Free Homeschool Printables

I found this site today while I was browsing....it is a homeschool site called Footprints on our Land: South African Homeschool Curriculum. I've not delved completely into it, however I did find a link for Free Printable Homeschool Worksheets--including notebooking sheets for owls!

Frugal Family Fun Blog has free printables and lots of good ideas. I like her gardening journal pages.

okay, I've got to get back at it...

Seeking God

I've titled my quiet time "Seeking God Alone". Really this title takes on two meanings: 1. Seeking God by myself--my Bible, God and me. 2. Seeking only God for my daily strength and wisdom.
I struggle with making sure I'm going to God first with a problem, a hurt or a question. Sometimes I turn to friends, or my hunny, or sometimes I want to avoid it altogether and I turn to food or some other distraction. Seeking godly counsel or talking something over with a friend is not wrong in themselves. However if I am only turning to others and not turning to God, then I am wrong.

I read this article this morning titled "What does it mean to seek the Lord?" It's by John Piper and was a great reminder.

Col. 3:1-2 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Seek Him today.

Planted seeds today

Bethany and I started our garden today. We planted seeds inside in hopes that they will be well on their way to becoming sturdy plants in about 8 weeks. We planted several different varieties of tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, and hot peppers. Waiting until the ground is ready and the danger of frost is over are cucumbers, green beans and lettuce. So very exciting!

This year we bought our seeds from an heirloom seed company called Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Customer service was a great help and friendly too.

Bethany and I are also doing a garden study. Over the years I've collected quite a few odds and ends that will all come together for our garden study. I hope to be able to share some more resources with you. I will add them on to this post when I come across them.

Here's what I have so far:
A free excerpt of Amanda Bennett's Garden Unit Study
Squidoo has this plant lapbook with lots of resources
What a sweet garden lapbook found here.

Happy Spring!

Owl Study

Bethany, Trenton and I have been studying owls. Really fascinating study--we are all learning a bundle. Even if you are not studying owls you will love this live webcam of a barn owl. Molly, the barn owl, sits on those eggs faithfully. The first egg should be hatching ANY minute. So exciting!

Below are more crafts and links I've found to accompany our owl study. I'll post pictures of things we are making soon (read: next week).

Owl Pillow Craft
Owl coloring pages and a preschool printing sheet
Felt Owl Finger puppet
The Crafty Classroom has several owl crafts and art ideas.

Here's where I got our Owl Lapbook. It is very well done.
Another mom studies owls with her son. She has a great list of resources.

We are going to dissect owl pellets and I'll probably get the pellet from Amazon. I need to order that soon. We are also going to take a nature hike as well as check out the local nature reserve.

I'd love to stay and chat longer, but I must get back to Molly and see if those eggs hatched.

P.S. Sorry for the gap in between posts. I enjoy writing and have missed blogging. I think I go in spurts like this. Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to visit again.

Links I Like

I just found a neat blog that I really like:: Mama Jenn. She has some printables that I like (especially the calendar notebook--definitely going to do this with Trenton.) She also has good things to say as I'm browsing through her archives. Here she linked to a prayer guide for our children. I have this guide (it's very old from a Focus on the Family magazine.) I've tried to locate the author and seek permission to put it in our homeschool newsletter. Anyway, I had no idea that there was a pdf of this prayer guide. Here's the direct link to it (but let it be known that I found it because of Mama Jenn!)

So run over and visit Mama Jenn; you'll be glad you did!

The week God planned

I'm thankful for online friends and Company Girls has been a delightful place to get to know other women who are seeking to make their home a sanctuary. Rachel Anne has encouraging posts each day to help you do a 'small thing' (and boy those small things really add up to be big!) Today I'm thankful that you have come to visit because my house guest just left a few hours ago (sniff, sniff). She really enjoyed making and drinking peach tea while she was here. So pour yourself a glass and read about the week that God planned. Thank you for being here.
...and come back soon....

A week that God plans is far better than anything I could plan! I know you can relate: the week that I thought we were going to have was promptly (and providentially) turned upside down when a friend called last Saturday. She lives a few hours away and needed to have some time away from her home to think over some important things.

Of course, we said "you are welcome here, please come." She did and let me tell you the wonderful week we had. She had lots of time to think, read and pray. And we had time to enjoy her company. She is a gracious, sweet friend who loves my children and can make a walking stick laugh. :)

I've been studying the "One Anothers" in Scripture. Here are just a few of them:

• Comfort one another. I Thessalonians 4:18
• Build one another up Romans 15:2 "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." I Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."
• Bear one another's burdens Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
• Care for one another. I Corinthians 12:25 "that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another."
• Show hospitality to one another. I Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."

My friend that was here this week was a joy to have. My hunny and I spent the evenings talking with her and helping her work through things. And each morning, my sweet 4 year old, pounded on her door and excitedly said, "Good Morning!" Each one of my 3 kids enjoyed time with her playing games, painting nails and reading books. My prayer for her and her family is that God would redeem the time she was away, grow her into the person HE wants her to be and give her the grace and mercy she needs to live every day for Him.

{sigh} I miss her already.

What I have up my Sleeve...

Several times over the last few months I've shared something with a friend only to be asked, "How long have you been doing that?" or "Why have you never told me that before?" So today, I will share with you all the tricks and tips that I have up my sleeve. (Okay, not all--mostly because I can't ever remember them all, but here are several.)

• I reuse cereal box liners. I get lots of raised eyebrows on this one, but seriously folks, they come in handy! After they've done a grand job holding the cereal, shake the dust out, fold it, and store it until needed for...a mat for a preschool art project, a bag to shake chicken pieces or smash croutons or crackers in, a cooling place for cookies and the list goes on. For a mat or cooling place, I cut the bag open and lay it flat, once done you can either wipe it off and reuse another time OR throw it away if it can't be used any longer. I feel greener just typing this 'up my sleeve' trick.
  
• I use vinegar in my washing machine to freshen our clothes. I pour it in a "downy ball" and toss it in. Vinegar helps soften clothes and ward off static cling, too.
  
• I've been known to mix a box of plain Cheerios with a box of 'honey nut' cheerios. This makes the cereal last longer and plain Cheerios are less expensive (and it's usually a bigger box).
• I bought a mister bottle at the health food store. I mixed distilled water with a couple drops of lavender essential oil, tapped the bottom 100 times to mix it thoroughly. I use it as a natural air freshener around the house.
• I try to keep a loaf of French bread handy for a quick supper. I buy the loaves at W*lmart for $1.50, then I cut them long-ways in thirds. So I get 3 long pieces out of one loaf. I spread spaghetti sauce, generously sprinkle low-moisture mozzarella cheese and bake! Sometimes I put turkey pepperoni or mushrooms on top...yummy, easy supper.

So there you have it...some of the ideas that are up my sleeve. To see what others have up their sleeves, visit Works for Me Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by; I hope you will be back soon.