yet another giveaway

I really like Freely Educate's website. I subscribe to her posts so they come right to my email inbox--it seems easier to keep up with her free finds. This time it's a giveaway...Friendly Chemistry. {just a note::doesn't "friendly chemistry" seem like a wild oxymoron?? ha!}

Anyway, hope over to her site and sign up for the giveaway if you need the subject of Chemistry to be Friendly! 

Found a Peanut, Found a Peanut

Okay, not really...it's not a peanut; it's a new blog I like. But now you are all singing the little ditty, aren't you??

Cultivated Lives at my initial glances around seems like a really neat blog. She is a homeschooler who is married and now homeschooling (I think she'd have some neat perspectives on things.) She is hosting a give-away--a coloring book with illustrated Scriptures and some fantastic colored pencils.

And Ann Voskamp has a wonderfully rich blog called A Holy Experience. You must go read her post for today. challenging and convicting...

Off to AWANA....

January's Blowing By

I enjoy blogging, trying to find time to blog...I do not enjoy. Some exciting things are taking place around here and I wanted to tell you about them.

Today, I have time at home with no "outside the home" commitments. You may not think that is very exciting, but really, it is! I've been extremely busy in-and-outside our home and that's has made it difficult to get my lesson plans ready for my kids. I've been wingin' it in school since the beginning of January---I do NOT like doing that. So, today, I'm getting myself ready for at least this coming week--and maybe even the rest of the month!

• After looking at this curriculum on Confessions of a Homeschooler, since August, I finally bought it over Christmas! Yippee!! Even though much of it is too easy for Trenton (5.5 years old), it works great with the two preschoolers that I watch. 
• Bethany (my 8.5 year old) "lost" her math book, yep, how convenient, right?? Actually she is very organized and keeps good track of her things. We have no idea where the math book has gone...So a friend told me that on the Math-U-See website, you can generate worksheets for certain lessons (it looks like the even numbered lessons.) You can also generate an answer key. I've already gone and printed off a week's worth of lesson problems.
• I taught a lapbook workshop for a homeschool group on Sunday. The workshop went fine--the greatest treat was meeting a blogger that I follow--Shannon from Song of My Heart! She is sweet, sweet, sweet! It was so fun to meet her and I'm praying that a friendship will grow {as God allows}.
• This week was our monthly local homeschool meeting and our speaker talked about learning styles and modalities. It was fascinating! I'm working through my notes from that evening and thinking about how to apply some of what I learned. Trenton needs to be active while learning. When I saw these Education Cubes, I wished desperately that I'd thought of this idea!! I placed my order for the cubes (on Amazon) and purchased a membership to the Education Cubes site which will give me access to all the printables she makes for the cubes. 
• I've committed to reading the Bible in 90 Days. yeah, I know. But I'm determined to do it! I'm a couple days behind, however that is not deterring me. My big goal is to get caught up this weekend. Feel free to ask me how it's going any time between now and March.

Okay, well I'm off and running, printing, planning, laminating and so on and so on. 

some cute stuff

Mama Jenn's blog has some really cute stuff on it lately. Puff ball magnets?! And Education Cubes...neat!

I'm preparing for a lapbook workshop that I'm doing for a local homeschool group; but I can't wait to make these puff ball magnets!!

What have you been up to lately?

A New Post in the New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas. We celebrated Advent and the kids eagerly anticipated Jesus' birthday. After opening gifts Christmas morning and enjoying homemade cinnamon rolls, we watched a movie and relaxed. Dinner came later that afternoon with some great friends and yummy food. We played games around their table and laughed together. Really, a great day.

New Year's Eve was spent with some more great friends and their 3 kids. We made it to midnight, talking, laughing and munching on goodies.

Marissa enjoying her new blanket watching a movie on New Year's Eve

The family

I'm thankful for the blessing of family and friends. We are praying for a year of growth, challenge and following hard after what God has called us to.

Upcoming this week:: my word for 2011...