Elementary Round Up

For starters . . . I’ve been working on a “meme” Elementary Round Up button.  Tell me, which one is your favorite?

Option 1:

Option 2:

Or Option 3:

 

On with our learning . . .

A parade of pictures is the feature for this Elementary Round Up.  Enjoy and feel free to ask any questions about what you see Mr. Smackdown doing . . . . I am finally beginning to respond to comments again!

A Reason for Handwriting

Domino Math

 Preserving Lemons from the Nourished Kitchen 

snuggling with Naomi

lots of play time . . . 

the annual New Year’s Fondue Party

open gym at gymnastics

Other subjects not included in the parade of pictures or activities still living in my camera:

• Saxon Phonics
• Saxon Math
• Answers in Genesis Science
• Stick-figuring through the Bible by Grapevine Studies
• AWANA memory verses
• and enjoying Mr. Smiley’s Tot Trays
• basketball

What has been going on in your school room – and if you don’t have a blog to link up with . . . leave a comment and tell me what your family did in the Learning Room!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter to win the Healthy Night Light! 

Guidelines: 

1. Write a blog post about your elementary aged child(ren), first through fifth grade, comprising the activities you did the prior two weeks.  You can include pictures, bullet points, tools used, learning gained, God moments, etc.
2. Be sure to include a link back to my blog.  By doing so, other like-minded readers can hang out in a central location if they are looking for Elementary School ideas.   Publish your post and then head back to my site. 
3. Provide the exact link (URL) of the Elementary Round-UP blog post you wrote, not your blog’s home address, through the provided MckLinky.
4. Optional:  For now, I would love it if you grabbed my blog button over on the side.
5. You can combine this with other meme’s if that helps you to save time (as long as it is OK with the other blog owner). 

BIG IMPORTANT HEART MOMENT:  This isn’t a blog post to WOW other moms . . . the point of this is to help YOU document on YOUR blog what you and your child(ren) are learning.  My link-up is only to provide some accountability.  I won’t come and leave nasty comments on your blog if you don’t link up. 

Dream Dates for Kids

It could appear that I have been hallucinating recently.  Lack of sleep can do that.

If I am hallucinating, then that means four people in my family are also suffering from a brain disorder. Or lack of sleep. 

We have recently jumped on the moon, taken a boat ride on a river of maple syrup, walked through Candyland, fished with Curious George using cake, had a picnic on the curtains hanging on the wall in the Granola boys’ bedroom, and used a trampoline to jump up to a cloud.

2 Corinthians 10: 5 says,

we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And that is exactly what we are trying to do. 

We are just applying it in an unusual way.

If you have children or if you have an overactive imagination (such as myself), falling asleep can prove difficult.  As our children have grown older and sadly processed more information that steals some of their innocence, it has become a struggle for them to “take every thought captive.”

Especially at bedtime.

Sleep becomes illusive because that day someone told them there were monsters in the basement.  Another person inappropriately discussed how the neighbor’s house was broken into.  The TV aired a dark and evil ad before we were able to turn it off.  Someone discussed an article in the newspaper about a child being abducted.  The list of deceitful and potentially disturbing topics goes on and on . . .

Enter dream dates.

After taking requests and covering our children with the blanket of prayer,  we help them plan where we are going to go in out dreams together.  As they fall asleep, our munchkins are given a tool to take their thoughts captive and journey on a delightful adventure with the family, that only the imagination can accomplish. 

There are no boundaries, nap times, money issues, time, etc. to contend with.

A dream date.  The perfect family vacation.

And little boys can fall asleep with visions of “cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings . . .”

The best part is comparing notes in the morning . . .

Wordless Wednesday: Woman on a Sled

For some reason, the Hottie thinks the below pictures are humorous. 

I don’t get it.

Hasn’t he ever seen a woman on a sled before?

 

Tummy Time Tuesday (late): Popcorn

I used to think that popcorn could only be made in the microwave.

Yup. 

Not proud of that admission, but it is the truth.

However, since going granola I have discovered a much tastier kind of popcorn called homemade. 

The best part(s) about homemade popcorn:

• it’s cheap
• it’s yummy
• it is a whole lot healthier
• you can make lots of flavors

Ingredients:

• coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions.)
• popcorn (I get mine from SBNF.)

Optional ingredients:

• salt
• peanut butter
• ground flax seed or wheat germ
• honey
• Frontier White Cheddar Cheese powder

Directions:

Heat approximately 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a pan over high heat. 

Add popping corn once the oil is hot.  The amount of corn is between 1/4 to 1/2 cup.  I often don’t measure, much to the dismay of my number-minded husband.  I just make sure the corn covers the bottom of the pan.  I will often add salt at this point so it is pre-mixed.  Do this if you are lazy like me.  Or you can wait and make salted and buttered popcorn. 

 

Reduce heat to medium and cover.

Allow the pan to remain on the burner until the popping slows down to only a few pops every second. 

Serve it up!

If you want flavored popcorn, heat up a huge spoon of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey, and a dollop of coconut oil.  Stir until thoroughly mixed over medium heat (in a pan, of course).  With a gracefully large spoon, swirl and delicately mix into your freshly made popcorn.  Add wheat bran or ground flax for some extra nutrition.

And if that isn’t enough taste for you, melt some butter.  Douse you popcorn with it and sprinkle the Frontier White Cheddar Cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

Now you know what we have for snacks. 

B.E.E. 90x Challenge: Check-In

But He knows the way I take;

When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 

My foot has held fast to His path;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

I have not departed from the command of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23:10-12

______________________

The B.E.E. 90x Challenge isn’t about outdoing someone . . . or striving to achieve perfection . . . or completing the goal precisely. 

It’s about taking 90 days unto the Lord.  It’s about setting an attainable goal.  A goal with a boundary.  A goal with a finite date.  Not something you attempt to do for an entire year.

That doesn’t mean you will quit after 90 days . . . but it makes your task doable . . . smaller . . . manageable. 

30 days makes a habit.  Perhaps after 90 days your habit will become a lifetime commitment.  You won’t even think of it as a New Year’s Resolution – which was/is the VERY LAST thing I wanted the B.E.E. 90x Challenge to be for me . . . for you. 

B for Bible . . . if you read my Daybook, you know that I had to reroute my reading plan.  I had to chart a new course due to only having so many hours in the day . . . I want quality not quantity with the Lord.  By all means, if the Lord has called you to reading the Bible in 90 days, I WANT YOU TO.  But after conversing with the Hottie . . . I know that I was setting myself up for failure.  The time that I do carve out with my Lord needs to be rich.  I need a few words that I can chew on throughout the day.  I also wanted to be in harmony with the Hottie . . . and he is reading through the Bible chronologically. 

It became an easy decision.  It will also give us great opportunities for conversation.  We will grow closer as a result of fellowshipping over the same text.  Perhaps he will even join me for coffee a few times, especially since I made some vanilla syrup for our lattes (thanks Kristen).

This weeks readings are as follows:

• Monday . . . . Job 24-28
• Tuesday . . . . Job 29-31
• Wednesday . . . . Job 32-34
• Thursday . . . . Job 35-37
• Friday . . . . Job 38-39
• Saturday . . . . Job 40-42
• Sunday . . . . Genesis 12-15

E is for Eating . . . Still abiding by the general guidelines of Eat Fat Lose Fat and reiterated by Kim who is hosting the Eat Fat Lose Fat Challenge.

• Eat three meals a day, trying to avoid snacks unless you are pregnant, nursing or have health challenges
• Consume coconut oil 15-20 minutes before each meal (I use Tropical Traditions)
• Eat a serving of a high calcium food at each meal (bone broth, raw milk, whole milk yogurt or kefir, coconut milk tonic)
• Eat a serving of fermented food (beverage, veggie, yogurt) at least once/day. The goal is to eat one at every meal.  And I promise that I will finally give you my water kefir soda recipe in the near future! 
• The Eat Fat Lose Fat plan focuses on a lower carbohydrate menu but NOT an avoidance of all carbohydrates. God made carbs . . . so we can’t neglect them. 

E is for Exercising . . . You could find me moving to Leslie Sansone Walking DVD, Wii Biggest Loser, and Biggest Loser Yoga.  Soon . . . I’m going to be telling you about Wholy Fit with a fabulous giveaway at the end of the 90 days! 

How did your first week go?  Any successes?  Any points for prayer?