Creative Corner This week's floral arrangement and more

Spring is on it's way. That is what I keep telling myself even though I saw snow in my back yard yesterday morning when I let the dogs out. 

To help my family not loose hope that spring is here by calendar and to keep their hearts a bit sweeter I filled up a Montana jar with some spring colors and delightful yummys for their sweet teeth. 

The jar was filled last week. This is what happens when our family gathers in the kitchen for conversation.

This week, I think I was channeling memories from my wedding to my sweet Southern Man. The floral arrangement for my dinning table symbolizes my wedding boutique in so many ways.

I just find this breath taking.

No, I don't think I would think of red as a typical spring color unless I was about to celebrate memorial day. 

However these breath taking flowers caught my eye in the Giant Floral section. 

I used a short, over sized circular vase.

Two large bunches of large headed carnations. 

I hope this has inspired you to add a little spring hope in your home!

Check back next week to see what is in my creative corner!

Cheers,

Cynthia

My Journal Sharing Sisters

I am so very blessed with two of the most amazing daughters. God sent me my first daughter when I met my Southern Man. She was almost three years old at the time and full of life.

The only girly item's she had to her sweet name was a purple powder puff's girls purse and one pink match box car.

Of course you can imagine my horror, now I do not blame Southern Man at all. He is a man and did not know what almost three year old little girls needed.

So of course you can imagine the amount of shopping that occurred after I was made aware of the situation. The first item of business was to purchase a lovely floral plastic tea set for four. Following the purchase we had a tea party immediately with Ritz crackers, vanilla wafers and the finest bathroom tap water.

The shopping did not end there. We went on the purchase one of the largest Fisher Price doll house collections, my Little Poney and many more wonderful girly toy collections.


Now this sweet little girl grew and around age 6 God blessed us with a sweet baby to come. My sweet daughter for months watched my tummy grow and prayed God had sent her a sister. Now Southern Man was sure, that God had sent us a sister and convinced my young step-daughter that she would have a play mate very soon that enjoyed her same interest. 


Well ultra sound day came. And before the appointment my very proud girly told her entire Kindgarden class she was going to see her sister in her Step-Mom's belly and would bring back a photo to share. So we all piled into the ultra sound room,Southern Man, my step-daughter beaming from ear to ear and my strapping proud step-son. And there we all cling ed to the ultra sound screen waiting to see what God had sent us. Well that darling ultra-sound tec looked over at all of our faces while listening to Southern Man assure my sweet girlie that she was getting a sister, no worries. 


Well as we heard the word's it's a BOY, the tears rushed down my face and step-son jumped for joy and said one for his team. Southern Man's face dropped and turned white and my sweet girl yelled out a fierce,"what? Daddy, you promised I was getting a sister!!,How did this happen?? Is there another baby in there???"


The ultra-sound tec burst into laughter, and so did I. My poor Southern Man looked in horror at our poor sweet kindergartner. Well that poor child also experienced great laughter from her teacher when she returned to school that afternoon with a photo of her new baby brother. 

Month's later that baby brother arrived and my sweet girl did not even mention a sister again, she loved that baby like it was her own and they have a bond that is unbreakable.


A few years later God, blessed my sweet girl at the age of 9 with a baby sister all her own. And boy did that 9 year old bless her baby sister. There was months of shopping for her, just in clothes. Not to mention all the extra kisses that baby sister got.

Now these sister's are more then just sister's, they are sharing sisters. My now 12 year old make's sure her sister has all the most important item's of being a girl. A long with as many matching clothes as they can have. Right down to the socks. 

Just today my sweet girl passed down to her baby sister her doll house collection. What a moment that was. They also made a shopping trip to our local Target to get another round of matching socks. 

I am so blessed by these very sweet sharing sisters!!

Cynthia

Home Schooling Scholastic Dollar Day's Sale

Hi There Home Learners!

There are a few places I am learning to shop and find some deals for our home school room. Scholastic has become one of them!! This week until March 31st, 2011(just in case you loose a year) Scholastic is having it's Dollar Day's Sale!!

this is from the scholastic web page.

No friends Scholastic is in NO WAY paying me to say this. They are unware that my small blog is promoting this wonderful sale!!
I just thought out of the goodness of comrodery I would share this with all of you. That is right$1 per book. They had a good selection. I gave myself a $ 30 limit and it went far!! I was impressed!! And I ended up with 28 books!! 

I am sure they will run this sale again. If you are unaware of Scholastic I am going to share their link. And also tell you I have signed up for their printables and mini-books as filler's for our lessons. I am loving the site and is very user friendly. 

http://www.scholastic.com/parents

Now, you want to look for the teachers store for the book sale. I signed up as a teacher as my school I listed home school. 

I hope this can benifit your learning enviroment in some way. 

Happy Shopping,

Cynthia

Home Schooling Home Sick?

I know I have mentioned this before, however I can not say enough how amazing home school is. This morning around 3:30am we got hit with the stomach flu. My poor little man went down like a ton of bricks and before I knew it, I was changing sheets on my bed and washing his lovies. 

That is right, I said my bed. And that is why there are duevet covers. Love those things!

So we slept it off, started out the day with some toast, white grape juice. A movie Curious George movie about recycling. A few vanilla wafers and some more grape juice. And BAM, the child was back on his feet and ready to learn.

We had two large learning sessions and the day was NOT a total wash. He still wanted to taken in new items, review old ones and be challenged. 

This is so amazing. This evening he even did some more practice skills with Southern Man. That guy is such an amazing Daddy. 

I think there is so much to be said, for the kind of wonderful experiences that we are having here. This little boy has such a thrust for knowledge and I am so glad I have made the choices that I have.

Do you find yourself not always having a complete sick day?

Cheers,
Cynthia

Adventures with Animals

There are certain moments you can have with your pet that just get cemented into your brain. Some of them are moments of love. Others are moments of anger. Last but not least there are the ones that you submit to America's Funniest Home Video's. 

This morning I had one of the America's Funniest Home Video moments. 

It was first thing in the morning. I left Presley up stares because everyone was still sleeping. I needed to slip down stares for a drink of water. 

When I returned my fine furry lady, she greeted me at the gate with a special gift.

She was wearing my,


BRA!!!

There is no, G rated photo I can put up here to display this moment.  I am not putting a photo of my actual bra on the internet, please, let's leave some things to the imagination!  

Let's just say, I would have won the prize for the funniest video!! That is a laugh that started my day on the right paw!

Blessings,
Cynthia

My Journal Advice from Southern Man

Sometimes when I watch a movie it get's me thinking about other aspects in my life. Well the other day I watched,You've Got Mail. It is an all time classic and timeless movie. I just can not get sick of it. Well Tom Hanks' character gives Meg Ryans character a lot of advice. 


That led me to think about the advice I get from Southern Man.

Southern Man has two answers in life for everything.
The answers are,
a. 42(if it's not this)
b. rinse and repeat! 

This is me,"   Honey how many baby's should we have?"
Southern Man,"42'

Me, "  Hun I can not get my computer to work!"
Southern Man,"  Rinse and Repeat"


See what I mean!


What advice do you hear in your home?
Cheers,
Cynthia

Home Schooling A Mission Statement

Well as I start to officially in bark on our very first state qualifying year of home school, with the possibility of a mid-year move to a new state, with different qualifications to meet. I found my self a bit over whelmed. This past year we just got our feet wet with Pre-K. 

I have so many ideas and standards I want to set. I have been collecting goodies and making plans in journals. I made him his first learning portfolio. 

We made a couple of home school friends and are trying out the different co-ops in our area. 

I have researched hundreds of websites now and have so much bouncing about in my head.

I am even attending my first home school teacher and spouse learning conference this weekend with Southern Man.

Where to begin? How to organize it? I have a wish list. I have a lay out of how I want the room to look and I have narrowed it down to 3 possible general curriculum's  I want to use.   

I am ready to start writing my lesson plans. However there is a step before that I need to put into place. Goals for the year, outside of the state standards. 

A mission statement. I know what you are all thinking, "Jerry Maguire"  . Right? No I did not have a nervous breakdown and run to Kinko's in the middle of the night and you will all be getting a copy this morning!! Ha, ha,ha


No, it is a place to set my goals and reflect and look as the year goes on.


Here is mine for the 2011-2012 school year.

• Mission 2011-2012 School Year
• ·         To provide 180 days plus of instruction
• ·         To meet all the state wide qualifications and plan to move to a second state.
• ·         To supplement with Weekley Reader, Scholastic, High Five,
• ·         To include and open our day with Bible Study
• ·         To include fine arts, music lesson and visual arts
• ·         To include a daily life journal
• ·         To include 2 forms of physical education (soccer, marshal arts, swimming, gymnastics)
• ·         To include a weather tracking journal and do monthly graphs to compare days
• ·         To include Seasonal themed activities
• ·         To include national themed activities
• ·         To belong to a home school co-op and attend events
• ·         To use math-u-see program
• ·         To use 109 days of creation for science
• ·         To use handwriting with out tears
• ·         To have a story time
• ·         To attend the library once a week
• ·         To Learn about the 50 states, to learn to live outside our school room, outside our home, out side our street, out side our town, outside our county out side our state, outside the united states, outside our continent
• ·         To include singing
• ·         To include roll play and imagination
• ·         To include goal setting and reward
• ·         To keep a learning portfolio and journal
• ·         To include field trips( Crayola factory, national aquarium, natural history museum,
• ·         To include school room jobs( watering plants, taking weather info down, clean up crew, feeding fish
• ·         Receive 2 home school publications
• ·         Attend 2 home school learning conferences
• ·         Include technology education

Do you have a mission statement? If not what is your goal setting technique for the up coming school year?

Cynthia