Library Time

We went to the library yesterday to pick up some books for the next two weeks of home schooling. I got about 8 books about various bugs and insects. Daniel helped Danya pick out a large stack of beginning reader books. Here's a picture Daniel took of Danya reading "Princess for a Day" to me and Gloria. She's improving all the time with her reading. Her reading caterpillar is growing fast. She already has over 20 books on it. Today the girls and I went back to the library to listen during story time. The librarian read alot of books about pigs acting silly. The girls enjoyed the songs and games, too.

My Weakness

I admit it. I can't resist McAlister's broccoli cheddar soup and salad. Worse yet, the craving for it wins out at least once a week, sometimes twice. There aren't alot of places to eat in my little city, so that may contribute to it. Mostly, though, it's just me. Now I've got the girls hooked, too. Gloria loves the salad and Danya loves the soup. Daniel humors us all.

Lemonade and Sisters for Sale!

We found a cute little lemonade stand on our way back home today. The girls just HAD to stop and get a drink. I'm a sucker for kids trying to earn some money. Yeah, I'm the easy sell for all the kids in the neighborhood when they're pushing cookie dough and candles for their school fundraisers. We get more cheerleaders, band kids, and girl scouts then you can shake a stick at. Speaking of sticks, I'm right this moment waiting for an order of little magnets sticks and balls that I paid $16 bucks for. I convinced myself that it could be a birthday gift for Gloria AND used for homeschooling. I'm good at justifying paying too much for stuff like that. I will not, however, buy from some strange adult/teenager who shows up at my door pushing magazines or cleaning supplies. When I was a kid my mom says that she got a call from a neighbor (and we lived in the country, neighbors were FAR away) telling her that they'd found me and my brother at their door attempting to sell handmade lunch sack hand puppets. When they said, "No, thank you." we apparently offered to sell them our little sister. I vaguely remember that.

Toni, if it helps any, I now rank you much higher than a hand puppet. Love ya, Sis!

Yard Sales!

This morning we all hopped in the van and cruised around looking for someone else's junk to buy. I got some good books, including some A Beka reading books from a family that has kids attending Rejoice Christian school. I also found a whole box full of National Geographic World kids magazines. Daniel is so good about driving me around to find these. Today there was one on almost every corner! Alot of the time he just stays in the car with the kids and lets me take a quick look. I should seriously start a fund in our budget for garage sales since I enjoy them so much. I look forward to Saturdays all week long. Gloria seemed to think today that since her birthday is in about a month, I should be buying her presents everywhere we stopped. She doesn't know that we bought her one last night. Today we took her to pick out some wrapping paper. She's already telling me her birthday plans. We're thinking about having two parties, one for her friends at our house, and one for family in OKC.

Winds of Change

To sweep or not to sweep? That is no longer a question for Daniel! He got a brand new leaf blower this weekend! He hooked it up first thing this morning. Then he began blowing out the grass clippings, leaves, and other junk that has been getting into our garage for quite some time now. It took a minute to notice that our next door neighbor was outside washing, hand-drying, and detailing his pretty black car. So Daniel was nice and put the leaf blower away.

I'm glad that he'll finally be able to clean up the mess after mowing the grass and we won't have to spend an hour sweeping it up with our broom. Of course, now we won't get to compare whose blisters are bigger afterwards, but I can live without that joy.

Purple Power!

We went for a family bike ride today to try out my new bike. Daniel bought me this new bike last night as an early birthday present. Okay a verrry early birthday present. My birthday is in November, but what I really wanted was a new bike and by then it's a little late for bike rides. I can't wait to get all my little "accessories" put on it! I've got a nice comfy cushioned seat that was a birthday present last year, and some new plush handles that Daniel got me yesterday. Now all I need to do is add a stereo system, lower the frame, and figure out how to make it lift up and down and I'll have totally "pimped my ride", lol! It's purple, my favorite color, so now all 3 of the Elliott girls have purple bikes. The girls decided since our bikes match, we should match, so we declared "pink shirt day" too. I'll enjoy it for now, since they'll outgrow wanting to look anything like their mom soon enough.

Swing Time

The question is: Am I a good mommy for taking them to the park today, or a bad mommy because it was 95 degrees outside? The girls seemed to have a good time. They went down the scorching hot slide, took turns pushing each other on the swing, and played in the sand. Another little girl came at almost 4pm and they played with her. When they first wanted to play on the swings we realized that someone had wrapped them around the top to shorten the chains. So I spent several minutes tossing the swings up trying to get them over the bar. The first one wasn't too hard. The second one I got the swing seat over, but the chain got tangled on the giant nuts and bolts fastening it to the top of the swing. I had to stretch to my tiptoes with the seat in my hand and try to nudge the links of the chain off of the bolts. I don't want to even think what I must have looked like sweating in the 95 degree heat, my pants sagging down showing my white granny panties, my shirt lifting as I stretched my arms over my head showing off my flabby belly. I was thinking how embarrassed I would've been when I was a kid to have someone see my mom looking like that. But when I got the chain fixed so my kids could swing they just jumped up and down squealing, "You're the best mommy ever!"

Future Playwrights!

Yesterday Danya wrote her first play! She and Gloria worked out the story together. Then they asked me to help them hang a blue sheet for the "sky" and a green sheet with flowers on it for the "grass". First they pretended they were Pocahontas and John Smith. Then Gloria changed her outfit and became Pocahontas' dad, the chief. Here is an excerpt from the script with Danya's original spellings:

"Pokhenis wones wit owt one day and shee met a boy and shee ast if shee kud kno what his naem wus and he sed yes my naem is Bob."

Here's the translation: "Pocahontas once went out one day and she met a boy and she asked if she could know what his name was and he said, "Yes. My name is Bob."

Later Bob became John Smith and the script grew from there. They really got into the whole thing. I just wished there had been a bigger audience so I could have stood up and said, "That's my kid!" lol. They are so creative!

Dirty Story

Here's a dirty story with a clean ending. It's shameful, but true. We let our van go without a wash for about two solid months. It was getting so bad that I'd make Daniel back the van out of the garage so I wouldn't have to scoot past it and risk getting my clothes dirty. I didn't even want to open the trunk to put groceries in because the hatch was so dirty. We've traveled to visit Daniel's parents who live in a semi-rural area, collecting even more dirt...and yet STILL we did not wash the car. I was starting to feel like "Sara Sylvia Cynthia Stout who would not take the garbage out" from that Shel Silverstein poem. Click here to read the poem: Sara Cynthia So last night, after dropping the girls off for Awanas at our church (late, but that's another story), we got gas, aired up the tires, and finally finally went through the car wash. Oh, and of course (some cute inside info about our family), Daniel kissed me when the van windows were covered in soap. It's a tradition that we've done our whole marriage. Makes me wanna wash the car more often!

Homeschool Support Groups

Someone asked my opinion of homeschool groups, which is a very good question, so I thought I'd devote a post to it. (thanks, Kelli) I haven't been a homeschooler very long, so I can only share my short term experience. My need for a homeschooling support group is limited, but I decided to participate in my local group. If someone is interested in finding a group local to themselves, here is a good easy to use link: http://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/ When I was researching homeschooling I talked to several people about it and found out that there are alot more homeschoolers around me than I realized.

I got invited to a meeting this summer. It was a pool party, which you can see a post and a picture about further down in my blog. Most of the people there were experienced homeschoolers, so I got to ask them all my questions. That, to me, is a great reason to attend homeschool meetings, if for no other. It was also a relief to meet some girls and boys ages 17-20 who had been homeschooled and were respectful, intelligent, and were either pursuing college or beginning a career. It boosted my confidence that I could successfully homeschool my children to adulthood. This group also holds monthly prayer meetings, but I haven't been to another one yet.

My husband, Daniel, went to the first official meeting of the school year. He paid $20 dues for the whole year, which I think is reasonable to help with group expenses. They email us and let us know about upcoming homeschooling events like book fairs and such. They gave us a card, with their group logo on it, that I signed and we use it to get the teacher's discount at several stores. That has been my favorite thing so far! They offer a couple of 8 week co-op classes that the parents share teaching different subjects. I don't feel like my girls are ready for that yet since the age range is kind of wide. It costs an extra fee, and would require me to help each week for a few hours. Daniel and I don't want to sign up for any extra responsibilities this first year of homeschooling. We want to focus on our family. We will consider it next year, though. This group has been around for a looong time, so I feel confident that they'll still be there.

A really good reason to find a local support group is to simply have someone to talk to about homeschooling. I talk about our homeschool online some, and sometimes get comments on this blog, but speaking to another homeschooler face to face helps so much. A fellow homeschooling mom, Betsy, just the other day invited us over, taught Danya how to bake bread, and let me see her homeschooling materials and filing system. I was able to get some great ideas from her and breathe a big sigh of relief that her system wasn't so different from mine.

Homeschooling groups can be a positive thing, so I'd recommend them as long as they share your views, create a positive supportive environment, and don't overwhelm you and take time away from your family's needs.

Tower of Babel - Elliott Style!

Today we read about the tower of Babel. The girls made "bricks" from playdough, shaping and cutting them out. Then we made our own tower with lots of different kinds of blocks, including Jenga blocks. To illustrate the story, I started talking to Danya and Gloria, then suddenly switched into speaking gibberish. Then we talked about how frustrating it would feel to no longer be able to communicate with others. We wondered if God confused the language of immediate family members, or if he had criteria for the different languages. Could parents no longer talk to their children? We talked about why God did this. Why the people's reason for building the tower was wrong. They really seemed to understand the concept. This was a fun project to work on together. I got the idea from a book called "Forget-Me-Not Bible Story Activities" by Christine Yount. Here's a link to a site discussing the book: Bible Activities

Scottish Festival!

Today we went to the 26th Annual Oklahoma Scottish Games and Gathering. We had a wonderful time! They really went all out in the kids area. Everything for them was free! They made crowns, ribboned head pieces, and a painted shield. They climbed on giant inflatable toys, and participated in sporting events with other kids. The girls got ribbons for the log toss, relay race, sack race, ring toss, and mini-golf. They got to take a picture with a knight, pet a giant horse, learn about falcons and ancient smithcraft, and listen to Irish and scottish bands. Daniel and I ate giant smoked turkey legs and read about the history of the Elliot clan. Daniel enjoyed watching a man actually hammering and shaping metal on an anvil in a forge! I loved the music and looking at all the beautiful silver jewelry twisted into intricate shapes.

The absolute most amazing moment of the day was when we were watching an Irish band perform and they invited kids to dance up at the front of the stage. Gloria said she wanted to, so I took her up to the front. She got shy, but joined in when a woman in costume took her by the hand and started dancing with her. Then Danya got excited about dancing and joined them. They were the only kids dancing at the front, but they were loving it. Then it got even better! The lead singer called for the three of them to join them up on stage!! So my girls went up there and danced with the lady in green while the band performed! Everyone was clapping and the girls were doing a little jig as the singer called out "kick your feet!". When the song ended he laughingly said that was the first session of the Tulsa Irish school of dance! The girls were breathless and grinning from ear to ear as they came down off the stage. We were so proud of them! Gloria kept doing a pretty little dance as we walked away. You can see her peeking out, wearing a white shirt, on stage in the photo on the right. I love how fearless they are! I hope they keep that boldness and excitement as they grow older! Danya even had the courage to ask a lady in costume to take a picture with her. She also asked one of the handlers questions about the birds when we were looking at the hawks. They are growing up into beautiful, fun loving, wonderful young girls!

Pizza Party!

The girls attended their friend, Myka's, 5th birthday party at Pizza Hut today. Myka's dad is the general Manager there. All the kids got to make their own personal pan pizzas at the party. My girls stuck with cheese only, as usual. They ran around with their little conical hats on and chased the birthday girl all over the store. The party was at 10 am before the store opened, so they had free run of the place. The Pizza Hut here is unique, because Myka's dad turned an unused storage corner in the main dining area into a play place for little kids. It has a small plastic slide and some other toys in it. The kids ran in and out from there to the main party room. Danya and Gloria gave Myka two coloring books and some pretty jewelry. They both came home with a goodie bag and a balloon. This may be the last year that Myka's family has birthday parties at Pizza Hut since their dad is transferring to a store in Tulsa. Daniel and I have both worked at this Pizza Hut for Myka's dad, Mike, at different times over the past few years, Daniel as a driver, and I as a waitress. Today we got a little flashback to those times. Daniel got recruited to work the cut table slicing pizzas for all the kids as they came out of the oven, and I wore out the carpet delivering them to the party room. It was sort of fun, since he and I had never worked there together. Ah, memories!

The Concert

The concert was amazing! Dennis Jernigan is such a wonderful performer! He's been playing the piano for audiences since he was 9, and it certainly shows in his inspired music. He puts so much passion and compassion in his voice and lyrics! Daniel and I were loving the old favorites that we'd sang together as teens, and enjoying learning his new music. Attending a Baptist church, even with a pretty good band, I've really come to miss the spirit filled joyful worship services of my youth. At this concert we were truly rejoicing in the Lord!

I didn't have the nerve to ask Dennis for a photo. That's why this is the only semi-decent picture I have. We did get a new CD of his music while we were there, though. This morning I played it loud while Daniel and Danya went out to get donuts for breakfast. Gloria and I danced and jumped all over the living room while the wonderful praise music filled the house! We danced until we both fell down out of breath! It was so much fun!

Dennis Jernigan Concert Tonight!

Daniel and I are going to the Dennis Jernigan concert tonight at our church. His music is special to me because while we were still teenagers, before I graduated high school, Daniel's family used to take me with them and other teens to hear Dennis Jernigan perform at the "Night of Praise" in OKC. His music affected me profoundly. I had never heard anyone sing songs that truly cried out to God like his did. His songs described God in a way that was brand new to me. I had heard God referred to as our "heavenly Father" before, but since I didn't have a close loving relationship with my natural father or my step-dad, it didn't mean much to me. I thought of fathers as being the disciplinarian and rejecting me when I made my mistakes. Dennis Jernigan's music completely changed my concept of God. To this day, his songs can bring me to tears. Not painful ones anymore though, but tears of joy that I have such an awesome loving God as my Father!

Here's a link to his website: http://www.dennisjernigan.com/

I'll post again this weekend, probably, to tell you how the concert goes!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

My friend Missy came over this morning with her girls Sara and Sydney. They stayed for lunch, and then we headed out with them to walk Sara to school for afternoon Kindergarten. On the way, a van stopped beside us and it was Azure, our hairstylist friend. She had a hair appointment with Missy and had come early to give Sara a ride to school as a nice surprise. Now that's my idea of a good friend! So we came home and they went to Sara's school. After the girls and I had finished our homeschool work we walked over to Missy's house so that we could ask Azure if she'd cut my girls hair too, while she was at it. She did a great job on Danya and Gloria's hair, as usual. This time, instead of curling under, she made their hair flip up at the ends. It's extremely cute! The girls got to play with Missy's daughter Sydney some more, and with Azure's son, Zack. As for me, I got to "play" with the other mom's. It's really great to have some grownup conversation during the day. With Daniel working days this month, I think I've been missing that. The good news is, that he got his new schedule, and he'll be back on nights next month. We've really been feeling the drop in pay with him on days, since he isn't getting the shift diff. we've come to rely on. With this new schedule he'll be working Thursday through Sunday nights, 10 hours a day. So it's like having an extra long weekend every week, PLUS his new company pays him a little extra for working weekends! God has truly been good, helping us make ends meet this month, but I'll be glad to have Daniel on nights again starting next month. Speaking of work, do you see the small sticker on Danya's shirt? She got that for correctly answering ALL of the addition problems on her flash cards today! Yeah, Danya! And doesn't her new haircut look cute?!

Art Supply Therapy

Recently I finally took the plunge, stopped being so uptight, and let my girls have almost free access to the art supplies in our house. In the past I couldn't trust them not to destroy everything they got their hands on. I'm finally allowing them a little more freedom and responsibility. They are loving it! Daily they get out the construction paper, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks. You never know what they will design or invent. Yesterday Danya decided to draw a city scape complete with houses, churches, roads, and trees. Gloria is perfecting her people drawing skills. Her Grandma Nancy says that she is amazed at all the details Gloria includes in her drawings. She says the average 3 year old doesn't draw fingers, toes, eyebrows, etc. on their people. Gloria has been doing it for a long time, and I guess I hadn't really thought about it. I'm trying now to teach the girls to clean up after themselves better. They tend to leave tiny scraps of paper and crayons all over the floor, but they are getting better about it. My worst pet peeve is when they leave the caps off the glue sticks. I guess the next frontier for me will be when I start letting them have free access to their paints. But for right now I'm just working on "baby steps" like Bill Murray in "What About Bob?".

Finger Lickin' Good!

We had a little bit of money left in the "eating out" budget this week, so we decided to go out to eat at Rib Crib. Actually, we were going to Chili's to use some coupons we had, but the line of people outside waiting to get in was rediculous, so we changed our minds. I can not WAIT until the new restaurants get finished here. There will be an Applebee's among others, which is exactly the kind of food I like best. I must have the most boring tastes in the world when it comes to food. I don't eat anything too spicey, I usually leave all condiments off of my sandwiches and just eat them as dry and plain as possible, and I prefer not to try a new restaurant unless I know that they serve something that I'm willing to eat. I'm just the opposite of Daniel who has a cast iron stomach and will eat practically anything. Sometimes I dare him to eat weird foods just for fun. I can usually order almost anything off the menu for him if he can't make up his mind, and he'll at least try it. So truthfully, the only reason we don't eat at home more is because I don't like my own cooking, lol!

Hi Ho! Cherry-O!

The girls have a rack full of games next to the couch that they can pull out and play anytime they want to. Almost all board games have some educational value, in my opinion. Even if it's just practice in counting as they move their game pieces around the board. In this picture the girls are playing Hi Ho Cherry-O! Here's a list of some of the games they play as part of our homeschooling:
1. Boggle Jr. (spelling game)
2. Bingo (math)
3. Hi Ho Cherry-O! (counting)
4. Rack-O (numerical order game)
5. Candy Land (color recognition and counting)
6. Chutes and Ladders (counting and good habits)
7. Memory
8. Pretty Pretty Princess (colors and counting)
9. Waterworks (critical thinking, problem solving)
10. UNO (colors and numbers)
11. Dominos (math)
Those are just a few. The girls also enjoy playing games with a deck of cards. Daniel and I have a card collection and the girls have a few decks of their own. We've taught them how to play "WAR" which is a very good game for learning number value. We are definitely a game playing family!

Masks!

Today we were doing some catch up work since I've been sick the last few days and going lightly on home schooling. We did some work on shapes today and colored some masks made from shapes. Then the girls got to make their own masks from brown paper grocery sacks. They did great with this. I didn't give them any advice really, just let them go crazy. They came up with some wild masks! Since they made them, they've been creeping up on me all around the house. Then they jump up and yell, "BOO!" I clutch my heart and squeal with fright and they burst out laughing. We're also going over their Awanas verses today since they have to say them tonight in class. I plan to start reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" to the girls today. We've already read the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series "The Magician's Nephew". I'm hoping to get through all of them by the time the movie comes out in December. This morning Daniel emailed me about the Oklahoma Scottish games http://www.tulsascottishgames.org/ which will be in Tulsa this weekend. So we are going to read about Scotland this week and make the Scottish games a field trip at the end of our studies. That's the plan anyways. But then "the best laid plans of mice and men, often go astray", lol. We'll see what happens!