Preschool Plan Ahead

I'm just starting some plans for next year.
I might have to pack in a whole lot during the year.
I still haven't decided if I'll stay in school or
take a break for a few years. But, for now I would like
to start some plans.

Charlotte Mason Early Year Read Alouds

I findOak Meadowabsolutley dreamy.

Drooling fantastic

Things we have:
Pattern Blocks
Leap frog Alphabet Fridge Letters

I'll update with some links later!

Working on plans for next year

Well this is really just for me.
I'm a list maker.
Just trying to come up with what to do next year.

They ask for plans.
Who are these children?

Don't they know I could sit all day long,
under a bookshelf (literally I used to sleep under the
bottom shelf of a bookshelf in my bedroom)
and read books (I thought it was quirky
and interesting)
without being bothered over
(I was so strange as a child).

How do you make loose plans.
Room for budging and moving.
Possibly room for mom to wander off
a few times a week
to have interests
of her own.

Back to home education?

So, we have had some long talks lately.

Yes, I think we will be leaving public school behind next year. We really feel like it will be good to finish up this year, though.

So, we are looking and planning. I don't want school to end and then bang oh surprise remember me.....

G asked for more structure. He likes structure. He craves structure.

P wants art, more art. Mom get creative. Dad is creative, but it's just not enough.

E wants a drum set. Well, my Dad wants to get him a drum set.

Today is windbreak

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Originally uploaded by Mr&MrsLewis.

I was trying to get a better close up and I forgot to turn off the flash. Still I think you can see it much better now.

A closeup of the end of December into January

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Originally uploaded by Mr&MrsLewis.

This calendar goes by the Equinoxes and Solstices...so it started on December 22.

Winter Calendar and Nature Table

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Originally uploaded by Mr&MrsLewis.

I have desired to set up a nature table for some time. It's on my long list of things I would like to do and that list is sitting right at the back of my brain just waiting to pop up at a moments notice.

Today it popped up when I remembered we got The Ecological Calendar for Christmas from my SIL and BIL.

I'm a creationist, so I'm not too happy about the Big Bang mentioned at the very top of the middle of the Calendar. I think it could be easily covered up or filled in with a dark blue pen. I just tend to live that stuff out in the open, so we have an opportunity to talk about everyone's theories.

Dr. Jones Update

I don't know if I have posted on here much about Dr. Jones. He is the green iguana we rescued back in November. He had been living with his second owner for about 6 months in the back of a shed. He had a partner but he or she died. That is when they decided they couldn't keep him anymore. He had obviously stopped shedding, wasn't being fed properly and his lighting was just one simple red light.

Since, we have had him...
...he has started eating real fresh food instead of the horrible canned stuff and lettuce they had been feeding him
...he has started to shed like crazy...I mean it's an explosion of skin and sometimes it makes me gag
...he is MBD does not seem to be getting worse
...he is way more active
...he can run! Have you ever seen an Iguana run, it's so cute =)
...he is turning green again. HE IS TURNING GREEN!!!!! He was just about completely black when we got him.

Yesterday he finally shed the skin on his arm. It's horrible looking, but the skin had so many layers on it that it was squeezing his arm and he couldn't move it anymore. The skin that came off is like dark grey leather. That is what makes me gag. He bled a bit from it, but he has been iodined and patched up. He looks much better today and we are hoping he will be using it some more soon. It's really skinny because it hasn't been used much.

Noble Knights of Knowledge

This game looks like so much fun. The basic kit is $78, but I really think it could replace a few years of curriculum. It would be great for those who don't like to use curriculum at all.

I'm putting it on our wishlist.

Library Thing

I just found Library thing and it's sweet. I love, love, love, it. I'm sure like Flickr I will get so into it that I will have to pay the extra to upgrade my account. I just added the link to the right column of the page.

Enjoy

Big School Winter Quarter

Big School started only for Mom this Winter Quarter. Dad is stressed and wants a break....I can't imagine why. He does like his new job though.

Just going to share some of my school books for the next few months.








A few more Shakespeare in the same series....

Titus Andronicus
The Comedy of Errors
Richard III

I'm waiting on my Ceramics book because it's backordered. I usually try to buy books early if I can, but I just couldn't afford it till I got my Financial Aid.

Winter books

Well, we are back. I've been on Wordpress, but they don't allow you to put Amazon links in there. I really like the Amazon links...not because I want you to purchase books at Amazon...but I like the pictures and reviews about the books. I love books so much and it's nice to see all their pictures. Some books are so good that I can spot them anywhere.

Here are three sweet little books that go along perfectly with Winter! I really like finding good Winter books. We celebrate Christmas, but I often find a lot of Christmas books are just the same ole thing and some are just downright cheezy. I've been really working on trying to enjoy each season more since we move up here. We got snow twice this year...amazing. But, I don't want to develop SAD and I found this year by enjoying the season it really did help me a lot. I wasn't afraid to get wet or in the snow this Fall and Winter. I pretended I was a little kid who isn't bothered by anything when they want to play. I splashed in puddles in the parking lot with my toddler and I wasn't one bit embarassed with wet pants when I walked through the grocery store. I do think next year I'm going to get some golasshes though. I have some cool slip on shoes, but they aren't the same.



I love the illustrations in this book. Perfect for all you nature lovers.





Well, there is no picture for this one. But, it is beautiful black, white and red illustrations! Just lovely. There is another book with the same title, but I'm not sure if it's good. I know the other one has lots of colored illustrations. I love books with black and white illustrations.

Gardens can change the World (clickable link)

Once you get to the permaculture site you can scroll down on the right hand side. Click on the picture that says Greening the Desert.

I've been working on a research paper that was fueled by the book...The Last Child in the Woods. It's amazing how once you start something you love then all the things you have never noticed before start moving into place.

Since, it's winter I'm working on getting my garden going for next year. I really want a living garden that goes all year long. A yard the just keeps on giving. I know I live in Washington State, but it would be nice if eventually I could be growing more cold weather crops. I do have my grandmother's greenhouse and we have yet to set it up because we could never decide on a good place for it in the yard. I think I'm going to let my dh win. I think he picked out a nice spot. I plan to put it up in January or maybe February this year. I'll have to talk to my Dad about what I need to do for electricity and such. I would love to start my plants out there. I remember going in that greenhouse when I was young with my grandma. It's such a special memory I would love to be able to walk out there and play in it and think of her. We even saved the block that my mom and her brother's and sister's made when they bought it for my grandma. They have their handprints and names on them. So, I'm going to make some of my kids to put in there, too. (I'm all teary eyed now....)

Here's some links I added to my sidebar...

GardenWeb...great regional boards

Vegan Organic Network

Scut's Gardening Page

Plant a row for the Hungry

What I did this summer

Do you remember having those reports for school? I just thought about that on my way to school this morning.

This summer I turned 30.
This summer I got an iPod.
This summer I got my first real on a contract cell phone.

Bike lovers

I love bikes and bike friendly cities. For some reason I forgot that when we bought a house here. It is completely scary to ride a bike here at all. No one is used to it and you won't live long. So, I lust after bike riders who are so brave. Maybe I'll get a fullbright and I can go to Denmark and bike my children around in one of these...

Christiania Bikes

Stupid things the Potato Board says...

Oh yes...they really said this about the wonderful potato. You can read it for yourself. The list all the wonderful valuable things about eating a potato and then they dive into this beautiful and very likely highly paid for bit of information.

So think of a potato as a big vitamin pill you can top with butter, cheddar, chives, sour cream, bacon, black beans, cheesy chicken...

You can add those tasty toppings to your potato because it contains no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium.

If you are reading this than you know I am a big supporter of a Plant Based Diet. Evan (the husband) and I were just talking about potassium. So, we thought we would google for foods that have more potassium than a banana because everyone moms says to eat bananas right.

Uhmmmmm.....if cholesterol is bad for you and the potato has none than does that really give you permission to add some to the top?

Preschool stuff

Escher is three years old now and won't be going to preschool yet. But, I thought I would start a post to share some of the stuff he will be doing or enjoys reading. He really, really loves board books. He goes straight for them at the library! So, a lot of the books he gets are board books. He loves to carry them around and I guess they are just easier for him to handle. The older two didn't care for them much, but Escher seems to have problems with keeping a hold on things.

Potential

We have realized something we have in common. My dh and I cannot always find something we have in common.

We see the Potential in everything. We bypass the reality and see the potential. We spend our time trying to lure and pull and push the potential from everything and everyone.

We bought our house on Potential. It's still sitting here after two years. Barren and hardly touched.

It's a glaze or a haze all around us. We wear these dark sunglasses that block our view.

I'm trying to decide if it's a detriment to us.

Happy Birthday to me!

I am going to be 30 soon, and I thought I might share my wishlist...hint, hint, hint.

My Amazon Wishlist

Gluten-Free Diet Change

I just could not take anymore with my youngest. He is three years old. The past year he has been in speech therapy. Last year at this time he wasn't talking at all. AT ALL! My oldest has Aspergers, My Grandfather has Aspergers...Does my youngest have something, too?

I get yelled at all day long. He seemed to be doing better since having Therapy. But, still things just weren't right.

I had previously looked into a GF/CF diet for our oldest with Aspergers. But, I became overwhelmed and my dh just did not seem supportive. A few weeks ago I told him I don't care. I need to try something or I will feel useless.

Within the first few days our E (3) was talking almost clearly and trying to complete full sentences. Plus, he started using the potty. He just said poop in the potty and went in there and did it!

This morning my husband sneaks in and says he got donuts for the boys, but he doesn't want E to have any so he is hiding them in his shop.

Yikes...I have got to learn to make donuts now.

The Grass Eaters

I have to vent and my poor husband has heard too much already.

The Grass Eaters

I had to take an online class this quarter to get full credits. I love the book we are using and it's studying World Literature.

BUT, the people in my class have no compassion or understanding of what it means to be human. They are so tarnished by having everything in America that they are MAKING ME CRAZY.

Comments on this piece were of the following thoughtful remarks....

This is a great comedy...yes this person actually read the piece because he made remarks and quotes from different parts. He really thinks this is a comedic look on living a hard life.

These people are so happy...yes this person read this and thought it was so wonderful that they could now go along in their life being happy for all the things they have because these poor starving people could be happy. They then proceeded to talk about their day of going to the gym and shopping and how they were so thankful for this. How does that compare to being thankful for grass?

One person actually could not figure out why a school teacher could not afford better living situations.

Not one person mention anything about the "maffia" of Landlords or the slavery of children. I'm appalled. I'm embarrassed.

These characters are just numb. Numb from pain, loss, and a world they cannot escape. There is no person that deserves to live like this. UGH.

Now, I am done. I am not too sensitive. The reason we open our eyes to the world around us is not to appreciate everything we have and be happy that we do not have to live like that. It is so we can do something about pain, hurt, and disease.