Start Teaching Them Young....

John started teaching the kids gun safety....In my opinion, he missed the most important part--air pellet guns belong OUTSIDE! Who wants to vacuum up all the little balls?

Saturday Morning Cartoons

When I came in after my run this morning, this is what I found.

I know what you are thinking--

"If you would just heat your house, they wouldn't have to use the rug for a blanket!"

I know who you are!

Ellie Lost Her First Tooth!

Nature Study

My "personal improvement project" for this year is going to be learning how to do a nature journal. In creating a curriculum for my kids, I have read a lot about nature study and keeping journals of the things you see and experience while outside. I found a book called "Keeping a Nature Journal" by Clare Walker Leslie, which taught me what to look for, gave some ideas for how to organize my journal, and included some basic sketching techniques. I am NOT an artist, nor do I have any semblance of artistic ability, but I think with practice I can learn to draw a few small things that will help me teach my kids.

Anyone who studies nature is called a naturalist. You don't need a degree or special classes, you just need an interest in the world we live in. So I want to become a naturalist. I also realized I can hardly name any of the plants, and I cannot identify a single bird. I have a lot to learn this year!

The illustrations are by Clare Walker Leslie. Aren't they awesome? This is what I want to learn.

Ice Skating Party!

Our family had a great time ice skating with our ward last night! Ellie liked holding my hand and the wall at the same time, while Seth thought he needed someone to hold both hands so he could swing his legs freely. Hannah worked so hard at it that her legs are aching today and she can hardly walk!

My New Favorite Afternoon Snack

Behold, the German Pancake. I never had these growing up. I know, it's a cheap Mormon staple. Well, not at my house! I have combined a couple of recipes into the following perfect concoction:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

4 T. butter

2 T. sugar

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in preheating oven. Mix eggs, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour over hot butter and put back in hot oven. Bake about 20 minutes, until puffy and brown. Serve immediately with jam, syrup, or one of the lovely caramel syrup recipes in the ward cookbook!

The perfect snack! Hot, fast and filling. And TASTY!

DTV

Are you kidding me?

Now the Digital Transition is being postponed because people aren't ready? 35 million Americans can't afford to change from rabbit ears, so Congress has postponed switching all television signals to digital? And better yet, the "coupons" from the government to help people afford a converter box ran out. There's my tax dollars at work for a worthy cause.

Since when did TV become a necessity?

OK, I'll get off my conservative soapbox now.

This is How We Homeschool....

Part 2: Playdoh Creations

Ellie's Pepperoni Pizza

Hannah's "Dog with Bone"

You're all going to think we don't do any real work.

We Have A Reader!

Hannah is devouring books. So many that we have to check them out from the library because I can't afford to keep her in books! But the best thing is, she reads to her brother and sister. It's so cute!