We're MOVING!!!!

Ok don't freak out yet, we're not moving our family...we are moving to a new website :) I have been pondering it for some time and I just decided I want to put more effort into this whole writing thing. I want to expand to writing about a variety of things from homeschooling ideas to sewing to dealing with chaos and more! There are so many aspects to this Christian life as a wife and mother and I would love to share my victories and failures with you. Hopefully we can learn and laugh together! I have this idea that it's always raining life and yet God keeps pouring out His grace through it all. So our new website will be up soon...
 

www.itsrainingitspouring.org

 

 
So keep an eye out for our new site and I'll let you know when it's officially up and running! I'm super excited and hope you are too :)
 
Bye for now,
Kristina

Easy T-Shirt Dress Tutorial

It's raining dresses at my house!

So I'm going to try my hand at a sewing tutorial :) I am by no means a veteran seamstress; in fact I'm quite the newbie. But I have discovered a love for these simple yet adorable T-Shirt dresses and I wanted to share with you how to make them. So with that, I will begin...

 

Step 1: Choose a T-shirt. It can be old or new, just make sure it is soft and free of stains (I know that's difficult with old T's but I've been able to find some!). I recommend using a T-shirt that is 1 size bigger than the size they are in now, ie. if my daughter usually wears a size 7, I will use a size 8 for the dress. You CAN use the same size, but once the bottom skirt is on, a larger shirt gives a little more wriggle room to get the dress on and off. I found these Hanes T-shirts at Wal-Mart for only $2! You can sew this dress directly to the bottom of the T-shirt without altering it. My oldest daughter has a shape that is better suited for a higher skirt so I trimmed about 2" off the bottom of the shirt and then folded it twice over and pinned it. Your choice. (I made my youngest daughter's dress without altering the bottom of the T-shirt).

Step 2: Choose a piece of fabric that accents the color of your T-shirt, then decide how long you want the dress to be. I like my daughters to wear longer dresses so we kept the fabric pretty long. I do not use measuring tools for this dress, it's an eye-ball-it project. If you feel uncomfortable with that, by all means measure! Just remember to add 1" to the top and 2" to the bottom to leave room for hems and sewing. (An easy way to measure how long you want the dress to be is to just compare it to a dress or capris that your daughter already has that fit well). For the width, you are going to need double the width of the T-shirt bottom plus about 5", this extra room is for the gathering.

Step 3: Sew two straight lines at the top of your bottom piece of fabric. This should go all the way across the fabric. The lines should be about 1/4" apart.

Step 4: Find the ends of your thread on one side of your bottom piece. I go from left to right, but you can do whatever side feels better. Hold tightly your bottom thread (from the bobbin) while pulling gently on your top thread. As you pull, the fabric should begin to cinch up. Keep pulling until you feel like the thread might break, then slide the fabric down. Pull the thread some more until it's tight, then slide the fabric down again. Do this until you have the desired amount of gathering. Be sure to keep an eye on the width of your piece, if you gather too much it might not fit all the way around in which case you'd have to do some ripping. If you want more gathering, use a wider piece of fabric.

Step 5: Once you're done gathering all the fabric, begin pinning it to the wrong side of your T-shirt (inside out). Also make sure your fabric piece is wrong side up too. The "wrong" side is the faded or ugly side. The "right" side is the brighter, prettier side. But don't worry, everyone sews at least one dress on the wrong way :) You should pin the bottom piece all the way around the T-Shirt. When you get to the part where the two ends meet, make sure you have enough fabric to close the seam. If not, loosen some of the gatherings.

 
It should like something like this once you're done pinning...

Step 6: Begin sewing your bottom piece. I start where the two ends meet and work my way around. Try your best to sew a straight line. For us newbies (me included) that's not always easy. But try, try, try, try, try it again. You'll get better with each dress. The good news is if it's a little crooked that's ok because your sash piece will cover it up nicely! Sew all the way around until you get to where the 2 ends meet. STOP! Don't sew that part together until you do that outside seam of the skirt.  

Step 7: Sew together the side seam of the skirt. Make it about a 1/4' to 1/2' wide so that it doesn't look bulky underneath the dress.

 

Step 8: Hem the bottom of the skirt. I do about an 1" hem. Easy peasy.

 

Last step... the sash! Now, my first few dresses I used ribbon around the middle as you will see in a moment. But then I discovered that ribbon was a little too constricting when trying to put the dresses on my girls. They fit just fine when the dress is on but it's hard to get their arms in. So I will show you how to do ribbon AND how to do a **fabric sash (which I prefer now but this particular dress has ribbon).

Turn your dress right side out. You will see the stitching from where you sewed the bottom on. It's ok, we'll cover that up! Measure out the length of ribbon you'd like to use. On this dress, I used a 1" pink (her choice)ribbon and I cut it pretty long so she could tie a bow on the side. You can sew the ribbon exact (like a belt) with no ribbon, you can do a side bow, back bow, or flower. However you like.

Once you've decided on your ribbon, pin it to the dress (be sure to only pin it through one side of the dress or you'll end up sewing the dress closed!. As you pin, try to make it as even as possible while covering the stitching. I left about an inch of the t-shirt underneath the ribbon to give it a belt look. But you can cover that entire piece if you'd like. Up to you. Now that it's pinned, you can sew. I simply sew a straight line right down the middle of the ribbon. If you're going to leave ribbon for a bow, make sure you don't sew the ribbon closed. I left about an inch space between the two ends, and that's where she ties the bow.

 **Alternate SASH made from fabric. If you have fabric left over from the bottom half of the dress, you can make the sash match exactly. If you don't have enough, you can get creative. I used a zebra print sash for a dress for my littlest one because I didn't have enough of the original. It gave it a little spunk, I made a bag to match, and she loves it!

So, sash... take a 3" piece of fabric that is the width of the waist of the dress plus 1". Fold the raw edges in until you have about a 1" width. Then pin it to the dress (just like you would with the ribbon) and sew. With the fabric sash you'll need to sew a 1/8"seam on the top and the bottom. Then fold the end under and sew it to seal off the end. Here's an example of a finished fabric sash:

And you're done!! How cute will your little girl be in T-shirt dress that YOU made special just for her? She'll love it, just like mine do! If you have ANY questions or my instructions are confusing, please comment here and I'll do my best to help! It may be raining dresses here but it's pouring God's grace and patience in this learning process LOL! Now, there's no time like the present...go get sewing :)

Bye for now,
Kristina

 

 

There's Just Somethin' about Punkins

There's just somethin' about punkins...

 

I love pumpkin. They smell so good, taste good, and are pretty. I really think pumpkins may be the most wonderful vegetation that God created! I know they don't have healing properties (although I truly believe pumpkins are good for the soul!) but there's just so much about pumpkins are too good to pass up. So I thought I'd do a blog all about pumpkins and hopefully give you some new ideas of how to enjoy them during the harvest season :)

COOKING/BAKING WITH PUMPKINS
#1) My all-time favorite pumpkin food is pumpkin bread. Above all else! I've tried many different pumpkin breads, both store bought and homemade, and honestly... nothing holds a candle to my grandmother's recipe! And since it's not a "secret family recipe" I am going to share it with you:

• 4 cups of white granulated sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 large can of pumpkin
• 5 cups of flour
• *1 tsp of cloves (optional if you like the taste)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of cinnamon (I usually more because I like cinnamon)
• *1 cup chopped nuts (optional- I don't use nuts)

Preheat the oven to 350*. Then mix ingredients together in a big mixing bowl. (Hint- add the flour one cup at a time and stir. This way you're arm doesn't feel like it's going to fall off from stirring so hard!). Grease AND flour 3 large bread pans (sometimes you can squeeze one more mini bread pan in too). Pour mix into the pans and bake for 1 hour. Use a toothpick to check the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean it's done, if it's sticky, bake a few more minutes. BUT KEEP AN EYE on it because too long and you'll have burnt pumpkin bread! Remove the loaves from the oven and set on a cooling rack or a cutting board. I usually wrap mine in foil. This keeps the moisture in. Slice as you go, don't slice all at once or it can dry out. Best served cold with butter!! YUMMO!!!

#2) I recently discovered pumpkin dip and it's been a huge hit! I made it for our church potluck and our WMU meeting and it's gotten great reviews! This is SO EASY to make and only takes about 3 minutes!! You will need:

• 1 can of pumpkin
• 1 tub of cool whip
• 1 box of vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 tsp of cinnamon (or more)
• Nilla Wafers
• *apple slices (optional if you'd like to offer a "healthier" variety)

Mix all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Scoop the dip into a pretty Autumn bowl (or if you're feeling really crafty, you can clean out a small pumpkin and scoop the dip inside). Cover and place in the fridge to chill. Serve with Nilla Wafers or apple slices. SO GOOD!!

#3) My husband loves pumpkin pie. Unfortunately I have never made this for him (I know, shameful!). I have bought Publix pumpkin pie for years. But I think I will try my hand at it this year! And although most recipes call for a "pre-made" crust, I think I want to try my Aunt Isabel's "No-Fail Pie Crust" recipe and make the whole thing from scratch! Here's the recipe for her no-fail pie crust:

• PART ONE
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of shortening or 3/4 cup of lard
• 1 tsp of salt
• PART TWO
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 egg beaten

Mix the first 3 ingredients (part one) until it's a coarse salt stage. Next, mix the remaining ingredients together (part two) and then add to the flour mixture. The dough will be slightly sticky. Roll out the dough on a floured board or granite counter top and form to your pie pan. Don't forget to make pretty pinches around the edge!

FUN WITH PUMPKINS
#1) The most fun we have during the Fall season is when we load up and head over to the local Pumpkin Patch! It's so much fun to watch the kiddos' eyes light up at the sight of an orange blanket of pumpkins of different shapes and sizes scattered all about. We love to find the BIGGEST pumpkin, the smallest pumpkin, the oddest shaped pumpkin, the wartiest pumpkin, and the perfect pumpkins to fit each person in our family. We typically pick a pumpkin for each member of the family (including those mini pumpkins for each of the pets). So tonight we left the patch with 8 pumpkins in tow! For $18.50, that's not bad at all! But the best part is the wonderful pictures you can capture at a pumpkin patch. If your local patch is anything like ours, they try to decorate it and make it as photo friendly as possible. Our has the cutest little portrait area set up (totally free by the way) that we love to take advantage of. Here are some of the wonderful pictures I got of the kids tonight:

#2) I discovered when my daughter was a year old that carving pumpkins (something I loved to do growing up) wasn't really a great

idea for clumsy toddlers with limited coordination and strength (it's hard work carving a pumpkin!). So that first year we let her color her pumpkin with a permanent marker. And you know what? That pumpkin lasted forever! So I decided that from then on, we would paint our pumpkins. Instead of carving them, we paint them. And it's really fun! Each person (including momma and daddy) paint their own pumpkin and then we line them up outside. We will be painting our pumpkins tomorrow night :) If you have older children and are set on carving those pumpkins, here's a little tip to help your Jack-o-Lanterns stay fresh longer:

• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 qt water

Mix ingredients together and brush all over the carved areas of the pumpkin.

#3) I have made homemade playdough before but I am so excited that I found Pumpkin Pie Play Dough on Pinterest!! I am definitely giving this a try, I think the kids will love it :)

#4) Crafts, crafts, crafts!! I love fall crafts, and there are so many wonderful options on sites like Pinterest and DLTK. Savanna and


I made these paper pumpkins one year and used them as napkin holders at Thanksgiving dinner!! They were adorable and super easy to make. Check out this tutorial on how to make this cute pumpkin craft.




TEACHING WITH PUMPKINS
#1) Last year my husband did the "Pumpkin Carving Prayer" at our Fall Festival and it was really neat to watch. It's such a simple way to teach the Gospel and even biblical principles to little ones because it offers a great visual! Here's the prayer (My hubby added a little extra for each line, you can too, or you can use it as it is):

Dear Jesus,
Open my mind so I can learn about You
(Cut off the top of the pumpkin)
Take all of my sin and forgive me for the wrong that I do
(Clean out the inside)
Open my eyes so Your love I will see
(Cut out the eyes)
I'm sorry I've turned my nose up to all You've given me
(Cut out the nose)
Open my ears so Your Word I will hear
(Cut out ears)
Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near
(Cut out the mouth)
Let Your Light shine in all I say and do
(Place a lit candle inside)
Amen.

#2) This year my daughter, Savanna, is studying poetry and we discovered a wonderful poem by James Whitcomb Riley called "When the Frost is on the Punkin'." I kinda feel short-changed because I had never heard of this awesome poem until now! But I am so glad I got the chance to study it with my daughter. It's a beautiful picture, told in a ol' country boy way of how much he loves the harvest time. The words are all spelled funny and you have to read it a couple times to catch all the fantastic imagery. I love the way this old man recites the poem and even the story he tells first about his father. It's a great poem to study and discuss with your children.

#3) This is a wonderful unit study made available by Teaching Heart that has everything from fun-filled pumpkin crafts to pumpkin math, science, English, and more. Some of it is free and some of it isn't. Take what you will. It gives you some good ideas you can create on your own even if you don't purchase their materials. You can also find some great lesson ideas involving pumpkins from Pinterest. Happy hunting :)

EVERYTHING ELSE PUMPKINS

• Pumpkin spice candles are a must!
• Publix has Pumpkin Pie special edition icecream!
• Dairy Queen has a Pumpkin Pie blizzard!
• Add some pumpkin spice seasoning to vanilla icing before frosting spice cupcakes!
• Buy lots of pumpkin decorations to go around your house (inside and out)!
• Stock up on cans of pumpkin now while they're on the shelf and that way in mid April when you're feeling kinda blue... make yourself a spring-time loaf of pumpkin bread :)
• But most of all, enjoy this wonderful season and the beautiful pumpkins God has provided with your family and friends!

Bye for now,
Kristina

The Not Sew Perfect Seamstress

I have recently discovered a new found love... sewing!!

Yes, it's true! Let me explain.

My church has a sewing group. I have known about the group for a year and have never really paid it much attention. I thought it was neat that they have a place for the ladies to come practice their sewing and fellowship. It's really set up nice with several sewing stations and a whole wall of shelves full of wonderfully colored fabrics. How quaint! I never really understood it as a "ministry" until recently at our WMU meeting the leader of the sewing group got up to speak. She's a lovely older woman with fiery orange hair and a spunky attitude. She brought out some of the lovely things the sewing group has made and explained what it is they really do. They make beautiful quilts for the children who live in the Florida Baptist Children's Homes. They make adult bibs for elderly people who live in nursing homes. They make T-shirt dresses for orphan girls on foreign countries like Haiti and Guatemala. And more! It was amazing. And she spoke about how the women who come just love to serve others with this little talent God has blessed them with. It was really quite moving.

Well wouldn't you know my sweet Savanna was there and said "Momma, can we join the sewing group!?" I didn't even hesitate. That Thursday we showed up ready to learn. I asked the leader ahead of time if it was ok for newbies to come. She seemed to think it would be fine. I made sure she understood that Savanna was just 6 years old and that I have NEVER used a sewing machine in my life! She just smiled sweetly and said "Come join us!" I tried to prep Savanna, who get's super excited about everything (don't know where she gets that), that we most likely would not actually "sew" anything on our first day. I told her that they would probably use us as helpers to fold fabric or pick up push pins. Boy was I wrong! First day, we walk in and are greeted by 4 beautiful smiling faces, ready to teach us newbies how to sew! They had two machines set up and designated for us, they even had a little stool under the pedal for Savanna to reach. Our first task was to learn the ins and outs of the machine. That wasn't too hard. Then we were told to sew straight lines on bits of scrap fabric. That proved a little more difficult but hey,  we were-a-sewing!! I can't tell you how much fun it was just sewing straight lines!

Well, Savanna and I are hooked! After seeing that there was something fun and creative that we can do to serve others in our community and across the globe, we have just dove right in. We have even borrowed a sewing machine and brought it back to the house to keep practicing! AND... we wanted to come up with an idea that we could add to their roster that was something personal Savanna would enjoy making. We came up with the idea to make stuffed animals. What child wouldn't love a stuffed animal, especially a child who's been hurt and abandoned! So I found some ideas on Pinterest and tried my hand at it. I made a dinosaur first and it was just too cute! Then I tried to take the same basic steps and make a puppy. It turned out really cute as well! So we pitched the idea to the sewing group and they were all for it!

There are many benefits of joining the sewing group:
1) It's FUN!
2) It's relaxing and a nice change of atmosphere from the chaos at my house LOL!
3) It's a special time I get to spend with Savanna.
4) It's a great ministry opportunity!
But to me, the thing that surpasses all this is the fact that Savanna and I get to spend time with these lovely ladies! They are so wise and have so much to offer. We read in Titus 2:3-5 that older women are supposed to teach young women to live reverently, to love their husband and children, and to be good homemakers. I just adore these women who are actively living out Titus 2. They have embraced a 6yr old and a young mother and have been teaching us so much (and I don't just mean sewing techniques). They love the Lord and they are so full of life. It really is something special.

Perhaps your church has a sewing group, a WMU, or some other ministry with older women involved. I highly recommend joining! If your church doesn't offer any ministries for seniors, try finding some older Christian women in your church or your community who would be willing to spend time with you and your daughter. Maybe she could interview a few of the elderly women in your church. They have so much life experience, so much wisdom, so much to share.

 

Here's some of our sewing projects...

Samuel(4yrs) using sewing
machine for the first time

He made a handkerchief for
his daddy to wipe his forehead
when he's preaching!

Savanna sewing her quilt squares

My quilting project

My quilt ready to sew
with batting

Savanna's scarecrow costume
(so easy to make! Will
upload a tutorial)

Gracie's scarecrow tutu

Gideon's scarecrow costume
pinned and ready to sew

Bye for now,

Kristina

I am not Cut out to Homeschool!

"You're Supermom!"

"I don't know how you do it!"

"There's no way I could do what you do!"

"God sure has gifted you in a way that I am not!"

These are just few of the comments I often hear from other moms when they realize that I am a homeschooling mother with four small children. Most of the time they laugh hysterically before they say a word. And then I often get the "better you than me" look because for some reason a lot of other moms think they need more alone time than me, don't feel qualified to educate their children, don't have the patience or organization skills to homeschool, and the list goes on for the "normal" mom vs. the super-godly-ever-patient-gentle-spirited-put-together-highly-organized-parent-of-the-year-homeschool-momma...

NEWS FLASH! I am normal! Just like every other momma. And guess what, I am not supermom, I don't do any of this on my own, and it's only by the GRACE OF GOD that I make it through each crazy day that is my life!!

There are several reasons why I am not cut out to homeschool. I'll just list a few...

I am not organized. Oh, I want to be. I buy little whose-its and whats-its to help me stay organized and most of the time they end up holding a bunch of junk that I'm not sure what to do with. I have piles and piles and papers stacked all throughout my house and at least 3 "junk drawers" that I am not really sure what's in there but I don't have time to go through them.

I am easily flustered. Flustered may be putting it lightly. Anger is a vice that I deal with on a regular basis. I don't have the "patience of a saint" but rather I have the impatience of a sinner! I should have James 1:19-20 tattooed on my children's foreheads so that I can be reminded of it every time I am not slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to wrath!! I yell more than I should and gentleness is something that I really struggle with. I desperately want to be more gentle.

I am far too worried about what YOU think. I have this constant self-imposed pressure to look and sound like I'm doing a good job. I have this irrational fear that all the other mommas in the world are looking at my life and judging me, my kids, my husband, my house. The enemy has a field day in my head when I see other mommas' blogs about all the wonderful and crafty things they do with their homeschooling!

I have very high expectations. Some expectations are good! You don't want to have no drive. You don't want to teach your kids to not have goals. But my expectations are too high. Getting frustrated with my 6 year old because she's still sounding out some words or with my 4 year old because he still can't write his name on his own or my 18 month old twins because they don't come to me when I call them... that's a little ridiculous! Right!?

I don't have enough time. Did I mention I have 18 month old twins that are ON THE MOVE, a very active and challenging 4 year old, and a 6 year old who is too smart for her britches and gets bored very easily? Yeah. Oh, and I'm also "the pastor's wife." I teach Sunday School, lead the kids' signing group, teach Wednesday night kids, sing in the choir, and help teach Jr. church on a rotation. Then there's the perpetual 3ft deep laundry pile that takes up 1/4 of my living room that needs to be folded, the dishes to be done 3x a day, the toys that are constantly scattered about, grocery shopping, cooking meals, field trips, walking the dogs, etc. etc. and you can forget date nights! So where exactly do I find the time to do school??



These crazy kids... I can't imagine my life without them!

So you see, I am not really cut out to homeschool. I'm not being negative or cynical. No. I am being honest and confessing that I CAN'T DO THIS. Nobody can! It's only by GRACE.

God has given my husband and I this deep calling to take the responsibility of educating our children. He has started this good work in us and HE WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT. He gives me the strength to get through the days that I want to give up because I feel completely and utterly inadequate. He is the One who has renewed me after confessing to my husband "I can't do this! I am not cut out to homeschool!" He is the One who shows me how to be organized in the midst of chaos. He is the One who shows me how to find time to sit-down and do school work even if the littlest ones are screaming and running around in just their diapers. He shows me the beauty in my son reading his first word and gives me joy in my daughter's "light-bulb" moments when she's learning something new. I find homeschooling impossible. But with God, all things are possible.

And it is because of Him that I get this amazing privilege to homeschool my babies. They are wonderful, funny, smart, tenderhearted, incredible little people, who bless my heart tremendously and drive me nuts as well! The beautiful chaos that is my life is such a wonderful adventure. And I am so thankful that God has chosen to use me in spite of my many flaws. He gives me courage day in and day out to press on in this never-ending mission to be a good momma. And no matter how often I fall, Jesus is there to lift me up, dust me off, and sit me back down at the table for another day of homeschooling.

Bye for now,
Kristina

Mighty Mouths

"If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.  Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." James 3:3-10

What mighty mouths we have! They have the power to build others up and the power to destroy them. This little tongue, this tiny part of our body, can cause a whole heap of trouble! I know first hand because I have often struggled with "taming" my tongue. Today, I wanted to teach my children about our mighty mouths and how we often use them to both glorify God and to hurt others. So I thought I'd share this very simple, yet effective lesson with you.

SET-UP:
1) In the center of a poster board, draw a mouth about the size of your fist. It should be an open mouth since most of the things we are going to discuss you would do with an open mouth!
2) Around the mouth, draw 10 speech bubbles. In each bubble write one word per box:

• slander
• good advice
• name calling
• honesty
• lying
• not saying anything
• gossip
• humility
• boasting
• courtesy

(Hang your poster in the classroom where they can see it easily)

I found this poster in an old Lifeway Sunday school
teacher's packet. But this would be easy enough to
draw out on a poster board.

3) On a piece of construction paper or card stock, draw 2 boxes for each child you have (ie. I was teaching this to my 2 children oldest so I had 4 boxes). In each box, draw a mouth inside the box. They should be different (ie. one smiling and one frowning). Then cut out the boxes and tape a craft stick to the back of each box so that it makes a mini sign.

4) Have some hand sanitizer on hand for after the game :)

LESSON:
First, play a game with your kids to get them to understand how their tongue helps them speak. Have them stick out their tongues and hold it between their thumb and forefinger and tell them to say "speak." They will try and try but it will just sound like mumbo jumbo. You can have them say an array or words, however long you want the game to last. They will laugh and giggle. Then, explain to them that even though their tongue seems little compared to the rest of their body, it is very important. We can't speak without it! And the Bible tells us our tongues are very powerful. (Don't forget to sanitize their hands after the game).

Next, paraphrase James 3:3-10 referenced above. You can read it straight from Scripture if you want to. Mine are a little young to understand the language, so I simply explained each analogy individually. I talked to them about the horse and bridle, then about the boat and rudder, and then about the forest fire and spark. Then I discussed with them how something very small has the power to do big things. And just like these, the Bible tells us that our tongues and what we say have the power to bring life or death. That we can use our tongues in ways that glorify God and put others first, or we can use our tongues in ways that are sinful and hurt others.  

Finally, I gave each child a good mouth sign and a bad mouth sign. We discussed each bubble on our poster and decided whether it was a good way to use our mouths or a bad way to use our mouths. Then they would hold up the proper sign over their own mouth. You can also number the speech bubbles and play a game by rolling dice and saying the corresponding word. Then have the kids hold up the proper sign. Once we finished discussing all the different ways we can use our mighty mouths, we prayed and thanked God for our mouths. We thanked Him for giving us the ability to speak and use our mouths for good, and asked Him to help us not use our mouths for bad.

The kids LOVED this lesson and it was very easy to explain everything. It was a good, interactive lesson where they added a lot of dialog. The poster will stay up in the classroom so I can point to it in situations where they need to be reminded of how to use their mouth for good. I hope that your kiddos will enjoy it as much as mine did!

Bye for now,
Kristina

It Really is Easy Peasy!!

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool is a free, online, Christian homeschool curriculum that is made available for anyone and everyone who needs quality, inexpensive curriculum for their homeschool. I have known about Easy Peasy for quite some time, and I've even linked to her website in previous blogs; but to be honest, I have never used it. Not until this week. No, I have actually felt... get this... GUILTY for wanting to try it! Like I will somehow be cheating or be lazy by using a curriculum that is already planned, outlined, and ready to use! I know, I'm crazy :)

 

But I finally decided to give it a try this week...

 

And it really is easy peasy!! Even at dinner tonight my daughter prayed, "Jesus, thank You for this food, thank You for this wonderful day, and thank You that we found Easy Peasy. Amen!" Amen is right! So I thought I'd fill y'all in on how we are going to be using Easy Peasy in our homeschool and encourage you to check it out if you haven't already!

 

I started Samuel(4) on the level "Getting Ready 1" (Day 172) which is for Kindergartners who have never used Easy Peasy before. He'll do 8 days worth of "Getty Ready 1" and then he'll move on to "Getting Ready 2." For his school day, he does reading, math, Bible, and science. He is also doing beginners Spanish. Since he is not able to write yet, I sit next to him and I keep an "Easy Peasy Journal" for him.

 

This is Day 172 (which is actually our first day) in his journal. You can see I just keep it dated, with a heading for each subject and a general idea of what he studied that day. This way I can have a good record of what he's learning for myself, as well as for evaluating him at the end of the year (Note: My county does not require evaluations until children are 6yrs old so he will not have an official annual evaluation but I will be assessing him on my own to help him in areas that he is struggling or advance him in areas that he excels). The curriculum does not provide science until 1st grade but I decided to teach it to them at the same time and it has worked pretty well. It's slightly advanced for him but he seems interested in it (we are doing elementary Biology) and can answer questions orally. I am also teaching them the beginners Spanish together. She has a link to online Spanish 101 that is very simple and they really enjoyed it. (By the way... this is a really nice compromise for Samuel because he HATES doing book work but he LOVES using the computer!!)

 

I started Savanna(6) on Day 1 of the Second level which is geared for 2nd grade. Although she's been doing 2nd grade curriculum for several months, I felt like it was best to start her at the beginning because she's a newbie to the online system. Besides, the material presented isn't exactly what I've used so she's likely to learn many things that I have not taught her. For her school day, she does reading, science, math, Bible, history, and spelling. She also does art, music, computer, writing, thinking skills, and Spanish periodically throughout the week (perhaps once or twice a week). She also has an "Easy Peasy Journal" that she writes in each day. I make her write down all the answers and keep track of what she's done. This is part of that "to-do" list she likes to do and it also helps her practice her penmanship and grammar. It helps her stay on task and stay focused as well! 

 

I am still using my post-it board. I wrote down for each
day which "day" they are supposed to do and which
electives to do. It helps me stay on track with what
they are doing.

At first it may seem like A LOT of work but it really isn't. I have Savanna read a book of her choosing and log it in her reading journal while I work with Samuel on his reading and math. Then we do Bible and science together. Then I let Samuel go play while Savanna does the rest of her work. We're usually done by lunch!! It's been very nice, easy, interesting, and the kids love it! It's really great for the older children who like to work at their own pace and be more independent. It's also not hard for momma to sit right next to the younger ones and help read all the instructions (there are a lot of written instructions) and encourage them to stay on task. It really is easy peasy!

 

I am choosing to still use other teaching aids as well like lapbooks, science experiments, field trips, games, additional reading materials, etc. (although supplements are not required if you don't have the time or resources) just because I like them to be away from the computer now and then :) But I plan to continue to use this curriculum and I do THANK GOD that He gave Mrs. Lee a wonderful mission to share her resources and talents with all of us other mommas and help make this adventure we call homeschooling just a little easier!!

 

Bye for now,

Kristina