The Homeschool Mother's Journal: Happy 2013!

1. Caleb with his triple decker peanut butter sandwich. 2. Delani's new skirt. 3. Posing!
4. New fabric!!!! 5. Books I plan to read in 2013.

In my life this week…
It has been a couple weeks since I posted an update of the happenings in our house. Due to my husband's job and with Christmas and New Years falling on Tuesday it upsets our household a bit since he has to work on Saturday of these weeks. I always spent these two weeks confused on what day of the week it really is!

We had a real low key New Year's Day. Shade and boys were immersed in all things college football and the girls played. I went out shopping for a little bit and brought home some more fabric for spring skirts and dresses. Later we ordered in pizza and we finished it off with apple bars and pumpkin roll.

I spent a lot of time doing some sewing when I wasn't fighting a cold and the crud. When I started to get sick I had a hard time focusing on my sewing and  some of the projects I wanted to do went by the wayside, but I still got quite a bit accomplished. I was able to make a skirt for Delani but my biggest accomplishment was making bedding for the trundle bed that we had my FIL make for Delani's Christmas present.

I put cut foam to put in the beds and then covered them in green striped ticking fabric. I had the hardest time getting these to fit just right. The first one I did was too small and then the other ones were too big (sigh). I finally left them a little big and started working on the fitted sheets. These weren't a piece of cake either. The green one turned out better than the pink one since I did that one second. The quilts, pillows and pillowcases were the easiest. This was the first quilt I've ever made with binding. Outside of the ticking fabric I used fabric I already had in my stash which made me very happy. (Tutorials used: Trundle Bed, boxed cushion, fitted sheet, pillows & pillow cases, & quilt)

6. Trundle bed with green ticking mattress covers. 7. Fitted sheets and pillows.
8. Finished with quilts. 9. Good night, Lizzy & Belle!

In our homeschool this week…
I actually had dreams of starting school this week, but personally I couldn't face it yet. My kids didn't need a break, but I did! On Wednesday though I announced that Math and free reads would start back up. Caleb also started up Spanish. Next week we are back at it full force.

I am inspired by…
A new year!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Outside of church and running errands we have been homebodies.

My favorite thing this week was…
Sewing and using my new Kitchen Aid hand mixer which my mom and dad blessed me with for Christmas.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Why do I need about two weeks off of schooling before I feel rejuvenated enough to do anything creative? I'd be a terrible candidate for year round schooling.

Things I’m working on…
The L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge for 2013.
My reading goals for 2013.
Taking down the Christmas decorations. I know many people already have their down, but we wait due to Shade's odd work schedule.

I’m reading…


Also check out the books I read in 2012 and my Top Reads of 2012.

I’m cooking…

• Quesadillas
• Spaghetti
• Breakfast for dinner
• Apple Bars
• Pumpkin Rolls

I’m grateful for…
My church family.

I’m praying for…
Revival in our country and churches.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I wasn't able to share before Christmas due to these being surprise, but these are the gifts I made before Christmas.

10 & 11. For my nephew: a car carrier with road and pockets to store them in.

12 & 13. A sewing case for traveling which I made for my mom since she does travel with her sewing. 14. A skirt for Destini.

I am linking up at:

Reading Goals for 2013

The past couple of days of been working on my list of books I want to read in 2013. (I must say I am having a hard time typing that!)  For fiction I am planning on reading at least 10 books from my The Classics Club list. For other fiction I am not picking any books specifically since I'm prefer to pick what interests me at the time and rely heavily on my local libraries to supply my books.

Last year was the first year I made a list of what I wanted to read and accomplished it right before the end of the year. I don't buy a lot of fiction, but I tend to buy a lot of non-fiction and then let it sit on my bookshelves, so by making these lists I have been working on going through books that have been sitting for a while and then I decide if it is a book I want to keep or give away. This would be a really good plan if I could keep new books from entering the house, but alas that is not what happens!

So here is my list for 2013:

• The Fruitful Wife: Cultivating a Love Only God Can Produce by Haley DiMarco -Recently recommended by Carrie at Reading to Know. Enough said.
• Creative Counterpart : Becoming the Woman, Wife, and Mother You Have Longed To Be by Linda Dillow - This has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. (Feb 8)
• Holy Intimacy by Lori Wagner - Another shelf sitter that I bought over four years ago when she was a speaker at out local woman's conference. (Jan 23)
• Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward - I saw a lot of recommendations for this book in the last few months so I indulged and purchased it. (Jan 30)
• Raising Kids for True Greatness: Redefine Success for You and Your Child by Tim Kimmel - Another dust gatherer. To my surprise I enjoyed his book, Grace Based Parenting, so I'll give this one a go. (July 17)
• Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George - Another new to me title, but hey, it's Elizabeth George and I have a hard time passing up her books. (Apr 25)
• Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World by Ken Ham and Steve Ham - I bought this back when we visited the Creation Museum. It has been sitting by my bedside just waiting to be picked up. (Oct 21)
• 10 Things Parents Must Teach Their Children (And Learn for Themselves) by Edith Schaeffer - I brought this title home in the last year from the little Friends' bookstore that I manage. Even though Edith Schaeffer doesn't quite speak to me as she does to others I found this title fascinating and have to check it out. (Mar 28)
•  Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God by Jentezen Franklin - Another book that has been sitting on my shelf way too long.  Too be honest I hate to fast, but it something I feel I need to get back to doing. (May 31) 
• Small Changes for a Better Life: Daily Steps to Living Gods Plan for You by Elizabeth George - I don't know how long I've had this title, but I don't think I've read it so on my list it goes. I love Elizabeth George so I know I'm in for a treat. (Sept 11)
• The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception by John MacArthur  - I'm not sure when I acquired this book. I think in the last year when I found it for the right price. It seems like a fitting book for the world we live in today. (May 20)
• With the Master on Our Knees: A Ladies' Bible Study on Prayer by Susan J. Heck - Another book I purchased in the last year or so. (Aug 15)
• School Education: Developing a Curriculum by Charlotte Mason - I've had this book for quite a few years. I've read a lot about Charlotte Mason's educational philosophies now I'm trying to read what she says about them. (Feb 6)
• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Paperback) by Natalie Goldberg - Recommend by The Writer's Jungle by Julie Bogart which I read last year. When I found a copy at Goodwill I snatched it up. I find writing a struggle so when teaching my kids I need all the help I can get. (Nov 4)
• Marva Collins' Way by Marva Collins - I have wanted to read this for years! I've had this copy for quite a while so on to my list it goes. (Mar 7)
• Brave Writer's Help for High School by Julie Bogart - I read The Writer's Jungle last year and this year I'm going to delve into this one to get tips for High School and get Caleb up to speed. (June 4)
• Living Spaces: Bringing Style and Spirit to Your Home by Marlee Ledai - I'm not sure how long I've had this, but I always enjoy a book about home. I'm not sure if there is any hope to bringing style to my home, but I'll take the spirit. (Nov 11)
• Nesting: It's a Chick Thing by Ame Mahler Beanland & Emily Miles Terry - Another book that's been sitting on the shelf. I bought this book all because of the title (I'm a sucker for great titles!), but it does look like  fun read. (Mar 4)
• Living Artfully: A Heart-full Guide of Ideas and Inspirations That Celebrate Life, Love, and Moments That Matter by Sandra Magsam - Another shelf sitter. I like to read a book like this now and then to help the creative juices flowing, though I don't consider myself very artsy. (Apr 8)
• 50 Moments: Scrapbook the Pages that Matter Most by Lisa Bearnson - Ummm, scrapbooking...I like to read about it, but I can't get very inspired about doing it. Maybe if I keep reading about it I'll finally get inspiration. It could happen! (Nov 6)
• The Bible - This is not a shelf sitter, but something I do read every day. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. I'm either going to read it it all the way through or I tend not to read it at all. I discovered a couple of years ago that two chapters a day was very doable plus got me through the Bible in less than two years.  This year I will read from the book of Isaiah through Revelation. (Sept)

L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge 2013

 

It is that time of year that Carrie at Reading to Know host the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge. This is a reading challenge I've participated in since its beginning and it is one I look forward to doing every year. For this year I have plan to read:

Jane of Lantern Hill and listen to the audio of Anne of Green Gables . If I have more time I may delve into what ever other Montgomery book that calls my name. I also checked out from the library Looking For Anne: How Lucy Maud Montgomery Dreamed Up a Literary Classic by Irene Gammel, though if I get it finished will depend on time and if it holds my interest.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year & Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a great year! This week I have two teasers.

My first comes from:



Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie

Casting her white fur wrap on one chair, and her small jewelled bag on the table, the actress sank onto a chair and exclaimed: "M. Poirot, somehow or other I've just got to get rid of my husband!" p.8

I also recently started listening to the audio of Anne of Green Gables, a book that I have read and re-read too many times to count. Since Anne is one of my favorite fictional characters I had to add this teaser!



Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

All sorts of mornings are interesting, don't you think? You don't know what's going to happen through the day, and there's so much scope for imagination.