Learn Something New Every Day ... Week 1

As I mentioned a couple times, I participated in Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day class in September. I really enjoyed this project ... I made it very simple and just worked on being observant to our daily life over a 30-day period. As you will see from the pages, it's not fancy, and I didn't write long novels for each day. Just a sentence or two to share something I noticed or want to remember.

For the base of the album, I used a pack of Amber Autumn cardstock matstack from DCWV and purchased from Joann's. The cardstock was actually 4.5 x 6.5, but I didn't even bother to trim it down to match my 4x6 photos. I used several different journalling tags and embellishments throughout the mini-album and I'll try to remember to note what tag came from where. Some were freebies online and some were from digital kits that I purchased. Again, I went with easy - I printed most of them on my home printer on sticker/label paper and then trimmed and stuck them down. Lastly, I bound the whole project together with my bind-it-all. Truthfully, I was given the bind-it-all several years ago for a birthday present and, other than little things for the girls, this may be the first project I've used it for for me.

Note: You can click any picture to see it bigger in Flickr.



The cover.
::: Black border from Gitzen Girl's blog.
::: "Note to Self" and "learn something new every day" wordart from Shimelle as part of the class downloads.



::: Journaling label from Creativity Prompt blog.



::: Library card from the Parent-Teacher store.



:::  Journaling card from Karen Grunberg's blog.



:::  Journaling cards (here and here) from Karen Grunberg's blog.



::: Label from Creativity Prompt blog.



::: Journaling card from Karen Grunberg.



::: Lined writing paper from the Parent-Teacher store.

Week 2 coming up tomorrow...

This Weekend

We celebrated our oldest as she turned 7 years old:

How is it that she is 7? I may or may not have spent a highly hormonally challenged time on Saturday wrapping 7 year old birthday presents while at the same time getting things packed for the upcoming hospital trip for baby boy. Yes, I was a mess. : )

A picture of #2 just because she was looking exceptionally cute on Sunday. She wants to grow her bangs out and I love her hair pulled away from her face.

And, #3, just because I can't leave her out. : )

Also discovered on Sunday, thanks to my photographer Dad, that my super duper camera that I've loved and used since before Natalie was born is very ill. We thought it was just a lens problem that we could fix with a professional cleaning. Turns out the body of the camera is ill as well. Not the best timing, but again, thankful for that photographer Dad who can fix us up with a camera for the week just in case something photoworthy happens.

Lastly, to add to the insanity that is our life, we spent several hours Sunday afternoon looking at houses. Craziness. We have more than outgrown our sweet, wonderful home that we adore. Making baby steps by looking at properties and, after baby arrives, and I have a little time to heal up, we'll probably start getting this one ready to put on the market. A happy / sad  time for sure. One of the places we looked at yesterday afternoon was on a 2 acre lot with several outbuildings (workshop for husband, possible chicken pens for me) and lots of space for girls to run and play. The little ones were in heaven running around the big backyard in fabulous 60* weather while I sat and rocked on a massive porch. I could get used to that!

That's about all for this Monday! Off to organize, pack a few bags, and make some lists. One or two or twenty things I need to take care of this week!

Happy October

The trees don't look quite like this just yet, but it won't be long!

Nothing Yet...

Just thought I would pop in and say all is well and good here ... but no baby yet. We actually have a due date set, but as I am funny about posting such info on the internet before it happens, we'll just say that in a week to ten days you should see some new news.

Otherwise, posting may be slim to none until then! We have a 7 year old birthday to celebrate this weekend (and a 6 year old nephew's birthday as well), pantry/fridge/freezer to get stocked, and a few last minute things that need to be done to prepare for baby's arrival. (I.e., like actually going and buying the pack n' play that he will be sleeping in. I've had it picked out for months, but just need to go and bring it home). : ) Combine all this with the very minimal amount of sleep that I've been getting and you just don't have much that is very blog-worthy, in my opinion.

I hope to finish up my Learn Something New Every Day album this week during my bouts of insomnia (which are good for something!) and I may post some of those pages over the next several days ... no promises, though. I've hit the "done" mark with this pregnancy and that's about all my focus is on at this point. I would appreciate prayers for a good delivery (I reacted BADLY to anesthesia with B and am trying not to dwell on that this time around), a good nurser (again, issues with B prevented nursing and if this possibly my last baby, I really want to nurse), and a smooth recovery and transition home from the hospital. We're getting very excited around here!

Happy Wednesday to all ... : )

Read Aloud Thursday ::: Late September Edition

Seems my goal is to make a Read-Aloud Thursday post about once a month. : ) We are reading ... mostly working our way through our current chapter book, sprinkled with a helping of the Children's Story Bible and our Awana workbooks. We're working through a few books for social studies, too, but I'm trying to wait until we've finished to blog them. However, in the meantime, a little read-aloud update!

Yesterday we finished our first chapter read-aloud of the school year ... Farmer Boy. This is one of my favorites and we all enjoyed reading about Almanzo's chores and adventures as he worked alongside his father on their family farm. Those farmers sure put in some long days as did the wives. However, I loved the reminder (for me) that while their lives were very busy - their sustenance came from the work of their hands - they were happy, grateful and thankful for how much they were blessed. Some of the technical farming descriptions were a little over the girls' heads, but all-in-all this was a crowd pleaser. And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I love the foodie descriptions throughout the book. Reading this book always makes me hungry! : )

Also, thanks to a recommendation from Amy, I believe, we recently read-aloud Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo.This story also got two-thumbs up from my girls as we read about Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their unorthodox pet, Mercy. These books are short, easy chapter books that Noelle has flown through, and the illustrations are super-cute - Natalie (4yo) has been known to sneak off with these and pour over the pictures. : )

Today's project (along with the rest of our schooling) is to pick a new chapter book to start. The girls have suggested Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass which I haven't read. It looks a little intimidating to me right now, with just a few weeks left until baby brother arrives. They have also suggested continuing on with the Little House series (I think we are up to By the Shores of Silver Lake) so that's also a possibility. Such are our projects today!

For more suggestions and posts on reading aloud, head over to Hope is the Word.

Wordless Wednesday

Medicinal oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.
Good for what ails the hot, tired, achy, very pregnant mama. : )

Daybook ::: 9.20.2010

Outside my Window ... mid-90's again all this week. I'll leave it at that and look forward to the mid-80's predicted this weekend!
I am thinking ... about a girl's 7th birthday that is coming up in a few short weeks and a nephew's 6th birthday that is just a few days behind. I've got to get cracking on some birthday plans!

I am thankful for ... the wedding of friends this past weekend! Yes, it was outside. Yes, it was really warm. Yes, it was a little chaotic. But, YES, they are now married and that was the point! : )

In the learning room ... honestly, this week we are playing catch-up from last week. We ended up missing school on Thursday due to an unexpected broken filling of mine (ugh!) and an emergency trip to the dentist. FYI - when you are three-ish weeks away from delivery, there is not a whole lot that they can do (or want to do) so it was mostly a cleaning and quick patch job with plans for more work in about 6 weeks. Fun. : ) Anyways ... I'm pulling out fall books and trying to come up with some ideas for low-key fall activities for the girls along with our regular work.

From the kitchen ... making these pasta shells for dinner tonight and this autumn crockpot dish later this week (one of my favorites!) I'm also craving this pumpkin pie dip (which is excellent with apple slices and gingersnaps) as well as a batch of hummus and pita bread. Can you say random cravings? : )

I am creating ... baby thank you notes, slowly but surely. (Still). Also, continuing to work on my Learn Somthing New Every Day Album. While I have kept it REALLY simple, I'm loving the things that I've noticed and briefly journalled this month. So glad I took the time to do it!

I am going ... a little bit of hither and yon this week. I'm down to weekly check-ups at the dr. and this week I'm taking the girls with me for my appointment on Thursday. They will think it's really cool, I'm sure, as they haven't been to a regular appointment (just the ultrasound) and hearing the heartbeat is always neat. I also need to fit in a library trip and a little birthday shopping. I would love to try and make one of my neice or nephew's softball/baseball games, but I just don't know if I can make that happen. They are so fun, though!

I am wearing ... black yoga pants and a white maternity shirt.

I am reading ... about 3 different books as I have interest. Nothing really worth noting as I'm not sticking with anything very long.

I am hoping ... to be a little bit more productive this week. Pregnancy insominia (while great for catching up on old movies at night) is not good for getting lots done during the day. Would like to make a dent in my to-do list, find the top of my desk, and so forth...

I am hearing ... the washer and dryer running, the little girls watching a Brady Bunch episode ... otherwise a quiet house.

Around the house ... puzzle pieces everywhere - the little girls were having a puzzle party this morning while I worked on sorting some fall clothes for them, and pulled several summer things that are too small out of their closet. (sniff, sniff). Laundry in process. A house that looks a little lived in today.
One of my favorite things ... a few of our favorite fall shows starting back this week for me and T to enjoy after the girls go to bed. We don't watch "live" TV, but we do have a few shows that we enjoy catching on Hulu after the fact.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... just the norm: school, a few errands, a little baby prep that needs to happen, etc. Nothing too fancy.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you ... 

I had lunch duty at Noelle's tutorial on Friday and the little girls thought it was REALLY cool that we got eat lunch and have recess with the first graders!

Autumn Treasures Blog Tour

Recognize that song? : )

Because I am part of Download N Go's blogger review team, I get the opportunity to preview and review some of the new studies as they are released. For the last two weeks, Noelle and I have been working through some of the activities and books mentioned in last year's Autumn Treasures. We didn't do the full study this year because we did it last fall as part of her kindergarten, however, it was a great review for both of us on how the seasons change, what happens where you live depending on which hemisphere of the earth you live on, and some other fun seasonal facts.

Some specifics about our activities:

We colored a picture of the globe and labeled the Northern and Southern hemisphere. We also talked about why the seasons are the opposite of one another depending on what hemisphere you live in. It always boggles our mind that while it's turning fall here, those "down under" are experiencing spring!

We read a few of our seasonal fall favorites - one that I finally bought after checking it out at the library so many times (and not just during the fall) is Pumpkin Jack. This ties in perfectly with a lapbook activity that shows the development of a pumpkin from seed to plant.

We also talked about Johnny Appleseed - another fall favorite - and read two books about him. One was The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki, and the second, another version by Steven Kellogg. To go along with this, we felt we needed to watch the classic Disney short about Johnny Appleseed, a favorite that I remember growing up with! (You can watch part 1 and part 2 on Youtube). We also made a batch of apple spice cupcakes that I highly recommend!
 


If you are interested in doing the Autumn Treasures study, right now it's on sale for 20% as part of their Autumn Equinox special (from now through September 24) ... you can find more information on the study and the sale here! If you are interested in reading what other families have enjoyed about this study, you can visit the Download N Go blog here and check out their reviews. Thank you to Download N Go for a copy of this study and the chance to work through it as part of our homeschool year!

Baking

A good end to the day ... apple spice cupcakes with maple-brown sugar frosting. This may become a staple for this fall considering how easy it was to make and with ingredients I usually always have on hand. One of these with a warm drink would be awfully comforting. : )

Daybook

Am re-reading this and realizing it's a pretty blah daybook entry. :) Thought about deleting it but it's still a sketchy record of our days ... even if they aren't very exciting!

Outside my Window ... sunny and warm although it's slowly cooling down for the evening. It's still pretty warm out there during the day. Have I mentioned I'm a little ready for some fall temperatures?

I am thinking ... of dinner, of baths for girls, of a hot shower for me, of jammies, (of being ready for my jammies to fit comfortably again!), of relaxing with T when he gets home, maybe watching a few episodes of Eureka...

I am thankful for ... a diagnosis for a friend's little boy. It's serious, and he's still got a ways to go, but they know what is going on with him now and are working on getting him well.

In the learning room ... we're going to be doing some autumn activities this week, on top of our regular language arts / math / Bible studies. Reading a few books on Johnny Appleseed and hopefully figuring out how to work an apple pie into the menu this week!

From the kitchen ... Angel Chicken is finishing up cooking in the crockpot (to be served over pasta) and we'll have some roasted green beans along with it.

I am creating ... baby thank you notes, slowly but surely.

I am going ... to a wedding this weekend which I am very excited about. Let me clarify. I'm excited about the wedding. I'm not terribly excited about the fact that I have to wear a dress to an outdoor wedding at 36 weeks pregnant, but since I like the bride and groom, I am making sacrifices. : )

I am wearing ... black maternity pants, rolled up to make them into capris and a really stretched out yellow t-shirt.

I am reading ... an old Agatha Christie, Thirteen at Dinner. I'm having a hard time focusing on anything to read, really, right now, so I pulled this one off my shelf.

I am hoping ... for a good productive week ... a good report at the dr. (again) this week ... just little things like that. Nothing flashy.

I am hearing ... little girls that are supposed to be having a short rest time on their beds. It's about time to release them.

Around the house ... lots of purging, decluttering, rearranging on my part. We're doing something preliminary thinking and talking about houses and moving and all that jazz and that's giving me plenty to ponder on when I should be sleeping. : )

One of my favorite things ... my afternoon (homemade) iced coffee. A little caffiene pick-me-up that is calling my name right now.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... school, 36 week appointment, possibly trying to fit in a trip to either the niece or the nephew's baseball/softball games this week ... I really want to try and make one for each of them before the baby arrives ..., a busy day Saturday with wedding festivities.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you ... 

Beautiful wildflowers outside a house that we looked at on Sunday afternoon. Not one that we will probably be pursuring, but a fun outing none-the-less.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless because there's really not much new going on here ... schooling, a little crafting ... no breaking news to report. And that's okay. : )

This picture is part of my Learn Something New Every Day project that I'm playing with. I'll try and remember to share some of it at the end of the month.