Children should get the best of their mothers!

"The parents' chief care is, that that which they supply shall be wholesome and nourishing, whether in the way of picture-books, lessons, playmates, bread and milk, or mother's love."

~Vol 1 Home Education~

"Children should have the best of their mothers"

~Vol 1 Home Education~

I have been re-reading Charlotte Masons volumes to refresh my mind and spirit. I find that there is just so much meat in each one! This quote from her above says it all in regards to our goal in educating our children.. we are to give them the best! The best of their mother, the best of their father, the best books, food and experiences!

I had to stop and think am I supplying my little ones with the most wholesome and nourishing things that they deserve, am I giving them my best?

Am I giving Father my very best in raising these little ones that He has lent to me to foster, teach and train for His work? Am I working as unto Him or as unto men?

Lots of soul searching going on within these walls between the books, the meals and the teaching! I find it interesting that we doubt our worth and qualifications as mothers yet we forget that we have been qualified by the Creator Himself!

Library Book Sale!!!

Once a year I look forward to the Library Book Sale in our area!

I found lots of new friends this year!!!

To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend;

to read it for a second time is to meet an old one.

~Chinese Saying~

A Song of The Woods

"My leaves are turning crimson," the giant oak tree said, "It's almost time these children should seek their winter's bed, But how they still cling to me and gleam with crimson hue, They truly are more lovely than cirrus clouds of blue. "And now throughout the forest - list! hear their voices ring, But 'tis in tones of sadness and sighing they now sing - 'Alas! 'tis gone, fair summer, and winter's reign is near, He cruelly strips the forest of all her summer cheer By killing all her lovely leaves and likewise flowers gay And driving all her fairy folk to homes of far away.'" A Song of the Woods - Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.

Books and Crafts, Oh my!

"School" has been going slow lately with sick babies around but we have been reading and crafting and just enjoying being a family!

Some of our newest favorites..

Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

The newest favorite craft.. making envelopes from junk mail!

We get the community paper and after scanning through it we usually throw it away BUT we have found that we can instead recycle by making envelopes, we LOVE them!

Here are some pics..

First we paint the thinner pieces with Gesso

We then cut out the template using an envelope that we carefully took apart!

We then fold the creases and make our envelope!!!

One paper gave me 19 envelopes.. you could probably get more from them but I chose not to use some of the thinner ads...

Try making these for yourselves, they are addicting and give a unique personal touch to the letters that you send out! You could even have the kids paint or color on the gesso for a more personal touch!

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Sick baby...

Its a good thing that we homeschool! This year has been hard for us due to the constant changing of the crazy weather.. my baby is sick again so today will be another lazy day full of reading books and cuddles and perhaps a movie thrown in!

Learning about Nutrition

The great thing about being a Homeschooling family is that we can do school anytime with any topic of interest! We have lately been on a new journey of learning how to eat more "whole" foods and "raw" foods. The children have enjoyed being included in this adventure!

We have all fallen in love with Green Smoothies!

The kids enjoy deciding what to add to the smoothie each day!

Normally we start our day with this yummy source of veggies and fruits.. today we threw it together a bit later and here are the goodies we chose-

2 banana's

half of an orange

1/2 cup of Raspberries

1/2 cup Pineapples

Hand full of Kale

LOTS of Spinach

(We add one glass of water to the blender and blend)

These Green Smoothies have MANY wonderful benefits.. check out these sites for more information about starting your own addiction :)

Green Smoothie Girl

Happy Foody

Here are some great websites about eating more Whole Foods!

Keeper of the Home

The Nourishing Gourmet

Passionate Homemaking

Lots of Colds and Unschooling going on lately!

Yes it has been a LONG time since my last post but we have all been passing around a horrible cold and are still trying to recover! LOTS of unschooling going on around our house as we just go with the flow of this thing! Here are some of the things that we have done..

My middle princess finished last years math and has already been diligently (on her own) working on this year! WOO HOO!

My eldest princess has collected and read just about all the Mandie books, her siblings have taken on the roll of hiding her books so that she will play with them instead of reading!

My son helped his daddy build a tree house, skinned his hands up by realizing that you cant just slide down a tree like a fireman's pole :)