Homeschooling A Houseful

The dangers of Bisphenol A {BPA} Plastic bottle chemical harmful This is scary stuff people! I am new to all the other things BPA is in, as for now we don't use any non-BPA free plastics, and I am learning.... and learning. It's a scary world we life in.

Do you love my new navigation bar??? I sure do! Do you wish you could have one too??? Visit Confessions of a homeschooler, and she has a wonderful post all about how to do it {in blogger}. It couldn't be any easy, simply copy and paste and some simple personalization.... and you are done! Here's a direct link to the post. One day I will finish it by adding the drop down's, but for now I am happy with what I have. Well almost happy, I want it to be centered, and haven't figured it out yet. Give me time, I will mess with it and mess with it, until I figure it out!! Unless any of you happen to have some great tips for doing it... hint, hint?????

Since my decision to go to more of a textbook curriculum, I haven't said much more about it. How is it going?? Well I LOVE it!! I am not having to plan, and organize and come up with ideas and think, and be creative, and be on top of everything... all the time. It has really lifted a large load off my shoulders. I spend most of the morning teaching Peaceful phonics. I also spend a lot of time helping Valiant with his work, and mostly his reading. He has a speech impediment, along with being all boy, he has struggled with his reading. He is doing a ton better, but I work a lot on his speech. I also read aloud his Science and Readings with him, and Peaceful usually sits in and listens too. That along with keeping the two younger children busy, occupied, and somewhat quiet. I was having a hard time keeping up with my teacher prep time, and {honestly} my peaceful meek teaching spirit! It was getting very overwhelming. So I decided to give you a run down of how I do it. How I organize a...

Well I don't know much about you, but all the A's on my blog were BUGGING me!!! Notice on the Left Sidebar all their new names!! I tried to come up with "new names" that showed their personality, and well....Who THEY are. {BOY is simply, boy because I am not sure what to call him just yet. I will probably change that one, eventually}

I believe it could be too early, if it's done in the wrong way. If you make it a stress and you must pass the test, when the child is too young... that's the wrong approach. However I feel I have found a great approach. Of course when to start this with your child, it should be handled individually to each child. There is a free service from the SAT collegeboard . I signed A1 up for the daily questions, and I signed up to get them too. Each day he will read them, and try to do them himself. Then he will let me know if he got it right, and on what try. While A1 just turned 13, he loves knowledge, he loves a challenge and he loves facts. I figured this would be something he would love, and well I was right!! I made it no stress, nothing to worry about. I told him if you don't know, simply make your best guess, then use the help section to get help, and always read the sections that explain the answers. This will not only help him prepare for the SAT, and test taking, but it w...

I thought I'd share our "calendar wall", some of you might have seen our homemade, by me calendar {as seen below} Yep it's still around, can you believe it, somethings do make it in a houseful!!! Though we have definitely taken it a bit further..... so I thought I'd share with all of you.... At the beginning of the school year, I made some simple calendars for most of the A's {I do wish I would have made one for A6, I should have known better, she must do everything everyone else does} I used the printables from this site . There are a few different ideas there. I printed my older 4 A's blank calendars. They fill in the date. The older A's usually fill in weeks at a time, and don't always fill in the day, every day. We also, usually on Monday, discuss our week. Maybe if we have a field trip, or an upcoming birthday or holiday. A science fair, or upcoming drawing contest we are participating in coming up. I try to mention these things, along with ...

I have been making homemade bread for my family, on and off {mostly on} for about 10 years or so. WOW I can't believe it's been that long! I found this recipe, sometime in the beginning of my bread making life!! This is one tried and true, gotta love it recipe! We use it for Cinnamon rolls, regular rolls and breadsticks too. We use to use it for our pizza until I found this recipe. 4 Cups very warm water 3/4 cup oil {though out of having not enough oil, I have used less. We have used olive oil, grapeseed oil, and coconut oil in this recipe} 3/4 cup raw unfiltered honey {or just honey, but raw is so much better for you} 3 T yeast 2T sea salt some flax, I have been adding this lately and I probably add around 4 Tablespoons or so. I just dump it in. a HEAPING 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten (I use a large HEAPING, this helps to make the dough more elastic and chewy} about 7-8 cups of flour. We have used, all whole wheat, or combined our whole wheat with oatmeal or oat flour {to make oa...

I think I would love this mostly during our school time, all the Mommy, can you help me's?? Mommy, how do you spell _____'s?? Mommy, what does this mean?? oh and then my personal favorite... MOMMY, HELP... A7 is pulling my hair!!!!! {or that could be changed to hitting me, pushing me, throwing something at me, or won't get off me!!!! Seriously, ALL boy there!!} my new voicemail shall say.... Hello! I am sorry, I can't come to your assistance right now. I do care, and would love to help. Please take a number and WAIT!!!! Love your Mommy!

It seems to me schedules are being talked about all over the homeschool world. On all the blogs, and yahoo groups, amongst friends and support groups. I was going to join in with everyone and attempt to write about our schedule, but then it occurred to me, honestly I would just be repeating so much of what others are saying. You see we run on a somewhat MOTH schedule. Most homeschoolers know what a MOTH Schedule is, it's very popular!! If not, let me know I can link you to a few great sites with MOTH schedules, or better yet... go to the Managers Of Their Homes website! SO to not bore everyone with yet another MOTH Schedule, I thought I'd try to discuss a few of my thoughts on schedules. I think that having a schedule, whether it be a strict time schedule or a laid back routine, a schedule is needed for everyone in any lifestyle. We have more of a schedule/routine! If you would like more details, please leave a comment and I can write about our schedule. I think the first part ...

......when all his guns look like this! all taped together! I am on the lookout for some new toy guns, that might last. I believe A4 has a birthday coming up.... and well I think he might be in need of a new gun!!!

You lounge on the couch, in jammies and blankies and read The Real George Washington aloud. With yummy hot cocoa !! {photo is from tropical traditions site!} We also watched the George Washington Hero's DVD , and part of the a More Perfect Union . So it might have just been one chapter in the book! However very inspiring! Not only that but we did stop between sections to discuss and talk about it! That is what I love about homeschooling... if it's one of those days, where you have been stuck inside for two days, it's cold and you don't want to start moving.... well there are other ways to enjoy learning, and ditching the schedule for the day! April Showers can be gloomy and dim... but only if you make them. We thanked God for all the moisture, we have truly needed it. I was actually debating turning on a sprinkler the other day, as I noticed the grass was looking a bit yellow. I just couldn't bring myself to do it! Thank God I didn't have to, he did it for me.

One of our homeschool friends set up a field trip with the group, scales and tails of Utah . {Thanks Tammy, you're awesome!!} The group tours schools, fairs, parties and such bringing all their little friends with them! This is an expensive tour, but when you have around 100 homeschoolers all sharing the cost, it's very reasonable, and the information and hands on learning, is beyond the cost. We had an awesome time, I wish I would have recorded it, or at least taken notes. There was so much information given there. Oh and I might add, a ton of drama, from the presenter! He did a great job!!!

Really it is that simple. It does take some time, but it's so worth it!! Homemade butter is like homemade bread, once you start making it, you can't stop!!! I have done this with both methods, these are the videos I used to learn how to make butter. I use my strainer with cheesecloth inside, then I rinse and use the cheese cloth to help squeeze the buttermilk out. I like the food processor method better, but when you go and break it, well you need an alternative!!! {no I didn't break it making butter, I broke it grating cheese, if you can believe it!!} Of course I won't mention I also broke one of my blenders!! {again, not making butter, blending a smoothie. I think the A who last washed dishes didn't attach it correctly, and I didn't check. I always check, except that one time.} Yeah I know, honestly that is what I get for trying to purchase the cheapest kitchen tools, they seriously don't last. Anyone have any suggestions on a good food processor or blende...

haven't tried yet, but let me explain! I have crazy week, the kids are in an extra class for a few more nights, and I am running low on steam!! So I am planning on making this either tomorrow or Saturday, I'll try to remember to tell you how it goes!! But until then, I didn't want to loose the recipe, so I thought, hay I'll post it on my blog, and never forget where I stuck it!!! recipe for artisan bread!!! Looks wonderful!!

I tried this recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet , and it was wonderful. If you'd like a photo, check hers out!! See around here, when the food's finished, it's eaten so fast, there's no thought of a photo!!! We also purchased this wonderful artisan whole wheat bread, with no yucky additives or sugars, from Costco. It was wonderful!! I LOVE Costco!! We doubled the recipe, from on her post. We used spinach, No nitrate/nitrite bacon, and about 8 hard boiled eggs. I also threw in some grape tomatoes. Then I made the ranch dressing, found in this free whole foods cookbook . It's called the Pantry Principles by Kathryn Louis, it's on her Kitchen and homemaking blog, Kate's Kitchen. Scroll down a bit, on the right sidebar. You can print it for free or purchase it for cheap! Enjoy, I know we did!! That one's being added to our list of meal ideas!

One of the discussion you always see or hear on the homeschool loops, websites and blogs is how to monitor television time.. well I have a new one for you! from the associate press: PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has started a program he calls "Pedal Vision," in which inmates pedal stationary bikes to generate electricity for television sets. The bikes are customized to turn on connected TV sets once inmates at Phoenix's Tent City Jail pedal enough to generate 12 volts of electricity. An hour of pedaling equals an hour of television. Arpaio said inmates only will be able to watch television if they choose to pedal. He said he started the program with female inmates because they seemed more receptive. Arpaio said the only exercise female inmates have been getting is speed-walking around the tent yard. He said Pedal Vision gives them a reason to get moving and a way to burn calories. You see you won't have to monitor the timer. I know children, and I ...

We recently toured the National Oregon~California Trail Center , in Montpelier Idaho. If you are local to Montpelier, or are willing to travel 2 hours to get there, you should! Here's a few highlights: In the basement they have a collections of Historical Artifacts. If you can believe it this Phonograph still works. The lady played it for us. Here is a demonstration by one of the tours employees, and her granddaughter. She was teaching us about how they could use old wagon wheels to make woven rugs. They also spoke about the beautiful quilts that were made. Can you see that "machine" on top of the wagon wheel? This is one way that the pioneers could count their daily mileage. They said that the original way was with the rag tied to the wheel, a young child would walk next to the wheel on the wagon and count it's rotations, by counting how many times the rag went around... nothing like car sickness... or I guess walking sickness!! Then Orson Pratt, a Mormon Pioneer inv...

Spring cleaning.... the blog that is!!! What do you think?

I am trying to declutter, declutter the house, declutter our lives, and ofcourse declutter our blog! Here's a list of all our favorites, in one place. You can find this list at the Favorites tab, on the sidebar. Just click it and this list will come up! Preschool, Kindergarten, and ABC's Cullen's ABC's very cute preschool type vidoes and preschool ideas. ABC Jesus Loves me ~ very cute all religious for mostly preK or K. Hubbard's Cupboard ~ Love this site, every time I go there, I find more! Home Grown Hearts ~ Mostly preK and K. Homeschool blogger, just sharing her things! Learning Treasures ~ Fun cute printables. Some free, some cheap! Homeschool Blogs I LOVE Dean's Academy ~ good friend, she shares unit studies, workboxes, and ideas and tips.. along with life. Five J's ~ home to Thirsty Thursdays, and so much more. Homeschool Creations ~ So much to offer. Milestone Academy ~ Everthing Classical and Charlotte Mason. Rockin C ~ Homeschool Mom, who loves to ...