B is for Bear, Butterfly, Baker, & Bat

My intention when starting this mini-preschool program with Caleb was to start a new letter on each Monday. I would have all the books and the little notebook ready to go by then. Well, the library is not cooperating or maybe I'm not getting my holds in on time. My goal is to not spend any money at this level of homeschooling. All the books are being checked out of the library and to get them I am having to place holds all over our library network. Thankfully, I can do all this online. Some of the books are taking FOREVER to arrive at my local library. I guess I will try to have the little notebook ready on Monday and then read the books as they arrive. Whoo! Mixing things up is the spice of life isn't it?! Especially with a two-year old. ;-)

Go Here to see the Letter A.

Notebook pages:

Cover Sheet
Tracer
B is For Bear
Bear Coloring Sheet
Butterfly Coloring Sheet
Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly
B is For Baker
Baker Coloring Sheet
B is For Bat
Bat Coloring Sheet
0-5 Coloring Sheet
6-11 Coloring Sheet
Benjamin Franklin Resume (cute)
Benjamin Franklin Coloring Sheet

Books:

As you saw from the previous list I listed all the books one by one right in the post. I have decided it would be much easier to just link to my Amazon Store so you can actually see the covers and not have to keep clicking over. The link is below.

Go Here to see Letter 'B' Reading List

Note: I have been using the booklist from Brightly Beaming Letter of the Week Curriclum as a springboard for finding great books each week. Go Here to see the entire list.

Have You Ever Turbo Jam'd?!?!

As everyone knows the coming of a New Year brings all kinds of changes and for me that means changes in my schedule. I will be taking my niece during the day three full days a week instead of 2 half days and one full day. I used to just stay home all day on Wednesdays and then hit the gym every other morning. I'm thinking that I may not get out quite as often as I used to. I was searching for a workout I could do from home.

My sister-in-law had been trying to get me to try Turbo Jam ever since she got it. She has used it to get back in shape after having her baby. I didn't doubt that the workout worked for her but I was feeling a bit too self-conscience about Jamming in my living room. Going to a spinning class was pushing it for me when it comes to group exercise. At least our spinning classes are in the dark.

I finally gave in and agreed to trying the first couple disks in the Turbo Jam program. Yes, I felt like a FOOL when doing some of those moves. I almost gave it up when Chris came home one day unexpectedly and caught me punching and kicking in my severely uncoordinated fashion. But, I was sweating and feeling the burn. The kicker (ha ha!) was when I woke up and realized that I was sore in the abs, etc. Hmmm! Maybe this workout really does work! I decided to give it a more thorough try.

I can now get through the 45 minute Cardio Party on disc 2 and live to tell the tale. I feel like collapsing at the end but I finish it. My sister-in-law and I will be switching discs soon and I will get to try out the other workouts. We'll see how it goes.

The Sickies and Such

My poor sweet Caleb is sick with a cold this week. His nose is running like a waterfall and he can't seem to stop sneezing. When I woke him up yesterday he was acting like he was hungover or drunk. I hadn't given him any medicine so I figured the sickies in his head were making him feel woozy. Thankfully, he has been more willing than usual to get to bed on time and take good long naps. I am sure he will back to his normal, crazy self in no time.

I was a little unsure about starting Caleb's little preschool yesterday due to the cold but we did have a soft start. I introduced him to his "A" notebook and he found it fascinating. He just wanted to look at it and discuss the pictures. He then informed me that he wanted to color his "A's." He got cozy in his chair with his crayons and notebook and went to town. I think he colored a little bit on each page. As he did that I read to him from the Johnny Appleseed book and we both had a great time. I would count the first day as a success.

When Chris got home, I asked Caleb if he wanted to show Daddy his "school notebook." Caleb grabbed the notebook from me and ran to his Daddy. He opened it up and showed Chris all the A's. He even took Chris' hand and had him trace each A on one particular page. Oh, be still my heart! Chris is very happy with how things are going so far and he likes how I am doing the notebook and reading time.

I know we have only done this for one day but here is how I think the days are going go for at least a little while. Caleb and I will get the notebook out and he will color the pages while I read to him during that time. It looks like I might have to print out more coloring pages and check out more books to get through a week. I am not pushing for anything formal right. He is only 2! I want him to have fun and hopefully look forward to our "school time" each day. It is so much fun watching Caleb grow and become so interested in the world around him.

Week 1--Letter A

'A' is for Ant, Alligator, Anteater, and Acorn

Update: Caleb is quite sick with a cold today. I hoped to start today, but we'll just have to see.

Start Here.

Notebook Pages:

Cover Sheet
Tracer Sheet
Ant Coloring Sheet
National Geographic Ant Fact Sheet
A is for Apple Tracer Sheet
Apple Coloring Sheet
Alligator Tracer Page
Alligator Coloring Sheet
Alligator Fact Sheet
Anteater Coloring Sheet
Anteater Fact Sheet
A is for Acorn Poster
Acorn Counting Sheet 1 & 2

Books we are reading this week:

The Apple Pie Tree
Life & Times Of The Apple
Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend
Tiniest Acorn: A Story to Grow By
Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery (Dot & Jabber)
The Escape of Marvin the Ape
From Acorn to Oak Tree (Welcome Books)

Go Here to see all these books in my Amazon store.

We will also be using some leftover Pinto Beans to work on counting, basic adding, and "building" letters.

It is 6 AM and I am Already up Blogging...Finding a New Normal

Here I am at 6 o'clock in the morning, sitting at my desk, drinking my coffee, and writing in my blog. I am even dressed!! How in the world did this happen?? Let me tell you how this will be my new normal.

Right around the time my blog went by the wayside I started taking care of my little niece during the day. She stays with me when Mom is at work and Dad is either at school or work. It is a way for me to make a little money and a way for her to stay out of daycare. It has been a major adjustment having a baby around but I guess you could say it is training for when we have another little cutie. Blogging took a hit as I was adjusting to her.

Then Chris' job as a loan manager in a mortgage company he ran with a partner finally started taking a hit due to the economy. For awhile, our little county was in a bubble and Chris' company was closing enough loans for us to live quite comfortably when other companies were closing their doors. Chris and his partner weren't closing their doors but they were feeling the pinch.

Chris and I bought a house in a really nice neighborhood because we got an insane deal on it. We moved-in in mid-November. This house is smaller than our older house but it is most definitely an upgrade. Boxes everywhere and tons of stress to get it all done.

We moved in on a Saturday and on Monday Chris found out he had lost his job. It was just too much to stay open. Aaaaahhhhhhh!!! We both panicked for awhile and then we got busy..trusting in the Lord. Chris got to work looking for a new job, a new career and I got to work supporting him and making sure he moved forward with confidence.

After about a month of trying different options, Chris has a job with a water treatment company. He is on the lowest rung right now but the potential to move up and move up fast is great. He has to be at work at 6:30 am and it is a 45 minute drive. The radio goes off way too early at 5 am and we sleepily get out of bed. I make Chris a travel mug of coffee, he eats breakfast, and he heads out the door. I make my cup of coffee and come in here to blog. Caleb is still sleeping for probably another hour. Even though I am struggling to stay awake right now, I confess the alone time this early in the morning is almost refreshing...almost.

Now that the holidays are behind us, Chris and I are looking forward to establishing a new normal. Finding a new routine. This should be an interesting year. Please join me!

Merry Christmas!!!

We are leaving for my family's Christmas celebration as soon as Chris gets off work tomorrow. I will be enjoying my family during that time and probably avoiding the computer. I will be back December 29th. See you then!!

The Boy Wants to Learn!!

As Caleb grows older he is displaying an absolutely insatiable desire to learn. He will play with his Letters and Numbers for hours on end. He wants us to sing with him non-stop and the reading, oh the reading. He wants us to read to him all day long. Sweet Boy! We are kindred spirits.

The only problem is that this constant desire to learn can also get to be a little pesky at times. Sometimes Mommy needs to get housework done or get dinner on the table. I found myself pushing Caleb's requests to the side way too often. I never wanted to squelch his spirit but I also couldn't let my other responsibilities go to pot.

While I was putting together our New Year schedule, I decided to schedule time each day for "school." For one hour each day we will go over his letters, numbers, reading, etc. in a more formal fashion. The learning won't stop after that scheduled time but at least there is a time slot that is dedicated to it each day. I have always considered homeschooling Caleb, but I never thought we would start this early. We will be starting Dec. 29th. Here we go!!

So, what will we be doing? I have created a little notebook that will cover a letter a week. We will work our way through that little notebook during the week. I have made the notebook in a way that Caleb can color throughout and hopefully grow to love it. (I will have another post with links to all the pages in the notebook including links to the books we are reading that week.) Each notebook will hopefully cover the letter, letter sounds, science, numbers/counting, history, and art (coloring). Feel free to come back each week to get ideas or snatch the pages I'm using.

Disclaimer: I am VERY GREEN at this. Caleb is my first child and the first child I've ever homeschooled. There is a large learning curve. But, I would love to have company on this journey. Join me and let me know what you think!!

Yes, I am Back, But...

I am back in the blogging world after an insanely long break. But, I want to make something clear before I move forward. Please see below. I found this manifesto awhile back and was intrigued how it liberates me and how I blog. This is how I see my blogging now.

* Because you shouldn't have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill.

* Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.

* Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.

* Because sometimes less is more.

* Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.

* Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.

* Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be "bloggable".

* Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won't be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .
.

I am back and I am happy to be back. Please join me!! We'll have a great time.

So. Very. Tired.

'Night, 'Night!

Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her.

~ J.R. Miller, Homemaking

This, That, and the Other

There isn't much to say today.

We had a wonderful weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the extra day off on Memorial Day. It was spent having fun as a family at the Donut Shop, Veteran's park, pool, and at home. I am so sorry it is over!!

Today, I have been trying to catch up on my household chores, reading to Caleb, exercising at the YMCA, and preparing for the arrival of Baby B into our house during the day. Hmmmmm. I've kind of forgotten what it requires to take care of an itty bitty baby.

I got two new books from Amazon.com today and I think I will be curled up on the couch reading them tonight instead of blogging. I hope to be back tomorrow.

Till then!

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."

--Charles Spurgeon

Five Minutes From the Pound

The saga between Hopper and Eowyn continues.

It was Wednesday evening at the usual time. Hopper came into our yard around 5:30 pm and Eowyn goes crazy. Nothing new there. Eowyn begged and begged to go outside and chase Hopper. (Note: I really should take a video of how Eowyn acts so y'all could see it.) I gave her a resounding, "NO!" because I've learned my lesson and I wasn't her out the door until Hopper has gone to his little burrow in the woods.

I was patiently waiting for Chris to come home so that I could head on to a end of the year MOPS party. I was trying to pick up the house before Chris got home and that included taking out the trash. I step out the door while sternly saying, "STAY!" Needless to say, you can't trust a Jack Russell to stay when a bunny is on the line.

Eowyn dashed out and stopped at the usual boundary. I thought, "Okay, good. She won't go into the woods this time. Maybe she's been shocked enough times now." (SIGH!) What was I thinking?! A bunny was on the line. Eowyn backed her little bottom up and shot right through the boundary. I'm thinking, "Shock! Shock! Shock! Dumb dog!"

I turn off the fence and patiently wait for Eowyn to come home. She knows who feeds her at the end of the day. After about ten minutes she pokes her head out of the thick brush and I notice something is missing. OH NO!! PLEASE, NO! She doesn't have her fence collar on anymore. She must've gotten her collar hung up on something (the brush was pretty thick and low to the ground) and she pulled out of it. (Note: Dog collars should always be loose enough so that they can pull out in an event just like this.) I felt a sinking feeling and I feared Chris coming home. Those collars are NOT cheap.

Chris comes home and I inform him of the situation. At this point, Eowyn has come home with a huge smile on her face and she is cooling off by laying on top of the AC vent. When Chris hears about the collar he is quite upset. I then say, "Um, in light of full disclosure, we are also up for getting more heartworm medicine. Eh!" That was the closest Eowyn has ever been to the pound. I said, "No, Honey! Our pound is a 'kill shelter!' We can't send Eowyn to her death!"

I think Eowyn sensed what was going on and she put on her best behavior. We could hear Caleb laughing in the background. Eowyn and Caleb were playing so hard and so well together. I could hear a very slight heart string plucked in Chris' heart (ever so slight, mind you). Chris says, "The good thing for Eowyn is that we can afford the collar and medicine." (Power of a budget, people.)

We may grumble all the way to the store to buy the collar, but Eowyn will live another day and with us.

Mom's Onion Rice

This recipe is probably my most favorite way to eat rice. My Mom knew it was my favorite and made it often when I was home from school. I made it the other night and I couldn't help thinking about her the whole time. Miss you, Mom!!

Mom's Onion Rice

Ingredients:

3-4 tbls. of margarine
1 cup rice
1 chopped onion
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions:

Melt the margarine in a skillet. Brown the rice and chopped onion together. Add water and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until rice is tender.

This rice is perfect with chicken and a green veggie.

YUMMY!!!!

Someone I Want You To Meet.

This is Hopper or at least that is what I've named him. Hi Hopper!!


Hopper is a wild bunny who lives in the woods right behind our house. This picture was taken when he came incredibly close to our back porch. He must've been feeling brave that day because we have a rather large backyard and he a good distance to travel to come this close. He (or she) comes out of the woods and into our yard just about every morning around 8:30ish and every evening about 5:30ish. He loves to eat the leaves and the clover that apparently grows in our yard.

Now, how do I know what time a seemingly quiet bunny comes into our yard?? It is because our eccentric dog, Eowyn, lets us know by barking, growling, yelping, whining, busting an artery, jumping, and just making a rather annoying racket. She runs from window to window whining and yelping. She wants that bunny SOOOOO BAD!!!!! But, Mommy knows better because she has learned her lesson.

Eowyn is secured in our yard by a Petsafe Wireless Fence System That was one of the best purchases we have made in a long time. She rarely leaves the yard because her collar will give her a good jolt if she tries to go past her boundary. It has been long enough that she knows where her boundary is and rarely tests or crosses it. I can let her run outside without really caring about where she goes or how long she is out. She stays in the yard.

That is unless she sees Hopper or one of Hopper's relatives. You can't have just one bunny, right? If Eowyn sees Hopper in our yard she forgets that there is a "fence" that will shock the fool out of her until she comes back inside the boundary (the limit is 30 seconds...it is humane and approved by the ASPCA). If I let her out the door when she sees Hopper she runs with such reckless abandon after that bunny. It is almost like she was created to chase that bunny. Then Mommy has to turn off the fence and coax Eowyn back into the house which takes forever when there is a bunny on the line.

So, everyday at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm I am made aware of Hopper in the yard by my beloved, yet eccentric Jack Russell. She begs and pleads to be released but I have learned it is just better to let her be unfulfilled.

Hopper will live another day.

Yummy Peanut Butter Granola

I made this recipe for Peanut Butter Granola last Friday and it turned out SO YUMMY. I was a little wary because my last attempt at granola was a complete flop. This one looked so easy and I had all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a try. I am so glad I did!

I would like to thank Tammy at Tammy's Recipes for posting this recipe on her blog which is where I found it.

EASY PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons oil
1 Cup peanut butter
1.5 cups brown sugar
7 cups quick oats

Instructions:

1. Over low heat, melt together oil and peanut butter. Remove from heat, stir in sugar. Pour over oats and mix well.

2. Spread onto a large lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, stirring once or twice during heating if desired. Cook until granola is lightly toasted and golden (not burnt).

3. Store in canisters when cool. (I keep mine in a gallon sized plastic canister in the pantry.)

Note: This granola isn't crunchy. I took Tammy's advice and I also baked it longer than 20 minutes and turned the oven down to 300 degrees in the second half of baking to help dry it out more.

When served with milk, this recipe really does taste like a crumbled up peanut butter cookie in your milk. Chris gave raving reviews and Caleb can't get enough of it.

Going Pacifier Free

Chris and I have decided it is time for Caleb to give up his beloved pacifier. Caleb is 22 months old now and we would really like him to pacifier-free by age two. We know that there is no reason to "push" him but we also know how easy it is to keep allowing it to go on too long.

Here is a little history....

First, I said "NO PACIFIERS" before he was born. He would breastfeed (which he did for four months) and would not be offered a pacifier. You don't have to take away something he doesn't know about, right? At four months he was weaned to the bottle, but he didn't want the bottle at first. He was a "Mama's boy" if you will. I had this grand idea that if he took a pacifier he would take the bottle. Mistake #1.

Second, we said we wouldn't upgrade his pacifiers from 0-3 months to 6-18 months size. I ended up buying him two of the bigger size swearing I would never buy replacements if they broke or were lost. Amazingly, I did keep that promise. Caleb got used to the new size and loved them. He would sleep so soundly with them. Mommy and Daddy got drunk on the ease of it.

Third, we swore we would take the paci away by one year old. That was right around the time of our trip to Poland. We could not take the paci away right before such an adventure when we would really need that vice. Time continues to march on and the paci is still there.

Fourth, Caleb is 18 months and we know it is time. We plan a trip to Rockford, Illinois that would require an 18 hour car drive. The paci would be very important for that, right?

The New Year gets here and we decide to try the "poke a hole in the tip" method of weaning him off the paci. We kept making the hold bigger and Caleb just compensated. It didn't faze him one bit.

Caleb is approaching two now and we know that this has gone on way too long. We know from experience how easy it is to just let it go. So, we set a date to make the hole in the tip count and that date was Sunday night. I took the scissors to the tip and cut a hole about the size of dime.

We put Caleb to bed and gave him his monkey, blanket, and paci. He sucked and sucked and there was a clear air sound. Yep, there was zero satisfaction there. We thought, "Here we go!" It was a long night. Caleb fussed and cried. We got him up twice to cuddle. He finally fell asleep after Chris allowed him to take his Letter "A" from his Fridge Phonics set. We checked on him later and he was fast asleep with the paci at the other end of the crib and the letter "A" in his grasp.


Whoo! We made it through the first night of Going Pacifier Free.

A Much Needed Bloggy Break Goes Much Too Long

The title is all I have to say about my absence.

A couple of months ago (has it really been that long?) I found myself running out of bloggy ideas. That being said, there is plenty of stuff to write about over here in our household but I just couldn't formulate the ideas into words for some reason. I figured a little break would be all I needed to refresh my brain and come back with great fervor. I quickly filled up my blogging time with other activities and blogging took the back burner.

I can honestly say that I have missed blogging and a few people have mentioned that miss my blog too. My loving husband asked me if I have quit and even if I have he supports me because he knows I'll fill the time with other useful household activities. I LOVE HIM!! But, I really do miss the writing and self-expression.

I also want to say I'm sorry to my oh-so-loyal readers. I just checked my site meter and saw that I STILL have people coming by my little blog. I am honored you stuck with me this long. Thank you! I am back...as time allows. YEAH!!

This summer will be a great time to get back to it because I'll be embarking on a great adventure. I will be taking my niece into our house during the day while my sister-in-law goes to work. Little B (pseudonym) will be joining us when she is six weeks old. So, I will be go from mother on one to "mother" of two during the day. This should be interesting. Won't you join me on this adventure??

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt

THEME: PARTY

Here is Caleb opening all his presents with his Daddy at his 1 year birthday party back in July. It is amazing how much he has grown in only 7 months.