Mother's Day and Rob's birthday fall on the same day this year... :0) I have been really working hard at making things MUCH more simple and frugal around here, so I thought of some frugal gifts that come from the heart to give on these special days...
Rob's B-day:
* kids will write and sing him a song
* We will make him a chocolate mayo cake w/ peanut butter icing...his FAVORITE!
* kids will make him cards
* I will clean his car
* we will make a video having each person state reasons why we love and appreciate him...we will watch it on the computer together, saving the money on a dvd...
* we will have a cook out for mother's day and his b-day together!
Mother's Day for my mom & my MIL
* kids will make cards
* I am going to paint a small flower pot (we have it) and have kids put their fingerprints around the rim in bright colors...we will create a Mother's Day poem and put it in the pot.
* the kids will bake something
* I will take a picture of all the kids together and print, laminate and put a magnet on the back
* I am going to put scrapbook paper in a frame and print some scripture to add to it.
For my Mother's Day
( Yes, I am planing my own day as my husband has a lot on his plate right now...and it's not his "thing"...he would spend money, and I don't want anything...just my family...but the kids will want to do something...my oldest daughter will head all of this up)
*kids make cards
*clean my can
*go for a nice drive to look for deer
*make fuse-a-bead crafts
* and the cook-out
All of these things INVOLVE the kids DOING things...not just going to the store with money and picking something out. These gifts will cost us nothing...but love and thoughtfulness :0)
I am looking forward to gearing our lives toward a more simple way of living...not everything needs to come from a store to be special!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Random Facts
I thought it would be kind of fun to get to know you all a bit better and share a few things about myself as well :0)
Random Facts About Me
1. I have blond hair and green eyes
2. I have 7 children
3. I believe in Jesus!
4. I hardly ever go to bed without my cheeks hurting from laughing so hard at my super funny husband!
5. I am plump, and don't care nearly as much as I should about that.
6. I love to ride around with my family and look for deer...we do this almost every night.
7. A goal of mine is to join actively in the fight against abortion
8. I REALLY want to adopt more kids through the foster care system
9. My favorite season is fall...or maybe winter.
10. I'm not sure if I'm going to can anything this year...gasp!
These are just random facts about me...please share about yourselves :0) Have a blessed day in the Lord!
Random Facts About Me
1. I have blond hair and green eyes
2. I have 7 children
3. I believe in Jesus!
4. I hardly ever go to bed without my cheeks hurting from laughing so hard at my super funny husband!
5. I am plump, and don't care nearly as much as I should about that.
6. I love to ride around with my family and look for deer...we do this almost every night.
7. A goal of mine is to join actively in the fight against abortion
8. I REALLY want to adopt more kids through the foster care system
9. My favorite season is fall...or maybe winter.
10. I'm not sure if I'm going to can anything this year...gasp!
These are just random facts about me...please share about yourselves :0) Have a blessed day in the Lord!
Friday, April 22, 2011
When Daddy's Home!
When Daddy's home, what do we do??? We have a water fight inside the house, of course! Have I ever mentioned that I have the funnest husband EVER!Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Portfolio
The end of school is upon us, and we are thankful :0) We love school, but this has been a crazy year! We have adopted 5 kids and did the first half of the school year with an online charter school, coming home for the second half of the school year. we enjoyed each of these things, but there was more change in this year than we are used to! LOL
At the end of each school year my state requires that every student from 3rd grade and up have an evaluation done and have a portfolio made. This is quite and undertaking and takes a bit of time. For those of you who may not know what a home school portfolio is let me explain :0) Pa state law required a portfolio containing samples of the childs work throughout the year, and other documents that are required; like a log and booklists.
I thought I would share how I put mine together :0) I have only 3 students who are required to have a portfolio made..5th grade and (2) 3rd graders. Here is a list of what I include in mine.
Math~ we use Teaching Textbooks, so I just print off and include their grade sheet..as well as 5 extras, like math worksheets or games.
English~ 8 writing samples that very in length and topic
5 grammar sheets
8 spelling tests
booklist
History~ 12-18 pages of notes
Science~ 12-18 pages of notes
Art, Music, Gym...~ I just do a simple write up on what we covered in each and include some samples of art.
Field Trip list and write up of each one
Geography~ I include maps and a write up of what ws covered.
Pa History~ I include any worksheets or essays
Civics~ write up
Safety & Health~ about 5 samples and write up
I also include as many pictures as I can...the pictures range from school things to the kids being silly. I always make sure I take lots of pictures throughout the school year! I make these up scrapbook style, so they are special.
I include my list of objectives and affadavids...and any other necessary paperwork
I include any lapbooks or other large assignments that would be interesting and show what we were covering, many subjects can be covered at one time using this style of learning!
I have created a checklist that I use to keep on track throughout the school year. I just simply know what my evaluator wants to have and through the year I keep those things in mind. As I come across a great paper to include in the portfolio I simply slip it into a folder marked portfolio and the childs name...then I immediately go to my own folder and put a checkmark next to the item that was put away. this way I always know what I have and what is still needed. I find this way to be MUCH more organized and simple than ways I did before! One year I threw all the papers into a box and had to sort through each and every paper at the end of the school year to make a portfolio! It took FOREVER and I was STRESSED to the max! this way there is little to no stress at all!! When the end of the year comes along, I just grab my folder, a binder, and page protectors...and within a few hours I am done! I know moms who stay up late and get very worked up when this time of year rolls around as they have not kept track of their days (log)...have no booklist, or papers! EEK! At the end of the year I am also ready for the next school year...I will also hand in all papers necessary for next year so we are going to be all set...books bought & plan made! Summer is for summer... not mom at the computer trying to plan next school year...I want to be in the garden and pool with my kids :0)
*** Spell check wouldn't work...be sweet...forgive any errors you may find! Thanks :0)
At the end of each school year my state requires that every student from 3rd grade and up have an evaluation done and have a portfolio made. This is quite and undertaking and takes a bit of time. For those of you who may not know what a home school portfolio is let me explain :0) Pa state law required a portfolio containing samples of the childs work throughout the year, and other documents that are required; like a log and booklists.
I thought I would share how I put mine together :0) I have only 3 students who are required to have a portfolio made..5th grade and (2) 3rd graders. Here is a list of what I include in mine.
Math~ we use Teaching Textbooks, so I just print off and include their grade sheet..as well as 5 extras, like math worksheets or games.
English~ 8 writing samples that very in length and topic
5 grammar sheets
8 spelling tests
booklist
History~ 12-18 pages of notes
Science~ 12-18 pages of notes
Art, Music, Gym...~ I just do a simple write up on what we covered in each and include some samples of art.
Field Trip list and write up of each one
Geography~ I include maps and a write up of what ws covered.
Pa History~ I include any worksheets or essays
Civics~ write up
Safety & Health~ about 5 samples and write up
I also include as many pictures as I can...the pictures range from school things to the kids being silly. I always make sure I take lots of pictures throughout the school year! I make these up scrapbook style, so they are special.
I include my list of objectives and affadavids...and any other necessary paperwork
I include any lapbooks or other large assignments that would be interesting and show what we were covering, many subjects can be covered at one time using this style of learning!
I have created a checklist that I use to keep on track throughout the school year. I just simply know what my evaluator wants to have and through the year I keep those things in mind. As I come across a great paper to include in the portfolio I simply slip it into a folder marked portfolio and the childs name...then I immediately go to my own folder and put a checkmark next to the item that was put away. this way I always know what I have and what is still needed. I find this way to be MUCH more organized and simple than ways I did before! One year I threw all the papers into a box and had to sort through each and every paper at the end of the school year to make a portfolio! It took FOREVER and I was STRESSED to the max! this way there is little to no stress at all!! When the end of the year comes along, I just grab my folder, a binder, and page protectors...and within a few hours I am done! I know moms who stay up late and get very worked up when this time of year rolls around as they have not kept track of their days (log)...have no booklist, or papers! EEK! At the end of the year I am also ready for the next school year...I will also hand in all papers necessary for next year so we are going to be all set...books bought & plan made! Summer is for summer... not mom at the computer trying to plan next school year...I want to be in the garden and pool with my kids :0)
*** Spell check wouldn't work...be sweet...forgive any errors you may find! Thanks :0)
Monday, April 18, 2011
In the mind of a 4 yr old
Today at breakfast my 4 yr old daughter announced this... " I don't want to go to Hell of college either!" LOL....I LOVE that she is already having eternal thoughts....but college choices are bit far off, don't ya think?? hehe!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
The things we don't talk about
I am in a really bad spot right now...and am asking any who may read this to pray for me. There are many things people don't "talk" about...one thing for me is my oldest adopted daughter. Her name is Savannah. I love her with every part of my heart, but it's not enough. She has RAD (reactive attachment disorder)...she cannot attach to anyone, and is full of rage..and I am her main target. She hates me as much as I love her. Kids with RAD can't love...it hurts them to love. They can't trust...they hate. they have been hurt too much...never loved the right way. She destroys things, throws fits, and is as mean as the day is long. She will sabotage everything we try to do...just to do it. I KNOW she is hurting and want to help her. We have done therapy galore, and it seems to have been exhausted...not many people know about this or what to do about it. I have researched this disorder and it seems every story I have read has taken years to recover. Some famous people with RAD are; Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Edgar Allen Poe, Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy....and Helen Keller. Only one of those got help. Savannah has taken things to a "new level" toady...and the truth of the matter...you know...the things we don't talk about...is I am SCARED out of my wits! I am terrified that someday she'll kill us all when we sleep...I am scared that if I have another baby, she'll kill it or hurt it...I'm scared she's going to burn my house down someday, I'm sacred that she'll end up in jail for stealing or murder, I'm sacred that she'll never be able to feel real love, I'm scared for the people who try to love her, I am scared she will keep all the walls up around her heart and never let us, her family, in. I'm scared that she'll want to go be with her VERY dangerous and dysfunctional birth family if she ever ran away..would they hurt her or even kill her? Will she hurt herself? Will she ever accept Jesus? I feel SO alone...my bones hurt. I cry out to God..MANY, MANY times a day. This is MY lot..I know. We have been chosen to help and love Savannah...and we want to, we just don't know what to do??We have been trained...we have been foster parents for 8 years...we even won and award before...kids we have had were recognized and given plaques for the most changed life...what are we doing wrong? Is her damage just too much? With out Jesus, she'll never be able to pull herself out of this awful place. We are all right there with her. I'm not saying I'm spending my days walking around depressed or freaking out...not at all. I DO find joy in Jesus...in my salvation. these are all the things that creep up...the things I don't talk about. I have talked with my friends, but nobody gets it. what I wouldn't give to just have someone give me an answer...I know God has the answer, I must just not be hearing it. I just wanted to share this...this is raw and real...and I am praying that if any other parent of adopted kids is going through this they know they are not alone...this is a very real and very scary thing to live with...we are more than willing to do so, for the sake of my child and for God's glory...but that doesn't make it easy... thanks for the prayers.
My crazy life!
Our life seems to never be "normal"....lol...these beautiful young ladies have new roommates! Ducks moved into their barn! LOL...the horses are not impressed, I'm sure! LOL...I have no clue who's ducks they are, they are tame, white ducks. They are not afraid of people at all. The hens hate them and are squawking at them all the time...the ducks don't care one bit. Another funny thing, the dog doesn't care about the ducks! LOL...I wonder what's next!
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