Menu Plan Monday- Two Weeks with Beach Meals and Snacks

On Thursday of this week we leave for the beach, so my meal plan this week includes snack foods I'm taking to the beach and tentative plans for eating at the beach. We stay in a house with a kitchen, so we can make most of our meals and eat at home.

Monday- Spaghetti, fruit

Tuesday- Impossible cheeseburger pie, veggies

Wednesday- Fettucine alfredo with chicken

Thursday- eat out beach

Friday- eat out beach

Saturday- sandwiches

Sunday- Frozen pizza; salad; fruit

Monday- BBQ chicken; veggies

Tuesday- out to eat

Wednesday- cook out?

Thursday- Chicken nuggets, chicken strips, frozen fries, fruit

Friday- out to eat on the way home

Saturday- sandwiches

Sunday- sandwiches or pizza(VBS work)


Healthy snacks for the beach:

Dried fruit
Whole wheat crackers with peanut butter
Cereal bars
Dries cereal
Yogurt
Fiber Wheat Thins
Raisins


To see more menu plans, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Where Have the Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer Gone?

I'm not sure what happens every summer. I have all good intentions of slow, lazy days. But, somehow, we end up busy all summer!

We had a week of KidShine Drama camp for Kathryne and Charles:




Then Charles went to Flag Football camp for a week:




We had a trip to Discovery Place with Jason's cousin Robert who stayed with us for the week:


We've done some school work and projects:


And, we've had lots of swimming in the pool!





I can't believe June is almost gone! Next week we head off to the beach.

Menu Plan Monday

This week is a "get back on track" week for us as we were gone the last half of the week last week.

Monday- Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese- I'm going to add hotdogs and serve with fruit.

Tuesday- Tacos with salad and fruit

Wednesday- Chicken casserole; peas; corn

Thursday- Fettucine Alfredo- I'm trying this recipe from $5 dinners that adds peas and chicken.

Friday- Homemade pizza with dough from the bread machine

Saturday- Top your own pasta- This is a kid favorite. I make pasta and put it on the table plain. Everybody tops with their favorite sauce, cheese, meats- whatever I have on hand.

Sunday- Leftovers and sandwiches

For more great menus, check out I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Wishing a Happy Father's Day...

to all the Fathers out there. I am am so thankful for God, my Abba father. I love and appreciate my earthly father. And I think my husband is the greatest father there ever has been!

Happy Father's Day

Notes From the Homeschool Convention

Jason and I enjoyed our trip to the state homeschool convention this weekend. It is nice to get away as a couple once in a while and have some time to spend together without children. It gives us a time to reconnect and just enjoy each other's company!
I went to three workshops this year. We did not go to see the keynote speaker at all, but I heard he was very good also.

I went to a workshop about the book A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. That one was extremely interesting. I had not heard of this book, which apparently has been well-spoken of in homeschool circles. The workshop was great! The premise of the book, if you are uninformed like me, is that education today is just teaching mediocrity. We need to teach differently if we are to raise leaders. That part is pretty obvious to those of us who homeschool. Discontent with the educational system is often a main reason people decide to homeschool. But the book continues to describe the various stages of a child's life and how to work on developing leadership and end educating leaders in each stage. I was so impressed, I bought the book and the companion guide. I am looking forward to reading it.
The second workshop I attended was about literature for a Christian worldview. I'm not sure I learned anything new there, but I did get a nice reading list to use to choose some books for Kathyrne and Charles to read.
The last workshop I attended was about nurturing your preschoolers while homeschooling your older children. I must say, this is one of the greatest difficulties I face as a homeschooling mom. I often get so caught up in making sure I get things done with Kathryne and Charles that I feel Ashlyne and Rachel don't get much of my time. Unfortunately, I didn't hear much that I didn't already know- a few tips that I use already. I guess I shouldn't expect that someone will be able to give me a magic formula to make this easier, hmmm. The fact is that this is a small season of my life, and I believe I need to enjoy it and treasure my children while they are this age and make the most of every opportunity. The one tidbit I did get that I had not thought of was: Spend time with the younger children first. Make it a point to do "school" or something with them before starting with the older children. That way the little ones feel they've had "Mom time", and that can go a long way later. this is definitely something I am going to incorporate into our school schedule even this summer!

All in all, we had a great time. I left feeling renewed and exciting about homeschooling- which is the main idea I suppose. I have curriculum for the fall that I am excited about. And I had a nice weekend away with my wonderful husband!

I also finished some reading while I was away this weekend. You can check out my Good Reads blog here.

Just an Announcement

There will be no Menu Plan Monday this week because...

I am going off with my sweet husband with NO CHILDREN for the end of the week. We will be heading to our state's homeschool convention with, did I mention, NO CHILDREN. I will also not be cooking or preparing meals for Thursday, Friday ( and possibly Saturday). Can you see me doing the happy dance? So, no menu plan for us this week! Not that we won't be eating the rest of the week, but, well, hmmm.

Using the Workboxes

We began using our workboxes today as we started our first official day of school. They were a big hit with the kids. I see some areas I am going to need to tweak. For our summer schedule- which is supposed to be lighter than our regular schedule- I am going to need to adapt the amount of work in the boxes. Kathryne (my normally slower worker) had a hard time finishing her boxes today. The little girls really enjoyed them because they felt like they were doing "school" with the big kids. That was one of my main goals, so I consider that a big success. Charles (my very driven child) enjoyed seeing how quickly he could complete all his boxes and finish his chart.

Samples of what I put in the boxes:

Kathryne and Charles:
Bible and journal
Catechism study sheet
Summer Bridge Book
Keepers at Home (Contenders for Charles)
Draw Write Now book
Card for playing a states and capitols game online
Summer reading records to update
Card instructing them to do a fun activity from the back of the bridge book
Chore cards (in the last box)

Ashlyne and Rachel:
Puzzles
Cut and glue worksheet
Number flashcards
ABC Bible memory book to do with mom
Handwriting practice book (for Ashlyne)
Pattern blocks
Chore cards

Overall, I think it was a successful first day. I look forward to continuing to use and adapt the system, and I'm glad I started in the summer, so I could tweak it before we hit our regular school season.

Reflections on Two Weeks of Camp

Last week Kathryne and Charles both went to Kidshine Drama Camp. This week was sports camp- flag football for Charles and cheer camp for Kathryne. Sunday night Kathryne decided she really didn't want another week of camp, so Charles went alone this week to football camp.
We have always been ones to keep our children close. When they were younger, we didn't do camps or play dates away from home. Even church activities we did with them instead of dropping them off. In the past year, I have definitely seen a shift in this with Kathryne and Charles. Charles has had several over night trips, and Kathryne (who vowed she would never spend the night away from home) spent the night very happily with a friend last week. Last year's Kidshine camp was the first time Kathryne and Charles were gone away all day every day. It was hard to leave them and hard to get used to. This year was easier, but there was still some difficulty in dropping them off to be totally independent of me all day. And football camp with only Charles going was a really big step (for me anyway)!
I've been reflecting these last two weeks on how grown up they are getting. As babies and preschoolers, my children are so dependent. And I am so aware of all that is going on in their lives. Now, my big kids have whole days that are separate from me. They have friends that they know better than I do. They had teachers at camp that they got to know and bond with that I don't even know. It's not a bad thing- just different.
Another happening that has caused me to reflect on all this is that Jason's younger cousin spent the week with us. He just graduated from high school and drove down by himself (from Virginia) to spend the week. As I watched him and talked to him this week, I realized that in less than ten years, Kathryne will be that age! She will be totally independent- going off to college if that is where God leads- and she will have a whole life independent from me.
In a way, it makes me sad. On the other hand, I am enjoying getting to know my big kids as people and sharing their days with them. I am so thankful for all these years we have had and hopefully will have homeschooling because I have the opportunity to be there with them. I can share in their daily lives and be a part of all that is going on with them. I am so thankful for the relationships we have and look forward to those relationships changing and developing as they grow.


Here are some pictures of Charles's last day of Football Camp:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Discovery Place Trip

After a failed attempt to visit Discovery Place- our local science museum- a few weeks ago when they were closed for renovations, we decided to return today. Robert, Jason's high school aged cousin who is visiting, was able to go with us, and that thrilled the kids. We had great fun exploring all the exhibits. The Science of the Circus is the special exhibit right now, and the kids had the opportunity to walk a tight rope, jump on a bungee jump, and play dress up in the circus clothes.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Menu Plan Monday

I am aware that it is not Monday. This is just a sign of how busy my weekend and week have been.

Here is our menu for the week:

Monday: Cheeseburger Pie; veggies

Tuesday: Eat with inlaws

Wednesday: Out to eat- Discovery Place

Thursday: Tacos

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: Crockpot mac and cheese; fruit; salad- I've never tried this, but a friend of mine brought some over one night and it was really good. This sounds like her recipe. I think I will add bacon or hotdogs to it for some meat since it is the main dish.

Pictures from Kidshine Final Performance

Kathryne and Charles performed tonight in Eternity Studios- the KidShine final day performance. It was very dark, but I did manage to get some good photos:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Drama Camp

For the second year, Kathryne and Charles are attending a drama camp put on by KidShine. They went last year for the first time and had a great time. KidShine is a Christian drama group that teaches the children to act, dance, do puppets, play rhythm instruments, and sing. They practice all week and present a program on Friday evening.

Our experience with KidShine last year was the first time my big kids had gone to any kind of program where I dropped them off, and they were gone from me all day! The friendly and professional staff made me feel very comfortable and willing to do it again!

This year's program is Eternity Studios, and the kids were assigned parts yesterday. Every child gets at least one part and most get two or more. They don't have to audition, just specify what kind of part they'd like and go for it. Kathryne and Charles will both have a speaking and acting part; Kathryne has a dancing part, and Charles is doing rhythm instruments.

They are very excited. I will try to post pictures at the end of the week. I wrote in this post about our experience last year.

Description of a Homeschool Teacher (from Alpha Omega)

I subscribe to the daily homeschool devotionals from Alpha Omega publishers. They are always great, inspiring devotionals. I especially liked today's and thought I'd share. If you'd like to subscribe, visit Alpha Omega's home site.

Wanted: Homeschool Teacher
Tuesday / June 02, 2009


"Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us" (Psalm 68:28).

Have you ever thought about how an advertisement would read for a homeschool teacher? If truthfully stated, the ad would probably go something like this:


Now accepting applications-

Family seeking fun-loving, godly homeschool teacher. Applicant will be responsible for providing total educational development and daily personal care for children of multiple ages. Applicant will assume the following roles: cook, housemaid, nurse, taxi driver, administrative assistant, accountant, athletic coach, social director, computer technician, household and automotive repairman, gardener, course instructor in multiple subject areas and grade levels, and various other responsibilities. This is a full-time position-approximately 120 hours or more per week. Qualified candidates must be able to work well under pressure, multi-task, and prioritize work loads while maintaining a friendly, enthusiastic attitude. Quick thinking, good memory, and a varied background in extensive subject matter are a must. Promising candidates will be resourceful, adjust easily to distractions, and display creative, hard-working leadership abilities. Organizational and problem solving skills are a plus. Previous teaching experience and/or college preferred, but is not required. If you're interested in working in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, this is the position for you! For more information on this exciting opportunity to earn fulfilling, one-of-a-kind rewards, please apply in person today.

After reading these qualifications, no wonder many parents walk away from this employment opportunity. Who can measure up to these standards? Praise God, you can! As you step out in faith and yield your weaknesses to God's strength, you'll not only get the job, you'll also successfully homeschool and discover the fantastic benefits of teaching your children at home. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians 6:10).

Lord, homeschooling seems overwhelming, and there's so much to learn. Like the new guy on the job, teach me what I need to know to successfully homeschool with Your wisdom, strength, and power. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You can help save a homeschool! Learn how today by visiting aophomeschooling.com!

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Summer Reading List

In an attempt to broaden my reading horizons a bit, beyond the Twilight series which I have reread and embarrassing five times more or less, I have developed a Summer Reading List on my Good Reads blog. You can go read my TBR list and add for me in the comments here or there any suggestions you may have for me to add to my list.

Menu Plan Monday

This week my big kids are at drama camp. My mother-in-law is graciously picking them up each afternoon, and we may eat supper with her Thursday. Friday she is going to feed my big kids before their drama camp program. so, this week's menu is flexible. Also, I had to spend way more on snack/convenience foods than I usually do this week because I'm having to pack lunches and snacks for camp. so, I'm trying to do cheaper meals. I got most of my meat on sale!

Monday- No Peek Beef Stew (made in the crockpot); rice; veggies

Tuesday- Country style Steak with mashed potatoes and veggies

Wednesday- Chicken nuggets and fried potatoes; fruit

Thursday- Mac and Cheese with hotdogs

Friday- Homemade pizza

Saturday- Hamburgers and hotdogs

Sunday- Leftovers and sandwiches

To check out more great menu planning ideas, visit, I'm An Organizing Junkie here.