Homeschool Memoirs #9 The ___ Family

This week we were to take the Homeschool Family song (done to the the tune The Addams Family) and rewrite it for our own family. I had this written two nights ago, but have been too busy to post it.

The Dad he likes to bake
A cheesecake he does make
Though his back's about to break
The Christian family

The mom she cooks and cleans
And often she does scream
But she's really not that mean
The Christian family

Every time you look
The girls are reading books
Chores and homework they'll foresook
The Christian family

The boys they run and play
Twenty-four hours a day
Often getting into a fray
The Christian family

I tried to have my husband come up with a good stanza about me. I had the first line and nothing else. I am not so sure I like what he came up with! LOL!

These Are a Few of My Favorite (Fall) Things

Jacque over at Walking Therein tagged whoever wanted to do this and since I love so much about fall I thought I would jump right in. If you want to do it, visit Jocelyn at A pondering Heart for the picture and let me know so I can visit you and see your answers!

Here are my favorite fall-

1. Favorite Smell? There are so many smells of fall I like its hard to decide on one alone. I like- cinnamon, pumpkin, bonfires, fall leaves, apples

2. Favorite Food? I like being able to start making comforting warm stuff again like chili. I also like my hubby's pumpkin pie cheesecake

3. Favorite Color? the deep fiery red of the maple tree when it changes

4. Favorite Drink? apple cider

5. Favorite Treat? I don't eat them often, but apples with caramel

6. Favorite Place to go? For a walk in the woods

7. Favorite Candy? I haven't had any chocolate in awhile, but dark chocolate peanut M&M's are one of my favorites. If I had to pick from what I eat now, it would have to be caramels or Paydays

8. Favorite Movie to watch? I can't think of a fall movie that I like, but I do like the old black and white classics. A real good one is The Little Minister with Katherine Hepburn.

9. Favorite Clothing to wear? As I am not getting out my fall clothes, having to go to the maternity clothes instead, its hard to tell you what fall clothes I have that I like the most as I haven't seen them since last year. I do like being able to put on a sweater though.

10. Favorite Outdoor Activity? A bonfire with the kids in the backyard

11. Favorite Football Team? Don't ask me why as I am not a real big football fan and don't live anywhere near there, but the Carolina Panthers

12. Favorite Fall Holiday? My birthday of course! (Oct 22) followed very closely by my mom's birthday, which is today (the 13th)!

13. Favorite Haunted place? Let's change that around to Favorite Place to Haunt (visit frequently)

14. Favorite Food at Thanksgiving Dinner? My dad's stuffing

15. Favorite Pie? Apple

16. Favorite Fall Hobby? Preparing for Christmas- we make our gifts and have to start early, so fall is when we start making our lists and doing our crafting/baking, etc. Also knitting tends to lend itself more to fall then most seasons.

17. Favorite Fall Memory? When I was a kid (around 9) my mom, sisters and I took part in a Fall Fest that taught people about the crafts and traditions of the 18th century. They had apple butter making (over an open fire), butter making, Johnny cakes made in a fire with a dutch oven, corn husk doll making, etc. We were the demonstrators for the candle dipping. We had a big kettle with wax and water in it sitting over an open fire and we dipped candlewick in it and helped people try their hand at it as well. My mom also had a treadle machine and quilting stuff on display and she allowed people to try their hand at hand quilting two 4" squares together or using the treadle machine to sew them.

18. Favorite Fall Sight? The colors of the trees

19. Overall Favorite thing about Fall? Lots of family events start up in the fall- birthdays, Thanksgiving, etc. and there are fun activities like fall fests and walks etc. to do. Lots of time to spend outside in some really nice weather.

20. Overall Favorite Season? It would have to be fall

Homeschool Memoirs #8 Study Spot

This week we need to post about our favorite spot to study with our children.

Our book learning takes place mostly in the living room, but since we also believe in learning from life, we tend to use wherever we are to learn. If its a project like a lapbook then we would require the use of the dining room table. Then there is the learning we do while cooking in the kitchen. I love when we have discussions about stuff in the car and field trips are always fun.

Now for my personal study time, its usually in bed after the kids are asleep. I read or plan, etc. while dh watches a movie.

I would include pictures of all the different places we study, but we recently got out the winter clothes to sort and put away and the house is a mess. It has made substantial progress today, but there are still totes of clothes everywhere. When you have six kids to sort for and five of them are moving up in a size, that is a lot of clothes!

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Since several people expressed interest in the peanut butter playdough I mentioned in my snack post, I figured I should just post it here. I can't find the one I used, but either of these are good variations on the whole thing.

1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. powdered milk

OR

1c peanut butter
1c rolled oats
1c powdered milk
1/3c honey

Mix together to make a playdough.

Optional: Wheat germ, coconut, raisins, nuts, etc.

There is one recipe that I have used that omits the milk and ups the oats. I think this one, while it is good for us lactose intolerant sorts, stays too sticky. I think the powdered milk helps make it easier to handle.

Homeschool Memoirs #7 Snack Foods

Edited to include link to requested recipe.

Our assignment this week is: what snack foods to buy for homeschooling families, on the go or at home. I would like to invite you to share what snack foods your family usually snacks on throughout the week. You’re welcome to make season lists too.

Cut up veggies- my older girls actually prefer big carrots to baby carrots. Then there are celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower. A few of them like grape tomatoes, one daughter likes cucumbers but not too many of the kids will eat peppers. Serve with dip or hummus.
Any fruit in season
Tortilla chips with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top then warm up in the toaster oven or microwave enough to melt the cheese
banana bread with peanut butter on it
muffins
granola bars
fruit snacks
popcorn
pretzels crackers with peanut butter and raisins
ants on a log
apple with peanut butter
cheese
nuts or trail mix
crackers and cheese
dried fruit
peanut butter playdough (peanut butter, honey, oats, etc. mixed together)

I am looking forward to reading everyone's suggestions. If you want to see other ideas, see this post with all the links.

Homeschool Memoirs #6 Summer Photo Essay

This week's assignment is to post a photo essay of our summer. Unfortunately, when our computer crashed last month it took all of our photos with it. Yes, that's right, four years of photos stored on a computer with no backup, crazy isn't it? Anyway, the jury is still out on if we will be able to save any of that or not. I do however have our oldest daughter's birthday party and some pictures the girls took of a grasshopper in our backyard, so here they are:

This is Charlotte's birthday. I am in blue cutting the cake. My second oldest, Devorah is in yellow next to me (she wears yellow all the time so we have nicknamed her Chiquita like the bananas). My third oldest, Abby is in the blue at the table.


This picture is of my niece Sam, my oldest son Daniel and my second oldest son Tim.



In this picture our oldest Charlotte is blowing out her candles.






I wont show you all the many pictures the children took of the grasshopper, but I will show you the best two-



I will leave you with something to make your mouth water. Dan has perfected a wonderful new cheesecake recipe for the fall- Apple Pie Cheesecake

Homeschool Memoirs -Favorite Things

This week I want to invite you to share a few of your favourite things - er - sites. I know the list of favorite things could be never-ending, but I’ve made a list for you to do regarding your favorite homeschool things. BUT by all means you’re welcome to add your other favorite things on the post as well!

I look forward to seeing everyone else's lists. I lost all my bookmarks in a computer crash a few weeks back and am lost without them! Here is the little bit I have of sites I knew by memory and no computer crashing can take away from me!

• Magazines/Carnivals - in print or online: Charlotte Mason homeschooling carnival, The Old Schoolhouse
  
• Freebie sites - any sites that offer freebies or often have giveaways:Currclick, Homeschool Freebie of the Day
  
• Mom site - a sites just for moms: The Homeschool Lounge, Cindy Rushton's sites
  
• Youth/kid - sites geared towards youth/kids or owned by them: Poison Rouge (red fish in English) is a great site for preschool age
  
• Organizing/crafts - sites that you look to for organizing tips or crafts: Craftsters
  
• Homemaking/Homesteading: Tammy's Recipes
  
• Homeschool Method - sites that offer a lot of info on a certain method: Old Fashioned Education
  

Can you tell I've been wiped clean of all my websites?