Hello December?!

Thanksgiving came and went in no time at all and before I knew it, we were putting up the tree and welcoming in the month of DECEMBER?!?! I think I reflect on this every year, but I really do feel as though these years are just being swept away so quickly that I will be an empty nester before I know it! I am sorry that my blog goes days and sometimes week without action but life seems to take over. My kids are older now and we are always on the road. We are not so much as crafty now but more explorers. I try to get away from the camera and put it away in general so that I can be IN the moment with my kids. Soon they will be gone and off on their own lives and living with their families and then I will be able to say that I do not have one regret, that I gave them all my time and now it is time for them to do the same with their family. Then it will be time to get to know the newer, older, wiser version of my husband as we explore more of the world together in a different way. Life changes daily and I am trying to take my own advice and not miss one minute!

One tradition that started with our elf and will continue for as long as I have children under my roof, is the 25 books of Christmas. Charlie brings wrapped books that we can share together as a family by the tree with our evening tea and cocoa. Each unwrapped book elicits smiles and cheers as the kids clamor around to read aloud or listen quietly to what is to come. They are usually holiday books for the most part both religious and secular but some other books sometimes sneak their way in too! They are all picture books, because NO ONE can outgrow a picture book and they are just the right length for kids to snuggle up with a parent, no matter how big they get! I will try to post daily about the elf and his antics as well as what book we unwrapped that day as well, otherwise I will catch you up if I can, as I am doing tonight!

Our elf is still up to his crazy ways as he tries to sneak a ride in the car on our way to an Elf adoption event! When the kids got in the car, they noticed new jammies brought just for them from Charlie! He doesn't always bring gifts, but when he does they are always something the kids have been needing.

December 1st brought us The Little Snow Plow by Lora Koehler

This book is absolutely wonderful and even my oldest kids looked over each photo and listened intently.

Our elf was caught scaling our fridge to get into the top where we hide all the candy! At the bottom of his rope was his pet Hot Coffee holding the rope steady!

December 2nd brought us The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier. I was hoping to hold onto this one until it was a little closer to Christmas but it's size made it an easy one to grab. Next year we have to be sure to leave a note for the elf to number the books!! A beautifully illustrated book that helps remind the kids what this season is all about.

Oh Look at who we found here! Charlie the elf was found in the living room reading to all of his friends! It was a good thing that no one had to use the screen porch this day, because we would not have been able to get to the door!!

December 3rd brought us Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney! Oh boy do we love this llama, he has been a family favorite for many years now and we don't see ever letting him go! He is up to his typical antics in this book, but always with a heartwarming close!

Well now look who is in the bathroom!!! Charlie has taken off his sweater and made himself into a toilet paper snowman! His smile tells us that he knows wasting toilet paper is a bit naughty but he just had to do it to make sure the kids are brushing properly and washing their hands!

Enjoy every minute my friends!!

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This Moment...

In this moment I am...

~Sipping Jasmine Green tea
~Reading Panic by Lauren Oliver

~Nibbling green grapes
~Smelling a Country Apple candle
~Thinking of blog ideas for tomorrow

In This Moment, I am...

~Laying with my feet in my husbands lap
~Laughing to myself about something silly I heard earlier
~Printing out work for tomorrow
~Preparing for my book club by going over We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

~Wishing my kids were awake so we could all snuggle!

In This Moment, I am thinking of my favorite book store of all times...Town House books in St. Charles. Definitely stopping in for a visit this weekend.

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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Menu Planning, Game Playing, Contests and More...

Monday came and went without a glimpse of the computer for me and for that I have a lot of catching up to do! This is the latest menu planner I am using, I love the bright colors! Keeping everything organized helps so much with shopping but also with out schedule, there are days when we barely have an hour to get dinner on the table, eat and be out the door...these days are perfect for crock pot meals! On days that we have activities in the early afternoon, we may have to bring a brown bag lunch with us or snacks. Being able to visualize it all, helps me know if we need to prep anything the night before or defrost something. It doesn't take longer than 20 minutes to get it all down and ready, including checking out recipes and it saves me from doing a drive thru more than we should.

This past weekend we entered a family PEEPS diorama contest and had so much fun putting it all together! We worked on it Sunday evening after dinner and had many laughs as we read the book (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus) and created our scene. It is now on display in the library for all to vote on, if you happen to pop into Cherry Valley Library, vote for us #5!

One thing I love to do is read, I am often found reading or with 2 books in my bag waiting to be read during any break at all. One way I am able to constantly pick up books, is that I keep a list of titles that friends refer to me or books that I head about on tv, read in a magazine or even through the Book Page magazine. I keep this list in my day planner, that I always have on me. I use the pages that are saved for contacts and address information and then I break it down by month. It helps me keep track of the books that I have read and what I still want to read!

Taking work ot the library is something we like to do often and keeps the kids from getting too bored in 1 environment. One thing they love to do, is to bring their history or 4H projects with them, this gives them a whole world of books to take a deeper look at the subjects they are studying. 

Game Day breaks up the monotony of book work and the kids are still learning! I absolutely love it and so do they! Today, we used our LEGO States & Capitals found HERE, along with our popsicle stick States & Capitals FOUND HERE, our Periodic Table of Elements flashcard game found HERE, and finally, we used our container of fake money dimes that I made to work on multiplying by 10s with my youngest. You don't have to make your own games to have fun, the shelves of toy stores have plenty of educational games that can be used for teaching puposes! This week, I will pull some off our shelves to share!

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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In the Library and the Kitchen

Today is a very hands on day in the classroom, we are crafting with clay, building with bricks and so much more. I find the kids get so much more out of using their hands and heads instead of just using their head. I really need to cut the clutter in our classroom this Spring, but it truly feels as though we use it all. Oh the dilemma's of a homeschooler. 

For new book Monday, I will share what is in our new book basket and headed onto our shelves*:

1.With Jesus Always- My Mass & Reconciliation Double Sided book
2.A Christmas Treasury 12 Unforgettable Holiday Stories
(I like to pick up Christmas & Holiday books at big sales & clearance prices so that they are ready for next Christmas when Charlie our Elf brings the Christmas books on arrival!)
3.Meet the Monsters
4. The Offical Ninjago Guide
5. The Ordinary of the Mass in 8 Languages
6. Lord I give You This Day
7. The Barnes & Noble Guide to Children's Books
8. Art & History of Pompeii
9. Sarah Laughs
10. The Stable Where Jesus Was Born
(another Christmas find)
11. The All-Time Awesome Bible Search
12. Sammy's Fantastic Journeys with the Early Heroes of the Bible
13. The Middle Ages
14. Journey to the Center of the Earth Graphic classic
15. New Junior Cookbook
(My son is taking a cooking class and I wanted something that he can easily follow along with at home and begin getting even more comfortable in the kitchen)
16. Human body
17. The Lewis & Clark Expedition

(I needed something to go with a game that I downloaded and will share later this week!)

As the school year progesses, it seem that the shelves just want to explode and this is AFTER hosting a book swap! Time to host another one it seems! Anyway, on to our menu plan for monday!

Monday's are tough for us because the kids have classes from 3-5, then we pick up dad so he can join the evening activities, and then one more class from 6-7:30, this means we have to eat something quick in the car on our way to the final lesson. This monday evening class is only every other week, so that is a bonus. On this day, I have to have something portable that we can enjoy in the car or in the lunchroom at the final class. (I don't like feeding the kids dinner too late as it messes with their sleep cycle too much)

Monday - DIY Sandwich Bar with toppings & Cucumber Spears with Salt & Lime
Tuesday - Basil-Pesto Gnocci served over a bed of Sauteed Spinach and a Cucumber,Tomato & Vidalia Onion Salad
Wednesday- Broccoli Cheese Crockpot Soup served with Fresh baked bread & Avacado Salad
Thursday-Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos with Rice served with  Build Your Own Garden Salad that can also be used as taco toppings
Friday- Out to dinner for Dad's Birthday!
Saturday- Out to dinner with friends
Sunday - Pork Roast with Potates, Carrots & Green Beans, Served with a Greek Salad

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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All of my recipes can be found on my Fun with Food board on Pinterest

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Words on Wednesday

New books are my weakness, I love them too much to say no. The written word has power over me and I am glad to say that it does the same for my children. Tomorrow's post will have a list of all the books we bought last weekend and this week and what came in our Amazon order.

The kids started their new book for bookclub. HOLES by Louis Sachar and my daughter finished the same day she got it, but Gabriel is another story. We are reading a few chapters a day together and I notice my youngest always come in to snuggle and listen. A part of me thinks that he could read it all on his own, but he wants the snuggles and likes listening to me read. Autumn comes in too, because she loves hearing how I read the book, she says she never pictured the people's voices sounding like that! LOL! Do you still read to your kids? Never stop, they love it!

Crochet class #3 was granny squares, she already has 5 done and is in the process of making a scarf for a sick neighbor. She is not happy with how misshapen they are, but I told her that I love them and nothing is perfect, that's what makes them special.

As I cleaned out the closet of the classroom, I found some old waldorf type learning materials and the memories came flooding back as to how small they really were, where does that time go?

Why is it that kids absolutely love being outdoors? I am freezing just looking out the window, but they could be out there all day and every day. This photo was taken at the beginning of winter, now the snow has covered the slide that goes off the back porch and they love sliding down it and then filling it with snow again...I will admit that I did it too!

Enjoy every minute my friends...

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Random Round Up!

Saturday has come and gone, why is it like that with the days we look forward to most? Oh what a Saturday we had, complete with Doctors, Dentists and Firemen...what?! Yes, my children (all 3!) got stranded in an elevator! All was well in the end but it was terrifying for them and I may have had a mild heart attack listening to their screams. They were only going for a drink of water while I made follow up appointments (no cavities for anyone, yay!!) and lo and behold the fountain was broken, so they got no water and a day to remember!! Anyway, this photo was taken for a boy that was so proud of his first fruit salad that he diced and chopped all on his own. What age do you give your children knives and an all access pass to the kitchen as long as you are in there with them? My little Roman there is 7!

With Christmas decorations going away, I am taking advantage of this time to rearrage some items in my living room and I wanted to find space to incorporate some of the vintage Singer Sewing machine drawers that I have from my grandmothers machine. I only have 1 set of drawers on the machine, which is serving as an entryway table in our foyer (sounds grander than it actually is) and I have 3 drawers waiting for new homes! 1 went on our mantel of the fireplace and this one is holding books in the bookshelf and I quite like it!

In Our Little Catholic Homeschool, I never talked about our Advent wreath, so before I forget I wanted to share a photo of what we had out for the season. All our advent books and Christmas books get tucked into this bin along with our wreath and candles. It is all felt and perfect for little hands, what I love even more, is that even though the kids are older they can play with it and I don't have any fear of them burning themselves or even worse...when it's time to light the first one, I am not scrambling to find candles! Our wreath heads to the classroom where it will stay out for anyone that wants to look at it or play with it but the books get boxed away for the season.

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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Thoughts on Thursday!

Happy 2015!! How did you spend your 2014 end? We stayed in and partied at home with sparkling wines and mimosas. It was really quite fun and in the end we all created memories. Being together with my wonderful little family always seems to make us all so happy and thnankful, I hope it was the same for you all!

My tip for you all is to use clear brochure holders as book displays in your home. This is a great way to give long lost books a new life. You will be amazed at how much older kids will love getting lost in a 'favorite' picture book. I sprinkle these throughout the home often and change them out whenever I get a chance.

My goal for 2015 is to read 250 books and drink a gallon of water a day! Enjoy every minute my friends!

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A Guide To Boys Reading Ages 5-7

Yikes, readers I 100% apologize! How on earth did this week start up and I am already behind!? Field trips, meet ups, movies and friends have had us in a whirl-wind. This should have been on Monday's blog. Oh well I will play catch up now and you will just have to deal with my ramblings! The weekend was so jam packed, I truly feel as though we were on a 1 week long vacation where we truly had to SEE IT ALL!! WOW! Okay anyway...on with the post. My boys were struggling readers, they learned to read quickly, can do their work with ease and the like, but as far as free reading goes? It takes too much to get them into ANYTHING...Try as I might, I was failing with everything I picked up. What did I decide to do then? Take them to Barnes & Noble, head to the reading level appropriate shelves and we grabbed books. FIRST NOTE that I would only grab books that were part of a series. This was done intentionally so that they could continue reading books without have to look for more every week or so! We took the first books of many sets and had a seat in the corner of the children's section. I read the back of the book and if it got a thumbs up, we read the first chapter together. If it worked it went into the YES pile and if not, we put it back to be restocked. After narrowing it down, we wrote down the title and author of each YES book  and then I let them pick out which series to begin with. Today's thread is all about my 7 year old and the book series' that he has fell in love with since he was 5!

1. Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne, this series is something he fell in love with at 4 when I would read to him and when he started reading. By 5 he was on his own and in love with the stories.

2. A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy, this is perfect for that wannabe crime solver, easy to read but tackles fun subjects that the kids learn as they go.

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Add in typical boy humor, comic book like pictures and hilarity ensues. This is a series that he has gone back to multiple times

4. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, once again that boy humor comes in to play. He loves to read portions of these books aloud and then laugh and laugh.

5. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, these adventures make for an easy read that can be finished in no time, by even a slower reader. 

6. Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton, more comic type photos in these books along with all the adventures Geronimo finds himself on make this series a must read for any age, there is a girl version by Thea Stilton but girls would love these just as much and boys would love the others as well!

7. LEGO Ninajago Graphic Novels, I know that these are not full on books, with more pictures taking over but they are excellent in my book if my kids sit down with them!

8. Goosebumps by R.L. Stine, these not-so-scary but a bit odd books seem to keep boys wanting more as they delve deeper into the series!

9.  Capital Mysteries by Ron Roy, he has hit our list twice but these books are spectacular for the problem solving mind!

10. Imagination Station by Marianne Hering, these books had my son from the first line. These are Christian books that are similar to the Magic Treehouse series. 

Hope these are enough to get your started! Enjoy every minute my friends!!

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4-6th Grade Reading Fun Top Ten Series you MUST read!

The water park was nearly empty, the slides had no lines and the diving board was free too. I looked for my daughter and her best friend to see what they would be enjoying and I could not find them. Fear of course clutched my chest as I stared into every corner of the pools. THERE! They were both wrapped in their towels still, laying on chaise lounges and reading away. Yup, I can see why they are friends. My daughter is 9 and loves to read, she doesn't just enjoy books, she devours them. She gets it from me, when forced outdoors as a child, I would be found under a tree with books bigger than I was. Do you have a reluctant reader? Try to pull them into another world with books from a series. If they enjoy the first, they will be eager move on to the next and if not, abandon it and try another! 

Here is a list of Series Books that Autumn has enjoyed and shared with me from 4th grade and on! I left off the obvious Harry Potter and Hunger Games as I am sure many people have heard of these and most likely read them already. I have read almost all of the books that she has and agree with her picks! It was hard to narrow down to her top 10.

1. The Babysitters Club (this is a seemingly never ending series that I read myself as a child). Very easy read and if you need something easier, there is also a Little Sisters Baby Sitters Club series.

2. The 39 Clues (My son and daughter loved this series!) The Cahills are the most powerful family the world has ever known. With 39 clues hidden around the world that guard the family's power, it's Cahill versus Cahill in a worldwide race to find the Clues and beat the competition.

3. Warriors A series about cats spoken about in the human form. This is a HUGE series with spin-offs that each have 6 books in them. Perfect for the animal lover.

4. I survived A collection of books that take place during important events in history but told from a child's perspective.

5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians  These are AWESOME, they are great for a family read. Already made into 2 movies, I encourage you to read the series and move on to the spin off series, these cannot be put down.

6. Kidnapped A fast pace series that is easy to handle in size. This is a series that follows the On the Run series which is also a great read as well. This series deals with a kidnapped girl and her sister that has to deal with the FBI

7. On the Run Children try to clear their parents' names.

8. Kingdom Keepers These books are addicting and if you've been to Disney World, even more so! They are great to envision and enjoy. There is even a Kingdom Keepers quest in Magic Kingdom!

9. Peter and the Starcatchers This series is a simple and enchanting way to get to know the background of Peter Pan, before he met Wendy.

10. Steel Trapp Never have we both gotten into a series so much that we had to stop reading and keep asking questions and swapping information as we went through.

EXTRAS that CANNOT BE MISSED! (Her words!)

11. Heroes of Olympus This is the follow up to Percy Jackson and the Olympians and is just as good a read as the last. Each book is better than the last.

12. Dork Diaries Funny books to read that can easily be read in a day!

13. A Series of Unfortunate Events This is certainly an odd series that I found difficult to get into, but my daughter loved them and plowed right through!

14. Mother - Daughter Book Club an excellent read for both of us that truly inspired us to start our own book club, but as we run a rainbow loom club right now, we will focus on that first!

15. The Kane Chronicles fans of Rick Riordan will love following this series everywhere it leads!

Hope this helps create a loving reader in your home!! Remember, enjoy every minute.

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