Annual rant or pictures..... um pictures!

It is about that time for my annual Halloween rant... but I have decided instead this year I shall simply post pictures of my beautiful children!  We had our annual camping trip to Garner State Park last weekend and I got some great shots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

through the years thursday-- Garner

okay another Through the Years post about Garner.... we have gone to Garner almost every year since Kaitlin was 11 months old.

My family also went when I was a child AND my mom's family went when she was a child....



I love this tradition.

I. love. this. tradition.

*The first year we tent camped and Brett and Amy had an RV.

*The second year we rented cabins in old Garner-- which are very nice for the most part.

*Since then we have rented a lodge on the other side of the river from Garner but still a part of the state park. There is a huge dining hall/ cooking area, bathrooms and five dorm style cabins with 8 bunks. You can have up to 40 people at a time. It is beautiful and we are only a few feet from our own access to the river....

2008

2010

 

 

2011

 

 

arrrgggg....................

oh. my. word.

I think I might have a coronary on Facebook today.

A word for all us moms...

Menu Plan Monday.... week 10/15-10/21

Last week I kept SOMEwhat to plan but I did eat off the meal plan a little! 

I will plan to do better this week!  I am also going to do it weekly for a little

while to get myself on track.....

This week..

Monday-

B-cereal

L-chicken nuggets and tator tots

D-Chinese (take-out)

Tuesday-

B-waffles

L-grilled cheese and pringles

D-roast chicken, veggie and roasted potato

Wednesday-

B-cereal

L-soup

D-enchilada casserole

Thursday-

B-eggs and waffles

L-quesadia

D-Mongolian beef

Friday-

B-cereal

L-chicken and dumplings (from leftover roast chicken)

D- @ Brett and Amy's Open House (free food)

Saturday-

B- waffles and bacon

L- Texas Land and Cattle (kids eat free on Saturday)

D- eating at home school group event (free food)

Sunday-

B- cinnamon pancakes

L- sandwiches (light lunch because we are doing an early dinner)

D-eating out for moms birthday

 

Who doesn't want to be like Indiana Jones???

I found this book at the Dollar Tree...  truly people it is a GEM of a find!  These are very, very important things that ALL SHOULD BE TAUGHT!  Forget TAKS testing... I could save the entire education system a BUNDLE of money and just buy every student a copy of THIS book...

• HOW TO RUN ON TOP OF A MOVING TRAIN
• HOW TO HANDLE AWKWARD FOODS
• HOW TO IDENTIFY SECRET PASSAGEWAYS AND BOOBY TRAPS
• HOW TO FEND OFF A GANG OFF SWORDSMEN
• HOW TO CROSS A ROPE BRIDGE
• HOW TO SURVIVE FOR SEVERAL DAYS CLINGING TO A SUBMARINE'S PERISCOPE
• HOW TO USE YOUR BULLWHIP

I cannot decide on my favorite (and these weren't all of them folks!).. but maybe it is HOW TO FEND OFF A GANG OF SWORDSMEN...I mean that is IMPORTANT!

ENJOY.  

Katy Girl

Here is Kaitlin all decked out in farm ware...... for the 4-H Fundraiser...

 

It was a dinner with a Down On the Farm theme...

 

Is she not the cutest!!!

Keepers of the Home...

We had another Keepers of the Home meeting last week....

The girls worked on making sympathy cards

for a friend in the home school group who lost his grandmother this week.  They did really well.. we were talking about a few different ways to say you are sorry and talking about what to put on the cards... the girls were able to come up with a few specials to say they were sorry for his loss.

 It was a good way to learn about:

caring,

 hospitality ( in the sense of caring for others,

a craft skill of actually making the card itself and

a learning experience to know what can be done to think of others. 

 

 

 

We started our quilting badge:

 

we are using fleece and tying the ends in knots (one of my favorite blankets).. we got one that could be used for a female and one for a male.  The girls cut the strips out of the end of each

piece of fleece and then tied them...

 

It is easy and doesn't take that long, we hope to make several over the next few months

to take to a nursing home.

 

 

 

 

and we still had time to scrapbook

 

our page from making soup last meeting!

The girls worked so hard and they are learning about making layouts, being mindful of what is in the picture and being creative in using stickers, drawing and other tools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Menu Monday: a meal plan for two weeks.

I am going to attempt to a regular (well bi- regular) post here called Menu Monday...

 

I will ON THE INTERNET FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE.... post what we shall be eating for the next two weeks.  Hmmppphhh.  ((( sigh)))  Please help keep me all ON TRACK.  We need to tighten our belts and this is one way I can do it! 

Eat at home. 

 

I feel that if I have  plan then it goes better!  Otherwise what happens is I buy a bunch of  components of meals and they sit in the fridge and half the time my 2 1/2 lbs. of meat and head of cauliflower goes bad (I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN)  (if you don't please don't tell me....)

 

So here goes..

 

This week.. (this first week is hard since we HAVE to eat out as Dave and I will be

at a training for 4-H in Victoria....)

 

 

 

 

Monday-

B-frozen waffles

L-taquitoes

D-chili with rice

 

Tuesday-

B-oatmeal

L-chicken sandwiches

D-use leftover ham for omelette's

 

Wednesday-

B-cereal

L-soup

D-enchilada casserole

 

Thursday-

B-eggs/ toast

L-leftovers if any--- or grilled cheese

D-eating at MYSTERY dinner for 4-H

 

Friday-

B-cereal/ frozen waffles if left

L-soup/ quesadias

D-(gone to Victoria)  unsure

 

Saturday-

B-at hotel ** free

L- unsure

D-(gone to Victoria) unsure

 

Sunday-

B- at hotel ** free

L- unsure

D-hopefully mom will cook us something after keeping the kids all weekend (HINT HINT)  :0)

 

 

Next week...

 

Monday-

B-scrambled eggs

L- frozen meal

D-Mongolian beef

 

Tuesday-

B- oatmeal

L-possibly fried rice

D- taco's

 

Wednesday-

B- fried egg and muffin

L-soup/ grilled cheese

D-chicken and dumplings (crock pot)

 

Thursday-

B-oatmeal

L- rolls ups and chips in the car on way to home school group

D-pork roast

 

Friday-

B-eggs and muffins

L-BBQ pork sandwiches (left over meat) tator tots

D- @ Brett and Amy's Open House (free food)

 

Saturday-

B- probably breakfast on the run as we have early livestock judging event

L- again eating out as we are coming home from livestock judging event

D- eating at home school group event  (free food)

 

Sunday-

B- cinnamon pancakes/ bacon

L- sandwiches (light lunch because we are doing an early dinner)

D-eating out for moms birthday

Sunday Sum Up: Week 5 2012-2013

{day 50-54}

 

 

 

 

I feel like we had a weird, unproductive week.  We played catch up a little from last week because we had a sick day and we also had park day with the home school group.. BUT, still I feel more behind than I should.   However, I am taking it all in stride, because I KNOW the kids learned and that is what matters... NOT a schedule or lesson plan.

 

Right?

 

(((repeat to myself multiple times daily)))

 

 

So Monday...

the girls had a TEA party to end our Anne of Green Gables unit... THIS has taken much longer than anticipated and really it was my fault!  I just didn't get it done!  But I learned a valuable lesson....

 

Remember that the lesson learned from a story, novel, curriculum etc. is not always what you expect and be ready to change your way of thinking if THEY are learning.. period!

 

I had a lesson plan that I expected to accomplish and an idea of some character training that could take place from discussion of the book.  BUT my daughter went another way and something reached her that I didn't even pick up in the book ( as far as thinking it was a lesson)... she asked me not to share but what it was but just wanted you to know to BE FLEXIBLE.

 

 

 

Tuesday...

 

We accomplished little this day.. well Kate and Matt did but Emily and I only managed to get exactly what we HAD to get done!

 

Wednesday...

 

The girls had their pre test for spelling and Emily spelled -- afraid--- right.  I was really surprised and I asked how she knew to spell it right and she said well I know how to spell -- first AID--- and I said well okay then.. inside I did a little jig.  We are going over spelling rules with All About Spelling BUT we are also doing Spelling Workout Press and I have see improvement!!! 

 

We started a new bible verse...

 

He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will

be at home among the wise.  

Prov 15:31

 

We are talking (both families) about the girls desiring correction... so we decided to use this verse this week...

 

 

 

We read the story of Gilgamesh for history!  LOVE this story.. it is one of my favorite!  The girls could recognize each time that the "STORY" held a component of a biblical event.  I loved seeing them recognize and we talked about How the BIBLE was written BY God and we want to trust His story above all others... 

 

 

 

Thursday...

 

Thursday we had park day with our home school group... we were late because we did school UP TO THE last minute we could.. but we still got to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday...

 

I got to lunch with friends today.. always a special treat.  The kids stayed home and did their school and chores -- well some of them did!  Hmmm.

 

We had a our Keepers of the Home meeting!!!

 

 

 

We worked on tie quilts and made sympathy cards for a friend in the home school group who just lost his grandmother...  it was a good meeting!

 

AND that wrapped up our week...Next week I hope to be able to report a TON more school work being done though!  :0)

 

 

An instagram post...

Okay I have a few pics in instagram and they are just sitting there begging to be shared!  I saw the Lemonade Makin Mama did a WHOLE post on her instagram so I thought.  WHY NOT! 

So here goes...

 

Friday night we went out to eat as a family (doesn't happen that often!) and we ate at Kim Son's! YUMMO~  This is pan fried stick rice.. so, so, so good!

 

This is Baby Bee who I get to cuddle and breathe in during Keepers of the Home!  LOVE it. 

 

This is my bracelet.. take note of the CANDY CORN bead, the amber colored bead and a star one you cant see very well... a present form my sister- in -law Deana!  It was a great present.. she also got me a dangle snowflake and a gingerbread man...

 

My pup GOT hold of this mail and we had to chase her all over the house... when she finally stopped I couldn't help but take a picture.. I know GREAT TRAINING Carrie!

 

 

 

Have you seen these little REAL pumpkins on a stem!  I love them!

 

 

This is Riley's first destroyed toy.  AHHHH.  Memories for later....

 

 

I made Olive Gardens Gnocchi soup.. YUM.  It turned out really, really good!

 

 

 

If you have EVER played Minesweeper.. I am a little addicted but THAT is an awesome score, I had to screen shot it!  I have since beaten that at 4:06!  Whoop Whoop!

Hal and Vickie got a new dog... MEET MAISY!



 

 

My all time favorite outfit/ necklace combo!  I love it.  It makes me happy!

 

Because I had too.  I mean GOOD NIGHT IPAD!  But truly it is a sign of the times!

enjoying this wonderful weather--- first day of fall 2012

We have been outside almost every single day this past few weeks... the weather is so amazing!

I love the fall, have I mentioned that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne with an "e"

I remember once telling my teacher Mrs. Brinkly that my name was Carrie with an "e" and she laughed.  I have always loved Anne of Green Gables.  I am sure I watched the movie before I ever read the books... but of course once I became enamored with the books it was all over for me... Anne (all of them), Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, Emily of New Moon.  I have since watched (one of the few movies I DO enjoy ALMOST as much as the books) Anne of Green Gables countless times...

I hesitate to say that Matt liked it the most- although it was the writing not the story he enjoyed.. and Emily asked to listen daily!  He contiuallys says, "There is no scope for imagination..." now!

We listened rather than read this VERY LONG BOOK...

We colored out of this color book

and did a word search from here

we also used Anne of Green Gables literature study from Teacher Created Resources.. I have the book but also found this online! 

We played with this Anne of Green Gables paperdoll house ....

We made RASPBERRY CORDIAL which I found on Pinterest!  God bless pinterest!

We made a mini map book on Canada and Prince Edward Island (which I have for ALL my live long days thought was on the other side of the continent from where it truly is!  I have no idea why I thought that!) and mapped places where Anne lived and walked...



We pressed flowers.

and we finished up with a Tea Party to serve our raspberry cordial and petite fours (we made them!)

along with making a pressed flower bookmarker...

It was a good unit!

Things that I love.....

 

 

 

 

Things that I love:

 

my family

reading my Bible

homeschooling

my van

books

coffee

coke

the color turquoise

my IPhone

80's music

Capri pants

my puppy

the color black

watching my kids play

clean sheets

themes

baby hands

taking pictures

history

quotes
three quarter length sleeve

rocky road ice cream

watching movies

vacation/ travel

fresh flowers

hedgehogs

penguins

did I say books?

planning things

a clean house

sunglasses

whip cream

sharpie markers

roasted vegetables

making memories

back massages

painted toenails

 

 



Wordless Wednesdy: my munchkins (August 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry Berry-- SPOONS

Our home school group has a few get togethers that are focused on our young adults... Kate and Matt have been participating most of the summer.  Each month we meet at Buck's Pizza and Cherry Berry for a fun get together...this past Sunday was our day to meet.  The kids really look forward to this...

A few weeks ago we were introduced to the game of SPOONS.  I played it in high school a few times but have not played in years and years.  It is so much fun!  I am glad that the kids were taught to play and we will absolutely play at home too!

Here are the kids and adults alike playing SPOONS.

This is all nice and peaceful, but let me tell you it got COMPETITIVE!  Kaitlin lunged across the table at one point!  People were grabbing spoons like crazy!  However dangerous.. it is FUN!

Emily at gymnastics open house...

a gym near our house has an open house that you can come and pay to play for two hours... This is much cheaper than classes of course and it fits the need for right now!  We had told her she could do gymnastics but it just hasn't happened for financial reasons so this is the next best thing!

 

She was SO excited all week long.. counting down days and then ON Friday she was counting down HOURS and MINUTES!  Really, really excited!

 

She had a great time and ran amuck STRAIGHT for two Full hours.  She stopped only for

 a drink of water!