Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dad is Almost Home!
I am so excited! My Dad is almost home for his R&R! He left yesterday, and since it takes around two days to get here, he is going to be here tomorrow night or Monday. I wish he did not have to go back to finish this tour, but he will be back again(for good) early next year. Having my Dad gone for so long is hard, and we miss him soooooo much, but we all know that we are doing a good thing by serving our country. I love the signs that they make now that say: Come Home Safely, Come Home Soon. And that is the prayer of all who are waiting at home for their Soldiers to come home. Dad, I love you!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Science
Today I am going to narrate to you about what I read yesterday in my Apologia Science book. Apologia is a cool science curriculum, it thoroughly explains everything talked about. This week I am doing the 4th module, but I did not schedule it right, so since it is already Friday, I studied for the test today and I am going to take the test Saturday. Oh well, one test on a weekend is o.k.
In the module I am on(4th) it is talking about Simple Machines. The six simple machines are: the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. Yesterday I read about the last three.
The inclined plane is better known as a ramp. It is used to more easily move a heavy object. And the effort or force is placed parallel to the slope. The wedge is used to split something, such as a piece of wood. Have you ever tried to use an ax to chop a piece of wood? If you have then you have used a wedge. If you have not, then you get the idea, right? The inclined plane and the wedge look exactly the same but the effort is placed at the vertical edge of the wedge. The best way to show you without a picture is with a >. Good enough? I hope that gives you an idea of how the inclined plane and the wedge look alike, but are used in different ways for different things.
The screw is something you have probably used before. It has a head(the top part of the screw), a shaft(the long straight area), and the threads(the long string type thing wrapped around the shaft). The screw is used to connect two or more objects together, such as two pieces of wood, or a screw could be used to hang up a picture frame or other home decor object( you usually use nails though).
Have you ever tried to screw a screw in with your fingers? Kinda hard right? So what do you use? A screw driver. A screw driver is used to screw a screw into something, but why is it easier to screw it in with a screw driver? Because with a screw driver you can get more of a mechanical advantage, which is how much effort it takes to turn, lift or move something. The bigger the mechanical advantage the less effort it takes to move it. I don't want to go in too deep, but I just wanted you to get the idea.
I hope I explained everything clear enough, and I hope you enjoyed learning about it with me :)
In the module I am on(4th) it is talking about Simple Machines. The six simple machines are: the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. Yesterday I read about the last three.
The inclined plane is better known as a ramp. It is used to more easily move a heavy object. And the effort or force is placed parallel to the slope. The wedge is used to split something, such as a piece of wood. Have you ever tried to use an ax to chop a piece of wood? If you have then you have used a wedge. If you have not, then you get the idea, right? The inclined plane and the wedge look exactly the same but the effort is placed at the vertical edge of the wedge. The best way to show you without a picture is with a >. Good enough? I hope that gives you an idea of how the inclined plane and the wedge look alike, but are used in different ways for different things.
The screw is something you have probably used before. It has a head(the top part of the screw), a shaft(the long straight area), and the threads(the long string type thing wrapped around the shaft). The screw is used to connect two or more objects together, such as two pieces of wood, or a screw could be used to hang up a picture frame or other home decor object( you usually use nails though).
Have you ever tried to screw a screw in with your fingers? Kinda hard right? So what do you use? A screw driver. A screw driver is used to screw a screw into something, but why is it easier to screw it in with a screw driver? Because with a screw driver you can get more of a mechanical advantage, which is how much effort it takes to turn, lift or move something. The bigger the mechanical advantage the less effort it takes to move it. I don't want to go in too deep, but I just wanted you to get the idea.
I hope I explained everything clear enough, and I hope you enjoyed learning about it with me :)
"Chores are Fun"
"Thanks for letting us do our chores, Mom. Chores are fun, I like mopping the floor," my little brother said a few days ago. Wow! He has never said that before! We usually have assigned chores to do, but yesterday Mom decided to try something new. She had ALL of us do ALL of the rooms together! So we set the kitchen timer for five minutes and started cleaning the den. (Now, remember that I have five younger siblings, and we make big messes.) And we got it done right as the timer went off. We did the same thing with the living room, the dining room, the hall and foyer, and the kitchen. It worked great! And we got the main part of the house done in record time.
As I already said, we had assigned chores, so now we are working together to clean the main part of the house. I say the main part, because we are not working together to clean our bedrooms! Personally, I like working on my chores by myself, so I didn't think I would like doing this. But getting it done that fast was awesome, so I think I like working together on chores better now.
As I already said, we had assigned chores, so now we are working together to clean the main part of the house. I say the main part, because we are not working together to clean our bedrooms! Personally, I like working on my chores by myself, so I didn't think I would like doing this. But getting it done that fast was awesome, so I think I like working together on chores better now.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
History
For History this semester I am doing British history. I am reading Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall. I read the sixth chapter today, it is titled: The Last of the Romans. So far in this book it has talked about many mighty Roman men who could not defeat the Britons for nearly 500 years! In the chapter I read today it told about a Roman man who tried a different approach...
Julius Agricola came to Brittan to fight, but he soon saw that he could not physically beat the Britons so he tried something else, you see, the Britons were very wild and illiterate people. None of them could read or write, they only thought of battle and war, and they were pagan. But when Agricola came to Brittan he fought two wars then tried kindness, he took away taxes, built schools, court houses, and other important buildings. He even built forts all along the British coast, to protect the Britons from invaders! This person, Julius Agricola, totally changed the Britons way of life.
But it did not last very long, because a new ruler came to the throne of Rome, and was very jealous of Agricola, because he had made friends with these "barbarians." So he told Agricola to come back to Rome, and he obeyed. This new ruler then told another man go to Briton to rule over the Britons, but this man was foolish, so the Britons rebelled against Rome again. Then a man by the name of Hadrian came to Briton, he was just as good as Agricola, but he did not stay very long, so when he left, the Britons rebelled again! So the Romans finally, after over 500 years of fighting, left the Britons alone.
And that is the story of The Last of the Romans.
Julius Agricola came to Brittan to fight, but he soon saw that he could not physically beat the Britons so he tried something else, you see, the Britons were very wild and illiterate people. None of them could read or write, they only thought of battle and war, and they were pagan. But when Agricola came to Brittan he fought two wars then tried kindness, he took away taxes, built schools, court houses, and other important buildings. He even built forts all along the British coast, to protect the Britons from invaders! This person, Julius Agricola, totally changed the Britons way of life.
But it did not last very long, because a new ruler came to the throne of Rome, and was very jealous of Agricola, because he had made friends with these "barbarians." So he told Agricola to come back to Rome, and he obeyed. This new ruler then told another man go to Briton to rule over the Britons, but this man was foolish, so the Britons rebelled against Rome again. Then a man by the name of Hadrian came to Briton, he was just as good as Agricola, but he did not stay very long, so when he left, the Britons rebelled again! So the Romans finally, after over 500 years of fighting, left the Britons alone.
And that is the story of The Last of the Romans.
Daily Narration
Daily Narration of my school books is something that my Mom likes me to do after school, but I rarely get it done. So now I am going to try to do both oral(to Mom) and written narration(on my blog). I will be writing about: History, Science, Missionary Biography, and more. I probably will not do every book, every single school day, I think that would be a little too much:) I hope you enjoy hearing about the books I am reading.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
School Starting
We just started school Monday! I am so glad it started, I love summer break, but I was getting really bored! I don't know which I was more excited about, the new school year or the beginning of summer break. As you know I am Homeschooled, so my Mom does all the planning for the school year. As you also know, my Dad is deployed, and he is getting home on R&R (break) in the middle of our Fall school semester. So we are starting a few subjects before he gets home, then we are going to take a break when Dad is home, then we will start school again.
Now I have a question for you :) Are you more excited about the first day of summer break or are you more excited about the first day of school? Please be honest! Honestly, I don't know which I like better.
Now I have a question for you :) Are you more excited about the first day of summer break or are you more excited about the first day of school? Please be honest! Honestly, I don't know which I like better.
Do Hard Things Quote
Today I read a couple chapters in the Do Hard Things book, and I found a really cool quote that I wanted to share with you all. It is on page 120, they said, "This verse (Proverbs 13:20) reminds us that friends can be a curse or a blessing depending on whether they are wise or foolish. It also tells us that we become like our friends. You've heard the old saying, ' you are what you eat.' It's probably just as accurate to say, ' you are who you hang out with.' If we want to be wise, mature, and godly, we have to make friends with people who have those qualities." I really like how they put that, and it is so true. If you hang out with people who don't care about God, what kind of influence are they going to have on you? They also say further on that you have to be careful to chose your friends wisely, the Bible says not to "hang out" with evil people. They can lead you in the wrong direction.
I am about half-way through the book and I love it! I encourage all teens to read it also.
I am about half-way through the book and I love it! I encourage all teens to read it also.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Do Hard Things
Do Hard Things is a book for teenagers by teenagers Alex and Brett Harris, 19 year old twin brothers. Mom had me start reading it today, and I am already on the second chapter, but I plan on reading a lot more of it this weekend! It is a great book that every teen should read.
Chuck Norris wrote the foreword of the book, and here is some of what he said, "Their book is far more than a how-to book. From an insightful historical overview of the teen years to personal plans for helping teens hurdle tough obstacles, the authors sound a battle cry to raise the cultural bar on teenage potential and to challenge young people to reach for their God-given best."
Alex and Brett Harris have a website where you can chat with other teens who are going through the same things as you. It is www.therebelution.com. They also do conferences all over the United States. I have never gone to one, but I would like to! I will keep you posted on my progress with the book, I hope you read it too!
Chuck Norris wrote the foreword of the book, and here is some of what he said, "Their book is far more than a how-to book. From an insightful historical overview of the teen years to personal plans for helping teens hurdle tough obstacles, the authors sound a battle cry to raise the cultural bar on teenage potential and to challenge young people to reach for their God-given best."
Alex and Brett Harris have a website where you can chat with other teens who are going through the same things as you. It is www.therebelution.com. They also do conferences all over the United States. I have never gone to one, but I would like to! I will keep you posted on my progress with the book, I hope you read it too!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Baby Quilt #1
Today my Mom, two of my sisters, and I are making a baby quilt for our baby sister. We are making it out of old baby blankets that Mom cut into squares, first we laid out the squares the pattern we wanted. It took a little while to do because we did not have the same amount of each color or pattern of squares. After we put it out the way we wanted it, we took turns piecing it together, one square to another, then those two squares to another two squares, and so on.
Now we have seven rows, and we still need to put the rows together to form the top of the blanket. But we still will not be done :) After that we will put the edge and the back on (and maybe some batting). We have 49 squares. When finished it will be 56" x 56" square. I'll keep you posted on our progress :)
Now we have seven rows, and we still need to put the rows together to form the top of the blanket. But we still will not be done :) After that we will put the edge and the back on (and maybe some batting). We have 49 squares. When finished it will be 56" x 56" square. I'll keep you posted on our progress :)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is one of my most favorite things to do! I probably could not live without it! I love scrapbooking because: I love crafts, it is a fun and cute way to preserve memories, and it so much fun! You don't have to have experience to be able to scrapbook, but I admit that is does look better when you have had some practice:) Scrapbooking is a hobby of mine, so I do it just whenever I want to. Like yesterday, we have not started school yet, and I was really bored, so I did some scrapbooking, I did two and a half pages.
You can get scrapbooking supplies at most craft stores, I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby, they always have great sales on scrapbooks, paper, stickers, and other page elements. For my birthday a friend gave me a scrapbook with about fifteen pages, I think, and I have already filled it up! So next time we go to Hobby Lobby I am going to get a pack of refill pages. There are different kinds and sizes of scrapbooks, so you can't just get any scrapbook refill pages, you have to know what kind of scrapbook you have(the different scrapbooks are bound differently) so all you have to do is take your scrapbook and lift the flap that holds the pages in and see : #1 how many holes there are , #2 see what shape your holes are. It is really easy:)
Scrapbooking is so much fun! I hope that if you have never scrapbooked that you will try it, and if you have I hope that I did not bore you too much! :)
You can get scrapbooking supplies at most craft stores, I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby, they always have great sales on scrapbooks, paper, stickers, and other page elements. For my birthday a friend gave me a scrapbook with about fifteen pages, I think, and I have already filled it up! So next time we go to Hobby Lobby I am going to get a pack of refill pages. There are different kinds and sizes of scrapbooks, so you can't just get any scrapbook refill pages, you have to know what kind of scrapbook you have(the different scrapbooks are bound differently) so all you have to do is take your scrapbook and lift the flap that holds the pages in and see : #1 how many holes there are , #2 see what shape your holes are. It is really easy:)
Scrapbooking is so much fun! I hope that if you have never scrapbooked that you will try it, and if you have I hope that I did not bore you too much! :)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Interior Design
Interior Design has been just a "cool thing", now it is becoming a interest and hopefully a hobby of mine. Today I did some interior designing to my bedroom, now keep in mind that I share this room with two sisters, so I could not do exactly what I wanted to do with it because they did not like me changing the room very much. But I did do a little.
My sisters and I have Polly Pocket dolls that we make cardboard houses for, it is really fun to design each bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc. I use scrapbook paper to paper the walls, and sometimes the floor. We also sew our own mini blankets , pillows, couches, etc. Designing these mini rooms is really fun, and it does not cost much at all! If anyone has any ideas on where I can learn more about interior design, please comment on this post:)
My sisters and I have Polly Pocket dolls that we make cardboard houses for, it is really fun to design each bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc. I use scrapbook paper to paper the walls, and sometimes the floor. We also sew our own mini blankets , pillows, couches, etc. Designing these mini rooms is really fun, and it does not cost much at all! If anyone has any ideas on where I can learn more about interior design, please comment on this post:)
The Whole Duty of Children
The Whole Duty of Children
A child should always say what's true
And speak when he is spoken to,
And behave mannerly at the table:
At least as far as he is able.
By Robert Louis Stevenson.
A child should always say what's true
And speak when he is spoken to,
And behave mannerly at the table:
At least as far as he is able.
By Robert Louis Stevenson.
Funny Poem
I found a really cute and funny poem that I would like to share with you. I will warn you, it is also a riddle:)
When people call this beast to mind,
they marvel more and more,
at such a little tail behind,
so LARGE a trunk before.
By Hilaire Belloc.
What is it? An Elephant! The title for this poem gives it away, it is called The Elephant. I hope you liked it!
When people call this beast to mind,
they marvel more and more,
at such a little tail behind,
so LARGE a trunk before.
By Hilaire Belloc.
What is it? An Elephant! The title for this poem gives it away, it is called The Elephant. I hope you liked it!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Verses
Remember how I told you about the class we had on friendship? Well, here are some more verses that she put in our folders.
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
John 13:15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."
Ephesians 5:8, 15-16 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light ... Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Psalm 19:7-8 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 119:9-11, 33, 60, 63 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping (it) according to Thy work. With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee... Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end...
I hastened and did not delay to keep Thy commandments..
I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who deep Thy precepts.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
I really want to thank you C., for looking up all of these verses and more for us!
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
John 13:15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."
Ephesians 5:8, 15-16 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light ... Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Psalm 19:7-8 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 119:9-11, 33, 60, 63 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping (it) according to Thy work. With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee... Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end...
I hastened and did not delay to keep Thy commandments..
I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who deep Thy precepts.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
I really want to thank you C., for looking up all of these verses and more for us!
Last Day
Well, yesterday was the last day of our fundraiser garage sale! It was so fun. We raised $722.56 this weekend! We are now have more than half of what we need to build the well! I am so excited! I was going to write this yesterday, but I was totally worn out from this weekend, like everyone else. After the garage sale yesterday we all jumped in the pool, that felt really good!
Thank you for your prayers! I think God has really blessed our hard work.
Thank you for your prayers! I think God has really blessed our hard work.
Friday, August 8, 2008
2nd Day
This is the second day of the garage sale(the first day we have had customers)! It went pretty smoothly. It was just HOT! The friend's house that we are doing it at, have a garage and a long driveway, but no trees. We just had to drink a lot of water! We are also doing the garage sale tomorrow, and I think tomorrow will be busier than today, since tomorrow is a Saturday.
I can't wait 'till tomorrow, I hope we make a lot of money toward the well.
It was so awesome to think, every time someone gave us a five dollar bill, that one person would have water for their entire life!
I can't wait 'till tomorrow, I hope we make a lot of money toward the well.
It was so awesome to think, every time someone gave us a five dollar bill, that one person would have water for their entire life!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
1st Day (sorting)
Well, today we were sorting everything that was donated to the garage sale. Which was mostly clothes. I thought we would never finish! But by the grace of God we did! We have around thirty good sized cardboard boxes absolutely full of clothes alone! Then of course we have two desks, a chair, a ton of books, lots of baby things(such as: a bouncer, a crib skirt, etc.), toys, kitchen items, craft supplies, fabric, electronics and more! Lots of people have donated these things, and I am so thankful! Well, tomorrow is the first day of the garage sale, and as far as I can see, everything is good. I just ask that you pray for success!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Getting Ready
Remember how I told you about our family project? Well, since it is this weekend we are working hard this week to make sure that all of the kinks are flattened out in time for the sale, we are hoping that everything runs smoothly. To make more money for the Well I am making some crocheted items to sell at the garage sale this weekend. I thought of the idea on Monday, so I have not had much time to make things but I am working on it:) I hope to make 20 headband, 10 round dish cloths and10 rectangular dish cloths, and if I have the time I am going to make a couple purses. My oldest, younger sister is making 18in. doll clothes, my mom is making coasters, and another sister of mine is making bracelets.
Today we are going to be working on our crafts and baking! For our last garage sale we had lots of baked goods and drinks to sell, and they sold pretty good, so we are going to make more for this garage sale. Please pray that we will be successful in this garage sale :)
Today we are going to be working on our crafts and baking! For our last garage sale we had lots of baked goods and drinks to sell, and they sold pretty good, so we are going to make more for this garage sale. Please pray that we will be successful in this garage sale :)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Family Project
My family has a project for this year and hopefully for the years to come. We are raising money with Life Today International to build a well in Africa or Asia. We are doing garage sales to raise money, so far we have only done one garage sale, but this weekend we are doing another one. Other people around the country are doing different things to raise money to build other wells. You can go to www.ambassadorsforlife.org/leakefamily if you would like to donate to the well we are raising money for or you can go to www.ambassadorsforlife.org if you would like to start raising money to build another well.
I hope you will help us build this well that the people over there desperately need. Please consider helping us in our fight against death and disease.
I hope you will help us build this well that the people over there desperately need. Please consider helping us in our fight against death and disease.
Monday, August 4, 2008
being a faithful friend
The Church we attend is pretty small , and the youth group is really small . We usually have about eight kids all together. We have youth group on Sunday nights, I usually don't go , but the older sister of a friend of mine was doing a lesson on friendship last night, so I decided to go.
At the beginning of the lesson she gave each of us girls a little folder with some Bible verses, quotes and other things in it. It was a fantastic experience for me, to see how these verses applied to me and my friends, at co-op or church or wherever. Here are some of them:
*Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
*Colossians 3:12-13 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
* Titus 2:7 In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds.
*1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
There were so many other wonderful verses, but I picked my favorites, I will put more out later. Now here are some quotes that she also put in the folder:
*You can make more friends in a month by being interested in them then in ten years by trying to get them interested in you. - Dale Carnegie
*Don't make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up. -Thomas J. Watson
*The only way to have a friend is to be one - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I will also post more quotes later. This class was so very well organized and I hope it benefited not only me but the other girls in the class. :)
At the beginning of the lesson she gave each of us girls a little folder with some Bible verses, quotes and other things in it. It was a fantastic experience for me, to see how these verses applied to me and my friends, at co-op or church or wherever. Here are some of them:
*Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
*Colossians 3:12-13 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
* Titus 2:7 In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds.
*1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
There were so many other wonderful verses, but I picked my favorites, I will put more out later. Now here are some quotes that she also put in the folder:
*You can make more friends in a month by being interested in them then in ten years by trying to get them interested in you. - Dale Carnegie
*Don't make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up. -Thomas J. Watson
*The only way to have a friend is to be one - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I will also post more quotes later. This class was so very well organized and I hope it benefited not only me but the other girls in the class. :)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
cleaning
Cleaning is not always fun, especially for the younger kids. If you have kids, they are going to hate me for this. :) But something they figure out is that it can be fun if they make up their minds that cleaning is a good thing to do, not a punishment. Of course you can "earn" extra chores by disobeying or talking back, but cleaning is something everybody needs to do. Because everybody makes the mess. Shocking!:)
Don't you always eat off of a clean dish when you eat dinner? Don't you always drink out of a clean cup? But how do those dishes get cleaned everyday? How can you go to sleep in a nice warm bed every night? Who provided it? Who washes your blankets when they get all dirty? There is someone behind the scenes that does these things and more for you!( or maybe you are the person who is behind the scenes).
Helping out with the housework is a fact of life! But there is an age limit for doing chores! When the child starts walking is when, I think, they should start helping with little chores, like cleaning up their own toys. One thing I have realized is that the older you get the more chores you get! Because as you get older you are trusted by your parents more to get your work done.
Another thing I have realized is that the more kids that are in your family does NOT mean a smaller amount of chores, it sounds right, does it not? I mean, the more people you have in a family the less you have to do right? WRONG! The more people you have, the more stuff you will have. So really, the more people you have in a family sometimes means more work to do, because the younger ones can't always be depended on.
Back to the first subject, I have learned how to make myself do extra chores without mom or dad asking me to do it. How? Well, if you live in a house that has flat surfaces, counters, a kitchen bar or island, a table, then you know that they are magnets for papers and just STUFF! In our home we rarely find the "time" to clean off these surfaces. It isn't fun is it? But when it does get clean it looks so nice, doesn't it? So that is what motivates me to clean. Another example is when my sisters and I clean our room(I share a room with two of my sisters) it looks better when clothes aren't all over the floor, so we always say that we will keep it clean this time. But that never happens, one day it will be clean and the next day it will be a complete disaster! How? We always say we will do it later, but in reality, LATER almost never happens.
Cleaning CAN be fun if we make up our minds to it, it is just something we learn over time:).
Don't you always eat off of a clean dish when you eat dinner? Don't you always drink out of a clean cup? But how do those dishes get cleaned everyday? How can you go to sleep in a nice warm bed every night? Who provided it? Who washes your blankets when they get all dirty? There is someone behind the scenes that does these things and more for you!( or maybe you are the person who is behind the scenes).
Helping out with the housework is a fact of life! But there is an age limit for doing chores! When the child starts walking is when, I think, they should start helping with little chores, like cleaning up their own toys. One thing I have realized is that the older you get the more chores you get! Because as you get older you are trusted by your parents more to get your work done.
Another thing I have realized is that the more kids that are in your family does NOT mean a smaller amount of chores, it sounds right, does it not? I mean, the more people you have in a family the less you have to do right? WRONG! The more people you have, the more stuff you will have. So really, the more people you have in a family sometimes means more work to do, because the younger ones can't always be depended on.
Back to the first subject, I have learned how to make myself do extra chores without mom or dad asking me to do it. How? Well, if you live in a house that has flat surfaces, counters, a kitchen bar or island, a table, then you know that they are magnets for papers and just STUFF! In our home we rarely find the "time" to clean off these surfaces. It isn't fun is it? But when it does get clean it looks so nice, doesn't it? So that is what motivates me to clean. Another example is when my sisters and I clean our room(I share a room with two of my sisters) it looks better when clothes aren't all over the floor, so we always say that we will keep it clean this time. But that never happens, one day it will be clean and the next day it will be a complete disaster! How? We always say we will do it later, but in reality, LATER almost never happens.
Cleaning CAN be fun if we make up our minds to it, it is just something we learn over time:).
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Crochet
Crocheting is one of my most favorite things to do! I first learned to crochet at a craft day last summer when a homeschooling mom offered to teach me how. And she taught me the first stitch, but I was so anxious to learn the rest( the next time I was going to see her was the next week) that I borrowed a how to crochet book from the library. And I learned the next few stitches from that. There are a ton of different stitches in crochet( slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, chain, etc.) so I am still learning new stitches. Other tools I used to learn new stitches are the Internet, movies and DVDs, and other crocheters.
Crocheting is done with a hook on the end of a long skinny rod and some yarn, you can find crochet supplies at craft stores, such as Hobby Lobby, or at main "all around" stores, such as Wal-Mart. There are different kinds of yarn, there are acrylic yarns, they are the most common and are used most anything and everything. Then there are cotton yarns and they are used for making dish cloths and towels. There are also wool yarns that are very soft, and they are used for making winter coats and accessories. Of coarse you can always try different things with different yarns. That is part of the fun of it!
You can find patterns for almost anything you want to make and more, at the library or on the Internet are where I find most of my patterns. But I really don't like following patterns, I like to make my own! I have made patterns for purses, hats, headbands, bracelets, and more. After you know the basic stitches you can start crocheting, and if you get stopped by a stitch you don't know how to do, then learn it! By doing this over and over again you will really increase your knowledge of stitches!
I love crocheting! It is so much fun and you can made really cute things out of just a small knowledge of stitches, such as baby booties, hats, then after a little practice you might be able to make a whole baby or baby doll outfit! I don't always just crochet for fun, I make things for gifts, for charities, etc. I think crochet is a worth while skill to learn for anybody!
Crocheting is done with a hook on the end of a long skinny rod and some yarn, you can find crochet supplies at craft stores, such as Hobby Lobby, or at main "all around" stores, such as Wal-Mart. There are different kinds of yarn, there are acrylic yarns, they are the most common and are used most anything and everything. Then there are cotton yarns and they are used for making dish cloths and towels. There are also wool yarns that are very soft, and they are used for making winter coats and accessories. Of coarse you can always try different things with different yarns. That is part of the fun of it!
You can find patterns for almost anything you want to make and more, at the library or on the Internet are where I find most of my patterns. But I really don't like following patterns, I like to make my own! I have made patterns for purses, hats, headbands, bracelets, and more. After you know the basic stitches you can start crocheting, and if you get stopped by a stitch you don't know how to do, then learn it! By doing this over and over again you will really increase your knowledge of stitches!
I love crocheting! It is so much fun and you can made really cute things out of just a small knowledge of stitches, such as baby booties, hats, then after a little practice you might be able to make a whole baby or baby doll outfit! I don't always just crochet for fun, I make things for gifts, for charities, etc. I think crochet is a worth while skill to learn for anybody!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Homeschool Co-op
I go to two homeschool co-ops, and they are so much fun! Co-op is basically a half day, one day a week school for homeschoolers. A lot of homeschool Moms get together at a church or other large building to teach each other's kids for a few hours. The Moms in the group offer different classes they can teach, then the kids sign up for the classes that they either need for high school credits (older kids only) or they need for their regular schooling or that just interest them. Co-op only goes for about eight to twelve weeks in the spring and then again in the fall, depending on the size of the group and when they want to start. We go to one co-op on Monday and one on Friday, but they could be on any day of the week, depending on what is most convenient for the group.
If you are a homeschooler and never been to a homeschool co-op, then I advise you to try it out. It is a great tool for meeting other homeschoolers in your area and it helps Moms share their skills and talents so that the kids get to learn certain things that their parent(s) maybe could not provide. The Moms meet new friends, the kids meet new friends, and it is so helpful for many homeschoolers across the country. You can usually find homeschool co-ops near you on the Internet.
If you are a homeschooler and never been to a homeschool co-op, then I advise you to try it out. It is a great tool for meeting other homeschoolers in your area and it helps Moms share their skills and talents so that the kids get to learn certain things that their parent(s) maybe could not provide. The Moms meet new friends, the kids meet new friends, and it is so helpful for many homeschoolers across the country. You can usually find homeschool co-ops near you on the Internet.
Counting My Blessings
God has blessed me with an awesome family! I have a Dad, Mom, and five younger siblings ( I am the oldest child in my family). I am almost never lonely. God has also blessed me and my family with a house that we have turned into a home, food on our table, family and friends that love us, and much more. Every time I stop what I am doing and simply count my blessings, I am amazed at what God has done for us, and what He is doing for us everyday of my life.
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