Cheepo is the name or our parakeet.
That is ChEEpo – not to be confused with ChEApo!
He was a Christmas present from our oldest daughter and her husband to the four youngest boys.
Why would someone call their bird Cheepo? Because he cheeped. Very softly in the beginning. But now, he lets loose and rivals the children in volume!
Cheepo is bright green with a yellow head and lives in a white cage. Having never had a bird before, I think he is a cute and very fascinating to watch. He is so content to sit or flutter around his cage. He watches you, turning his head, as you pass by. Sometimes he even cheeps in response to your cheep.
So far he has learned to step on a finger but not without taking a nibble at it first! It has been a lot of fun to see all the boys trying to train him.
Cheepo’s next trick to learn is a wolf-whistle – you know, the type of whistle a guy lets go when he sees an attractive girl. Everyone is doing it! Even our 3 yr old tries! Cheepo is bound to catch on sooner or later. I sure hope it is sooner. I rarely mind the noise around our house, but this whistling … well, let’s just say that it can get a bit ear piercing!
Let’s play a game!
I will show you a two pictures, see if you can tell what is missing in the second. The two pictures are identical except for one detail – how attentive are you?
Here goes – Picture #1
Now – Picture #2
OK – the test – What is missing?
If you said the stainless steel bowl on the stove, you were right!
Why would I ask such a question? Well, one character quality I want to instill in our children is attentiveness – attentiveness to details, attentiveness to the needs of others …
Well, I was not attentive and provided a great example of how inattentiveness can cause danger. Fortunately, it was myself that suffered the consequences!
I moved the bowl from the stove top to the drying rack so it would not get hot and potentially burn someone while we baked a cake. I was inattentive to the water which had collected on the rim of the bowl and fell to the floor as I moved it. Since I did not see it, I could not clean up the floor. A few minutes later, dressed in shorts and running shoes prepared to walk, I hurriedly entered the kitchen. Walking aroung the chair to the counter, I slipped on the water which I had spilled and fell to the floor hitting my head on the chair as I went down.
If you know anything about the head, you know that it is very vascular – meaning that blood was everywhere! After assessing the damage, our 16 year old daughter drove to get John while I held pressure to the back of my head. He was able to super glue me back together rather quickly. Except for a headache lasting over the next few days, I recovered nicely.
The moral of the story? Slow down and be attentive!
As a home educating mother, I know how difficult it can be to teach children (especially boys!) to read and, even more so, to spell. With all the rules and exceptions to the rules, it is a wonder anyone ever gets it!
I guess, like all homeschooling moms, I have my favorite curriculums and tend to be stuck in my ways when it comes to trying new things. But last year, I did just that – I tried a new phonics and a new spelling program – and, I really like both of them. So, I want to share them with you. If you are a home educator or if your child needs extra help with either of these areas, give them a try! If you already use either of these or some other curriculum you like, leave a comment and let me know – I would like to hear about it!
1. Hooked on Phonics (HOP) is a learn-to-read program for levels Pre-K (3-4yrs) to 3rd grade and up (8yrs and up). I have been using the HOP program with our 6yr and 9 yr old sons and am very pleased with their progress. Each level has at least 2 non-consumable workbooks they read from, as well as, many story reading books. The program has games incorporated into it which help with word recognition. The child can proceed at their individual pace based on the amount of repetition they need. The boys love it and ask me to read with them!
As the name stated, Hooked on Phonics is a phonics based program which gives the necessary skills to unlock words at all levels. The workbook and readers build on each other with plenty of review. This program could very easily be used with older students needing extra help.
Hooked on Phonics also has a spelling program corresponding to each level and while it does help reinforce the words being read, I feel it is more rote memorization. My preference for a spelling program is “All About Spelling” which I will discuss in a moment.
Hooked on Phonics also has a math program. Here again, I prefer another math curriculum to this one which helps children understand the concepts behind what they are learning. I will save my math review for another time!
2. All About Spelling is as you guessed from the name, a spelling program. Marie Rippel has done a fabulous job in systematically building spelling rules upon each other. This is a multi-sensory approach utilizing (if you choose) magnetic letter tiles to manipulate, spell and illustrate the concept being presented. Flash cards are used, as well as, review of previous concepts at the beginning of each lesson. Once the concept is mastered with the tiles, the teacher then dictates the spelling words. Eventually phrases and sentences are added to the dictation. The teacher’s manual is easy to follow and even gives you the script for the day’s lesson. Each lesson is geared to last about 15 – 20 minutes.
Also offered is an “All About Reading” program which I have not tried. If it is as good as the spelling, it should also be great. Since I have already invested in Hooked on Phonics and am pleased with it, I will continue – remember, I am kinda stuck in my ways!!
Another plus is their one year guarantee - use either the All About Spelling or All About Reading program for 1 year and if you are not pleased or they do not meet your needs, just send the material back and they will refund your purchase price.
*Since I think these programs are so good, I have become an affiliate, so, the above links are my affiliate links. Whether or not you choose to use them, I am very pleased with the results from both programs and wanted to share them!
Our 3 year old is now officially potty trained! 
This would be a milestone for anyone, but for us, it is the end of an era. An era spanning 26 1/2 years.
Our oldest son was born ten days before our first anniversary. Little did we know that our first year would be one of the few periods of time in our married lives without diapers.
Diaper bags took the place of purses. Why carry both? It was much easier to throw my wallet and lipstick in the diaper bag. I think I have gone through at least 8 – 10 diaper bags. They were stylish, of course, and though they did not define me, they became my main fashion accessory. I like big purses so my diaper bags were also big. Maybe I should say, they were mutli-functional bags.
Having used cloth diapers for the past 26 1/2years (except occasionally splurging on disposables) I have seen the decline in diaper quality over the years. I am not talking about those cute ones available now with covers that use snaps rather than diaper pins. Being a hard core cloth diaper mommy, I stuck with diaper pins and plastic pants. Plastic pants which, by the way, as the quality decreased over the years, your fingers could go through if you were in a hurry and pulled them up on your toddler too quickly! My reasoning for not investing in the latest cloth diaper craze was, of course, financial. While still less expensive than disposables, they were much more costly than if I just stuck with what I had. After all, how many more children would I have?
So, here we are, twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight years from when we started. I am finally trading diapers for big girl panties for the last time and a diaper bag for a purse.
Think you detect a bit of sadness?
I do like purses – big metallic ones and big ones in pop colors – that’s undeniable.
I guess I just have to face it – the end of an era has come!
Maybe the girls will let me carry the grandchildren’s diaper bags.
Or …
Maybe, I should go shopping for a new purse!
*Photo Credit: Bing Images
Because of more problems with our internet, I was unable to post the introduction to Bob and Monty when I originally wrote them last week. I debated as to whether or not to post them as written. If you read them, you will remember that several of the pictures included Squiggles, our red and white Pembroke Welsh corgi. It is with great sadness that I write – Squiggles is no longer with us.
While we were away one evening, she wandered from home which was very unusual (as far as we know anyway) and someone shot her. Our neighbors all knew her, so, our assumption is that someone mistook her for a coyote. (There has been a problem with rabid coyotes this year.) Although I do not see how, it is also incomprehensible that someone would be so cruel as to shoot a dog and leave it to suffer.
Needless to say, it has been very sad for all of us and many tears have been shed. In light of the suffering that other families are experiencing, I know this may seem trivial. But, while Squiggles was just a dog, she was a great dog and had her place in our family. It is one of those lessons that as parents we must deal with and help our children through. Death is a reality – we will all face it.
This life is temporary and fleeting – make the most of your time and be prepared for eternity.
Going about daily activities, I was walking through the living room and this caught my eye: our 5 year old son “reading” a book to our 2 year old daughter. It is moments like this that give such joy and encouragement to a mom!
In Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad, Shari Braendel gives a style guide for every woman. Shari helps you determine important issues from your body type and dressing accordingly, to the colors which best compliment your skin, hair and eye colors.
What does it matter how I dress? As Christians, we should make sure our dress reflects who we are – a child of God, created in His image. The way we dress our temple says something about our character. Certainly, our inner beauty and character are the result of our relationship with the Lord, but He even addresses outward attire. The Proverbs 31 woman is clothed in fine linen and purple. It boils down to the fact that we are the Lord’s representatives on this earth. There is definitely a balance here. To quote from Shari,
“If your idea of beauty is based upon what we put on, rather than our relationship with the Creator of beauty, we’ve got a problem …. When we feel precious , redeemed and loved by our Saviour, we won’t need to impress with ostentatious clothing, jewelry or handbags. Instead, we’ll find an appropriate way to dress to reflect what’s going on inside us.”
Does your appearance reflect who you are on the inside? Shari offers a free color analysis to help determine which colors enhance your natural beauty. She also has a wardrobe plan list to help you build your wardrobe with mix and match items. The goal is to have your wardrobe filled with only the items that you like, which fit you well and in colors flattering to you.
I am not a clothes horse (and NO, you may not ask my husband’s opinion on this!) ) but I am a sucker for a “deal”. Therefore, I, and I suspect many of you, have a lot of clothes that you neither like nor feel good in. So, even though many of my clothes have been good deals, they really are not, because, they sit in my closet.
Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad is a book every Christian woman should read. Shari is both encouraging spiritually and practically. I am having my daughters read it and we are discussing it chapter by chapter. After all, it is a mother’s responsibility to teach their daughters how to dress modestly and in a way which is becoming.
How does this book help you financially? Now, you will shop with a purpose. You can go shopping with the wardrobe plan list as an inventory of what you have and what you need. Armed with your most flattering colors (you may purchase color swatches after taking the color analysis) and knowledge of the styles best suited for your body type. You do not need to make impulsive, unnecessary purchases!
Shari is part of the Proverbs 31 ministry and has become one of the most sought-after Christian speakers across the nation. A fabulously fun fashionista, she is the host of the popular What to Wear Christian Women’s Conference and conducts fashion shows on modesty for teen girls. She also has an encouraging blog, A Beautiful Place, which I encourage you to visit.
I am in no way affiliated with Shari Braendel. She does know who I am because we have emailed – she is such an encourager! You may purchase Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad online or at your local bookstore. I purchased mine through amazon using Swagbucks, so, there was no money out of pocket!
Our oldest daughter is engaged! We knew it was coming and were not surprised but are certainly pleased. I feel like the Lord has answered our prayers in sending her a godly young man. The official proposal (with ring) was October 4th.
Since our son-in-law-to-be had never seen Father of the Bride with Steve Martin, we watched it together (muting a couple of scenes for the younger children) the following weekend. If you have ever seen the movie, you will remember it is told from the father’s perspective. George (Steve Martin) and Nina’s (Diane Keaton) daughter Annie had returned from studying in Rome for the summer. At dinner that evening, she announces she met a man in Rome and they were to be married. George’s expressions as he remembers Annie as a pig-tailed little girl are priceless.
Our pig-tailed little girl certainly has grown up into a godly, beautiful lady. OK, I realize that I am bragging but she is my daughter and, after all, aren’t mothers allowed to that every now and then?
Planning is well underway as the tentative date is January 15, 2011. She has already found a dress. I am not at liberty to disclose details as they might fall into the wrong hands! But, I will say, it is white and I had to choke back tears several times as she tried on different dresses. She is definitely not that pig-tailed little girl in my memories any longer.
The day spent dress hunting really impressed upon me the privilege of motherhood. As a mother, you pray, seek the Lord as you go through the daily routine of life, teach, comfort and the list goes on. Sometimes in the throes of daily life, it is easy to lose focus. I mean to lose sight of what is most important – our children themselves – and not just the “list” that must get done.
In the blink of an eye, you turn around, they are grown and leaving home. Whatever the path the Lord has for them, be it marriage or career, our time with them is so short. Make the most of it!
Organizing home education for multiple children can certainly be challenging.
“How do you manage with so many and get it all done?”
This is a question I get frequently. I know it can be overwhelming so I thought I would share one of my favorite tools – a 5ft x 6ft dry erase, white board. This board was on the bid lot at John’s former company which means they were ready to throw it away! While there is nothing wrong with it, they had no further use for it. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” certainly is true! This board now holds a prominent place in our home. 
The board is divided into sections for each child with their name at the top. These divisions are made with a Sharpie permanent marker that will not wipe off but can be washed off. There is also a blank section for notes, numbers and whatever. Inside each section, the child’s subjects are listed along with their chores, brushing of teeth and musical instruments to be practised. These are also written in permanent marker.
How does this help? In the morning, each item to be completed that day is marked with a dash (-) using a dry erase marker. As the child completes a task, he/she marks through the dash forming a plus (+) sign.
The board provides an easy way for me, John and the children to see what has and has not been completed.
What I have seen work the best through the years, with different families, is to have the involvement of both parents – not just the mother. Living in Alabama, John would mark the board before leaving for work. Upon returning home in the evening, he could quickly see if someone had not completed their work and responsibilities. The children were accountable to him which seemed to give them a greater sense of urgency to finish everything “before daddy got home”. With our lifestyle change, John is in and out throughout the day and he helps encourage and motivate.
Home educating is a lifestyle. A very rewarding lifestyle. After all that goes into raising and training before the age 3 (sleepless nights, potty training…), why should I allow someone else the joy of teaching my children to discover the wonders of God’s world?
I posted a while ago about back problems which turned out to be a herniated disc. But for the past couple of weeks I have been knocked flat with a kidney infection! The infection snuck up on me while I was taking anti-inflammatory medication for my back, so it was a whopper of an infection! The recovery has been longer than I expected but then I guess for an instant gratification type of person, it always is!
The bright side to all this is….with nothing else to do but lie around, I listened to my children! Now, of course, I hear them on a daily basis but sometimes it takes a period of time in which I am completely removed from all of my projects/responsibilities/interests to really hear them. By this I mean, attitudes behind what is being said. Don’t get me wrong, our children are very loving and have good relationships amongst themselves. But, it is so easy for seeds of selfishness to take root. These seeds are often manifested in frustration, anger, unloving attitudes and disrespect of each other. These are “normal” human attitudes but recognized early for what they are (behavior unbecoming a Christian), they can be more easily taken care of. Otherwise, like weeds in a beautiful garden, they grow quickly and take over (bad habits, yet “normal” and expected behavior by today’s standards). That is where our parental responsibility comes in – watching over our family, proactively cultivating godliness and rooting out selfishness.
We have to be attentive not only to behavior, but also to the attitudes of our family’s hearts. It is so easy to dwell on the ”good” activities and let them take precedent over the most important job I have – being a mom. These last couple of weeks have helped me refocus my attention and evaluate the “good” activities vs. the “best” activities in which to spend my time.
I want to encourage each of you to take time this summer (when perhaps you have more time with your child/children) to really listen to them. Be attentive to what is going on with your family, not merely outwardly but heartwardly. Choose to spend your time on what is most important - the “best” use of your time – building Godly character in your family.
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About Me 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has been challenging to say the least. I have had the opportunity to take a crash course in frugal living and become a real farm girl - complete with milk cow and chickens. I have learned the importance of health from the inside out, "traditional" cooking and cod liver oil!
I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have. |
