BOOT CAMP

Okay, so becoming increasingly frustrated with the kids and their chores. So much easier when I did it myself and I got mad at them for doing it, now I get mad at them for doing it and mad at them for not cleaning it up.

Double mad.


So this is no way to live, right?

Double great idea.

I am going to revamp ticket, zone, chore system.

We are taking away ALL privileges. The only rights they have are like breathing.

No really we are taking away electronics, extra reading time, Lego play, outside time, extra curricular activities, eating out privileges and free play time.

They can have all these wonderful things but for the next 3 weeks during our BOOT CAMP, they are gonna earn it!

Each chore/ zone/ or responsibility will be SPECIFICALLY written out.

Once done they will earn a ticket for each chore/ zone or responsibility they do.

THESE tickets will buy their freedom. But IT WILL NOT BE CHEAP.

IT. WILL. COST. THEM.


So brush your teeth, ticket.
Sweep the floor, ticket.
Put your plate away after a meal, ticket.

No I should not have to give a ticket for all these things BUT apparently

I DO!

I am breaking up their chores to Morning, Afternoon and Evening.

Zones will be completed in the morning.

I am pushing back starting school until 10:00 but we are going to be walking in the morning AND completing all morning chores and zones.

Will this work perfectly, NO I am not so naive to think that it will. BUT it will give me a purposed time to work on the skills, or LACK of skills.

So let the games begin...

American history Week 4 and 5

Week 4

We did a paper on William Penn.



This is a statue of William Penn above the city hall in Philadelphia.



We finished reading Squanto Friend of the Pilgrim

We colored a picture of Squanto

We had the kids do their presentation on states.

We did our book work in The Light and the Glory.

We watched Drive Thru History- it started with Columbus so we went ahead and watched the whole thing just to refresh our memory- plus it was interesting.

I watched 1492- which is also a very interesting movie. Apparently not completely accurate but really give you a feel of the time period and era.

The kids were also give the assignment to read Queen Annes War

.
WEEK 5


We had history last week and we finished up Pilgrims and did a Time line on what we had studied up till then and we added all the different wars going on in the 123 year time line form 1620-1763. We talked about religious freedome and all that was happening up to this point that will take us into the WHY we have the laws and goverment that we do.

We made pilgrim skirts and finally got to use our pilgrim hats!

This little girls did their presentations on Arkansas and Arizona.

We watched THE MOUSE ON THE MAYFLOWER--- it had not come in the mail previously.

We talked about:

Roger Williams
Anne Hutchinson
The Salem Witch Trials (we glazed over this)
King Phillips War
Queen Annes War
King Williams War
beginning slavery
tea and beginning taxation from the British
beginning of the French and Indian War-- this was four wars combined ending with the Treaty of Paris

This week in history we are going to finish watching Drive thru history- up to where we are in history.
We will continue working on The Light and the Glory
We will finish up talking about Pilgrims and cont. talking about how we are working up to the Revolution.
We will start on Ben Franklin.

We will continue with our states.

Tea Party...

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Author Unknown

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.  ~Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you

forget about afterwards.

~A.A. Milne

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.  ~C.S. Lewis

Mad Hatter: Would you like a little more tea?

Alice: Well, I haven't had any yet, so I can't very well take more.

March Hare: Ah, you mean you can't very well take less.

Mad Hatter: Yes. You can always take more than nothing.

"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has Come along inside... We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place."

                                                        -The Wind in the Willows

"The mug from the washstand was used as Becky's tea cup, and the tea was so delicious that it was not necessary to pretend that it was anything but tea."



-Frances Hodgson Burnett
 
 

"A Little Princess...it's always tea-time... "

-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

 

The Great Brita Filter Pitcher War

There is a great Brita Filter Pitcher War going on at my house...

Did you ever see the episode of Everybody loves Raymond with the suitcase on the stairs. NO one was going to move the suitcase--- it was the other person job.

Well NO BODY is refilling the water pitcher.

Not.happy.about.this.

So new LAW has been instituted in the Thompson Household.

If you don't refill the pitcher,

WE CUT OFF YOUR HEAD.





no really. we give you extra chores. I think not refilling the pitcher is laziness and I don't want to raise lazy children so I shall give them more work to do.

THE MANTRA is do it until you like to do it or at least see why it is necessary with a good attitude.

I shall let you know WHO wins this war.. But all bets are on MOMMA!


AND THIS IS JUST FUNNY...

Devotions...

So we have tried family devotion at our house MANY different ways! We have done it in the morning, at meal times, only during school (not family without daddy) and now we are trying them at night.

We will see.

So anyway, tonight during our devotion it was about Pride/ humility. We talked about one way to be prideful was to only want your way and to not put others first. So my husband is talking and suddenly he says, "You know like the JOY song?"

I just looked at him.

HE said...

Put Jesus first,
                       Yourself last and
                                                  Others before you.

JOY.

I was amazed.

The things he stores in his head...

Ramblings...my thoughts.

Aren't you surprised when a bad things turns into a blessing? I still am... after all my years of knowing what a loving God I served, I am still surprised.

I kind of wish I wouldn't be so surprised, it makes me feel so lacking in the faith department.

God is good all the time.

I don't always like His answers, I don't always understand His reasoning, I don't get why "x" happens BUT God is good all the time.

I have to depend on THIS! I have to KNOW this. I have to Believe this.


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
                                               Romans 8:28





What is the biggest struggle that you have as a Christian?  I had a friend tell me the other day that she really struggles with the belief that HE cares about all the little things.  I probably don't know I have a struggle with this but since I DO not come to Him with every little need... it probably means I assume I can take care of the little things!  I want to stop assuming.... I want to believe and act on that belief that He cares for me...He knows the number of hairs on my head... He takes care of the sparrow (why not me) etc.    Don't get me wrong.. I totally know God cares for me.. I just mean that I come to him with big stuff, but not always the little things and HE wants me to do BOTH!


 He knows my every thought even before I speak it—that God formed me in my mother’s womb and knows what each of my days hold.
                                            Psalms 139


22Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?







29"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[c] shall be added to you.
                                 Luke 12:22-29






In Church the other week the sermon was on the Cross. It has gotten me thinking on the subject... I think we sooo minimize the Cross.  I think that is such a mistake on our part.  We thank God for sending His Son.  We thank Jesus for dying on the cross, but how often do we thank HIM for BEING ON THE CROSS.  For getting up there in the first place... for taking on the SINS of humanity.  We remember and can imagine the pain of a nail being driven through his hand but what pain he had from our sins must not have compared.  We simply say Jesus died for our sins.  BUT before death, he took the sin upon HIMSELF.  I mean imagine how bad you feel when you are laden down with sin and guilt... and HE had every ones all at the same time.  It is unimaginable to me... but I know that it was worse than anything my human mind could fathom.

The world and even Christians try to account for each thing that happened... to account for His physical condition up to and after HIS death... but it is not the point.  He went through every pain, pain we cant imagine.. He went though the torture and shame and ridicule.  He did this voluntarily.  He was so powerful that He physically had to will himself to die because Man could not kill HIM.  He willed it and at that moment the veil in the Temple tore in two, forever leaving us the ability to enter Gods Presence without a sacrifice or a priest.

Isn't it not amazing....


How can people not believe... but also how do we who DO believe have SOOO little faith?





“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and find pasture … I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
                                                         John 10:9


 
 
 
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
                                                   Heb:11:1


And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23: For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

                           Mark 11:22



Go read Accessing Grace this morning...






                                                 
 
 

Do you feel doomed by your sin nature...

Sometimes I must admit I simply feel doomed... I know I can never be perfect, or righteous... all I can be is forgiven.

I just wished that all my efforts would show some results... you know more fruit on my tree.

I want to show

patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, love, joy, peace, self control



I try, I pray, I try some more.


I simply sometimes feel overwhelmed by all my many, many sins. I feel guilty for trying to make the kids "see" their own sins.. you know the whole plank in the eye thing. Plus a number of their "sins" I know I have directly contributed too so whoo hoo, that makes me feel much better...thank you very much!

Struggling, asking forgiveness constantly from both God and my little ones.

I am tired and want to crawl into a hole, but I wouldn't be happy in that hole either because the problem isn't with the people or the world around me.. the problem is ME.

Praying for God to continue to reveal TRUTH in my life and allow me to see "my sins" and to confess with my mouth these sins.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
                                           Phil 1:6

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
                                                       Phil 3:12-14

To purge or not to purge...

okay what are your thoughts on certain "things" that
I want to purge.

I want to get rid of a bunch of books, but I might need them.. do I keep them or just buy them again when and if I need them in a bunch of years!

Scrap book pages... I have a ton of scrap book pages, I want to scan them in and have them actually printed out into nice books. I don't need EVERY page that I scrap booked because well seriously do we need to remember the first time Kate had an Oreo? SERIOUSLY. So after I scan them in... i throw them away? That hurts my heart a little BUT i will have the pictures still!

board games... do you keep all your board games, I mean we have a lot that we just do not play, should I just get rid of them? they take up a LOT of space and I could use that space for other stuff!

I am purging clothes, night clothes etc and I want to go down to 10 outfits each for the kids, now truthfully I don't know that we have many more than 10 complete outfits, I don't think Kaitlin actually has 10! But we have extra shirts, sweaters, multiple jackets etc. Should I get rid of them and JUST keep 10 complete outfits? one light jacket, one heavy coat, 2 or 3 night clothes????


Do you have a hard time giving away something that was a gift? I didn't think I did but I have a few things that I am vacillating on...

Then there is the "I might possible need this in the future" category. I mean we have a bunch of THINGS that we really don't ever use BUT we might! I mean I have a drawer full of STUFF, I think I open it every few months, MAYBE once a month and scrounge for something but most of it stays where it is... waiting, just waiting to be used!


In the meantime.. the things I am not questioning are flying like hotcakes! 
Whoo hoo... freedom from stuff!

Which way do you want?

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish

woman tears it down with her own hands.

 Proverbs 14:1

Yesterday I was reading this in my daily Proverbs reading.  I really think it cuts to the absolute core of what happens with us silly woman. 


This is building my HOME:

I have placed God at the center of all I do.
I put my husband first.
I stand in the gap for my children.
I am a keeper of the home.
I home school my children.
I carry out the household management that my husband has asked of me.





But too often it is this.

This is tearing down my HOME:

I replace my thoughts for Gods thought and lead myself.
I put my husband after the needs of the kids or myself.
I let my children flail along for themselves- being devoured!
I do not keep my home, things are in disarray and unmanaged.
I fail at being wise with time and being consistent with their education.
I mismanage the household and cause more problems.


It is not what my heart wants, but I just simply do not always follow where my heart leads.  I give in to my sinful nature... In Proverbs 15 it is verse after verse about ...the tongue!  I so often tear down my house because of my problem with my tongue! 

I want:

to have a gentle answer that deflects anger. Pr 15:1
to have the tongue of the wise that makes learning exciting. Pr 15:2
to have gentle words that are a tree of life. Pr 15:4
to be a wise woman who gives Godly advice. Pr 15:7
to have a glad heart to lift spirits Pr 15:13
to have a happy heart and see good. Pr 15:15
to be a person who does not start fights. Pr 15:18
to have wise people to ask advice. Pr 15:22
to have a fitting reply. Pr 15:23
to think carefully before speaking. Pr 15:28
to have a cheerful look that brings joy. Pr 15: 30
to hear constructive criticism. Pr 15:31
to not reject correction but to grow in understanding. Pr 15:32
to have a respect for God and grow in wisdom and humility. Pr 15:33

TO DO LIST...the great purge

Okay on to the purge...

We are in this up to our neck now! We are moving entire rooms around, changing things in our room, cleaning out closets, toys, books etc!  I am in the middle of lots of these things so I cant strike through them yet but they are happening!

This is my current TO DO:

switch kate and matts bed
set up kates new bed
set up Emilys bed
re set up Matts bed
move shelf from living room
move TV, dvd, Wii, set up on school room shelf
move furniture in girls room
change out closets in girls room



go through kids clothing:
shirts-limit number to 10
pants- limit number to 10 (jeans, shorts, carpi's etc.)
length of dresses-
seasonal clothes- jackets, rain jackets, boots, gloves etc
Personal clothes item- fit and worness
store seasonal things that I need to keep
send clothes to people who can use them
donate old blankets, sheets  torn towels to SPCA



shoes-
seasonal
fit
need

Bags
go through bags
 purses
 backpacks- looking for tears
 unwanted
 unnecessary

books:
cull through books that can be packed for other years
go through mulitple copies of books that I dont need
get rid of books that are for younger kids
go through curriculum that I KNOW we will not use
go through fiction books
go through Christian living, helps, home schooling books

buy new book case for school room
rearrange larger books on big shelf and put all smaller books on the new shelf

organize by subjects: History, science, fiction, current read alouds for the year, extra reading
Toys:
throw away any that are broken
find ways to organize what we kept
Get rid of unused, unwanted, baby, or repeat items

Personal items:
go through and organize, cull and find a place for
papers
keepsakes


Furniture:
Get rid of unneeded
fix anything in need of fixing
arrange to use more functionally
store items of value if necessary

Decor:
go through seasonal decor- anything I am not using this fall season that I have I should get rid of...
go through general house decor and get rid of anything that is not longer "ME",
get rid of stored decor that I no longer want
decide on paint colors and work toward being able to paint
Christmas--- I will get this out mid Nov OR after our Little Rock trip and go through it doing the same thing- If I am not using it I should get rid of it.

Make sure that each seasonal storage bin is actually what it is labeled as. I know I am missing a fall box right now!

Supplies:
get rid of multiple supplies that are unneeded, i.e. staplers, hole punches (do we need 3 or 4?)
organize current supplies
update stock (i.e. need mailers, stamps, staples, rubber bands etc)
update cleaning supplies
get a holder for underneath kitchen counter
get a holder for underneath bathroom counter
buy clear container to hold additional cleaning supplies


Pictures:
organize
scan in what I want
get negatives in one place
get a back up of current  photos
develop the film (yes actual film, it still exists~)
throw away unwanted duplicates
scan scrap book pages and determine what I am keeping

organize current photo files and archive if needed

order pics that I have been wanting to order

make snap fish book of Chicago trip

Send pics to Sarah and Kristal

mail old pictures to people who might enjoy them

change out a few pics of family in the frames in the living room OR add frames


DVDs
determine if they are scratched beyond being usable
alphabetize them
separate school, computer games, CDs from movies
return any that I know are not mine
get rid of any we no longer watch because of age or content
put all CDs on computer-

Music on Computer-
organize better
make song list for IPOD
get rid of music for content if any

change movies out on the IPODS

update syncs between IPODS and both computers

Misc THINGS:
cull through throw away, get rid of , give away, pack if needed
fix things that have been broken that I keep meaning to "get to"
send clothes to menders
get pants altered
if keeping find a home for it!

Vehicle:
clean out suburban
take shots, post on Craig's list etc.
get title for Truck taken care of
replenish cleaning supplies for truck
get carpet cleaned in both vehicles

update insurance when necessary



Bills and banking:
find better way to organize paper that I need to keep for a while
set up automatic bill pay for bills we can
change automatic savings on bank account
start account for kids

cull through stored "papers" and shred what is not needed anymore

finish "pre" budget through the end of the year.

order address stickers

Electronics:
go through wires, plugs, chargers and get rid of unneeded
organized kids electronics- find common place to charge
get games in one spot

buy recharging station for Wii
buy box for Misc Wii items
cull through games- sell if do not use

buy electronics cleaner and clean keyboards, screens, dust inside

get new printer ink
find new alarm clock that fits needs better- LOUD!

Goodbye...

No I am not saying goodbye to blogging! Just to certain foods. As of tomorrow I have to get back on the band wagon!

We fell jumped off a few weeks ago and have been hanging with our foot caught in a rope tied to the back of the wagon for a at least two weeks! Trying to get back on but not having the strength willpower to pull ourselves back up!

So Today marks the end of my 4 day birthday celebration festivities... back to real life!

In honor of my last bite binge, free for all, we are having ice cream for breakfast.

This is dual purposed...

1. we have some left from last night and since we never waste food--- we need to finish it off so we don't have it around anymore!

2.  we are total health nuts and always try to find ways to incorporate some calcium in our diet to fortify our bones in order to hold us up better!

3. because every now and then ya gotta break out of rules, molds, conformity etc and just shock your kids!  Do it, it's fun!

So anyway, Emily wouldn't wake up earlier and wasn't convinced we were having ice cream for breakfast so Matt made her a bowl to convince her... she got up fast!

We are headed to my sisters to have a cousin day!  We also have an old friend who recently started home schooling coming over too so it should be fun!  We plan on a few more last bites continued binge eating, for example we are having Chick Fil La nuggets for lunch and Tutti Fruitti Yogurt for after lunch AND we get to go out to dinner!  Wow!~ 

Thank you Vickie for my birthday money-
1. I bought a beautiful FALL candle set (I will show you later)
2. I bought the new Clive Cussler -  I've been reading this series since I got married- Dave sucked me in
3. I bought Emily a new shirt (because I wanted too- it was so cute)
4. I plan to also spend about $12.00 on ITUNES for some new TUNES I love!
4. AND we get to go out to dinner and to Tutti Fruitti!

SO YEAH, for bonus birthday money!


This has been the greatest birthday weekend ever!!

But like I said back to reality and the bandwagon tomorrow!

I'll give you a weight update soon but NOT TODAY!  :)

This is just funny..

Okay for all those who say I spend too much time blogging... Which I really dont to be honest!

This is just funny.

Our Home School Happenings

I mean a full post about Lucky Charms with pictures.... you gotta love that!

To all the Firefighters who died on September 11

“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.”

-------Fire Chief Edward F. Croker

photo credit

Weekly Wrap up- Week 5

This week for my weekly wrap up I am linking up to Weird Unsocialized Home Schoolers

This week was a weird week with having Labor Day. It always throws me off when Dave is off on a "week" day. Next week he is off both Monday and Tuesday... don't know how I'll manage! NO actually I am excited about him being off for two whole days! :)

So this weeks wrap up...

Saturday- we were peacefully sleeping in when all of a sudden a loudness began and did not stop for the next two hours. IT was my brother. Brian and Allison popped in for a visit and we went to a coffee shop

and to tour the little shops down on 19th street. WE had a lot of fun!

I was also able to drop off my boots at this shop to hopefully get them fixed!  It smelled so good in the shop... leather and shoe polish.  I used to love when my dad would polish his shoes. 

 He had this neat  wooden box and all the stuff inside the box- a brush and different colors of polish. 

 I just mostly remember the smell.

I picked up my boots today and I have fixed boots for the low, low cost of $4.87!!!  Whoo HOO!


Sunday - we had church. Dave is working on the sound booth (it is his calling in life) Matt is learning a lot too. I am sure it wont be long till Matt is running a board himself!

I know two pictures of myself, you should look up in the sky, you might see pigs.

We went over to Discovery Green to play for about an hour.

 Sunday night Dave went shooting and took Emily to Hal and Vickie's for a spend the night! She was SOOO excited!

Monday- we lazed around. Dave and I left Kate and Matt at home and went to lunch. We are trying this for right now. It worked well, everyone was fine. NO KIDS were harmed in this experiment. Our next door neighbors were told to be on the alert- they are awesome! Dave and I had a nice lunch, we were gone just under an hour and I really didn't worry that much. Good feeling!

Our bonus was Hal and Vickie bringing little one home and then staying to watch the kids so that we went out to eat alone for the second--- count that second time in one day! Actually this was planned, but still it was a wonderful day! We went to Salt Grass, shopped at charming Charlies and did a little grocery shopping!

Wont this look pretty with the above outfit!  :)

And this is just pretty!

Tuesday--- RAIN, Rain lots of Rain!

We stayed home and got loads of school and laundry done. Unlike those around me who lost power and went back to the pioneer days of cleaning kids room with NO electricity.... I was safe in my powered home with light, AC and a washer and dryer!

Wed-- We got a lot done, we started our ABC's of Service...caught up on Spelling by doing three lessons and caught up on grading math.  Emily worked on her handwriting scripture.

Kate started a new typing program called Scripture Typer- this is a wonderful FREE program.  You memorize scripture as you practice typing.  You can use their program OR you can type in your own scriptures.

 BUT i got a terrible headache, the kind where I shut the door to my room with NO lights on and laid there prone till Dave brought me medicine and a baked potato from Wendy's.

all better, well a lot better anyway.

Thursday--

A lot of laying around still.  But I did get to purge, after reading Brenda's post on purging and having read all the posts that Brenda read from Nesting Place... I am sooo wanting to PURGE!  I will show you the purge another day...

I wanted to  take time to have a tea party- we didn't get to it on Tuesday, but we didnt get to it Thursday either.  I think I will take turns on tea party days.  On Tuesdays we will focus on Tea Party patriots- learning about the Founding Fathers.  On Thursdays we will do poetry, classical music and great artist.  I am going to use poetry, music and art from our history time period.  Still working on my plan I will let you know when I get it all laid out.

Friday-- science, science and more science. 

We had a field trip to the health museum.

After the health museum we headed down to La Port to have science class.  We are working on the skeletal system!

We played the game Skeletons In the Closet!  The kids really had a good time building their skeletons!  They knew almost all the answers!

We did our experiment with chicken wings, to find out about a bone that is close enough to our own that we can study it.  The kids cleaned all the meat off the bone and examined it.  They broke in two the smaller of the bones to "see" the inside.  We are finishing the experiment by putting the larger bone in vinegar for a while so that the "acid" can break down the bone making it easier to break.

LOVE this picture!



And we ended our week at the park waiting to pick up daddy from work--- to start my weekend long birthday celebration!

I really, really like this photo of the kids...