"Andre, You've Sunk ANOTHER Submarine?!"

Yet another update.

Exercise:

I have yet to reach failure on most of these. TOO EASY DRILL SERGEANT!!
These are the exercises we do. Of coarse, hubby is much, much stronger than me, but my goal is to come close!

*Bicep curls: 15lbs, 12x's (these are to failure)-these are each arm, so if I had a bar it would be 30lbs.
*Shoulder press: 40lbs, 12x's (to failure)
*Tricep/Overhead extentions: 30lbs, 12x's (I could probably do 15-not to failure yet)
*Bench press: 55lbs, 12x's (to failure)
*Leg extentions: 70lbs, 12x's (TOO EASY STILL)
*Leg curls: 35lbs, 15x's (to failure)
*Squats: 95lbs, 12x's (TOO EASY!)
*Dumbbell rows: 40lbs, 12x's (to failure)

That's it. We are also walking, or trying to, everyday. I've lost 4 lbs in the last 2 weeks and have gained noticeable muscles! The numbers are what I did last workout. I started with much less weight and worked up. For the things that are too easy still we will add 10, 15 or 20 lbs at a time to see where my limit is. If I cannot do at least 8 reps, then it is way too heavy. That's all here.



Housing/Packing:

I've listed my very first-all by myself-ebay items for sale! (just books) I am very pleased, for hubby has wanted me to put things for sale and I just hadn't learned the format yet! I kept counting the pennies and what they might turn into...yarn, knitting books, fabric! Just dreaming! Being the practical family, it would be more likely groceries, bills, gas money!

Hubby is still working hard on the house. He called me one time (you know that call where you drop everything and run!) he was standing in the back room and I know now what "Atlas" looks like. He was putting up drywall for the ceiling and, well, let's say, I'm his right hand man!! So very glad we're done with all that. The people who owned the house before did some renovating and for being in the construction business made HORRIBLE errors in things like the wiring. In layman's terms, they put the wrong "thickness" of wire so that if there were a fire, the breaker would NOT trip and the house would burn with no alarms going off!! Hubby's been redoing so much of this: can't leave such dangers!!
Meal Planning/Cooking:

Meal planning has been great! I have a meal for everyday and everyone is loving it. Umm, except for yesterday. Everyone loves the food so much that there aren't the leftovers anymore! I usually make 1/2 of my 12qt pan and have enough for at least two meals! Do I need to make more? I have that pan and also a 16qt pan (where I make yogurt). Oh, and I also forgot to figure in when hubby goes shopping. It is mostly when he needs something from the hardware store, so that could be 2 times in a week or not for 2 weeks! I try to keep stocked everything, but everyone keeps eating it!!!

Schooling:

Ok, I was wrong. I apoligize. My children will not be skipping a grade or workbook. They will be finishing High School by the time they are 12. I was also mistaken in how long it took for them to complete this grade. Under 3 months: the are just about finished with the 2nd book, which took them a month and the only reason they took longer for the first book was because we took off for visiting family and we were only doing one lesson per day! (though we tried at the time to have school 6 days per week) As we continue through the summer, the older two will work through Math 3 and be ready for Math 5/4 by the time school starts this fall! That's my 2nd grader and my 1st grader will be doing 4th/5th grade math! As far as History and Science, they are doing well learning about trees, flowers, seeds, seasons and geography. I'm thinking of getting some older grades in this area since it is just 'random' facts and not at all like math with concepts that are built onto each other. I am excited to see what's out there and find the perfect curriculum for our children! Yesterday during naptime, #3 had found a kindergarten/1st grade workbook we had bought for the older children a couple of years ago. He was doing the pages (with some of the instructions being read to him by an older sibling) with ease!! I'm going to separate the pages that he can do and keep them for records. I'm sure I have a thin binder, probably packed away already, well, the folders are still out, that'll work. He now reads books to the little girls!

I think that's all the news here. Slowly selling things and it clears out space for hubby to work. Getting phone calls of interest on the house. Spending all my time with the children to keep up on training so that there isn't a lull into poor attitudes and bad behaviour. Refiguring lessons, incorporating Biblical principles, keeping the Word ready in our hearts. Ah, and we finished reading The Man in Bearskin!! The children loved it and asked what the next book will be. Right, I already had them sent to storage. I guess hubby will go get the well marked box. Not knitting-REALLY wanting to sew or even make dishcloths, but I can wait and continue designing in the meantime! I came across this quilt...looks like it would be fun to make & I love the colors! Caution to all who quilt: you might be inspired by all the quilts this mama makes!! Much like this site, not simple one patch quilts but very beautiful!! And visit this site with so many tutorials...I think I'll be finishing quilts before I get around to actually sewing clothes once we settle in AZ!

Just finished making bread and spent a bit of time outside. It was not too cold, but the wind made us shiver. It was nice to come inside and eat the bread with butter and honey or honey and crunchy peanut butter!! Now, we are just chillin' and enjoying the warm house.
I've been thinking of taking out my sewing machine, but then I've been talking with hubby about helping him more on the house. I knitted 2 rows last night and it didn't have the same wonderfulness as before. I am so very ready to quilt and sew. If I help hubby, he said we would really be done in a week. On one hand: sewing, on the other: helping hubby with house which equals moving sooner. I guess we'll be doing some tiling tonight! I need to finish the laundry so we can take that out of the room. Later all ya alls!!

Induction Cookers & Yogurt Making

Thought I'd show you'alls my induction cookers. They are wonderful, especially when your stove goes out and you still have electricity! They are also great in summer when you don't want added heat in your house! This is the white one, it has a lip at the edge of the plate, the black one doesn't. They're very easy to use, the children are starting to learn. Since our stove is fixed, but so old and inefficient, that I am using the induction cookers for everything that would be stove top. I still make bread in the oven and things like meatloaf, but that's all.



The principle is on magnetism therefore, if a magnet doesn't stick to your pan, you won't be able to use it, the cooker will automatically shut off. Also, if you take your pan off the plate, the connection is broken and it will beep a few times and then shut off. I love this for teaching the children to cook, the plate does not get hot except for the retained heat from the pan. The concept is brilliant!!

Right now I'm making yogurt-thought I'd take pictures to show you!

This is the black one, I must use for this huge pan (no lip on the plate). So, by tonight sometime, we will have 2 gallons of yogurt! (and meatloaf I made last night.)

That's all that's going on here besides the children have moved to doing 2 Math lessons per day-they are absolutely excelling!! :) We will finish the first work book in no time and move to the second. We need to start Multiplication and Division now that they are good at Addition and Subtraction. Then Algebra is next, Geometry will be interspersed so that Trigonometry will flow easily as well!! I will be checking their placement and skip a few books, since in elementary the main processes are learned and then repeated until the upper grades. Their reading is doing quite well and I hope to get out these books I got from Rod & Staff:

Thrilling Escapes by Night
The Man in Bearskin
Evangelist in Chains

I have more, and I think these are great true stories and truly real life based. I think I'll be selling my Laura Ingalls books...I'd not read them before now and found that I don't want to know the inner thoughts of Laura or the disobedient things that Almonzo did. Don't children have enough bad examples that we would have to introduce more?! We want them to emmulate Christ-like characters and will be looking for more whether taken from scripture or biographies.

Well, that's all for now. Need to go get another meal/snack out! Have a blessings of a day!

Going UP!

**this is not my house, my stove or mine at all. I thought it was pleasantly minimalistic!**
We've moved back upstairs! It's much better and what I'm used to!! Have caught up on most everything and have helped hubby more with the switch-er-roo of rooms. He finished painting and putting in the carpet in all but the old dining room. He'll leave that so that we can eat there again & not dirty the new carpet! He just fixed the OLD Frigidaire electri-clean 50's or 60's stove. I like it because of it's flat burners not the coils of electric yuck that always seemed to burn things! I look forward to using the oven...that I've been without for the past month! Hubby is also okay-ing getting rid of stuff. I happen to have the most of those rubbermaid/sterlite tubs filled with sewing and knitting things. We consider it equal to "potential energy", things I can make for the family, like unto the idiom: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. I'm not sure what we're gonna get rid of since we are extremely practical! Hubby was saying things that we haven't used in 5 years-I can think of kitchen things and I'm sure there's plenty more we could do without and still live comfortably!

What else? Handling the everyday in the construction zone. Since the tile is just about done in the kitchen, I won't have to walk on boards to pass or lean over large newly set areas. I look forward to walking through any path without extension cords. I am so pleased with the progress that it is so easy to put up with these inconveniences. I enjoy house hunting with hubby and knowing what we can do to fix a house and put up with instead of buying perfectly new and paying with "an arm and leg"! We like looking at the different layouts of the houses and figuring what would be more suitable for our family-tons of fun for us!!

Cooking: this has been a bit difficult without a stove. In fact I need to go make a vegetable soup and we already had refried beans with cheese and chips for lunch. Everyone really enjoys these stovetop meals, I'm just ready for a few meals that I can throw in the oven!

Schooling: going well, we've stopped almost all t.v. and video games. We have our obedient smart children back! Also taking Cod Liver Oil (Carlson's Lemon flavor!) is helping alot too. I found my McGuffey Reader and will see where the older 2 are-they are probably ready for the next book. #1 is doing handwriting beautifully and #2 has neatened his penmanship. #3 is reading simple books and doesn't "like the long words so (he) just skips them"-funny! I guess I need to read to him and see where he really is. #1 & #2 read to the children and #3 is constantly asking for another book to be read! #4 is working with #5 on speaking correctly, "no, we say banana, not babana"...she is always anticipating and helping everyone! #5 is speaking clearly and is so cute when she asks for a bottle for #6 and herself. I just love their little baby voices speaking in coherent sentences!! #6 is walking so very well, almost to the running stage. He has a few sounds that sound like several words: Ha for yes, mama, dada, ba-ohl for bottle and many more. I enjoy his face lighting up when we actually guess what he's saying!

Well, children are off to bed, hubby is finishing the tile in the kitchen, I just finished cleaning up dinner (cheesy cream of vegetable noodle soup) and changing the laundry. I was thinking that once the kitchen is done, I might actually put a picture. I'll find something with the "before" and then you'll see how great it looks now!! I forgot to mention that we moved alot of the storage things into the children's old room. We have more things downstairs to move up, then I'll be able to finalize what we will keep and ready everything for the move! **Did I mention that I love to organize and consolidate??!!**

Okie, I'm tired and I haven't knitted in 2 days!! Need to finish my shawl, I might post a picture since it looks so different from the usual! :)

All-you-alls have a blessed week and keep putting God first!

Yes, Going like the Energizer Bunny!

Well, last night was our first night in our brand new bedroom upstairs. Hubby moved us out of our room and he painted it last night (or rather, early this morning) and he'll be carpeting it then moving on to the children's room after they are moved into our old room. Then he'll start tiling the kitchen and bathroom. He is going NONSTOP!!

We went to the grocery store the day before yesterday--ahhh, what a pleasant break from the construction zone!! We were out running errands and the like for 4 hours and were ready to be home again. I am cooking lots more now that the kitchen is a bit more organized and I don't haveta run upstairs or send someone (my "fast like a bunny" little ones) to get ingredients or pans. I'm also JUST starting to drink enough water again! Amazing how you can get "sick" so quickly by not having enough water!! I was "suffering" from many things including a couple of pinched nerves, headaches, tummy aches, lethargy, brain fog....all this caused by not drinking water. So you know, I would drink juice mixed with water (1/2 'n' 1/2) or a few glasses of milk and maybe a cup of tea. NO WATER. Now that I'm just drinking (in addition to other liquids) at least 1/2 gallon of water I'm doing much better!! I had stopped working out so I didn't need quite as much water. Like I said, things are much better and I look forward to getting more done as well as always helping hubby with the house.

I guess I got upset with all you alls. Yes, most of you don't leave comments, but I was going by the 50-100 hits I get on my blog per day and thought some of you needed to really say something. Well, come to find out, the hits are a total from all my blogs. I'm guessing that the majority of hits are for the knitting patterns. I don't apologize for getting upset, 'cause I'm still waiting for some family and friends to comment. I'll give 'em the excuse that maybe their computers are broken, yeah, that's it. They really do care and would comment! Ok, I'll go with that!! (chuckle)

I am surprised that I'm still able to (and still desire to) knit! I'm halfway through a scarf, but I ran out of yarn, so now I'm working on thick wool socks for me. It's been cold and won't be warming to a warm temp for several months still. We all are enjoying being downstairs where the sunlight (when it does come through the clouds) shines in and warms the room. The children like racing to a sunny spot whether to do their schoolwork or to just sit and be warm. They remind me of our old cats! Speaking of schoolwork, since we started again (after all the traveling and moving) they are doing well and understanding it quickly and working quickly while doing it even neater and more precise!!

I'm thinking of doing a video of the house when it's done. I think it would work better and you'd be able to see more than just a series of pictures. I haveta figure out how to put a video in, but that's still down the road...something to look forward to! It's looking great!

Ok...what else. I need to feed the children (and me-go figure) the homemade vegetable noodle soup. Maybe we'll have tuna and cheese and crackers, too! I need to make bread, but I haveta wait. That's ok, we got chips and crackers at the store, so no lack of carbs!

Here's what we had for breakfast: (serving 7)

Scrambled eggs, Refried bean and cheese burritos, oats with raisins and molasses and gingermonhoney cereal. Finally heard, "I'm soooo full!" So, gotta run and do this again and think of dinners.

Have a good, be good and good!

Ciao.

Whaddaya Think?

This is our pear tree. The Lord has blessed us with these beautiful yummy pears for the second year! All this we picked today; it's supposed to frost tomorrow night! We have 2 medium buckets, an estimated 20 lbs of pears. They are huge!! Thank you Lord!

I've been knitting and designing during my "spare" time. I have just a few projects to finish & I have 3 sweaters waiting for finalization. I also discovered Annie Maloney's books. Right now I'm interested in the cable book. I haven't found these cables anywhere and they're not like all I've seen. Anyway....

Just made a cream of broccoli soup to go with the bread yesterday. When it's cooler, I enjoy baking more. It's easier to bake. It's cool and it just "feels" like cinnamon roll and coffee weather, or chili and corn bread, or even a batch of crepes as pancakes with honey or other sweet dressings.

The children are learning well. The two oldest finish Bible and Spelling this morning before b'fast, then we did a lesson in Science and they were all but jumping up and down when I finally let them get out their math. They love it, look forward to it and just eat it up!! I could just give them the workbook and let them do the lesson mostly on their own, but I need to really get with it, cover the few things I've just touched and get them rolling into the 2nd book and then let them work on their own!

I need to start requiring that #1 write in handwriting. (cursive). She prints beautifully and I think she's ready to take her creative abilities and begin illustrating.

#2 is reading everything...I need to dig out my old books and give him something more than the baby (dick and jane) that we have out! One can get sick of reading too many books about animals as well!

#3 is working with dh on his reading. Mr. Brainy( #3) will spell and read just fine if he can play a computer game! So we use it and everyone wins!!

#4 is teaching #5 her abc's, colors and shapes. Yup, that's the 3 yr old teaching the almost 2 yr old!

#6 is doing great. He's eating well, sleeping much better and is his happy self once again! He's pushing up like he's ready to crawl, but still does the roll and turn over to get to a different place. He's also talking more. He was downstairs with dh this morning and he was just saying "mamamamamamma" until dh brought him up and then he was full of satisfied giggles when he was put in my arms!! SO adorably cute and sweet!

That's all here. Full schedule and the same 'o same 'o everyday so I won't bore ya until I have something more to tell ya. Ok.

Turkey Recipe

Here's my answer to a recent comment:

My favourite Thanksgiving Turkey recipe is my mom's! When she cooks, that's my most favourite!!

I've never made turkey (whole) and I think I made a roast when dh went to work. Warms up better than the first time it's eaten.

When we ate more chicken, I'd make fajitas. Not really Thanksgiving food, but still yummy!! I think just making something you and yours like is the best part of celebrating together, no matter the day-or missed day!

I like to keep Thanksgiving meals for getting together with family, rather than making a mess at something I've not tried and don't have a reason to! I like all the memories associated with Thanksgiving...I'd like to keep it that way!! LOL

Well, I've been busy today. It's raining and overcast, but I have had a song in my heart and have enjoyed singing with the girls!
I just finished making a wonderful Potatoe and Hard-Boiled Egg Stew, the Bread is rising and since I didn't have bread, pancakes or any muffin type thing to have with eggs for b'fast, I made Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. If you consider the ingredients...they are the same for all of the above (except bread, but you could have raisin bread!). Again, no sugar, no white flour and you have good food you can have ANY time of the day!!

As I sip my freshly made herbal tea: chamomile, lavender (oh, yeah, totally calming!), spearmint, rose hips, fennel, dandelion leaf and red clover.

So, besides all this, I wrote out 3 (yes, three) patterns that I'll be posting sortly!!
(Yup, all this done while homeschooling and caring for the babies!)

Well, need to go feed the tribe and enjoy the constant sound of rain and cars driving through it!

Sorry for the Rants. Please enjoy the Rave!

I apologize for not keeping to the regular and everyday. I wanted to share more, but I’m becoming one of those boring blogs-in my honest opinion. So, I’ll get back to letting everyone know what’s up here.

We are having wonderful progress in school. I’ve put the oldest two together, keeping in mind that the younger will be challenged, but not requiring as much as the older. We are just flying through Math and I have to come up with other projects to keep them in Science and History so the book may last the year. If they are able to comprehend all this (which I know they are) we’ll be finishing these books and moving to the next level.

Here’s my curriculum for this year:

Saxon Math 2 (1 teacher’s book & workbooks for each)

Rod & Staff Pattern’s of Nature 2nd grade science (teacher’s and student book each)

Rod & Staff Our Father’s World 2nd grade history (teacher’s and student book each)

Rod & Staff English Grammar (in depth, will use through senior year of studies)

KJV Bible reading & comprehension & spelling 4th grade level (each own Bible)

Watercolors for art (Crayons, Coloring Books, Blank Spiral Notebooks for free draw)

Sign Language Made Simple by Edgar D. Lawrence (A complete manual for learning sign language in sentence form)

A set of 50 single words on 25 cards

Spanish (need to start) See It & Say It in Spanish

Right now, the children are watching (for the 2nd time) Berenstein Bears in French.

I’ve been busy keeping school going and I’ve noticed that they could start reading the lesson plan to do the next subject and prepare. I use a composition book and list the date and what we covered in each subject. It was much easier than a column book or anything else.

The next two younger (#3 and #4) are great at their alphabet and hubby is teaching them to read. We found that the more time you spend with your children in an enjoyable setting, the more they learn, the more they can surprise you with what they already know! As mothers who homeschool, this is our duty, job, obligation each and every day. We have no excuse but that our children should learn and learn well!

I’ve been finishing my knitting projects. I’ve put everything on RAVELRY . It’s easier to organize since it’s set up that way. I will post at my handwork site all that I’ve placed on ravelry so you can see.

Hubby and I are working out lots and lots. He has started biking again, riding as far (and further) as we did when we biked after #2 was born. We also walk about 2 to 3 miles 5 times out of the week as long as it’s not raining too much-or should I say storming! I’m doing my exercises that I did before and after #1 was born all the way until after #2 was born. Something happened (maybe I complained, or decided to let myself become overwhelmed with my God-given duties) and I didn’t lose weight as well after #3 though I sorta-mostly worked out. After #5 was born, I rarely worked out and then stopped until after #6 was born. BIGGEST MISTAKE.

Well, I repented of my hardheartedness and unthankfulness and the Lord has blessed me!

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Proverb 17:22

Though it is slow going, I’ve lost 5 lbs in the last month and I’ve gone down from a size 14 to a size 10. I still have a good 20 to 25 lbs to lose which will further my inch loss. I am glad that I measure myself and weigh myself and keep track, otherwise I would be tempted to skip days when I didn’t feel like working out!! After #2 was born I lost about 40 lbs in 2 months— I didn’t lose but 10 at the birth, so really 30 lbs, but that’s 1/2 lb every day! I was able to do 10 REGULAR push ups before I had to stretch to do 5 more. Now, I can only do 10 without even going all the way down, then I do 10 “girl” push ups (with knees bent) all the way down. These little advances encourage me to keep going!

With all this, I found yet another encouraging verse:

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” I Timothy 4:8

We are eating regular meals, since I’m not expecting, I don’t need to eat every 2 hours around the clock-duh! I’ve increase my water intake from about 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon up to 1 to 1 1/2 gallons per day. Trusting God to show us what we need to every day helps with everything all day!!

Well, it’s outside time/walk time and I need to finish thawing the meat for hamburgers. I plan on making an arm roast for Thursday possibly and loads of peas with mashed or fried potatoes.

This is a cantaloupe from our garden. It was "normal" size and very yummy!! We look forward to planting more next year!

ok, sorry that's all the pics you get. I have many to download and organize, but you can always visit my handwork blog. I just posted many there, if you're interested in knitting!!

Later!

What Does BUSY Mean To You?

This is the Ellis Family. I found it online. No relation. I just thought for an old picture, they have approximately the age distance, same birth order and number of children. Just for fun!

I've been busy. I've been over here knitting! There's the knitting, schooling, cleaning, cooking, rearing, feeding, obeying, disciplining, exercising, eating/drinking and all other everyday things I may have forgotten!

I was just digging through my boxes of books & I have so many language books!! We'll be starting with 3 easy languages: Spanish, German and Sign Language. The other languages I have are: Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Japanese, Russian and Short Hand. We could learn a language per year!!

I also found my music books. I'll start with Music Education in the Elementary School 1944-I have another 1/2 dozen music books. I have a bag of rhythm things as well as a recorder since #1 wanted to learn to play the flute. We've already used the McGuffey First Eclectic Reader and we'll review that and move up to the Second Eclectic Reader and I need to incorporate the Handwriting for each lesson! I'm still looking for my English Grammar book, I'll find it soon-I know where it is!

Now I'm waiting on:

Science - Rod & Staff Grade 2

Social Sciences- Rod & Staff Grade 2

Math - Saxon Math 2 (did get Saxon Math K, 1, & 3 so I'll have some foundational work for the babies (1, 2.5 &4) and then seeing how well the older two go through Math 2, I have 3 ready'n'waiting :NO, not new>eb.ay used!)

This will be for the 2 oldest and I'll be starting all 5 children in a learning schedule!! I'll let the 4 month old (yup, he's that big already) wait a little bit before catching up with his siblings.

Just like cloth diapers, I won't have much to buy for each child that goes through this curriculum!!!

I, like every mother out there that spends time & teaches her children, know where my children are academically. I can see where I haven't pushed them AT ALL and they catch on to concepts and ideas well. So, when I teach them, they'll be learning more efficiently and if I ever push them (encourage them to do more) they will excel! Last year was our "practice" year & we did the minimum and they advanced tremendously. This year is our "real" year for our oldest as far as scheduling, record keeping and subjects; but-you know, I just realized that we homeschool from birth. Subject closed.

**If you haven't figured out by now, I was homeschooled. Only 9th thru 12th and then I continued with a few subjects for several years after. I loved it so much more than any other schooling I ever had!! (I've been to Public, Catholic, Private Christian and Homeschool) I helped my parents along with my two younger brothers to set up several state homeschool conferences, then went on to teach a few violin students and played in 4 local orchestras. (My Lord Jesus gets credit for that talent, I just used it) I worked for almost two years in a violin shop before I was married and started another country!! (see above picture)

Did I mention that I fell in love with the violin after seeing the movie,

"And They Shall Have Music"

I started playing at age 14 and still play for my children.

Go here for more homeschooling mom's pages!