The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/15/09

December 15, 2009

Photo for thought... (none today - sorry!)


Outside my window...  overcast, remnants of snow, still... .
I am thinking... how I've been very productive this morning already - on a call with the Prosperity Circle leaders, then posted a blog to the DFC Facebook Fan page, now blogging and making lunch for my husband!

I am thankful for... for the ability to buy D gifts for Christmas. I'm very excited to see his reaction when he opens them.
From the learning rooms... a mountain of laundry to be folded!
From the kitchen... dishes in the sink, the aroma of coffee and ham and cheese breakfast cassarole.
I am wearing... my new fuzzy socks from my mom.
I am creating... a beautiful family culture.
I am going... to Walmart to get supplies for Christmas cookie making today - this week's baking day.
I am reading... The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey.
I am hoping... that we are all healthy for the holidays this year.
I am hearing... the shower running from upstairs, WBUR news.
One of my favorite things... shopping for and giving gifts.
A few plans for the rest of the week... potluck for the UU Sisterhood.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Patience is faith in action. Patience is emotional diligence. It's the willingness to suffer inside so that others can grow. It reveals love. It gives birth to understanding. Even as we become aware of our suffering in love, we learn about ourselves and our own weaknesses and motives.
- Stephen R. Covey

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/14/2009

December 14, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window...  overcast, remnants of snow. .
I am thinking... another Monday. How the weeks speed by. I need a week off. I can't wait until Christmas to get some time off with the family. I'm looking forward to sleeping in!

I am thankful for... for a wonderful Sunday with the family. D was so great in his first pagent.
From the learning rooms... Christmas music!
From the kitchen... chaos.
I am wearing... pjs.
I am creating... the plans for today and tomorrow.
I am going... the dentist today and some Christmas shopping.
I am reading... Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.
I am hoping... D is cooperative and comfortable at his first dentist appointment.
I am hearing... D repeatedly clearing his throat.
One of my favorite things... having nothing in particular to do.
A few plans for the rest of the week... making Christmas cookies for our homeschool co-op to decorate, Christmas shopping, assembling gifts for the grandparents.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook


Return to Me with all your heart, 
And with fasting, weeping and mourning; 
And rend your heart and not your garments."
 - Joel 2:12

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/10/2009

December 10, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window...  it is evening.
I am thinking... that I really don't want to do the dishes waiting for me in the sink.

I am thankful for... abundance.
From the learning rooms... is aglow with the light of the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... dishes from dinner.
I am wearing... yoga attire.
I am creating... an intentional life.
I am going... up to my son's room in a few minutes to read him stories and ease him into sleep.
I am reading... Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.
I am hoping... I don't fall asleep with my son tonight so that I can work on a few blogs I've had in mind this week.
I am hearing... the hum of the refrigerator and my son's bathtime status reports being called down from upstairs.
One of my favorite things... hot chocolate on winter nights.
A few plans for the rest of the week... family movie night.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Our children no longer learn how to read 

the great Book of Nature 

from their own direct experience or hot to interact creatively 

 with the seasonal transformations of the planet. 

They seldom learn where their water comes from or where it goes. 

We no longer coordinate our human celebration with 

the great liturgy of the heavens.

- Wendell Berry

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/09/2009 - Peace

December 8, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window...  it is snowing, wet snowflakes compacting upon contact with the ground. A think, white blanket.
I am thinking... that I love the snow when I don't have to drive in it.

I am thankful for... an unplanned day "off" from the usual hustle to enjoy the snowfall with my son; for my husband for spending almost 2 hours shoveling the snow.
From the learning rooms... my son is engaged in some serious imaginative play in front of the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... remnants of breakfast - sausage-egg-cheese breakfast sandwiches and one happy dog who got the leftovers licking his lips.
I am wearing... sweatpants, t-shirt, and a fleece jacket.
I am creating... plans to enjoy the day with crafting, hot chocolate, and pizza-making.
I am going... nowhere! What a blessing today! I think this means I'm changing, or maybe getting older. When I was younger this would have been a tragedy. Now, I look forward to quiet days at home.
I am reading... entertaining Facebook entries with people's diverse reactions to snowfall.
I am hoping... that people drive safely on the roads today.
I am hearing... WBUR, the BBC hour, my son and husband talking, the plow rumbling by outside.
One of my favorite things... the anticipation of Christmas and making it special for everyone.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Dream Factory Community lunch, meeting with people from an organization assisting people in Haiti.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Create in me a clean heart, O God, 
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 - Psalm 51: 10-11

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/08/2009

December 8, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window...  is nighttime.
I am thinking... that it is time for bed.

I am thankful for... a wonderful day.
From the learning rooms... all has been put away for the night.
From the kitchen... some diner dishes in the sink, clean dishes in the drying rack and the scent of lavender from the plant I saved from the back deck just before the first snow.
I am wearing... jeans, a soft t-shirt, a fleece jacket, and chenille house socks.
I am creating... some holiday craft and unit study plans for the next few weeks, plans for completing the holiday decorating this week, and some buzz-worthy social media fact sheets for the Dream Factory Community lunch this Thursday.
I am going... to bed very soon.
I am reading... through endless emails from the last week. I need a better system for organizing and responding to them...
I am hoping... for a wonderful blanketing of snow tomorrow that melts entirely withing a day so that we can clean our gutters!.
I am hearing... the television... the hum of my husband's computers as he chugs away for his graduate program thile overseeing an imporant IT upgrade at work.
One of my favorite things... my son's laughter at funny sounding words. The latest discovered while reading today. "Pish-posh".
A few plans for the rest of the week... creating Christmas decorations with D for our tree and holiday gifts while it snows tomorrow.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Creating an Extraordinary Family – The Rise of A Domestic Entrepreneur

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

There is no doubt in my mind that I was born an entrepreneur into an entrepreneurial family. Growing up, money was often stretched in our household. My parents hired me to do jobs around the house rather than giving me an allowance. My mom, a first generation daughter of a Czech immigrant, grew up in the blue-collar suburbs of Detroit. My father was raised for the first ten years of his life by his maternal grandmother and worked with his relatives, who were sharecroppers, in cotton and tobacco fields in rural North Carolina. Both graduated from college and worked hard to establish a middle class lifestyle for us. It was important to them that I understood the value of a dollar. There was no sense of entitlement in our household. As an adult, I am grateful that I was given such a value system.

While still in elementary school I hired myself out as a babysitter and did odd jobs for my neighbors to earn spending money. When I was young my mother ran a home daycare while my father ran a business and worked full time for the federal government. Together they owned three multi-family homes in our town and rented 10 units. In junior high school I thrived during times of fundraising and was always a top seller of candy bars and magazine subscriptions. In high school, I was inspired to start a magazine featuring my classmates writing and artwork. I enrolled my best friend in creating this with me and got the backing of the English and Art departments to promote it. One problem. No money in the school budget to publish the magazine. (This was back in the day before e-zines...) I convinced my friend to canvass downtown on our spring break to sell ads to local business in order to fund the project.

Since college I've undertaken numerous entrepreneurial endeavors. Some have been successful and other have been, well, learning experiences. I'm an entrepreneurial junkie. I follow highly successful entrepreneurs like many follow celebrities.

About six months ago some difficult decisions had to be made about my business and my family's future. For reasons too numerous to go into here, we made the decision as a family that we would homeschool and I would be “at home” to support our family. (For more, go to Heart of the Matter Online for two blogs on the topic.) To say that it was a big adjustment would be an understatement. To say that all had gone smoothly would be untrue. However the positive outcome must be credited to context. Context is key.

I appointed myself Chief Dream Officer of the family business, the business of being an extraordinary family. I am not a stay-at-home mom or a work-at-home mom. I am a domestic entrepreneur. This is different from being a stay-at-home mom with a side business or being a work-at-home mom with a dedicated office. I've tried both and failed miserably. It's all about approaching the ongoing co-creation of the family in the spirit of entrepreneurship.

I love what Wikipeida has to say about being an entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. ...Entrepreneurship is often difficult and tricky, resulting in many new ventures failing. The word entrepreneur is often synonymous with founder. Most commonly, the term entrepreneur applies to someone who creates value by offering a product or service, by carving out a niche in the market that may not exist currently.

So, notice, there is nothing in this definition about profits or a business or building wealth. It is about taking accountability for moving a venture or an idea forward, for carving our a niche and taking risks.

Recently I picked up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey at the library. According to Mr. Covey, every family needs three basic things to be successful.

1. A clear vision of their direction.
2. A flight plan.
3. A compass.
   

It struck me how that is the basic structure of a business plan. It is also the heart of the plan developed during the Chief Dream Officer training! I had an "ah-ha" moment. I've been applying my business background and entrepreneurial zeal to my family.

Our mission statement is “To create an extraordinary family in which each member feels valued and appreciated as a unique individual.” Our flight plan includes spending quality time together, homeschooling, and maintaining a simple and fulfilling lifestyle. We have specific criteria against which we can measure our success while conceding that we will be off track 90% of the time.

As for my particular role, I am the CDO for the family. I serve as the holder of the dream – our mission statement – and am charged with family resource management to forward our venture toward the dream. My husband and son (and the little one on the way) serve as the board of directors. They voice support or opposition to the work I'm charged with carrying out. They also make sure I have the resources I need to carry out my work. My husband, son, and a few carefully selected friends are my biggest resource; my Board of Advisors and performance coaches. I am a domestic entrepreneur, manager, and technician as Michael Gerber outlined in his book, The E-myth. I organize and manage the many moving parts of our family system for maximum efficiency, enjoyment, and results. This is similar to what I did in the businesses I have created or managed.

I oversee, manage, and am chiefly responsible for the following:

• Administration: creating and managing our operating budget (household expenses and liabilities), accounts payable (pay bills), accounts receivable (track paychecks, reimbursements, and other payments), strategic cash reserves (long term and short terms savings accounts), capital improvements plans (long term savings for specific projects), procurement (all household purchases), investments (retirement plans and others), contract and vendor management (insurance contracts, loans, household service providers), track cash flow and generate reports as needed

• Facilities: property and fleet maintenance (housework, car maintenance, “mom's taxi”, coordinating rides and ride shares, serving on our condo association as a trustee, home renovation project development)

• Information Systems: Information Technology (manage and maintain all household electronics, including internet, cable, landlines and cell phones) , Information Systems Management (systematic communication around child care, work schedules, and creating the processes which lend to communication), documentation (process documentation, photos, videos, scrapbooks, blogs)

• Human Relationships: Education (classes and more), management training programs (getting family members developed to take on oversight and accountability of specific aspects of programs), benefits management (registration, selection and utilization of employee benefits from husbands work), recreation and travel (planing fun downtime at scalable levels – daily and weekly opportunities) personal time (time off!), personal development (personalized training and support of resources for each family member), wellness programs (healthy eating, daily exercise, stress reduction), corporate retreats (family vacations) and planning days (weekly check in meetings, quarterly mission status review), events management (planning and oversight of birthdays, holidays, family and friend gatherings)

• Program Management: Project “Extraordinary Family”, Spiritual Relationships and Religious Worship, Homeschooling

• Special Initiatives: Yoga Instruction, our family business, D's Masters Degree, Homeschooling blogging

This is the context I set for my work in my family. Primarily, I oversee and manage all the “back end” administration and support such that our family can focus on our main work together – creating an extraordinary family life. That is not to say I do all the work. I am chiefly the big picture person. I always consult with the resident chief expert, my husband. He is a fabulous technician in many areas. Many times he sets the vision in certain areas and then I conduct the research and development around that vision to create a proposal or feasibility study. We then decide together whether or not to pursue that option or look for a better fit. I actively train my son to take responsibility and initiative in his own sphere of influence. It is never too young to start to groom an entrepreneurial mindset and to build in him confidence as a leader! I feel blessed that I can be of service in these diverse areas to my family in a meaningful way. I put to use every day every skill I developed in the different jobs I've had or the difference businesses on which I've worked. This is by far the most demanding adventure I've ever been on. Best of all, it is a journey where everyone is winning, including me!

Being a self-transformer has been the most profound and rewarding work of becoming a domestic entrepreneur. Setting this context for my work has brought into focus for me the importance of self-care. For example, while it is possible to be sleep deprived and to deal with professional colleagues, I dare you to try that as a strategy while homeschooling a preschooler. You last about an hour. I don't want to show up as grumpy and impatient with low energy with my family. So, I have had to become extremely disciplined about getting appropriate rest, eating enough throughout the day, spiritually recharging every day, delegating when needed, asking for help and creating an endurance programs for myself. A wonderful book and program is The Power of Full Engagement; Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Most importantly, I've had to become proficient at saying “no.”

I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement of the Dream Factory Community and the Chief Dream Officer training. I credit both these incredible resources with empowering me to make a graceful transition in my life. I am delighted to report that I am happy and fulfilled with the life I have created. I am a successful “whole person” rather than a person who has a list of accomplishments behind my name. To my knowledge, I am the first self-declared full time Domestic Entrepreneur of the DFC. I hope I'm not the last! I am here to encourage others.

If you want to be successful as a whole person, not simply have areas of success in your life, the DFC could be a tremendous resource. Creating an extraordinary family is not the work of an individual family member or of the family unit itself, but of an entire community. It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to support a family.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/04/2009

December 4, 2009

Photos of the day to share...

Outside my window... sunrise.
I am thinking... that despite record high temperatures yesterday, it is probably much colder than it appears outside right now.

I am thankful for... the ability to give my husband a gift for his birthday yesterday and that his is doing the dishes from last night before he goes to work.
From the learning rooms... D is at work with his game, Mousetrap.
From the kitchen... calm cleaning!.
I am wearing... flannel pj bottoms, my chenille socks with cats, and a black t-shirt. I am such a glamor queen!
I am creating... a relaxing day, an organized system for my paperwork, and order in the home.
I am going... to  the grocery store, the chiropractor's office, and church.
I am reading... an article on the Worcester fire, The Perfect Fire.
I am hoping... we have a festive month of fun.
I am hearing... dishes clinking in the sink, the cat's food dish being slid across the kitchen tile as my dog finishes what the cat left behind, the tapping of my fingernails on the keys of the laptop...
One of my favorite things...  bi bim bap, which I will have for dinner tonight!
A few plans for the rest of the week...a quiet night at home, teaching yoga, Uxbridge Holiday First Night!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Be to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- Ephesians 5:12

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/05/2009

December 5, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window...  is a dark gray morning... snow is on it's way!
I am thinking... that I need to buy a pair of gloves or mittens for myself soon... we need to locate the beautiful stocking that my mother made for D... .

I am thankful for... my husband's safe trip home last night after being out with friends for his belated birthday.
From the learning rooms... relative order... but need to reorganize things to make room for the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... hot coffee, warm banana bread, and Christmas carols, thank to the great playlist provided by The Homeschool Lounge
I am wearing... pjs - what else?
I am creating... challenging and fun yoga for my students, plans for remodeling and finishing our basement in 2 years.
I am going... to teach yoga and then off with the family to pick out our Christmas Tree and attend UHFN!
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R Covey.
I am hoping... that we'll find the perfect tree and that the snow this afternoon will be light.
I am hearing... the hum of the refrigerator and "What Child is This" as sung by Josh Groban.
One of my favorite things... is the smell of evergreen trees.
A few plans for the rest of the week... church and the Nutcracker!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

So what would Christmas be like if we truly celebrated God's presence?
      -Julie Ackerman Link

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
    - 1John 2:25

Getting into the Christmas Spirit and Family Learning Co-op – Suncatchers and Rice Pudding!

Today we met with our the families in our homeschool co-op. Everyone was healthy today! The mom leading the group experience today led off with having the kids make rice pudding. While that was baking in the oven, we made suncatchers from paper plates and tissue paper. Then it was outdoors for some running around! Although it is December in Massachuesetts, it was in the 50's, so it was quite pleasant for the kids. They took turns riding a dump truck and big wheels down a hill and playing in a little house underneath the deck. D had a great time playing tag with the other kids. It is his favorite game and I'm not up for that right now in my condition! When the rice pudding was ready, everyone gathered around the table for snack with some apple juice and listened to two stories.

We decided today that we liked how things were going with the co-op and to continue in 2010. Additionally, we decided to add alternating Wednesday's as informal playgroup get togethers. So we'll meet weekly, but only have organized lessons or crafts alternating weeks. I'm really happy about that D is the only “only child” in the co-op. Albeit not for long. So I really appreciate the opportunity for him to have the regular interaction with the other kids.

Once back home, we made cupcakes for his dad's birthday tomorrow. He added his own flair. I gave him the cupcake papers to place in the cupcake pan. “All done!” He exclaimed and proudly demonstrated that he took it upon himself to separate out the wrappers by color and used all the blue tins for this batch. I appreciated his aesthetic. He scooped the batter into the cupcake wrappers himself.

We were inspired by our hostess's manger to get ours out this evening. I insisted that D wait until after dinner. That way he could help his dad put it together while I cleaned the kitchen. D loves the manger. He loves playing with the figures, especially the baby Jesus. Last year, when he was just learning to talk, he would ask for the “Baby Beesus”, which sounded suspiciously like his favorite word, “cheese”. It was very endearing. This year he seems to want to make one of the wise men a “bad knight” and one of them a “good knight”. We're beginning to share with him the story of the birth of Jesus, but I think he's putting his own spin on things. We got several Christmas-themed books from the library on Monday. We started reading The Littlest Angel. The artwork is wonderful, and definitely conveys the sense of wonder and awe appropriate for nature of the story. Perhaps tonight we'll move on to another selection...

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/02/2009

December 2, 2009

Sorry - no photo today - forgot to get them from my camera! Two tomorrow!

Outside my window...  birds land on the deck, collecting seeds from my summer garden.
I am thinking... that I should get a birdfeeder for the winter and a bird identification guide to watch the birds in the morning...of creating a spiritual resources section to my blog, listing places I source for inspiration and education.

I am thankful for... the beautiful comment left on my blog by "Imagination" - just the encouragement I needed to keep going during a moment of doubt.
From the learning rooms... chaos - I need to make sure that D tidy's before going to bed at night. That would be good for him and for me.
From the kitchen... bacon sizzling in the oven and Christmas carols, thank to the great playlist provided by The Homeschool Lounge!
I am wearing... flannel pj bottoms, my chenille socks with cats, and a black t-shirt. I am such a glamor queen!
I am creating... a day of magical possibilities.
I am going... to meet with a friend to discuss some business consulting and partnership possibilities and then off to our Family Learning Co-op for the afternoon.
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R Covey.
I am hoping... we all stay healthy with all the sickness that is going around right now.
I am hearing... the bathroom fan, the cat drinking from the water bottle, my husband closing his laptop and placing his mug on the counter...
One of my favorite things... is my Chestnut Farms mug - a gift to all co-op members last Christmas. It is the perfect shape and weight in your hand.
A few plans for the rest of the week... making Christmas cookies tonight for our church fundraiser on Friday and a birthday cake for my husband!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. - Susan B. Anthony

Family, Friends, Learning Fun, and New Experiences!

The past few days have been truly wonderful and full of family, friends, learning fun and new experiences. Here are a few highlights!

Thanksgiving Day at our friend's home – 3 courses and plenty of side dishes and an afternoon walk around their neighborhood. We arrived home in the late afternoon and enjoyed a family movie night curled up on the futon in from of the television watching “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”, one of my favorite movies when I was a child. D loved the finale with all the armor and the castles!

Saturday – Thanksgiving #2 at David's dad's house. Great to see the family and D got to play with his cousin, J. They are only a few months apart in age. It was one of the first times that they actually played with one another rather than playing along side one another.

Sunday – First Sunday of Advent. D share his first bread communion in church (which they had practiced last week in Sunday school.) After church we went to the Worcester Art Museum. We had never been to the WAM, despite living in the are for the last 2 years. It was a trip undertaken with the spirit of adventure. I had no idea what D would make of it. The museum supplied a “scavenger hunt” of several famous portraits which provided us with a purpose as we traveled the amazing galleries. D seemed most intrigued by the pictures with castles and animals. He particularly liked the Buddha statues in the Asia collection. Once we had traveled through the galleries and located all the portraits, we realized that a concert was about to begin! An experimental choir from Worcester Polytechnical Institute was there to give an acapella concert of traditional readings and British carols. We asked d if he would like to stay and he said yes, so we took seats in the back row in case we needed to make a quick exit. Although he squirmed and fidgited in his chair quite a bit (keeping in mind that he sat through a church service already that day for the Intergenerational Service) he really enjoyed the music. Later that evening I asked him what his favorite part of the day was, he replied, “I liked the singing soooooooo much!”

Tuesday – Homeschool Day at the EcoTarium! We brought the nature treasures we'd been collecting on our walks to the curator volunteers. They discussed the items with us and showed us how to create nature boxes. We were inspired to do a different nature box for each season. D scours the ground when we are outside for small treasures to add to our collection and record in our notepad. We enjoyed lunching and chatting with other homeschoolers at lunch. D loved the “animal encounter” - chinchillas!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - 12/01/2009 - Hope

December 1, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing... 

Outside my window...  a sunny crisp morning, absolutely still.
I am thinking... that I'm excited to start a new communications and social media campaign for the Dream Factory Community.
I am thankful for... my son, healthy and energized, chasing our cat around the living room.
From the learning rooms... is tidy.
From the kitchen... is the central hub for the morning's activities.
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks - again.
I am creating... a precious little being .
I am going... to take a nature walk this morning with D before we go to the first Homeschool Day at the Ecotarium.
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey which I got from the library yesterday.
I am hoping... that I'm feeling better soon.
I am hearing... D taking his shaving set out from under the bathroom sin upstairs and the stream-of-concious chatter of my other D playing with his figures, creating an elaborate story.
One of my favorite things... is getting a full night of undisturbed sleep.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Uxbridge Holiday First Night celebration!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook
 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
      -John 1:1

Homeschooling for an Extraordinary Family - Part 2

When you have a dream, there is always a gap between the vision and your current reality.

How you live in that space makes all that difference. In order to have the dream be reality you must develop into a person who has the capacity and skills to cause that dream. There is growth to be experienced, capacities to be created and developed, new relationships to be established, and skills to be acquired. Realizing that who you are today is not going to get you where you want to go can create tension, to say the least. It is easy to get overwhelmed and give up or give over to the inner saboteur and all your reasons as to why your dream will never happen. It is easy to find agreement from others as to why your dream won’t or can’t happen. You may blame yourself and make yourself wrong for things you’ve done or didn’t do in the past that seem at odds with what you hope to create now. The key is to realize that nothing was “wrong” until the moment you created the dream! In fact, there is still nothing “wrong”, only some distance of time and experience between where you are now and where you want to be. There is nothing wrong with you or anyone else. Everything is as it should be. There are simply new choices to be made and a new context to create. If you plant your feet in love and faith and do what is in your power to do, God will do what you can’t do.

To read the rest, go to Heart of the Matter Online .

The Simple Woman's Daybook Blog - 11/30/2009 - HOPE

November 30, 2009 - HOPE

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing... 

Outside my window... the sun is trying to burn through the overcast sky, casting rays of warm golden light onto some of the leaves remaining on the trees outside, but leaving the rest of the landscape cool gray.
I am thinking... that I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be Monday after such a relaxing Sunday.
I am thankful for... my hour of quiet this morning for reflection over coffee.
From the learning rooms... is ready for a day of activity.
From the kitchen... bacon is thawed and ready to be cooked for breakfast and the coffee is brewed and steaming.
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks - again.
I am creating... family traditions that I hope will help us create a close knit family as we grow (both in age and in members).
I am going... to take our dog for a walk around the pond this morning.
I am reading... the Bible.
I am hoping...for a quiet day at home with D.
I am hearing... footsteps coming down the stairs.
One of my favorite things... how my son runs to me first thing in the morning, gives me a big hug, and then asks me for a big piece of cheese.
A few plans for the rest of the week... teaching yoga tonight and tomorrow night, and Wednesday night making Christmas cookies for the church fundraiser on Friday night..

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
 - Ephesians 1: 18-19

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 11/29/2009

NOVEMBER 29, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing... (picture taken by 3-year-old D!)

Outside my window... the sun is rising, creating a pastel pallet across the sky.
I am thinking... I had a wonderful night's sleep and feel completely refreshed for today.
I am thankful for... my husband feeling much better this morning, for the beginning of Advent, and for a day together as a family.
From the learning rooms... toys piled high from D's attempt to delay bedtime.
From the kitchen... coffee brewing, banana bread in the toaster, and soon breakfast of ham and eggs will be prepared on the stove..
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks.
I am creating... a day of fun and relaxation for the family.
I am going... to church this morning for the first Sunday of Advent and bread communion.
I am reading... the latest UU World magazine. The cover story is "The Religious Left; an Old Tradition for a New Day."
I am hoping... for the hosue at the corner of Hill Street and Sutton Road to turn on their magnificent Christmas display soon!
I am hearing... the bathroom fan, D typing on his laptop, the coffee maker, and the refrigerator humming..
One of my favorite things... anticipating the day ahead full of unlimited possibilities for expressing love and joy.
A few plans for the rest of the week... heading over to the Worcester Art Museum after church with the family thanks to a fre family pass from the library.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we are saved by hope.

Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own; therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
-Reinhold Niebuhr

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 11/27/09

NOVEMBER 27, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... the sun has yet to rise.
I am thinking... that it is way too early to leaving the house to teach a yoga class!
I am thankful for... my husband and son soundly sleeping upstairs and for Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast.
From the learning rooms... the remnants of family movie night remain.
From the kitchen... the wonderful smell of coffee fills the air as I feel satisfied gazing at the clean countertops.
I am wearing... my yoga attire.
I am creating... possible scenarios for how the day will progress.
I am going... to do some organizing in D's room today.
I am reading... Ephesians 3 and the latest "Above Rubies" newsletter.
I am hoping... to balance our budget for the next month in order to determine our Christmas shopping budget.
I am hearing... heavy raindrops falling on the deck outside and the hum of electrical appliances..
Around the house... is stillness.
One of my favorite things... is the stillness of the early morning hours.
A few plans for the rest of the week... our second Thanksgiving dinner at D's fathers house!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

- Ephesians 3: 14 - 19.

  

How do we learn numbers?

I thought I'd share a very cool podcast from Radiolab - "Numbers". Definitely worth a listen! I'm kind of a nerd about these things. I love learning about how our brain makes sense of the world. Enjoy!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Blog 11/26/09

FOR TODAY

NOVEMBER 26, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... fog embraces the bare trees and moves in waves over the pond.
I am thinking... about how thankful I am for today and the smell of the damp cool earth.
I am thankful for... a day of friends and wonderful food, for all our blessings
From the learning rooms... yesterdays toys strewn over the table and couch, which didn't get picked up after the cooking marathon yesterday, waiting for D's morning arrival.
From the kitchen... wonderful smells of blueberry muffins and mashed potatoes and a big stack of dishes my husband stayed up late to wash.
I am wearing... my pjs and enjoying a relaxed morning.
I am creating... plans for a fun day with everyone and a Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree.
I am going... to a friends home for our Thanksgiving feast today!
I am reading... Nehemiah 9
I am hoping... for a day of grace, laughter, and fellowship.
I am hearing... Miles Davis, "Birth of the Cool". It has been WAY too long since I've been able to listen to this masterpiece.
Around the house... things are cluttered as usual, but this morning the nomalcy is comforting. It is, after all, all my blessed clutter! Tomorrow will bring with it some focused tidying and organizing and releasing what is not needed for the benefit of others, but for today it is all wonderful abundance.
One of my favorite things... a hot cup of coffee and a fresh-from-the-oven muffin with lots of butter on morning when there is nowhere to be for hours and a good book.
A few plans for the rest of the week... teaching sunrise yoga tomorrow morning to relieve the stress of all the Black Friday shoppers!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Lord, before we come to ask Your blessing
On this special day we call Thanksgiving,
We would bow to You, our sins confessing,
Then we’ll lift our praise in grateful living. —Hess

Pre-Thanksgiving Gratitude

We started the day off with a trip to the EcoTarium. As expected, being the day before Thanksgiving there were not a lot of families there for the preschool story hour. The topic was, appropriately, turkeys! D loved the stories and got to hold some turkey feathers. We also got ot visit with the resident screech owl. We couldn't stay long today, but D enjoyed the air tunnel. This was a fan placed at the base of a vertical plexiglass column. The column was about 6 feet tall set about 2.5 feet off the floor. There were a variety of items to choose from to send flying up through the wind; feathers, ribbon, paper, styrofoam, and paper cups. Some flew up and out of the column while others didn't make it more than 2 or 3 feet up in the column. D was fascinated by this and we spent about a half an hour with the exhibit. He was jumping up and down with excitement, laughing and sreaming with delight. He worked up quite a sweat! On the way home we had a fairly involved conversation wondering why some of the items flew higher and took longer to come back down to the ground.

Once home, we were soon joined by D's dad and started Thanksgiving meal prep for dinner tomorrow. Pumpkin and apple pies, stuffing and cranberry sauce. It was fun to have D's dad home early! Usually he gets home late, we have dinner and he puts D to bed. A few days a week I teach yoga so I'm not home for dinner. Then he gets on-line for his masters degree program until 2 or 3am. With the exception of Sundays, we don't usually have much free time together as a family. While the pies where in the oven I picked up pizza at a local place for dinner. Thanks goodness for the new gluten free menu newly offered by our local house of pizza! About a year ago we began to say "thank yous" before each meal we eat together. Tonight D had us go through several rounds of thank yous. The last one was particularly noteworthy. "I am thankful for the mushrooms on daddy's pizza even though I don't like them." While cute, it was rather profound. how often are we grateful for things we don't like because they make someone else happy?

Tomorrow we'll have a wonderful meal with friends and will enjoy making a Thanksgiving Tree . I love the idea I got in my Clickschooling newsletter this morning.

Reflection on Service

This morning I reflected on the bible passage of Mark 10:35 - 35 thanks to my daily devotional from Our Daily Bread.

As a mother and a wife, I am a leader in my home. It has been a huge transition from being a leader in the community and a leader in the workplace. In the home, there are no awards or public recognition to fan your ego. No bonuses, no office parties, no one to take you to lunch for going above and beyond on your performance review. I often say that it is harder to be at home full time than it was working outside in a job full time! What I mean by this is that you have must take on complete accountability and responsibility for keeping a good attitude in an environment where there is little recognition for all the little things you do to make the day run smoothly for all. It is not a complaint. It is just a fact. Even with a supportive spouse and fantastic kids, you must tend your attitude carefully. There is rarely someone around to tell you when you're doing a good job, give you direction,  or to enjoy idle "water cooler chatter".  There is always more to do and with the exception of the day of rest, never a "paid" vacation or sick days. Even vacations are a lot of work!

For any mom with small children, it also means a lot of repetitive, manual labor. No one would come into my cubicle and mess up my files or desk at will, but how often do I just get the kitchen cleaned when another meal is on it's way and the family invades, leaving pans and dishes everywhere and muddy shoe prints on the floor? The key is to keep a good attitude. An attitude of service  and submission is what keeps me anchored to lightheartedness when frustration or overwhelm threaten. I love my family with all my heart. It's just my fragile ego that objects. Submission, in this context, meaning to cooperate with someone out of love and respect for God, first and the person second, as a divine creation. A prayer goes out to God to keep compassion and humility in my heart, and I carry on, leading myself and my family in right attitude and communication with a servants heart.

We can sign up for any number of leadership training seminars, but the only good leaders are those who are first and foremost good servants. —Julie Ackerman Link

Mark 10: 42 - 45

42 Calling them into Himself, Jesus said to them "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave to all.
45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Fore more of the Gospel of Mark, you can go to On-line Bible !

In Light and Joy!

Turkey Hats and Thanksgiving

Yesterday was our bi-weekly family learning co-op. Unfortunately two families were coping with illness, including the family who was set to host and co-lead with me. So at the last minute I was hosting and leading solo! After spending the morning out at an appointment, I rushed to pick up Daniel from the sitter and arrived home to evaluate the situation. Luckily, my husband was working from home and I recruited him to help me for a half hour. We moved into our home when my son was 1 1/2, so while the house is generally kid friendly it is not babyproof. We did a quick pick up of the obviously offending and tempting items - pets water bowls, art supplies - and did a quick sweep of the floors and got the dishes done.

For our fun craft, we constructed Turkey Hats. In advance of the kids arriving I made patterns for each piece and prepped supplies. This worked out well. If I were to do this again with this age group (3 year olds) I would actually cut out the pieces and creat "craft bags" for each child with the pieces ready to assemble. They were not engaged with tracing the patterns and weren't skilled enough with scissors to do the cutting on their own. They were generally antsy and looking forward to the pasting and assembling part. The glitter glue was a big hit, however I would wait next time until we were ready to used it rather than putting it on the table with the general supplies at the beginning. The kids were all anxious to use it through the time we were cutting out the pieces, resulting in some mild discontent and impatience. I substituted googly eyes for the pom poms. The hats were a big hit. The kids loved the assembly part and looked so cute wearing them!

Once the hats were done, taking about 1 hour to complete, we had brownies and apple juice and read three stories on the theme of Thanksgiving and feasts. Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr was wonderful. "To be a human being is an honor, and we offer thanksgiving for all the gifts of life." The illustrations, vivid landscapes, fueled imagination and wonder. It is a beautiful expression of gratitude and celebration of beauty and the environment. I highly recommend it. We got it from our local library.

Two hours flew by and 4pm came. Time for everyone to head home. Daniel was sad to see them go. This marked one of the first times he'd had friends over to visit. We usually go to visit others as we have a small common space - only 400 ft2 for a kitchen and living room! Also, our friends all have more than one child, so it is usually easier if we go to visit them. I was very proud with how well he was sharing his toys with the others and how he was eagerly introducing them to some of his favorites. His genune desire to share was very touching. He asked me to invite them back really soon.

A Little Patch of Wild

Today Daniel and I went on a wonderul walk. The drama of autumn has subsided. The trees are bare. Outdoors didn't look very inviting from the window, despite the thermometer reading. Outside we went nonetheless. First for a walk up to the dead end of our street. In our neighborhood it's not a cul de sac. It is a good old fashioned New England dead end. Daniel practiced pedaling his big wheel. He still has not mastered keeping both feet on the pedals, which resulted in a lengthy stop-and-start tour for the 400 ft and back from our front door. Undaunted, however, he remained in good spirits.

We decided to go on foot around our neighborhood, the air too pleasant to retreat back into the house. We walked a few blocks to a pond where a swan family lives and were happy to see the family had a group of geese visiting. When we returned to the house. Again we were both resistant to going inside. The slightly chilly air felt good on our checks. The perfect blend of chilly air and warm sun was invigorating. We walked around the back of our building and down the hill to the "big" pond and Daniel calls it. Following the short trail to the water, we came up with stories to explain the placement of several large boulders at the bottom of the hill and picked up treasures for the seasonal nature boxes we are making.

At the shore of the pond, we set about finding rocks to throw in. Soon Daniel made a sport of trying to make the biggest ripples and went searching for bigger and bigger rocks. This went on for about an hour, mostly in complete silence and Daniel intent on his work. Every now and then he would implore me to help him find more rocks and I would direct him to a new area to excavate. With the sun getting low in the sky, I looked at my watch to see it was 3:30pm. With the sunset over the pond to happen at about 4:15pm, I suggested we get back up to the house to get some hot cocoa and position ourselves at the kitchen table to watch tonight's colorful display.

I read a great blog the other day, Thoreau's "Tonic of Wildness". Our adventure today made me reflect on a quote of Thoreau, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation... concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind... There is no play in them." As a culture we "play hard" and will spend great sums of money for amusement to distract ourselves from the "quite desperation" that lurks. I felt it today while at the lake. Feeling a sort of residual sadness creep in, no basis in the present whatsoever. An echo of difficult times, of perhaps adolescent loneliness or the isolation I lived with in my 20's. In the amusements we spend our lives pursuing, there is indeed little if no play. How wonderful to partake in the spontaneous play with Daniel. To be in the presence of his spirit and the healing tonic of the wild. It doesn't take a lot of wild to bring you back to your senses. I think it is so key for kids as well. I recall growing up and roaming the neighborhood, waking farmers fallow fields or into the woods for hours at a time independently and having wonderful adventures. I returned home renewed in spirit and with a little more wisdom, confidence, and maturity. I certainly wouldn't send my son out into the woods on his own at this age, but taking trips together and hanging back to let him create his own context and set the rules of engagement is good for both of us. While I may have romantic notions of getting away form it all and moving to the backwoods somewhere, a nice small patch of wild in back of our house worked fine for us today.

A Whale of a Good Time at the EcoTarium

This morning we made our bimonthly visit to the EcoTarium for preschool story time. It is one of Daniel's favorite things to do. We forgot that it was Veterans Day until we got there and saw the throngs of people. Luckily we were able to get a ticket! (It is free, but you have to get a ticket as they limit the number of families that can participate.)

The topic of the story time was "Whales". Miss Kathy read a story about saving the whales and then we took a little field trip out to one of the main exhibit rooms where they had set up a 40 or 50 foot "whale" - a plastic whale inflated with a large fan that the kids were invited to go into and pretend what it would be like to be inside a whale! While Daniel was a little dissappointed that there wasn't a real whale, he loved getting inside and playing pretend. We then did a craft and made a necklace in the shape of a whale tale.

Afterward we poked around some of the exhibits - the outer space exhibits are always a hit. Daniel loves visiting the air table. (See the picture) His favorite thing to do is to get the small plastic ball to hang in air. He delights in adjusting the air to watch the ball rise and fall!

After playing outside on the payground for a while and revising the air table on the way out, we purchased a book in the gift show and returned home. We read the book, "On Earth" by G. Brian Karas when we got home and both loved it! Great book introducing the concepts of the revolution of the earth, the earth's axis and equator, and the journey of the earth around the sun resulting in seasons. We were then inspired to begin work on a craft project - constructing a model solar system. We talked about the relative sizes of the planets and that the sun is not a planet, but rather a star. It was lively conversation and I was impressed on Daniel's grasp of the concepts as the result of his nightly conversations with his dad at bedtime. They have been putting up glow-in-the-dark stars and constellations in his room and talking about them for the past few months. Yet again, I'm inspired by my son's love of learning and for rolling abstract ideas around in his head!

Scrumptious

Last week I pulled up to a Dunkin Donuts window to get a hot chocolate after taking Daniel to the park on a chilly afternoon. As I placed my order, Daniel piped up and asked for an order of the hash browns. I thought about it for a moment and figured, "What the heck" and placed the order.

As we drove away, Daniel was munching on his first and said, "Mom. This is scrumptious. Ask me what scrumptious means."

"Okay, what does scrumptious mean?"

"Delicious!"

Family Learning Co-op - Harvest and the Cycle of Life

When we decided to homeschool Daniel for preschool I knew that I wanted him to have a recurring group of children with whom to have fun learning adventures and camaraderie. I put out a request on Facebook to my friends to see if anyone else was interested in setting up a homeschool co-op or knew of anyone who did with kids ages 2 to 6. One friend replied in the affirmative and she knew someone interested, who knew someone else who might be interested...and on until we had 5 families on board.

The last co-op meeting we had the theme of Halloween and met at one of the families homes. The highlight for Daniel was painting gourds. He distinctly did not like pulling the guts out of the pumpkin – too messy!

Today we had our third meeting. Another mother and I were in charge of the activity for the day. We met at my church and set the theme as “harvest and the cycle of life”. We first prepped apples one of the families had recently gleaned from a local orchard for homemade applesauce and talked about picking fruit and how at this time of the year that is "harvesting" food, relating that to upcoming Thanksgiving. We talked a bit about the ingredients of applesauce as well and added them to the bowl with the sliced apples. We then took the peels and cores and talked about how we could compost them to make good food for the plants in the spring, along with leaves and grass clippings.

Once the apples were on the stove cooking, we went outdoors to look at our church's large compost pile. We were able to see the stratification of the pile; the leaves on top and at the rich soil bottom of the pile. One of the children added our apple peels and cores to the compost pile. Then we put down a large vinyl table cloth and had the kids pile leaves on it for transport to the compost bin – not without a significant amount of jumping in the pile first however!

After the compost pile field trip, we went into the church courtyard and let the kids burn off energy for about a half hour. They enjoyed running around and throwing leaves at one another and playing tag. At one point two of the girls started to run back and forth across the courtyard holding hands. Before long others joined in, forming a long chain. Then it developed into “Ring Around the Rosey”. What was so touching was how they took care of one another. They made sure that they waited for one another if a younger child was a little slower to move around the circle. They also made sure to stop and let a child join in and would then start the song over. The nurturing among the group was touching when taking into consideration they've only been together as a group three times!

Once outdoor play was over, we went back inside and worked on some coloring and craft sheets that were put together (utilizing free resources on the internet) in keeping with the theme and prepped the apple sauce. Part of the serving of the snack included having the children take on jobs of putting the craft supplies away and passing out napkins, spoons, and water. Each child was given a small serving of the applesauce and assured that if they finished, they could have more. While the snack was enjoyed, two stories were read which kept the kids, for the most part, engaged until the end. The kids demolished the applesauce with great relish! We then took care to clean the room before we departed.

All in all, a successful day and the kids and parents, for the most part, had a great time. (Except M, who was very tired when he arrived, poor little guy!)

It is so great working with the other mothers to provide these fun experiences. I had a blast serving the families in this way. It was enriching to get to know the other children and to observe my son developing relationships and learning from them. He had never done “Ring Around the Rosey” before today and loved it! It is also a relief to be able to arrive somewhere with your child and enjoy a fun and educational afternoon when it is not your turn to provide the experience! I am so blessed to be working with such caring and committed mothers!

Applesauce recipe
8 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bring to boil and reduce to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Use potato masher to mash to desired texture.
Allow to cool.
Enjoy!

Resources for Worksheets:
www.familyfun.com
www.first-school.ws

The Pumpkin Cycle

With harvest season upon us, I've taken to creating activities for Daniel and I to enjoy that demonstrate the cycle of life as well as the connection between plants, their fruit, and how we prepare the fruit at home as food. We went apple picking two times. The first time we used most of the apples to make applesauce,which he loved. We also ate some of the apples sliced with sunflower seed butter. This was the first time he could be convinced to eat a sliced apple, in no small part to his pride in having picked the apples himself. When we finished the batch of applesause he asked if we could go pick more apples. It was definitely more costly to pick the apples ourselves, but I thought it worth it. The newest batch is destined to be apple crisp and apple pie, which he wants to help me make as well. He delighted in searching the apple trees in the orchard for the “perfect” apples. He was quite discerning and sad to when we reached our picking limit.

This past Sunday we went to a local farm for a wagon ride out to their pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins. It was a warm fall afternoon, the foliage in full golden hue. When we got to the patch we found three fairly round, good-sized pumpkins in good condition rather quickly and I stayed with them while Daniel insisted they keep looking for more. They ambled about the sizable patch for a while, eventually coming back, having decided that we indeed had the three best. We boarded the tractor-drawn wagon for a ride back to the farm stand. There we also got some butternut quash and some milk for dinner.

Today Daniel was excited, waiting all day for dad to arrive home so we could “scarf” the pumpkins together. We read the book, “The Pink Pumpkin” that we'd gotten at a different local farm, while anticipating the evening ahead. Daniel had such a good time! We opened the pumpkins and pulled out the seeds, which were saved and we later baked. (We did this at our homeschool co-op last week, so Daniel was familiar with this and explained to David what we were doing.) We then selected our pumpkin saws and our patterns and went to work. Daniel merrily chatted away throughout, delighted to have an active role in the carving process, albeit carefully supervised. When we were done I took some pictures. He was very proud of the work and asked if he could take some pictures too. First I gave him my camera, then found his camera and he delighted in taking pictures of his handiwork, as well as our dog, David, and I for the next half hour or so. A late night for Daniel, but a fun evening the family will remember.

Homeschooling for an Extraordinary Family – Part I

How quickly things can change.

This spring I was working 60 to 70 hours a week in a job as a financial advisor. I was striving to grow my business practice. Two or three days a week, I would leave the house before my 3-year-old son woke and arrived home after he was in bed. My marriage was strained. My husband was also working full time, as well as pursuing a masters degree program on nights and weekends. My son was developing disruptive behavioral patterns that one could easily attribute to being a toddler – tantrums, anger, and hitting. However, he also started throwing up daily when dropped off at daycare. Absent any medical reason, it was troubling. The house was a perpetual disaster. On the weekends I was exhausted. I was usually working and had little energy for taking care of myself or engaging with my family.

Read the rest at Heart of the Matter Online...

Radical Self-Care

The one thing that I did not consider when taking on homeschooling my son was how much more important taking care of myself was going to become. I speaking to basic things like getting enough sleep, getting enough to eat, and having enough time to rest my physical body and renew my mind. In order to provide the best experience for my son, I have to try to be at my best every day because we're going to be together all day!

When I worked full time outside the home, if I was tired or stressed out the stakes weren't so high. I didn't have a little person with me all the time, watching everything I was doing and depending on me for his needs. If I was a little short with a client or a co-worker it was not as though I had to live with them, feed them, take them to the potty, and hug them when they got bumps and bruises. Realistically, I need a lot more creative capacity and patience to work well with my son ongoingly than I did to deal with a difficult work situation! At the most, I would work with a client for an hour and a half and then I would get a break. Several days a week I'm with my son from the time he rises until it's time for bed.

So, I've had to become more disciplined and to enact "radical self-care." I now have a set bedtime. I now have a morning routine that allows me to recharge spiritually. Physically, at a minimum I take a walk with our dog for at least 30 minutes most mornings. I don't allow myself to get distracted by email or other technical temptations for certain time periods of the day. On the days when we're home, I'll put on 1 hour of Sesame Street at about 2pm so that I can take a nap of the couch while he watches TV. This gives me a boost so that I won't burn out by 5pm. (Every once in a while I'll wake up with him curled up asleep next to me.) I have also made sure that Saturday is my "day off" and I typically work teaching yoga in the mornings and then my husband takes our son to soccer in the afternoon. This leaves me some "alone" time. I recently decided to observe a day of rest from sun down on Saturday until sun down on Sunday. I don't check email or do house cleaning during this time. This is to ensure some down time with my family during which I can recharge, be present, and relax.

This is a big lesson for me on endurance; harnessing the power to reliably be present, engaged, and at my optimum for my son. By observing my own patterns and creating a supporting structure to my day, I am succeeding one day at a time.

Homeschooling Book FREE! "Homeschooling and Loving It! by Rebecca Kochenderfer

No Charge for Homeschooling Book!

While supplies last, Laurel Springs School is giving away free copies of “Homeschooling and Loving It!” by Rebecca Kochenderfer.

This popular homeschooling book normally sells for $15.95.

To receive your free copy (normal shipping charges apply)
Go to: http://store.laurelsprings.com/.
The Coupon Code is: LSS
Limit 5 copies per person.

Due to popular demand, delivery may take 2-3 weeks.

“Hello! This is Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor for Homeschool.com. I am so grateful to Laurel Springs for making ‘Homeschooling and Loving It’ available to all homeschoolers. This is the method of homeschooling I used with my own children and it worked so well for us.

Outdoor Wonder and Freedom

I'm present to how important being outdoors is for Daniel. I make is a priority to be outside for at least 2 hours a day with him when the weather cooperates. While he likes to go to the park and play on the swings and slides, he really enjoys walks in the woods near our home. He delights in pretending to chop down trees, listening to the birds and insects, spying critters, and making up elaborate scenarios involving superheros and witches to share with me. He truly experiences himself in the physical and I witness a new level of confidence emerge as expressed in his stride and posture. With the constraints of being indoors lifted, he expands in spirit, his curiosity unfolds, and our enjoyment of life and each other comes to the center of our experience. There is such a soothing freedom for him in being outdoors in nature. Unlimited potential for inspiration and wondering about the great mystery of life feeds him for hours after we return home.

God Made Coloring Books

About a week ago while I was getting lunch ready, Daniel hopped up in his chair at the kitchen table.

"Mom, God made coloring books," he confidently declared.

I was taken aback as the comment had come seemingly out of nowhere.

"What had you say that?" I asked, quite curious about the origins of this observation.

"Because God made everything," he stated. "Can I have a granola bar?"

Steam Makes Water

At lunch today, Daniel announced that he wanted to try the soup. I was encouraged as he is usually resistant to trying new foods, which he calls “different”. I think the fact that his grandma, his gumby, and his mom were all enjoying it convinced him to open his options up a bit. My mom placed a bowl down on the table and cautioned him that is was hot and that we needed to allow it to cool down before he could try it. He was a little impatient so I offered to blow off a spoonful so he could give it a try.

“Mom, be careful of the steam. It is hot!” he cautioned. “It will go up and make water!” He exclaimed, raising his hands up to indicate the direction the steam was rising.

“Yes, as the steam cools, it becomes water. That is right!” I smiled proudly.

My parents were both duly impressed. Thanks EcoTarium for your weather exhibit last month! What an impression the cloud demonstration had made! We watched the steam rise from the water being heated by hot plates and Daniel had run his hands through the cool steam vortexes spiraling upward, marveling at how it left his hands wet. We'd spend at least 30 minutes on one occasion playing with the steam. After that, we hadn't mentioned it at all. His memory of this really impressed upon me the mindfulness that must be employed with small children. We often don't give them enough credit in terms of their ability to remember things and to construct complex intellectual concepts and relationships at a young age.

He only tried one bite of the soup, which he labeled “different” and asked to be excused from the table. I guess you can't win them all!

Gearing up for the "Learning Year"

Where does the summer go? Committed to fun and adventure, every day has been fresh and full of exploration. Outings to the beach to provide ample opportunity to develop confidence in the water and to the park to provide for vigorous movement. Playdates at storytime and visits to Southwicks Zoo, the EcoTarium, Sweet William Farm, Purgatory Chasm, music festivals, Horeseneck Beach, and much more. Careful not to be too busy, we've also spent quality time in our pyjamas until late in the day while hanging out at home and reading books, learning how to make bread, taking care of our pets, and going deep into our imaginations to be startled at where the time had gone. What a blessing!

Now in North Carolina visiting my parents, Daniel is enjoying multi-generational activities and the complete attention of his grandparents. There are perks to being the only grandchild!

I'm taking this time to rest and renew before taking on the role of preschool home educator officially in September. It is exhilarating and intimidating, but I won't be alone. I'm looking forward to organizing a “family education coop” with some other local parents who have young children. Hopes do run high for me as I anticipate our first meeting in a little over a week. Daniel is enrolled in Music Together classes and youth soccer as well. I have also asked the director of religious education at my local church for recommendations for introducing spiritual concepts to Daniel in a healthy way and she has provided an abundance of resources for me to review. One of the many reasons I love being part of the Unitarian Universalist church is their approach to giving children maximum room to create their own understanding of spirit and the mystery. I look forward to taking 2 weeks upon returning home to develop our eclectic curriculum from the abundant materials that have been recommended to me . I hope that will take us through our first few months of this family learning adventure!

God is Everywhere!

Today was the first of many theological conversations I'm sure I will have with my son. I recently received “My First Study Bible”. It is quite a lovely book. Large font. Colorful illustrations. Fairly ecumenical in approach. A good fit for a family based in Unitarianism with influences from yoga and Buddhism.

As we were reading books this morning on the couch, I pulled it over and read the first chapter, “God Gave Us a Beautiful Home” loosely summarizing Genesis 1, 2, and 3; creation through the fall of Adam and Eve. Daniel was quite interested, asking questions and pointing out details of the illustrations. Given there were no trucks or swords, I was surprised at his interest level.

Once we had come to the end of the chapter and Eve and Adam had been evicted from the garden, I thought we were done.

Daniel asked, "Who is God?"

"God, is the creator of everything, " I replied.

“Where is God?” he asked. I realized he was looking at the illustrations. He wasn't asking something high level. He wanted to know, materially, where was God in the picture.

“Is this God?” he asked as he pointed to Adam. Indeed there was no visual representation of God. No old man with a white beard. No pillar of cloud or flame.

“No, that is Adam,” I replied.

He then pointed once to Eve and then again to the Serphent, representing Satan, asking the question again and again, trying to make sense of this.

“God is everywhere,” I replied.

"Where is God?" he asked again.

We went through the round of pointing at the various depicted characters several more times, each time my answer being, “No, that is Adam/Eve/the snake. God is everywhere.”

Finally, he started asking, “Is God in the sky?” to which my response was “Yes.”

“Is he in the birds?”

“Yes. He is in everything. He is everywhere.”

Daniel still seemed to be a bit confused, but his questioning slowed. Finally, after a long pause, he looked up at me. “Mom, can we do something fun now?”

We moved on with our day. At dinner that evening, I was telling David of our theological conversation.

“Daniel, what did you learn about God.” I prompted.

“Dad, God is everywhere!” he said with a hint of awe as his eyes widened.

FREE Homeschool Online Resources for all ages!

Incredible long list of free homeschool online resources!
This was produced by Mindy at the Well Trained Mind board. She gave permission for people to post elsewhere. Great Resoiurce!

Early Learning:
1. Starfall - Teaches alphabet and early reading skills.
starfall.com

2. Brightly Beaming Resources - Letter of the week, sound of the week, science of the week, etc. This is a good all-around site for early learning.
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/

3. Rhyme a week
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/g....htm#This_Week

4. Enchanted Learning - Not really free, but a lot can be accessed without paying (membership is $20 donation/year per family)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html





Whole Curriculum:
1. Ambleside Online - Charlotte Mason. Wonderful resource that includes lots of info and is really a full curriculum option. Great booklist!
http://amblesideonline.org/index.shtml

2. An Old-Fashioned Education - Another really complete option. LOTS of stuff to look at and use here!
http://oldfashionededucation.com/

3. Puritans' Home School - I have heard good things, but have never used this. VERY religious site, but it does appear pretty complete.
http://www.puritans.net/curriculum/

4. Core Knowledge lesson plans - Tons of lesson plans on lots of subjects from PK-8. I have not used this, but it looks really good.
http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resr...sons/index.htm

5. About.com Homeschooling section (not really a whole curriculum, but TONS of stuff)
http://homeschooling.about.com/

6. Tanglewood Education
http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com/

7. The Baltimore Project
http://www.cstone.net/~bcp/BCPIntro2.htm

8. PASS Materials (FL)
http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/default.aspx

9. Paula's Archives
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/

10. EdSITEment
http://www.edsitement.neh.gov/

11. Mater Amabilis (Catholic Charlotte Mason Curriculum)
http://materamabilis.org/


Unit Studies:
1. Homeschool Share - Lots and lots and LOTS of projects and unit studies.
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/

2. A Journey Through Learning Inventor unit study and lapbook. Click on Free products
http://ajourneythroughlearning.com/

3. H.I.P. Pocket Change. Several Lesson Plans revolving around money
http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/

4. Homeschool Helper
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units.htm

5. Oceanography
http://www.currclick.com/product_inf...roducts_id=243

6. SCORE Cyberguides
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.html

7. Eyes
http://www.aaofoundation.org/what/heritage/

8. Birds Notebooking pages
http://www.currclick.com/product_inf...ers=0_0&free=1

9. Nature Study
http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

10. Canada
http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/canadaunit.htm


Math:
1. Ray's Arithmetic - 1885 math book on google books. Thorough and "back to basics". (click on the icon on the page and scroll down to read/print)
http://books.google.com/books?id=eop...age&q=&f=false

2. CSMP materials - K-6
http://ceure.buffalostate.edu/~csmp/...ram/index.html

3. First Lessons in Arithmetic - 1878 math text
http://www.donpotter.net/math.htm

4. NC public school math program K-2
http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/mat...s_k2_resou.php

5. Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching (UK) - AKA MEP
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm

6. Living Math History (lessons on right)
http://livingmath.net/LessonPlans/C1...S/Default.aspx

7. Pearson Scott Foresman K-5
http://pgcounty.scottforesman.com/

8. Geogebra (Algebra and Geometry)
http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

9. Oakes Math
http://dorioakes.bravehost.com/Math.html

10. Eduplace printable workbooks
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_1.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_2.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_3.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/l _ 4.html http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_5.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_6.html
and activities that coordinate with this program
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmm/

11. Middle/High school math
http://go.hrw.com/gopages/ma-msm.html

12. McDougal Littell Math Course
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/pr...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/al...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ge...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/al...e.htm?state=MN

13. Missouri Schools program (including TM/answers)
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/prea.../index.php4/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/alge.../index.php4/mo

14. Glencoe Workbooks
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/georgia...workbooks.html

15. Public Schools of NC math program
http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/mat...s_k2_resou.php


Math Drill:
1. Math Magician Games
http://resources.oswego.org/games/ma...cathymath.html

2. Printable math worksheets
http://www.mathfactcafe.com/

3. Math U See (online)
http://mathusee.com/drill.html

4. Math worksheets to create and print (some portions pay)
http://themathworksheetsite.com/

5. Timez Attack (multiplication video game - way cool) - basic is free
http://www.bigbrainz.com/indexd.php

6. Harcourt activities
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr1.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr2.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr3.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr4.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr5.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr6.html

7. Learn to play chess (I guess this is math...haha)
http://chesskids.com/


Phonics:
1. Word Mastery
http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf

2. Starfall (learn to read online)
http://www.starfall.com/

3. Blend Phonics
http://www.donpotter.net/Blend%20Phonics.htm

4. Sadler-Oxford
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/student.cfm

5. Progressive Phonics
http://www.progressivephonics.com/

6. Society for Quality Education
http://www.societyforqualityeducatio...stairway2.html


Literature/Reading Guides and Units:
1. Novel Study Guides for the Classroom Teacher
http://www.nt.net/~torino/novels3.html

2. Reading Units by Gay Miller
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/units/units_with_books.htm

3. Garden of Praise
http://www.gardenofpraise.com/lesson.htm

4. Glencoe Literature Guides
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/

5. Literature Activity Guides by Nancy Polette - These are samples, but are in depth enough to test if your child understood the story.
http://www.nancypolette.com/litguides.asp

6. SCORE Cyberguides (California schools)
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/SCORE/cyberguide.html

7. Dangerous Journey (Pilgrim's Progress for kids version) study guide
https://www.visionvideo.com/pdf/DangJourney.pdf

8. Course in nature study: for grades one and two - Detroit Public Schools
http://books.google.com/books?id=i8EOAAAAMAAJ

9. Nature-study: a manual for teachers and students
http://books.google.com/books?id=C4EWAAAAIAAJ

10. Readquarium (mostly games)
http://www.gamequarium.com/readquarium/index.html

11. Harcourt Guides
Grade 1
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_1.html
Grade 2
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_2.html
Grade 3
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Grade 4
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_4.html
Grade 5
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_5.html
Grade 6
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_6.html

12. National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/history/


Free Books:
1. Classical Education Library
http://www.classical-education.net/

2. Kids4Classics
http://www.kids4classics.com/

3. Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/

4. Online Library of Liberty
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php...icxt&Itemid=29

5. Google Books
http://books.google.com/books

6. The Baldwin Project
http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displ...icle=christmas

7. Planet eBook
http://www.planetebook.com/

8. 19th Century Schoolbooks
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/nietz/

9. Librivox - Free online audiobooks
http://librivox.org/

10. Storynory - Free online audiobooks
http://storynory.com/

11. Free Books online
http://www.wowio.com/

12. Magic Keys
http://www.magickeys.com/books/

13. Fun Brain
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/Readin...dingBrain.html

14. Interactive Story Books
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch...nlinestory.htm

15. Stories about American Heroes
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi

Art:
1. Dick Blick Lessons
http://www.dickblick.com/lessonplans/

2. Meet the Masters
http://www.getinvolvedineducation.co...ram-Manual.pdf

3. A Lifetime of Color
http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/main.taf?p=1

4. Teach Art at Home
http://www.teachartathome.com/FreeProjectCurrent.html


Teacher helps (planning/support):
1. Donna Young - Tons of planning stuff, including some things like handwriting masters.
donnayoung.org

2. Homeschool Inc. - Online planning software (very versatile)
http://home-school-inc.com

3. Homeschool Tracker (planning software - basic free, full pay)
http://homeschooltracker.com/

4. Online Lesson Planner, Scheduler, and Tracker
http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/H...isplayLogin.do

5. Super Teacher Worksheets. Lots of well done worksheets for all subject areas. Grade level 1st-4th
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/index.html

6. Free Forms
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html

7. Freebie of the day
http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

8. Currclick. They feature a free product once a week to download. It usually changes Monday afternoons
http://www.currclick.com/index.php

9. Freely educate. Lots of great links here
http://www.freelyeducate.com/

10. Hoagies Gifted. Tons of Free high school curriculum links
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm

11. Education World
http://educationworld.com/

12. Internet Activities to coordinate with each grade and subject
http://www.gsc.amdsb.ca/

13. Scholastic
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp

14. Softschools
http://www.softschools.com/

15. Videos (creationist site -- have not used)
http://www.answersingenesis.org/kids/videos

16. Worksheets
http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscel...rganizers.html

17. Charlotte Mason stuff (not all free)
http://simplycharlottemason.com/

18. FossWeb by Delta Education. Click on the subject, then teacher resources. You will then have to click on Teacher Prep videos for the lessons. Everything else on the page supports the lessons. There are games, worksheets, and many additional resources listed
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/index.html

19. Higher Up and Further In blog
http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/

20. Pioneer Woman blog
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

21. Well-Trained Mind
welltrainedmind.com/forums/

22. Teacher Tube
http://www.teachertube.com/


Science:
1. Engineering for kids ages 8 and up. Single subject lesson plans. Nicely done and easy to understand
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...ree+curriculum

2. Earth Awareness Curriculum for Middle Schoolers
http://cygnus-group.com/use-less-stuff/NSTA.html

3. Life Science Curriculum
http://www.eequalsmcq.com/Thank%20yo...%20Science.htm

4. Otter’s Science
http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschoo...ence_main.html

5. K-12 Science
http://www.msnucleus.org/curriculum/curriculum.html

6. Take a Cloud Walk (Cloud unit)
http://www.takeawalk.com/cloud-walk/

7. Science plans for 6th grade based on the "Prentice-Hall Life Science" book
http://www.smithlifescience.com/

8. Hands-On Technology Program
http://www.galaxy.net/~k12/

9. NASA for educators
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

10. Science Songs
http://www.acme.com/jef/singing_science/

11. Invitations to Science Inquiry
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/eri...0/1e/27/27.pdf

12. Science Videos
http://www.teachersdomain.org/

13. Animal Units
http://www.scribd.com/people/documen...06/folder/1072

14. Animal Activity Packs
http://www.kidszoo.org/education/zaps.htm

15. Videos that demonstrate experiments for every element on the periodic table
http://www.periodicvideos.com/

16. Click on the element and then on the microphone to hear about the element
http://www.webelements.com/

17. Inventor's Timeline
http://inventors.about.com/od/timeli...Nineteenth.htm

18. BODIES, the exhibition ~ includes educator guides for various grade levels from Carnegie Science Center. Even if you aren't interested in the exhibit or pictures of the preserved bodies, there is good info in the guides that can be used for lessons:
http://wheresciencehappens.org/bodiesguide.htm


Computer Science:
1. Blender 3D animation creation
http://www.blender.org/

2. Computer Programming Course
http://www.alice.org/index.php

3. Computer Training Courses
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/

4. Computer Animating and Design
http://scratch.mit.edu/


Typing:
1. Online typing Course
http://www.goodtyping.com/

2. Dance Mat Typing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

3. Touch Typing (Online)
http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/

4. Kiran's Typing Tutor
http://www.kiranreddys.com/products/typing.html

5. Learn2Type
http://www.learn2type.com/


Foreign Language:
1. BBC Languages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

2. Elementary/Middle School beginning Spanish. The first book listed is a free download.
http://nflrc.iastate.edu/pubs/units/unitsList.html

3. Greek and Latin
http://www.textkit.com/

4. FSI Language Courses
http://fsi-language-courses.com/default.aspx

5. Live Mocha - This is a social site, so you may want to monitor your kids closely on this one.
http://www.livemocha.com/

6. OFS (Online free spanish)
http://www.onlinefreespanish.com/

7. Spanish Unlimited
http://www.spanishunlimited.com/

8. Latin Resources
http://www.cdacademy.com/class/2007/...-games-online/
http://www.gettingstartedwithlatin.com/
http://hungryfrog.com/classics.html
http://homeschool.online.program.lat...lyfishfun.com/
http://www.memoriapress.com/help/Latin.htm

9. French Resources
http://www.poissonrouge.com/
http://lexiquefle.free.fr/learn-french.htm

10. Boca Beth (Spanish)
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f

11. Salsa (Spanish)
http://www.gpb.org/salsa/term/episodes

12. Mommy Teach Me Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f

13. In the Beginning Greek
http://www.inthebeginning.org/


Home Economics/Life Skills:
1. Future Christian Homemakers (Have not used or looked into this)
http://www.futurechristianhomemakers...sonsIndex.html


Virtual Field Trips:
1. Take a field Trip
http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml

2. Meet Me at the Corner
http://www.meetmeatthecorner.org/


High School/College (have not used these or looked closely at them):
1. HippoCampus Free Courses
http://www.hippocampus.org/

2. Mixed Courses in many subjects
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/

3. Printable Courses in all subject areas. Not sure who funds this one, but I like how the curriculum is laid out
http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/Speci...t%20Areas.aspx

4. University of Berkley Courses. Tons of Free Courses available here
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/

5. Yale University Open Courses. Nicely done and easy to access IMO
http://oyc.yale.edu/

6. University of Washington free courses
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/openuw/

7. M.I.T. open Courseware. Tons of completely free courses in many subjects
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm


Bible Studies:
1. http://www.padfield.com/

2. Calvert
http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/curriculum.htm

3. Notebooking Pages
http://www.notebookingpages.com/stor...5bc3631269ff94


Health and Nutrition:
1. http://www.nutritionexplorations.org...ssons-main.asp