5 minutes for mom

Old-time blogging moms probably already know about 5 minutes for mom,
but for any new bloggers...I wanted to give a plug for their blogroll and featured stores written/run-by moms.

If you get a chance to check them out, look for my interview here... the exciting behind the scenes true-life account of what I blog and why I started blogging.

5 minutes for mom isn't only about homeschool blogs-they have a list of every kind of mom blog imaginable, and internet stores run by moms...including the two moms who created the site.

I don't have a cute button yet, because I am so un able to do the button thingy...someone will have to rescue me and place it for me...soon!
o.k. back to your normal scheduled programming...

That's Mr. President-Father Abraham...

Kevin and I served in Children's Meeting this Sunday. Um, I think they won...

At one point during singing time, the kids were questioned about the song we were about to sing. "who are we singing about who was called and obeyed?" One of the boys was quick to reply with "Abraham Lincoln, he was the 6th President, I think!" "No dear, Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States-but we are talking about Abraham who was called out of Ur..."

The family supplying snacks couldn't...so we hastily picked up what we could find, Oreos and Capri sun. Yes, it was a brilliant move...get them all hyped- up on sugar and corn syrup/water!

We had several-like 5 or 6 rounds of "Deep and Wide"....and the memory verse games of "hang-man" were a hit...I think we lost them on the story of Samuel finding and annointing David the shepard boy. They liked the bear part...

Again, I have to say...I think they won...1st and 2nd grade class- 01/parents team-00
At least we didn't have to do a craft.

"Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play!"

Our son, Demi (a.k.a 'the boy-wonder' and 'son of thunder') loves baseball. Not just loves baseball, loves baseball. Friday night was his first taste of t-ball!

Sky took Demi to his first t-ball class, I figured I would bow out of this boy and his dad experience. Sky's first comment to me later was, "You should have seen how focused Demi was on everything the coach was saying"

I paused to consider this revelation, realizing I had possibly never witnessed my son intently focusing on anything. I am teaching him to read right now and keep having to tell him to look at the word we are trying to read...his eyes are everywhere else!
This is something I will have to see in person...so next week I will be there to witness this miraculous event. Maybe I will start using a baseball manual for reading next week...

Demi is in blue in the picture, look under the coaches arm.. Demi is throwing a perfect throw here. O.k, his mamma says it was perfect...

Everyday things, planning Friday

Everyday things-today I am thankful for this ordinary thing...homeschool planning Friday's with my very dear homeschool friend. We began meeting every Friday afternoon to plan for our next week of homeschooling and organize. Once a month we try to actually go out to a coffee house for planning, visiting and good eats. This Friday was our day "out", and we had a really good time. (and a scone, and a rice krispie treat, and a flavorful coffee, and a chai latte...)

"Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content." Philippians 4:11

Everyday things is a meme hosted every Friday by Everyday Mommy, go over to her blog to see more everyday things.

Fall into reading book challenge

Katrina, over at Callapidder days
has issued a reading challenge taking place from September 21 thru December 21. Go over to her site to see guidlines and a list of participants. She is also offering prizes!! If you have a list of books running through your head that you would like to read, someday...join her to find lots of encouragement and lists of good books others are reading.

Here is my list...

Nonfiction:
Imatation of Christ - Thomas A Kempis
Life Study of Romans- Witness Lee
Circle of Quiet- Madeleine L'Engle
How the Irish saved Civilization-Thomas Cahill (in the works, 2/3 done) Finished! 9/28

Fiction:
The Brethren- Beverly Lewis Finished! 10/04
Blessed are the cheesemakers-Sarah-kate Lynch Finished! 10/26/
Eating Heaven-Jennie Shortridge Finished! 10/24
Miss Julia speaks her mind-Anne Ross (at a hen's pace recommend)

Added: Fairest -Levine Finished! 10/21

Reading to the Girls
Peter Pan-James Barrie (hopefully Rand will sit in on this too)
Tales from Shakespeare-Lamb
Laddie- Gene Stratton-Porter
(besides the several books we are reading with Sonlight)
added- Ida B (because we have to finish it before we start the others!) Finished!
Reading to Rand and Amie
When we are six, When we were very young-AA Milne (poetry)
Burgess Animal book-Thornton Burgess
library books every week
(several books with Sonlight)

bonus books (if I get through my list)
Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden
Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (aloud to the girls)

I hope this is not too ambitious! I love to read, and read very quickly- but get busy with the homeschooling and life in general. We'll see what I finish.

Nowhere to hide

My kids embarrass me-sometimes...I figure it keeps me humble or teaches me to extend mercy, or both. Today we had lunch at the home of a young newly-wed couple. They are so cute, so young and their lifestyle and home is very newly-wed: very small, humble apartment and lots of hand-down furniture. Ah, I remember those years well...We had a wonderful lunch at their place and lots of good fellowship, when...get ready for it...out-of-the-blue, the boy wonder (age 6) says while looking around; "you have a very, very small house." I tried to stop the train derailment and commented to him about this being an apartment and explaining what an apartment house was, also commenting to the entire room observing us that he had never been to an apartment before. His next comment was, " it's very small...our house is very big, this house kind of reminds me of camping." Tried to rescue that with my own comment that it must remind him of the condo we stay in sometimes when we go to Big Bear on vacation...on and on about how the condos are all connected, blah-blah...basically trying to gracefully rescue the situation and steer clear of any affront real or imaginary. He did agree, I didn't even have to nudge him with my foot or anything. Turns out he was thinking of Big Bear. I don't know what they were thinking, or if they thought it funny, if they cared. Hubby quickly changed the subject. We were able to have a good laugh at our own mortification later at home. Well, they sure keep us on our toes...can't get very complacent or too satisfied with ourselves with the young ones underfoot. At least they didn't break anything.

Sunflowers! My everyday thing...

Everyday things

Today I am thankful for this everyday thing, sunflowers. We have two sunflowers right now in our front yard. Everytime I step outside and see thier sunny faces I cannot help but smile.

Everyday things is hosted by Everday Mommy every friday. Go to her site here, to do your own everyday thing or to visit the other bloggers listed.

"...For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Did you change your hair or something?

Have you noticed something different? Ah, come on, admit it...you did notice my new "do".

Susie at Bludbird blogs designed this beautiful blog for me. This is very different from the old look, much more 'me'. The old look was, well- it was what I ended up with because I have no idea at all, what I am doing -here in computer/blogland. It was the template I ended up with somehow. So, I noticed some of Susie's creative handiwork around blogdom and I asked her to make me beautiful. She has been great to work with, so very patient with all my questions and constantly changing ideas of what I wanted. I was kind of like a kid in a candy store at first, "I'll take one of these quote boxes, and some floweres, and a reading list box, and by the way, can you grab some linky-buttony-thingys for me cause I have no clue how to do that..."

Susie is having a contest at her website for two people to win a free blog design. If you have a blog and mention the contest and link, she will enter you 5 times. I'm not entering, 'cause' my design is brand-new-but I wanted to tell everyone about her. Go to her site here.

I will be playing with the boxes in the margins in the next few days, I seriously don't know what I am doing, so pretend you don't notice if things look a little clumsy for a few days. Hopefully I will not crash my whole blog... Susie said she'd help, I'm sure I will need it.
I'm off now to play with my new toy...er-to do some serious blogging...