUMM-O!!!! HINT: If you don't have time to make the chips, try Stacy's Cinnamon Pita Chips.

3. Heels! Who knew?? I haven't worn heels in 16 years....since someone near and dear to me- on our way out the door on a date- said "Wow, you're not too graceful in those, are ya?" (He's ALWAYS known JUST what to say! Melts my heart... anywho..) But recently some other people near and dear to my heart- again, you know who you are- called me "dowdy" and the next thing I know we're shopping, I'm trying on heels, and they're in the floorboard of the car on the way home with me! (And I've bought 3 more pairs since then!!) Now, lest you worry that I've sunk into an abyss of stereo-typical female hoarder shopping.....remember that tree that fell through the house?? It's resting place was, of all places, my closet and my schoolroom! SO! Wanna see some picks????

I KNOW! Scandalous for a homeschoolin' momma, huh?!

4. Menu planning. Do you menu plan? With all of the turbulence of our lives lately, we had fallen into some pretty unhealthy and muy expensioso eating habits! Well I decided I had enough (which tells you it must have gotten pretty bad because I LOVE to eat out!) and me and the kiddos sat down and planned a menu for the next week and are really enjoying cooking and eating at home! Sigh....baby steps....getting back to normal one day at a time. Would you like some free pintables to help you plan your menu? Try here at Organized Home. They have some good info to share!

Right now, and most always, I'm really loving my Andy. We've had a bit of a rough year. Well, that's an understatement. We've had the second most horrible year ever. I have never, save the year my daddy got sick, experienced 12 months that have been cram packed with such debilitating happenings! But here we are, celebrating our 15th anniversary this month- together. And I love him so.

OK, so I only gave you five, but I'll come back and give you five more soon! The house still has no roof or AC and getting on the computer is a true act of love! Oh, I do have a piece of good news...a review coming soon on a book! Why? Because...

Rrrrrrrr at Blogger.....

2011-07-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

I just spent 2 hours making an UH-MAZING blog post on 10 favorite things complete with pics and links and Blogger ATE it!!!!!!!!!

ARRRRGGGGG!

Will be back soon with a re-post.......but for now, I gotta get a Pepsi and something chocolate!
+ =

A week in Gulfport

2011-07-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

The kids and I headed off for a week of fun after VBS. Af ter leading crafts for 70 preschoolers- I find that the day after the last day of VBS is the PERFECT time for a vacay!!!!!! :o)

We hit Nonny's and headed off to a super fun new waterpark attached to a hotel in Bay St Louis called Barnacle Bill's.

Barnacle Bill's was a blast because there was NO water above my kids heads- which meant I could relax a bit and enjoy myself.....

with my sister......

and my momma!

The kids REALLY enjoyed themselves as well! This is the summer of swimming for the Cain kiddos! They're really taking to it and their confidence in the water has grown.... finally!

Ben doesn't look happy...but he is I promise!!

After such fun at Barnacle Bill's, the kids began a week long Ocean Expo Marine Camp at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulf Port. I admit....I was jealous. And for some reason I could never seem to get an answer when I asked when the "mommy" camp would be held!

They got to go fishing on a pontoon boat, seining, crabbing, touch crabs and animals in a touch tank, see a dolphin training exercise, study the gulf , and go to the beach. They talked about gulf ecology, marine mammals, pollution, and lots of other awesomely interesting ocean topics! Abby got to take an excursion to Ship Island for a day even!
While the kids were having their fun..........the ladies decided to have some of their own!!!! Dolphin smoochies, anyone???

What? Don't like fishie breath? Well how about just some tummy rubbing then?

Bo REALLY enjoyed the tummy rub!

When the day was over, God treated me to one amazing sunset......just to top it all off-

And then the last day of camp we thanked everyone and headed to the movies....cuz who could pass up Cars2 in 3-D??? When we came out, God gave me a sign......

to go shop for a little bit at the Maxx! (My favorite!)..........

before someone stole my debit card number and drained my checking account!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!

But the bank terminated my card and is restoring the money to my accout- so all's well that ends well! It was a fun week!

The 2011/2012 schoolyear at a glance

2011-06-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

At some point, I must plan for the next school year! I'm a little thrown off this year because I am purchasing my curriculum so late......Everything is a little behind. But the amazing thing is that I am finding comfort, rather than anxiety, in my lack of control

All I'm going to say about the house is this.......it hasn't been started yet.

Back to school...

I am schooling both children this year and I am absolutely thrilled. I have thought and planned and read and I think I've figured out the curriculum and the books- but I havent put it all to paper yet. I was wondering, what do you do? Edu-Track? Homeschool Tracker? A journal? I'm thinking of the Old Schoolhouse's Primary Planner to help me get a bit more organized. So here's what I'm thinking of covering and I'll let you tell me what you think and help me fill in the holes:

Abby 4th grade
Tapestry of Grace
Teaching Textbooks
Exploring Creation through Human Anatomy
Simply Grammar
? Spelling
Copywork
Nature study

Ben 1st grade
Copywork
Nature study
Exploring Creation through Human Anatomy
Phonics Museum
? Math
Tapestry of Grace

So what do you think? Any suggestions for Math or Spelling? We'll be attending a co-op one day a week that will cover geography/maritime geography, our science, and art. (The kids will still take art once a week with Belinda Youngblood because she is AWESOME and we love her!) I love planning for a new year- seems there is nothing quite so exciting and full of possibilities. So share with me! What are you planning for the upcoming year? I can't wait to hear!

Cainberly....and a lesson learned

2011-05-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Cainberly? Here she is in her hayday- April 5,2002!

Here she is almost 9 years later exactly......

And here's the schoolroom...

And my bedroom....

Believe me, I prefer the tranquility of this....

But this......

is my reality.

I have purposefully not posted these to the blog- trying to give myself some time to make sense of it all. To seek God. To understand how close to truly meeting my Lord Abby, Ben, Andy,and I were (about 3 feet, in truth). We are not the worst off for the wear. In fact, Andy and I can't bear to hear folks say "I'm so sorry!", even though it comes with the best of intentions. There are whole towns in Alabama wiped out- Concord, Phil Campbell, Hackelburg....places you never hear on the news. It's bad. We are not in the same group of those victims.

We are inconvenienced. We're a bit stressed. We are dusty and disorganized.

But we are not devastated. We are not destroyed. We are not homeless. And we are not hopeless.

I can tell you stories about how it happened. I can tell you how it looked, how it sounded, how it felt. I can tell you all of these things- but want I really want to say is this......

He is so good.

So very good.

He brings peace to a time that seems loud and chaotic. He brings hope to a situation that looks grey and bleak. He brings love to a home that is buckling under the pressure, and that pressure not of a tree. He brings grace, oh such sweet grace, to hearts that are hurting, wandering- grasping.

He brings a smile, a tear, a joy everlasting. He brings gratefulness. He brings a blessing from shambles.

He brings life.

And what more is to be said than that?

Sweet home Alabama

2011-05-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I type this blog entry. Many of you are fully aware, but for those of you who are not- last Wednesday Alabama was rocked by two waves of tornados and severe with that devastated much of our beautiful state. The out-pouring of immediate love and support has been overwhelming. This is not a quick fix disaster, and I ask for your continued prayers in the weeks and months ahead.
While we Cains are safe, and grateful for it, our home suffered a hit as well. A giant oak came through Cainberly and I am writing to you from our "home away from home"- a duplex two blocks up the street. We are patiently awaiting a visit from the insurance adjustor- we know there are others so much worse off than we are. We have no current needs, but I would ask that you please pray for Abby and Ben. As you can imagine, this whole event has been quite a mess of emotions for them. We are settled in the temporary housing- so they seem to be a little more at ease now.
Please check out the Christian Service Mission here in Birmingham if you would like to donate goods or funds. They are doing extraordinary things in the name of relief. Another option is Samaritan's Purse- the founding organization for Operation Christmas Child. Their website, www. Samaritanspurse.org will update how they are serving in Bessemer/hueytown and Tuscaloosa. (both are on Facebook)
Thank you so much for all of your prayers, messages, and encouragement.
With much love,
Marla

No, Red Tide is not another term for Alabama football!!!!

2011-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

What do you know about Red Tides? Come on...right off the top of your head! GO!!!

*crickets*

*more crickets*

Ok, don't panic! I know JUST what you need........

The Curiosity Files!

I had the extreme pleasure of receiving this e-book for review and now I (and my 6 year old son) am absolutely cured of all ignorance regarding red tides! And YOU too can claim a copy of your very own over at The Old Schoolhouse for a mere dollar! Yes! You read that right! $1! A buck! For an entire, all inclusive, unit study!

I have to admit, in the past I've been a little skeptical when it comes to e-books, but let me tell ya- those days are gone! This unit study was exactly what we needed to liven things up a little. Do you ever fall into a homeschooling rut? Ya know- where you've made a "plan" and your sticking to the "plan" so that you finish on time for the year....even though, and everyone knows it, you're a little bit bored? Red tides were no where near my curriculum radar, and the writer intended the Curiostiy Files to be used with students 8-13 years of age, but my 6 year old ate it up! Sure, I did a little modifying (making sure to slow down and explain bigger words like dinoflagellate)- but he hung in with me through the week and can now- without even flinching- tell you the three favorable conditions for a red tide, harmful effects on the sea life it comes in contact with, and where in the U.S. it is common for red tides to appear annually!

Everything we needed for the week was included in the $1 download- can you believe that?

Math topics, copywork (print & cursive), spelling and vocabulary (with fun word games), essay writing, lab experiments, even MUSIC & BOARD GAMES were included!!! Something particularly worth mentioning.....special needs lessons are even included! My personal favorite inclusion would have to be the lapbooking components. I didn't have to go looking for them, just print and go! But here is a word of caution....be prepared to use a bit of ink/paper in printing as there is no "printer-friendly" option and borders/colors on pages are printed.

There is a glossary and questions which covered the material in the "What Did You Learn" section that I used to quiz my son. There are also "Experiment Records" for recording data which I thought was ingenious! Did I mention the illustrations? Delightful color pictures that certainly helped to captivate Ben and keep him interested.

Please know, also, that there is a section entitled "In the Beginning" which helps you pull all of this meaty material back to the focus of God's word. There are many scripture references and questions for you to cover with your children.

The Curiosity Files are available in 11 different titles...

ranging from Cicada Killing Wasps to Platypus (which, by the way, will be our next attempt as the boy is addicted to all things platypi!). They range in price from $1-$6.95, or you may to choose to buy them in a bundle of nine for $46 ($49 on CD). If you've never been over to the Old Schoolhouse, may I suggest a visit? Their store is packed full of awesome e-book studies and my FAVORITE- the Schoolhouse Planner- not to mention great insight, advice, and tools for homeschoolers.

Spring has finally sprung!

2011-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sad to say that I haven't been doing much crafting lately. I've had other irons in the fire and crafts definitely got put on the back burner. But I started looking around my house yesterday and the thought came to me, "This is one of my most favorite times of the year, and you sure wouldn't know it by looking at this place!"

So I decided I need to come up with some pretty colors and some spring-wear.

I found this over at Happy Clippings. I loved that it was quick, cute, and didn't require a trip to Hobby Lobby! I had all of the supplies in my craft room. (formerly known as the schoolroom.....formerly known as the playroom. It all just depends on what mood we're in!)

So simple...freehand the bunny template, write 3 lines in a doc of words that make you think of spring (though we did Easter morn) with pretty fonts and colors, scissor, glue, embellish!

Now I need to go see what else I can get into.......more spring cuteness!

Back in the saddle again.....

2011-04-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh........
It's good to be back!

Thursday a week ago, I accepted the volunteer position of Birmingham Area Coordinator (previously held by my own Andy) for Operation Christmas Child. I have personally been volunteering with OCC for 13 years, beginning at my church, Calvary Chapel, in Albuquerque, NM in 1997. When we moved to Birmingham in 2000, we noticed that the project needed more help to get the word out, so we, with our church's permission, volunteered to be relay center coordinators. Then an area team system was forned and I became the Community Relations Coordinator, telling MOPS groups, christian schools, hoards of women at the Southern Women Show, and well....pretty much anyone who would listen to me- about OCC.

WHAT? You don't know what OCC is, you say? Well.......

OCC is a project overseen by Samaritan's Purse, an organization run by Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's eldest son. OCC delivers millions of shoeboxes around the world each year to precious children, who have likely never before received one gift- let alone a full box of them! Along with this priceless cargo goes the gospel of Jesus Christ, delivered to over 5,500,000 (yes, million!) children last year! Afghanistan, Trinidad, Romania, Japan, Haiti...name a country and they likely received a shipment!

Where do these shoeboxes come from, you ask? Well, YOU silly! Here, I'll break it down for you....

What should you put in them? Ooooooooo, lots of FUN stuff! Dolls, stuffed animals, matchbox cars, legos, hairbows, jewelry, hygeine items, art supplies........... you get the idea! But let me tell you what you should NOT put in the box: bubbles, liquid soap/shampoo, chocolate, war toys or toys that are weapons. You don't want to put anything in the box that may compromise the contents in transit...and sometimes they sit in shipyards in Africa for a looooooong time! The war toys and weapons are obviously a bad idea when you see the list of the countries these boxes go to. We want to bring the joy of Christ with these boxes, not remind some of those little ones of the atrocities happening outside of their front door. Oh, another important thing to put in your box is a small donation to help cover shipping. That helps the ministry to not have to absorb so much of the shipping cost and they can put those resources towards trying to get more boxes!

So are you excited about this at all? I am PASSIONATE about this ministry. I have children who have been made into international missionaries by the packing of a shoebox. There is no better verse than this theme verse for the Connect Conference I just returned from yesterday:

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:14-16

There's good news for you, you don't have to wait until Collection Week in November to start packing your shoeboxes! Start now! Invite your friends over and pack some together! Every shoe box is a gospel opportunity!

I look forward to my new role with OCC. I'm excited to serve those children who don't have a tenth of what my children have. I'm thrilled that I can serve as a missionary right here, right now. The conference this week was so encouraging and inspiring- hearing from Afghanistans who had to flee the country for their lives because they chose to speak of Jesus, skyping with local contacts in Trinidad who distribute shoe boxes, listening to a Romanian who had received a box as a child and produced the contents which she had saved! It was all amazing and affirming in the call to serve alongside OCC.

So, I'm back in the saddle again...... and I have a lot of work to do! There's still children out there who haven't heard........

A moment to boast.....

2011-04-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Dearest friends, don't you just love to have a moment to boast publicly about the ones you love? Horse lessons, soccer, seems the possibilities are endless to brag on the preciousness of our lovies. But this time....I'm seizing the opportunity to brag on a bigger lovey!

                                                 MY MOMMA!!!
                                                   Brenda Winter
My Dear Momma recently won the President's award for her performance at General Dynamics! I am so very proud of her. My Momma has worked hard her whole life, without much praise or recognition- so I am tickled to death that she received this honor. (And isn't she pretty?!) She was flown from Gulfport, MS to Charlotte, NC for an awards banquet where she and those from other divisions were honored.
   WAY TO GO, MOMMA!!!!

Interested in your children swapping art?

2011-03-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Somehow, and I'm sorry but I have swiss cheese for memory, I came across this awesome opportunity for the kids! My children LOVE art. If we did nothing but art and/or crafts 24/7 they would live blissfully for the full duration of their lives. I've often joked that I should develop a homeschooling curriculum in which one could teach reading/math, physics, chemistry.....everything through high school based on arts and crafts!

This artists trading card swap is just the thing for little ones who enjoy art. If you click on the link up there, you can read the post about registering and specifics. Basically, your child/ren (ages 4 and up) compose a piece of art, using any medium, on a 2.5 x 3.5 piece of watercolor paper. (I bought a pack of 5x7 watercolor sheets and will cut them in half both ways-simple!) Can be collage, markers, paint, pencil- sky's the limit!

Your little one(s) will be grouped with five others, whose information you will receive, and you will mail them your cards on April 18th. Next all you do is let your artists wait by the mailbox to receive their five masterpieces!

I hope you will consider giving it a shot! If you do, let me know! I'd love to hear how it went and see some pics of your Monet's handiwork!

It's just not fair.......A Rant on My Part

2011-03-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

I don't like to whine. I really try hard NOT to complain. And slandering is completely and totally unacceptable.

But this time........I just can't HELP IT!!!!!

Whhhhhhhhhyyyyy? It's soooooo NOT faiiiir! I'm working my behind off at the gym (except for the last week that I've been at Momma's) and its still NOT happening!

IT IS SO NOT FAIR THAT MEN LOSE WEIGHT AT AN ALARMING SPEED IN RELATION TO US WOMEN!!!!!

I left home Friday a week ago and came home to a skinny version of my precious husband. Seriously. I was pedaling away on the recumbant at the gym last night when up the stairs comes the MOST handsome man....salt & pepper hair, cool glasses, fabulously thick and curly salt & pepper hair (oh wait, did I mention that already?) and a wave of......a-hm.....pride......washed over me as I realized "That's MY handsome man!"

He walked over to my bike because we hadn't seen each other all day long and gave me a big hug. I sneaked a kiss on the cheek and called him "hottie". He blushed. But I saw that little smile as he walked away.

And I? I began to pedal MUCH harder!

Horsing around........

2011-03-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a much anticipated day for my dear little girl. She's been begging for a year for horse-riding lessons and, quite honestly, that's just not in this homeschooling-stay-at-home-momma's budget! Until........LivingSocial! They put a deal out for Lachlan Farms and, after checking out the website and owner Anna McCracken's blog, we jumped on it!

Aren't they as cute as PIE! (Ended with an exclamation rather than a question mark because PUH-LEEZ! That was NO question!) I was a little worried about the kids, mostly Ben, because they seemed a bit nervous. I once fell off a running horse that then fell on me- so I have horse-fear anyway. I don't want my fears to be the fears of my children- so off they went.....

Alyssa and Anna did a fabulous job with them and had Ben settled in no time. They were friendly and patitent and made us all feel at ease.

They also had many four-legged friends who were quite welcoming!

And then we were finished! The kiddos can't wait until next week. And neither can I!

A trip down memory lane.....

2011-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

We all have colds here at Cainberly, save Abby. The hot tea has brewed and I've looked at every blog in all of blogdom. No, the dishes aren't done, the house is untidy, and there's plenty of sewing to be done. And suddenly, it hit me.....

I need a vacation.

Well, that is not in our budget at this moment, and my beloved doesn't have any time off from work to amount to anything. My wanderlust will have to wait. But ah, there's a box of unscrapbooked photos (imagine that!) on the butler's hallway shelf!

Oh, my London! 1999 seems like a lifetime ago....and there's Andy at the Tower of London.

and there's the Tower Bridge! We walked across it one evening- magical!

and here's a low quality pic of me inside a Harrod's elevator- taken in said 'lift' because its illegal to take pics in the store!

and here's Andy being equally felonious! We had to ask permission for him to come into the store because he was 'under-dressed'!!

oh how I loved that trip with him.

Wait, I spy pics from another trip- only we had company that time.....2003

That's me and a little bitty Abby in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Aren't the colors just beautiful?

We rented the Balmoral Fam and it was the best vacation ever. The owners came and took care of the animals while we enjoyed playing with them and sight-seeing.

Ahhh....ok, I think that helped to stave off the wanderlust........for now. Off to brew more tea.

357 Things to Blog About.....

2011-02-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

I see that I have waited too long to post- and now I have 357 things floating around in my head that I want to blog about! But don't worry! I don't have time to blog about all 357 of them, so how about just a glimpse of what I made for Valentine's Day? This is the first year that I actually got into the day of Love- and boy did I!

I got these placemats at the Dollar Tree and then used a cookie cutter and Sharpie to add the heart. The napkin came from DT as well, and I just sewed a felt heart and button to each.

Then I needed something for the middle of the table so I found this candle and holder at DT, placed it on a silver tarnished tray on a doily, and sprinkled some punched hearts around.

Then I Sizzixed up some bees and hung them from the light with a heart that said "Bee Mine".

Then it was time for a craft break.....

Back at it....

Kitchen towel from DT, with added ribbon and piping from my stash- then I embroidered the letters and sewed on a button. I crocheted the heart and it slides off the button for washing.

Ok, what you are about to see is too adorable for words......All I can say is "Thank you, Aimee Ray!" (She's from Little Dear Tracks over there to the right)

For Ben

For Abby (oops- sideways!)

I worked on these snugglies for hours and was so worried the kids wouldn't like them but they ABSOLUTELY loved them! And here's Andy's...

It's a box of Earl Gray tea that has been given a bit of a makeover!

I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day! Now to get crackin on the Spring and Easter crafts!!! :o) Got any ideas???

For all the Mommas out there...

2011-01-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

It was only a matter of time until my little ones grew enough to understand the mighty power of the computer. They've been tempted along the way with Webkins, and PBS constantly flashing its website, and even by Momma playing a game or two here and there- but we've managed to mostly hold off on letting the puter-monster loose. Now the time has come when the computer is a useful beast, helping Abby with her spelling and encouraging Ben to consider the joys of a book.

Because I have spent time looking for FREE, clean, acceptable websites that my children would enjoy- I've decided that I would save YOU that time and pass my list on to you. Before I list the kids websites, I want to share MY favorite homeschooling site, http://www.homeschoolshare.com/. It is actually for anyone who enjoys spending some extra time with their kiddos. It is absolutely chock FULL of resources such as lapbooks, printable coloring and game sheets, and unit studies. My fav that I am loving right now is the Cranberry Valentine lapbook printables. This is one of our favorite in a series written by Wende Devlin (you may have seen the Christmas special on ABC). There are all sorts of flaps, copywork, resources regarding the book, Valentine's day, and mailing ettiquette. Check it out!

Ok now, onto the list of free educational kids sites!
http://www.funbrain.com/
http://www.spellingcity.com/
http://www.pbskids.com/
http://www.learningplanet.com/
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/
http://www.edheads.com/
http://www.itoadu.com/
http://www.kidscoop.com/
http://www.wiglingtonandwenks.com/
www.si.edu/kids
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
http://www.bigbibletown.com/

SpellingCity is AWESOME because you just plug in your child's spelling list for the week and it makes games/word searches/tests out of that list!!! CoolMath4Kids has a more advanced pre-algebra site for kids 13+ at http://www.coolmath.com/

SO spend a few minutes and check them out! Let me know what you think, and if you have some that your littles love that I don't have listed- please share in the comments!

Blogging makes you feel better.....

2011-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, at least it helps you to not feel quite so miserable! Dear friends, I have barely been out of bed for two days now! You know it's bad when your daughter, upon seeing you come out of your bedroom in the morning, says, "Oh yea, Momma! You have real clothes on today!" It's true, I've been one....

(sick puppy!)

With no energy to do anything else, I have been exploring blogland- and what a grand adventure it has been! I've added quite a few new favorites to my blog roll over there to the right. Wanna see some great, lovely, and creative treats???

Head over to http://www.bustleandsew.blogspot.com/ for the most lovely of sewing delights! She has adorable embroidery and sewing patterns!

Need a lavishly worded boost to your spirit today? http://www.aholyexperience.com/ is very moving and she plays the most beautiful music in the background that soothes me whilst her words do more than speak to me.

http://www.sewhomegrown.blogspot.com/ has it all! BEAUTIFUL whole/unrefined food recipes, sewing, embroidery- chock absolutely full of goodness!

Lastly, if you need an idea for a cute skirt to sew....for you or your little one, http://www.dana-made-it.com/ is the place for you! People who make their own patterns simply amaze me! (I'm such a follower!)

A great and godly man I know posted a scripture to his FB status this morning. He continuously encourages me with his posts, and I haven't even seen his face in three years. It instantly brought tears to my eyes....(sorry, but I'm a little emotional right now too) and I want to share it with you before I close. Here's his post:

Here is the beginning of Jeremiah 20:11- "But the LORD is with me to help me like an awe-inspiring warrior" Truth sets u free.

-M.C. (not Marla Cain)

A (blog)World Without Pictures?

2011-01-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

Oh friends....its a black day in the Cain house! I made the cutest birthday bunting for Abby- bright and colorful just like her! I took photos of each and every step...careful to cover everything. I was so excited about sharing it, then I sat down to the computer, went to plug my camera's card in and

GASP!!!!!!!

Oh the horror!

It didn't fit!!!!!! Is that possible in this day and age? What do I do? That's it- I'm just going to have to give up blogging! (She says as she throws her hands in the air)

But wait!

Ahhh....the cell phone! It's not the process, but at least it's the finished product! (albeit a smidge blurry- boo.)

Oh My Goodness! I'm back!

2011-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends, it is with great joy and complete contentedness that I write to you from a REAL keyboard! HOORAY!!!!! Since the ol' hard drive mishap I have been confined to conducting 99% of my online affairs by iPhone! Does anyone HATE typing on that thing as much as I do??? I have missed blogging..... My momma gave us her old computer, for which I am so incredibly grateful- so I'm back! And eager to check out everyone else's blogs that I have missed over the last 4 months! Also, I wanna know what Christmas crafts y'all worked on! I was a busy bee this year!

That being said, I have avoided my blog intentionally. Just after the hard drive incident things went from bad to worse and, honestly, I couldn't truly find one happy thing to blog about. Andy's daddy was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I totalled the van. Abby got a debilitating rash that took 2 months, 3 doctors, 9 perscriptions, and the Cain family fortune to get rid of. My dearest uncle passed away. Even now, I am packing to go say good-bye to Andy's daddy. Not much happy material there, huh?

But if I may be allowed to preach for a moment.....(well, it is MY blog after all)
God is soooo good. We have a new-to-us van. Abby is well. And Andy's daddy will be ushered into the halls of Heaven soon, with the Saints in glory- to be in the the presence of the Most High forever and ever, Amen!

A dear and precious friend of mine reminded me to look to Joshua 1:9... one of my most favorite scriptures:
Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord God is with you wherever you go.

So much comfort and strength to be found in one verse.

I'll see ya again soon!

If I didnt know better.....

2010-09-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'd say the technology gods have it in for me! First, my iPhone died at my momma's over the summer- completely killing EVERYTHING on it! Now......woof.....

My hard drive died.

Yep, died.

Initially I didn't panic because my precious, generous, thoughtful momma had sent me a flash drive to back up my pics because SHE treasures them and didn't want anything to happen to them. Then I realized......uuuugghh (it hurts to type it).....my FLIP videos! Disneyworld, Abby's birthday, me and Ben playing in the snow.....*sigh**

So the hard drive is at Best Buy as we speak. Andy guffawed last night when he looked at our copy of the work order that states very clearly..."Customer mostly cares for Flip video files"

"What did you say to them, Marla???????"

"Well, um, mostly that I just really care about them retrieving my FLIP files." (she said as she innocently grinned, tilted her head down slightly, and batted her eyes. WHAT? Momma said it worked on my Daddy!)

Hopefully we'll get it back soon, buy a new operating system, and get back to blogging with photos. Until then, I'm afraid you only get my thoughts....and not my views. And you only get those when dear hubby is feeling generous with his laptop! ;o)

A New Porch

2010-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have a big, fat, ugly porch. It's very sad because it could be quite lovely. I don't have a ton of money to sink into it right now, and even when I did I hesitated because our porch furniture was stolen right after we moved in. Now that was 9 years ago, and the neighborhood has changed quite a bit since then- but it still makes you wonder. I would LOVE a country cottage feel on my front porch- a beauty that welcomes company into my very old-fashioned 1920's bungalow.

I mostly find pieces by "curb shopping" (as a certain little girl calls it). I found 2 farm chairs this morning which I intend to paint white to couple with an end table that my daddy stripped and took apart. I am going to use it's top and put some Ready made table legs on it. But I need help. I have NO talent for placement! (be it furniture, pictures on a wall, knock knacks- you get the point.) I am determined to get to work on this so post your thoughts/ideas please! I'd love to hear them. I'll try to post some pics but my computer has died and I'm not sure my phone will let me!

Oh Heavenly Wednesday!

2010-08-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Some Wednesdays are, honestly, quite forgetable. They come uneventfully, and leave in the same manner....

BUT NOT TODAY, MY FRIENDS!

Why, you may ask? What makes this Wednesday so memorable? What makes this Wednesday so far more fabulous than any other given Wednesday?

Did you catch that? Here.....let's see if I can zoom in on that precious little bit....

Sweet Mother of Blogdom! Can that be from whom I think it is????? Mrs Alicia Paulson??? Is it my long awaited.....

YES! YES! Oh the tears are streaming down my face! (I'm serious people! Did you read about the week I had last week with Abby?) But how should I indulge? Should I save it for after the kids go to bed and make a cup of tea? Should I get a glass of lemonade and go sit on the glider on the porch with it? Ooooo, how about the hammock? Oh dash it all.....I'll just look at it right here standing at the kitchen counter (where I spend 90% of my life anyway!)! Oops, what was that which just fell out??

Oooooo, a lovely little postcard- I'll just flip it over and....EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's it. Confirmed. BEST Wednesday of my life EVER! So let's just get started flippin through th.......

10 minutes or so later.......Marla is getting up off of the kitchen floor, rubbing the back of her head with a glazed over look in her eyes.

It is astounding. Beautiful. Intimate. Detailed. Personal. Inspiring.

BEST Wednesday.....ever.......

Abby update....

2010-08-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, I thank you so much for your prayers for Little Bit. That was one scary week! She has never had a temperature of 103.7, and has CERTAINLY never had a temperature for 6 days running! Monday we went in for more bloodwork and the dr gave Abby a clean bill of health! (That little trooper didn't even flinch! Are we sure she's my child? I mean really- she doesn't mind picking up large dead bugs or having blood drawn!!) Anywho, the doctor said she believes that the virus just REALLY attacked Abs' blood.

Abs is back to school and enjoying her third full day. She loves it, and particularly likes the "Little Bitties" that come to school now (a 4 and 5K were added). Thank you again, Friends- for your calls, emails, and prayers! We love and appreciate you!

PLEASE PRAY FOR ABBY!!!

2010-08-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am writing to let u know that we Cains are quite desperate for your prayers right now. As some of you know, Abby has had a fever since Monday afternoon. We went to the dr on Tuesday because she hit 103.7 but they said it was just a virus (not our normal dr) I called our normal dr on Wed ANC she said if Abby wasn't better by Friday to bring her back in. I took her in this morning and they did a lot of bloodwork. Her numbers came back pretty low, which is not terribly abnormal if you have a virus, but the dr said that even with a virus they were low so she tested her for mono as well (which will come back Monday). We have to go back in Monday morning for more bloodwork. If it is just a virus, the numbers will hold or begin to bounce back. If they haven't, then we will be sent to a hematologist for more in-depth testing (leukemia). PLEASE pray her numbers come up and it is just a virus (or mono). And please feel free to pass this around to those you know would pray for Abby!

Thanks so much!!
Marla

Back for good!

2010-08-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogdom Friends! I hope you have had a refreshing, reflective, easy-going summer. My summer has been completely outta sorts! As you can see from above, this has been our hottest summer yet! I didn't plant, I didn't go outside, I didn't even refil bird-feeders. Yes! You heard me! Empty bird-feeders...it's a travesty, I tell you! I came home from my last blog entry and found that our air-conditioner had broken! But bless my MacGuyver of a husband's heart- he rigged it so we can run it with it set on 80......we have completely and utterly changed our cores to accept 80 as the new 72! I have, quite honestly, all summer, been in a heat-induced funk! But, we did manage to do a few extraordinary things this summer that I'll share with you.....

We attended the "Birmingham Members Day" which is a day where all of the local family entertainment venues (i.e. the Zoo, McWane Science Center, Vulcan, Southern Museum of Flight, etc.) open up for free so that you may try them out. This is my boys enjoying some time in the cock-pit.

My precious girl, whom I admire so much, decided she was hot and didn't need all of that hair so she donated it to Locks of Love! Here she was just a little unsure.....

but then it was too late to change her mind....

and look how adoreable she is with short hair!! I am so proud of her for doing what she can to kick cancer in the behind! (We hate that ol yucky cancer...HATE it!)

Then the kiddos got invited to a backyard bible study at a new friend's house. They had a great week- and we ran into some old precious friends who we thought had moved! Hooray for finding old friends again! Pam led the study and I was inspired by her servant's heart towards those kiddos.

As the summer began to wind down for us, Abby's school moved and we went over to see if we could help out! What great helpers those girls were as they worked together so nicely!

And now, here we are! This was Monday, Abby's first day of third grade at Crestwood Day School and Ben's first day of kindergarten with me at home. I've gotta think of a name for our school. I have been calling it the "Cain Family School of Genius" since Abby began kindergarten! lol! Anyone have any ideas? Our home is lovingly referred to as "Cainberly" (only by me, of course) so maybe I should work that into it! Oh, and promptly after the first day of school, Abby got sick and hasn't returned all week!! Here's the eerie part...I missed my first week of third grade due to illness too! Isn't that something?!

So, Dear Friends, I'm now on a schedule with school again, working on finishing projects in the house (painting, organizing, etc), and beginning to start on Christmas presents....so there's lots of crafty thoughts floating around. I'm so excited to be back to blogging, and I hope those 12 of you over there that read my blog before I took the summer off will come back and visit again! I've missed you!

Famous Last Words

2010-07-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

"I'm only on vacation"......bwahahahahahaha!

So I thought I'd take a little vacation, visit Momma, rest a bit, then head home and finish some projects which would make for some mighty nice bloggin'. Well.......

I'm at Momma's again! And this time, it's no vacation. I went home on Saturday the 3rd and returned Monday the 12th. Beth had been in the hospital for a week! 13 years ago Beth had a botched surgery that compromised her kidneys and has provided her with a lifetime of problems. So when she presented with severe abdominal and back pain at the ER, that was the first thought, but it was wrong. Tuesday my poor sissy had yet another organ removed (leaving her with only 1 disposable organ - her spleen- and why they didn't just take it out or put in a zipper I'll never know!) The culprit this time? The gall bladder. She's home today and mending quite nicely. All goes as planned, I'll be back on my way home, again, tomorrow.

THEN perhaps, maybe, things will get back to normal. But I won't hold my breath.......

I'm only on vacation!!!

2010-07-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

By now, many of you may be asking yourselves "What happened to Marla?" No, I didn't give up blogging. We haven't lost our internet connection. My children haven't gotten the best of me....yet! I'm only on vacation. The kids and I left home last Friday- headed to Pensacola, then left Sunday for Gulfport. My sister got married at the courthouse in Pensacola Friday afternoon and we've been ~~driving my momma crazy~~ visiting my momma and will go home Saturday.

I have been hitting the fabric shop and sleeping late- which has been the best vacation EVER! Momma and I started a little sewing project which has manifested itself as a comedy of errors. I found a pattern for a skirt that was made with a striped fabric that was sewn up the center of the front and the stripes were inverted and met in a "V". I bought extra fabric and we laid it out and cut it out- and with Momma's 40+ years of sewing expertese we still managed to lay it out wrong with the "V" in the front and a mountain in the back!! So we braved rainy weather to go back to the fabric store for more stripes. Momma said she's run in to grab it whilst I entertained the children in the car. Momma came right back and plunked the fabric in my lap. To my surprise, and hers, she had bought the wrong stripes! So then I went in and got the correct stripes! So if you're keeping up, you'll note that I now have enough fabric for 3 skirts!!! hahahahahahahahha!!!!!!! Oops, speaking of skirts, I need to go get to work on them-I'm running out of vacation time....

If you don't read another thing today.......

2010-06-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

please go read Julianna's post at http://www.petuniajune.blogspot.com/ . It will make your day, as it did mine.

Lilies, and chairs, and owl pellets, oh my!!!

2010-06-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hahahaha! That title just tickled me! Well, I'm back! You may be wondering what I've been up to in these 2 weeks that I took a blogging break. Well.....

we've been having some fun....

and hanging out with friends...

We've also been trying to get in a good habit of regular nature study. We started this off well with a trip to the Ruffner Mtn Nature Center for a story and lesson on owls...which I finished up with a lesson in grossology 101. Owl pellets.

(Don't worry, they were synthetic!) We are also journaling and enjoying The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. I found (thanks to Lynn at "A Mother's Journal" over there to the right...) a great blog based on this fabulous nature guide. Please pop over there and see what you think, as I think it is a MUST see for everyone!

We also went to see the Cahaba lilies in bloom. They are said to only exist in half-a-dozen places on the earth! What's so amazing about them is they actually grow right in the MIDDLE of the Cahaba River!

But don't get me wrong, we observe PLENTY of nature on our own little plot of Birmingham...

We just returned from a lovely visit to see my sister-in-law and her family. We stayed on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina and had the BEST time! I just can't believe how my precious nieces and nephew have GROWN!!!

*sigh* Time moves too fast.

On the way home from South Carolina we stopped at IKEA in Atlanta because, well, me and the kids are addicted! They love the play room and I love the 45 minutes of unique and affordable shopping! Anywho, remember that chair I told you I got off the side of the road for the schoolroom??? No? Here's a hint...

so at IKEA Ben planted himself in a chair and would not get up until we agreed to get one for him (and his sister). Check this out.....

Isn't it too cute!?

Well Dear Ones, I'll leave you with this last little bit of catch-up...Today I have been working around the house and finally got to this little project I've been wanting to do for Abby for 2 years! This is at the head of her bed...

I applied Wallies which are wall-paper cut-outs. I am going to highlight them with some glitter paint.

Ben is wanting a space theme on his side of the room and asked that I paint it on his pull-down shade. The shade needs to be replaced so I will have to go get one before I can complete that project.

So there, I believe that catches you up on most things. As far as school, I have some prep work still and I need to find a used Tapestry of Grace Year 2 but then I'm ready! Abby is planning to cut her long hair and donate it to Locks of Love after Beth (my big sissy) gets married on the 25th. Ben and Abby have art camp in July and Abby has ballet camp in August. VBS is next week and I am in charge of, you guessed it, preschool crafts! Andy is enjoying the world cup and Clemson beating Alabama in baseball. There, it's official! You're caught up!

Ahhh Fini! The schoolroom is done!

2010-05-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

After 3 bags of trash, a trip to the thrift store, countless hours of sorting and cleaning, and the help of a precious friend.....it is done! Yeaaaaa....happy dance...happy dance!!!

I don't DARE show you a "before" picture for fear that you would never show your precious face at my blog again, muchless my house! Let's just say.....I couldn't REALLY open the door to get in! (Shameful! Shameful, I say!) But here are a few "after"s

The projects left to hang are on the table, and it's a little dark. (So sorry, but I'm reading a book on how to take better pictures- honest!) I'm going to make a new curtain for the closet.

This is the door into the room, play area with cubbies, art shelf, and nature study desk. Look at those bookshelves! (See #10 of my last blog entry! And most of our books are in storage!!! eek!!)

Now for some of my favorite things in the schoolroom....

The Eeboo ABCs. Eeboo has the most beautifully illustrated children's learning items. They have 1-2-3 cards like these that are birds that I am pining for!

I found this lamp at a neighbor's yard sale last weekend. It's absolutely perfect and I love it! Best $4 buy ever! It's in our reading corner. An IKEA chair and ottoman will join it there today, I think. I totally found it on the side of the road! It looks BRAND NEW! When I asked the owner about it, she said her hubby didn't like it when she got it home and they inherited some of her grandma's furniture so it got the boot! I donated it to the Crestwood Day School, but Steph said she didn't think she would use it, so it's comin to the Cain School of Genius! (LOL, that is a joke- definitely NOT the name of our school! More like the Cain Family School of "What's That Super Cool Bug??")

These Audubon Field Guides are extra special to me. They were my father's- he inspired me to teach my children about nature. If I had a penny for everytime we have cracked these guides open to find out about an animal or plant or moon phase, I'd be a quazillionaire!

This is our nature study table where we will keep our nature journals each day. I found the tablecloth (and the hand-embroidered runner under the lamp) at the thriftstore and I H-E-A-R-T it (them)!!!

SO, all I have left is to find a rug for our open space, whip up these...

cute cafe curtains (from Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan) and take down the drapes for the summer, and hang some stuff on the walls! Kindergarten, here we come! (Again!)

10 Things You May Not Know About Me.....

2010-05-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am a lover of all things Jane Austen. I would gladly dress in "Regency-Wear" every day if I could get away with it! Check out this website. Jennie was a speaker at a homeschooling event I attended and I H-E-A-R-T her patterns!!!
I am slowly but surely changing the Cain Family Food Culture. I have not had a pop in almost 2 weeks, I've switched from pancake syrup to Agave Nectar, and am contemplating signing up under a farming co-op for veggies, fruits, meat, and dairy that is all locally produced. Check it out- Grow Alabama
I am freakishly afraid of needles. I've had 2 c-sections and I sew for a hobby- go figure!

I love taking tea...the act of enjoying a proper setting of tea. (See #1)
I absolutely ABHOR summer. That's right, I said it! I hate summer! I wish we could go straight from Spring to Autumn because I detest mosquitos, heat, and humidity.......hence my dream to live in Maine.
I dream of living in Maine!
I was healed of the beginning stages of cervical cancer when I was 18. Seriously. If you don't believe in the miracles of God, come over for lunch- I need to talk to you!

As a mother, there is something about bird nests that resonates in my soul. I attribute it to the care and keeping of young, making your home a safe place, and the gentleness with which birds care for their babies.
I am deathly afraid of tornados, my house burning, and driving off of a bridge over water. I have also, in recent years, become deathly afraid of flying. This is extreme considering I have always LOVED to travel, have been overseas twice, and have never had a really terrible flying incident.

I'm addicted to buying children's books. I see a book and I think "Oh! The kids would LOVE to read that one day!" They're going to have to take them all with them when they leave my nest! Our space will triple. But I love finding them and remembering when I read them when I was little...it's so sentimental.

The BEST day!

2010-05-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is one of my most favorite days! Our rule is I get to do whatever I want on Mother's Day and Andy gets to do what he wants on Father's Day. Yep, it's a sweet set-up! So after church we headed to Carraba's for lunch and then I decided I wanted a nap and then to go for a walk so we headed to the Cahaba. Look at these precious babies!

HeeHee...we told the kids there were trolls under the foot-bridges so Abby decided to investigate....

After our stroll we went for sorbet at Doodles in Cahaba Heights. You gotta see my gifts........look at all of these lovely flowers!

Peonies

Roses

And a miniature Orchid

But the sugar on my smacks was what Andy brought me back from New Mexico.......

a cookbook from my favorite restaurant and key lime truffles from my favorite chocolate shop!

Sigh....I heart that man!

On the craft side of life.... I've been honing some sewing skills by making a play outfit for Abby (that's the back of the top)and a pair of (obnoxious)shorts for Ben. Got LOTS more to work on though!

Never a dull moment between crocheting and Mother Nature!

2010-05-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

SO on Saturday I was completely TICKLED with myself! Why, you may wonder?! Becuase I have done it again! I have taught myself something new off YouTube!! First was embroidering, now crocheting, and even ornamental napkin folding! (No, sadly, I'm not kidding about that last one!) My sista, Lolly, had a fabulous flower week not too long ago and had these beautiful little crocheted flowers that I instantly fell in love with! SO I set my mind (and fingers, a crochet hook, and some yarn) to figuring out how to accomplish this! And LOOK! Yippee!

I was so entirely proud of myself! But....the ego fest lasted less than 24 hours because then THIS.......

happenned!!! Before you get too worked up, no one was hurt and our only casualty was our grill......which truthfully is a HUGE loss to the Cain family! Upon returning from soccer yesterday, we dawddled in the van for a moment or two before openning the doors. When we did open the doors, we heard "POP!POP!POP!" and I yelled "Annnnnnnnnndddddyyy????!!" We shut the doors VERY quickly and braced ourselves because we didn't know where, or how much. of the tree was falling! I swear people, I litterally saw my life flash before my eyes.....and then I watched......as a huge piece of tree dropped to the ground RIGHT INFRONT of us!!!! I jumped out yelling "Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord! Praise you Jesus!" (Picture Fred Sanford holding his chest here!) But all is well! (Minus the grill!)

Never a dull moment at the Cain house! Never!

Celebrations Galore!

2010-04-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Weekend before last was Andy's birthday. I had wanted to have a party for him, but when I sent emails around I didn't seem to get much of a response so I Figured everyone was busy and wrote it off. But my precious friends...and Andy's precious friends.....they got together and had him a birthday party to beat all birthday parties! They got his favorite BBQ, his favorite desert (cheesecake, of course), and even- after all of that- gave him gifts! It was so awesome! I love celebrating Andy's birthday. Andy was a miracle baby- his Momma's heart stopped when she was having his older sister and the doctors told her no more babies. Thank Heavens she didn't listen! It's hard for me to think there would be no Abby or Ben...or Us....if his Momma hadn't have had the courage to have him!

THEN, my dear friend is having a baby so we girlfriends decided to have a tea for her at my house because...well...I am the QUEEN of having tea! ;o) I loved getting the china out and shopping for the perfect table cloth, and even learning how to fold a pretty napkin on youtube! Whatya think???

And my dear friend, Lori, made this adorable cake! She is the QUEEN of fondant!

Wanna celebrate something? Oh all I need is an excuse to whip out the china and a spot o tea! :o)

Re-Evaluating

2010-04-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a bit. Some of you have probably heard that a tragedy befell some dear and precious friends of mine- their two year old little girl was killed when their 18 year old neighbor backed out of his driveway and ran her over. It's truly horrible, and my heart breaks every time I think of it and I NEVER want to have to attend a baby funeral again. I've been at their house most every day, trying to just be there for them. (But now I have a cold and they have a 5 week old, so I'm home for mending)

For a little over a week now, all I can think about is "Do my kids know I love them?" And I don't mean do I kiss them before bed and hug them when they wake up- I mean do they KNOW that I LOVE them? Do they know that my day doesn't start right if I don't kiss their cheeks? Do they know that if they fall asleep without "goodnight loves" I get weepy and feel I've missed out? Do they know that every time they cry out "Moooooooommmmmaaaa??????" I secretly whisper a prayer of thanks to the Lord? Do they know that I actually get teary eyes thinking of the day when they won't fit in my lap anymore or want to kiss Momma? Do they know that I keep them home with me not just because of society and a failing education system, but because I just can't bear to be away from them everyday from 7 to 3? Do they know that no matter what they do, I will be their biggest fan, greatest supporter, and fiercest advocate?

Love your babies. LOVE your babies. Make them know.

10 Things I'm Loving This Week

2010-04-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

1. My house during Spring. (See above pic...yes it was taken 8 years ago, but it looks exactly the same today- tulips and all- only minus the dead elm tree..sniff....sniff)

2. Lolly, my sista-from-anotha-motha.....check her out here.

3. Orangette's recipe for Caramel Corn.....gonna have to make some for our bake sale tomorrow if I have time after soccer!

4. The Haiti Nutrition Project- The girls from Abby's school (all 5 of them) have decided that they want to have a yard sale and send the money to Haiti. They came up with this all on their own...so one of the moms planned it for her yard in the morning! The money will go to the Haiti Nutrition Project. Isn't that precious?! I heart those girls! We're also having a bake sale so come by if ya wanna pick up a yummy for breakfast!

5.Amy over at Living Locurto! Check out this "Mad Scientist" party she threw for her son! I'm wanting to throw one for Andy!

6. This blog...House on Hill Road. Fabulous! Check out the twirly skirt tutorial! And I love the study on the ranunculas!

7. My new Sizzix! I haven't even received it yet, but I eagerly await it's coming! I've already dreamed of a thousand things to make and do with it!

8. My dear hubby...just because he makes my heart smile.

9. My hairdresser, Kristen, at the Salon on Crescent. She rocks my curly-headed socks! Go see her! Seriously! RIGHT NOW!

10.My sup club. They are the greatest of great friends, and we love to spend time together. Five families that came together because one person suggested we try to draw our sunday school class a little closer...now we're going into our third year! We meet once a month and rotate homes and dishes. It's the best commitment I've ever made....next to marriage..... and parenting.....and accepting Jesus as my Savior.

Easter Egg Bunnies a la Martha!

2010-04-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

I saw this Easter Egg craft on a Martha Stewart email and me and Ben fell in love with it! It's so incredibly easy...too bad taking good pictures weren't as easy! (I should have "Flip"ed it! That thing makes the BEST stills! Chase the link, they have FABULOUS, professional -paid-to-take-em-pics!)

Start off with some dyed eggs...

then you'll need either some crepe paper or scrapbooking paper for ears, pom poms for nose and tail, a sharpie for faces, mini cupcake holder, and green crepe paper.

Use glue dots to apply nose and tail, then use sharpie to draw on cute bunny face.

Next cut out some ears and affix them to the egg with glue dots. Set eggs in cupcake holder lined with a strip of green crepe paper that has been fringed with scissors.

This one's for my Daddy. Easter was his last holiday on Earth- and that man LOVED to fish! I think it's a stunning likeness! :o)

This? This is just a little sumpn I whipped up for Easter lunch......

And this is the Cains! Wishing you a very blessed Easter and a Spring filled with more rejuvenation and joy than you can stand! ;o)

A Brief Visit to Atlanta

2010-04-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Spring has certainly sprung in lively Atlanta! Our homeschool cover had a field-trip planned to the Atlanta Aquarium and the World of Coke, so we seized the opportunity to kidnap Daddy and have some good ol' family QT!

We started off at the aquarium....

then we headed over to the World of Coke!

Then to the zoo....

because I had been promising...

a certain precious little boy....

that he WOULD see a LIVE Panda Bear sometime in his life!

And this one? This one's for Poppy...

Yes, I do craft!

2010-03-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Oh sweet confirmation! Though life does occassionally get hectic, I can and do create! I know I showed you this dress previously, but I wanted you to see (blurry as it may be) it finished with the embroidery. (See that previous post for the link to Samantha at The Handmade Dress to find this and many other adorable, simple patterns) I just love this dress. It makes my heart happy....may have to make ten more just like it.

On a different note entirely, I was sittin' on my porch this afternoon. Just a stitchin and listening to some old Elton John again......I do that quite often. The kids were playing in the yard while Andy was doing some yard work. The smell of freshly cut grass wafted up to me, and I'll be if I didn't get a little misty eyed with the anticipation of spring! That, or it could have been from prickin my finger while embroiderin'! ;o) We even had dinner out on the porch- and it was beautiful. Thank you Jesus, for your refreshing renewal of the earth.....and my spirit.

Spring Personified

2010-03-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Abby was ready for the beautiful Spring day that we finally got today. Sunshine and 75! Dandelions are popping up everywhere and there are buds on absolutely everything. Can't wait to see what lovelies tomorrow holds!

Do I even craft anymore????

2010-03-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've actually been wondering this myself! It seems like FUR-EVER since I created something! (I made some cards for Lolly, does that count?) I think the last thing I actually completed was Valentines for my babies!!! YIKES!

The good news is that I have quite a few things in the works....the bad news is that none of them are actually finished! (Yes, I'm affraid I abandon projects like I abandon books, so that I have them stacked all over the place and each requires only a small time commitment on my part to finish!) But I've decided to turn a new leaf and finish some of these lovely creations I have begun---because there are a ba-jillion others I'd like to start!!!! ;o)

And while I can't take credit for this little beauty up there, I have the small task of completing it. This is a precious dress, the Madeline, designed by Samantha over at The Handmade Dress. My Momma actually put it together while we were visiting her last week. My job is to embroider some cute little birdies in the apron corner and hem it. I think I can manage that....be back with the embroidered version in the next day or two. Anybody got any ideas for cute birdie embroidery??

My Momma

2010-03-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

We are mountain-folk. It's something I grow more and more proud, and aware, of the older I get. I was born in the beautiful Appalachians of West Virginia. My family has a unique heritage....but so does yours. This is a picture of my Momma with her brother, Charlie, when she was a little girl. I find this picture delightful, and love to see photos of my Momma when she was little and life hadn't been so harsh to her. She's precious to me. I'm at her house for a visit right now, and enjoying every minute of it.

This is my maternal grandparents, Granny (Virginia) and Snaz (Everett), They were married as very young teenagers and had 7 children- only one of which was born in a hospital- due to a promise made by my grandmother to an older son going off in the services who was worried about her. One born into Heaven. My family literally owned a piece of the side of a mountain. My grandfather and grandmother had green thumbs and grew beatuiful gardens making for beautiful veggies while the mountain supplied our fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pears, crab apples)- and we were occassionally subsidized by Mick, a lifelong family friend with quite a knack for gardening and gossip.

This is my Momma with her momma and five brothers in the 80's. They are scattered about- West Virginia, California, Mississippi, Utah. I wish they were all sitting in Granny's livingroom, talking and laughing over coffee again. I'm happy to be at Momma's- soaking her up and remembering our roots- our mountian.

My Andy (and a P.S. on paperwhites!)

2010-03-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

This is my Love. He's been away from home for a few days helping his father get back and forth to an eye surgery in South Carolina. My Love left his parents' house this morning at 5 o'clock so that he could make it home in time to go with me to Ben's 5 year old check-up. Ya know, the one with four shots? Most everyone who knows me knows that I am a complete and total needle-phobe. I try to be a good mommy, but when it comes to vaccinations, I'd just as soon pass them up entirely. My Love says it's my civic duty to vaccinate my children, so I do it. My Love came home so that I would not have to do it alone. I made him a cup of English Breakfast and gave him my super-duper-special-comfy-cozy-Christmas-present-from-Momma blankie and I pray he knows how much I love and appreciate him.

P.S. Ya know those lovely paperwhites I posted last week? Who knew they smell like dog urine? Who knew? 'Fess up! I spent three days cleaning and disinfecting my diningroom floors because I was SURE the doggies had an accident somewhere- turns out it was my ~~stinky~~ pretty flowers! You guys should give a sister a warning!

Coming out of the cold..

2010-02-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

We have had the longest cold spells of all of the winters that I remember in my 9+ years of living in Alabama. My gas bill for heating my house last month nearly sent me to the hospital with a MASSIVE coronary! While shopping in Target one day, I saw these lovely Amaryllis and Paperwhites on sale dirt cheap (heehee..pun intended) and so I bought them and intended to send them home with my Momma after Christmas. In the hustle of leaving, Momma forgot them, and then we went to Florida, and well....the poor things were just forgotten. Then, a couple of weeks ago I saw them sitting in the butler's hallway (it's JUST the name of the hallway, not like we actually HAVE a butler!) and they called to me. I planted them thinking they might break the winter blahs...and now look! Aren't they lovely? There's truly no emotion that a flower cannot evoke, a blooming flower all the more. They can bring out anything in you.

A late snow post

2010-02-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

I have had the busiest week! I'm sorry for the late post, but I thought some of these pics were post worthy. We were very elated to receive not one, but THREE snows last week! These are pics from the biggest snow. My dear and precious friend, Jane, will no doubt look at this post and giggle- saying to herself "She calls THAT a big snow??!!" Jayners is from Montana, you see!

Valentine gifts Part 2

2010-02-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

These are the Valentine's that I stitched up for the kiddos. I got it from the Sew, Mama, Sew website. I thought they were quite cute. Next project? The Little Pink House! It is just way too cute! If you haven't checked out the Sew, Mama, Sew blog- it is chocked FULL of the greatest ideas and loveliest inspiration!

Valentine gifts....

2010-02-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I've been working on Andy's Valentine gifts and I thought I'd pass along the finished products. I just used some stretched canvases, some photos taken by my friend, Samantha, over at His Hands Photographs (she comes to your house! Isn't that awesome?! I have a $50 off card to give you if you're interested!), and a lovely Best Occasions scrappin' set from Wal-Mart. I sponged some coffee pigment ink on the canvases first, and used Modge Podge to seal everything.

So now the question is...which one do you like best?

I sure hope Andy likes them! I'm off to throw snowballs at my boy! Hope you're all enjoying this "February Fury" as the Weather Channel is calling it!

There's no place like home!!!

2010-02-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Oh to be home! There is truly no place like it. My bed is more comfortable, the fireplace is brighter, the tea tastier....everything is just BETTER when you return home from a trip. Don't you agree? Two weeks is just too long to be away. I used to love to travel and be away from home but I'm finding the older I get, I actually just want MORE time at, you guessed it! Home!

The trip was good and I have LOTS of shots/footage to share, but it will take some wading through first. Highlights? How about some manatees? Dolphins? A precious Princess? Even a pod of migrating whales!!! For a nature lover, it just doesn't get much better than the east coast of Florida. Abby and I set the goal of seeing a roseate spoonbill in its natural habitat before we left OUR natural habitat- and we saw 4 of them!

On the craft side of life, have any of you ever heard of Alabama (Natalie) Chanin? A friend of mine has recently aquainted me with her work and I am an instant fan. Hand stitching. Everything she does is hand stitched. Kind of slow "sewing", if you will. Well I'll let you in on a little secret if you will promise to keep your fingers crossed for me..........I applied for a scholarship to join her (and a few other folks) one weekend in May for a personal workshop! Oh I hope I get it!

So what are you talented folks making for Valentine's Day? I need some serious inspiration! I sure have missed you and can't wait to hear from you!

We're off!!!!

2010-01-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'll miss you Friends, but I'm off to the Happiest Place on Earth! Be back in 2 weeks! Take care of yourselves!