Pledge Your Time

Don't forget to turn your clocks back tomorrow! You get an extra hour...what are you gong to do with it? I decided to join Frigidaire's Save the Children campaign. I pledged to spend that extra hour with my kids...instead of sleeping in (which is what I originally planned to do.) Shane and I plan to make homemade play dough with the boys and enjoy the madness that ensues!!

But this campaign isn't just about spending time with our children, it's about all children. For every pledge Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children US Programs! If you don't have kids but still want to give to this great cause you can donate directly through the Frigidaire Pledge site!

From Frigidaire:

For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by focusing on early childhood education, literacy and physical activity and nutrition programs.

Save the Children created the CHANGE program (Creating Healthy, Active, and Nurturing Growing-up Environments) to promote healthier lifestyles for children living in poverty by providing nutritious snacks and regular opportunities for children to be physically active.

Now, you can help. Raise your hand today to reveal your pledge to make time for a child, and Frigidaire will donate $1¹ to

Save the Children's U.S. Programs.

You can also match our contribution by donating directly to

Save the Children's U.S. Programs.

WWU - Almost Back To Normal

It's time for another Weekly Wrap-Up! Hosted by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, this is a time for us to share what's going on in our lives each week. Hop on over, link up and share what you've been up to!

First, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU for all the warm wishes and prayers that were expressed last week. We needed the love and we felt it! Thankfully we're almost back to 100% health, it won't be long now. We just need to kick this cough that's hanging on.

Next I'd like to say a big I'M SORRY for not making my usual rounds last week. I wanted to hop around, see what everyone was doing and say hi...but I just didn't have the energy.

Lastly, if you have a moment I'd appreciate it if you would take a moment to take my Demographics Survey, if you haven't already. I realize there are flaws...like repeat questions (*blush*) but it will give me the information I need.

As for this week, it was pretty slow. The boys ere finally starting to feel better so we took it easy. I didn't want them to relapse because I pushed too hard. Basically, we covered all the essentials but didn't expand or do any supplementation. Here are a few of the highlights.

Monday was Shane's 32nd birthday. We called it a holiday and spent the day lounging around the house. Shane was thrilled because he got to lounge on the couch all day in his pajamas. And when he took his shower he got out of one pair of PJs and into another. This brought him so much joy because he never gets to do anything like that.

Tuesday we braved co-op. I didn't plan anything. Nothing. At. All. for my General Science class, I just couldn't work up the gumption to do it. So I took in a National Geographic CD on ancient Egyptian pyramids and hoped it had information on how they built them. They had been reading about mechanical advantage with pulleys and levers so I hoped the CD had something like that in it...of course it DIDN'T. Oh well, the kids enjoyed it anyway.

Wednesday-Friday we had productive school days. Fox's read aloud is a TRAITOR: THE CASE OF BENEDICT ARNOLD. We're only a few chapters in, but I can honestly say God Bless his mother! That boy was a hellion! But the story compliments The Story of US reader well, we're gearing up to get into the American Revolution!! I'm looking forward to covering it! We read about the Boston Tea Party. Does anyone know where I can get a tea brick, like they had back then?? I'd like to get one to show Fox how they used to ship it, why they had to break the seals before throwing it in the bay etc.

Last night was our trick-or-treating. Our town always does it the Thursday before Halloween. It drove me crazy when we first moved here but now I appreciate it because it's early, from 6-8pm. And I love it because since it's not done on the weekend there are a lot less drunks on the road!!

A wench, a pirate, a parrot and....a ghoul? (without his mask) About an hour before we left Fox decided he would dress up too, so he dug out his ghoul costume from about 2 years ago. That boy (shaking head) I love him :)

Please Take A Moment To Take My Survey

Hi everybody, thanks for stopping by. If you are a reader of this blog would you please do me a HUGE favor and take the Somewhat Crunchy Demographics Survey below? It's completely anonymous, I have no way of knowing how you answer as an individual. I would really like to know who reads my blog and what kind of crazy I attract. :) Also, in case I haven't mentioned it, I'M GOING TO THE BLISSDOM CONFERENCE IN NASHVILLE TENNESSEE!! I'm so excited! But in order to defray some of the cost I would like to try and find a sponsor, and from what I read it helps to have demographics information in hand when you approach the potential sponsors. So I thank you in advance for taking the time to participate!! (big kiss) *MWAH*

*please ignore the "option 6" on Question#1...I tried to delete it, but no luck.

WFMW - Paint Chips

I live in a log home, and while I LOVE it's character, I sometimes miss having color on my walls. So, when we recently remodeled our carriage house from a garage-that's-too-small-to-house-a-vehicle into an office and mudroom we decided to go with drywall. I was ECSTATIC! I got to choose two colors for the rooms! TWO! But I was quickly overwhelmed with all the color choices. Did I want bright and cheery, dark and thoughtful or perhaps gentle pastels?

I went to Lowes and picked up a paint chip for every conceivable color and shade that I might

possibly like. I took so many paint chips that I was afraid they would stop me on my way out the door-"Excuse me ma'am you'll bankrupt us if we let you take all those. I'm gonna have to charge you."

But I got my free paint samples home and

proceeded to tape them all to a leftover scrap of drywall. Then at different times of day, in differing lights, I would peek at my paint samples and remove any that just didn't look right "in that light". I found that MANY of the colors looked very different in my home than they did in big, bright Lowes; and that they looked different in varying lights too. I moved my paint chip board from wall to wall and in a few days I found the perfect colors for my new rooms!

Think Before You Speak

As I've mentioned before, I've experienced the bone numbing grief of a miscarriage. Twice. I remember the cloud of anger, bitterness and disappointment that rained on me for years. I put up a good front, I put on a good show. Outwardly I appeared 'fine' but on the inside I was a mess. I eventually worked my way through my grief and through the grace of God alone my heart was healed. But I remember.

I remember the pain I felt when well intentioned people asked me if we planned on having more kids. I remember the pain I felt when I was asked how many kids I had. "Three" I wanted to say, but I had only one to hold. Even today, when asked, sometimes I want to say I have four children, two on earth and two in heaven.

Recently, something my husband heard on the radio gave me comfort. The speaker said they believe miscarriages are God's way of bringing new souls to heaven; His way of increasing heaven's population. We are his vessel. So, in some twisted way, I feel honored to have been able to serve God through such a painful experience. If my loss honors Him in any way I can find a scrap of joy in it.

As my heart has healed and I've lost touch with my pain, I realize I've also lost touch with some of my sensitivity. I have become one who joyfully asks "Will you have more children?" without stopping to wonder if they can, if they've already tried, if they used to have more...

This post from Michelene at Fitz Crew really spoke to me, touched my heart, convicted me. Michelene is the mother of three girls and one angel baby boy. Thank God, I have never experienced the loss of a birthed child, I pray I never will. But it gently reminded me that I need to think before I speak.

Music Monday #21

It's Monday and I'm ready for some music! How 'bout you? This meme is a place to express yourself through music. If you'd like to play along be sure to read the guidelines and link up.

Here's an oldie but a goodie. Remember this one? It's a favorite for a lot the American Idol Crazies.

Quotes For Reflection

If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.

If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there

I Wanna Go To Friendly's! - A Giveaway

Raise your hand if you love Friendly's restaurants. I know I do! In fact I have very fond memories of going as a child. There used to be a little Friendly's restaurant in the FSK mall in Frederick MD. I lived in Frederick as a child and after a day of shopping for school clothes (TORTURE!) my mom would reward us kids by taking us to Friendly's for some ice cream. I still remember the taste of those sweet, rich, Reese's Cup Sundaes. (insert Homer Simpson gurgle...Mmmm..Friendly's)

Of course I've since realized I'm allergic to dairy, and Bram is too. But we still go to Friendly's! In fact after our Civil War field trip my family went to the Friendly's in Gettysburg. They were very helpful with our allergies there, the waitress brought out a little 'cheat-sheet' that listed what meals had what allergens and I was able to order a dairy-free meal for myself and Bram. While they didn't have any dairy-free desserts (whaddya expect, it's Friendly's) they let me order some of their Gummi-Bear toppers alone. So while Fox went to town on a Forbidden Fudge Sundae and Shane enjoyed a Kit Kat Sundae, Bram and I were content to munch on our gummis.

So you can imagine how surprised and excited I was to find this in my inbox yesterday. Check it out, your kids can win some great prizes!

Meet Jessica L., the second winner of a Friendly's Factory Tour! There's still plenty of time for your kids to get a chance to win great prizes like free ice cream for a year, a trip to the Friendly's Factory to make their own ice cream, or a Grand Prize: Starring in a Friendly's Commercial!

Every month winners are chosen. See Jessica make her own ice cream at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0o8LxHMFQ

Visit http://iwannagotofriendlys.com for all the details on getting started, collecting points, and winning!

WWU - Sick of Being Sick

It's time for my weekly wrap up. This weekly meme is hosted by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Hop on over and share your week!

Okay, I'm exhausted so I'm gonna make this short and sweet. If you remember from last week the boys had just gotten over flu like symptoms, we had a good half a week then they started to feel bad again. Fox's fever and congestion came back with a vengeance, he was coughing like a 90 year old asthmatic with emphysema. I thought Bram had escaped the worst of it but then he started with a fever over the weekend. The fever lasted for 3 days then thankfully vanished but was replaced with a horrid cough and congestion. Thank God for Hadley's! It's homeopathic and the only cough medicine (that I know of) that's safe for kids under 6 yeas of age (it doesn't have any of those dangerous ingredients). I think we're finally rounding the bend today and they should be back to themselves soon (where have I heard that before??)

We're never sick like this. We might go to the doctor 3 times a year. In fact we get sick so rarely that when I switched our insurance I got a policy with a high deductible...don't you love God's sense of humor? :)

Monday: Survive, minimum school work

Tuesday: Skip co-op, survive, minimum schoolwork

Wednesday: Survive, minimum school work

Thursday: Doctor, survive, minimum school work

Friday: Survive, less than minimum school work

I think we fit in about 1/2 a week's worth of school work. So I'm happy. How was your week?

Coraline : A Movie Review

Basics

2009

Family/Fantasy/Drama

Starring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher

Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor

Premise (*from the official site)

Coraline Jones is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door that leads her into a world that's just like her own?but better! But when this fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her 'other' Mother tries to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness and bravery to get home.

My Thoughts

I had high expectations for this movie, while I wasn't disappointed my expectations certainly weren't met. Perhaps I had my hopes set too high because Coraline comes from the makers of one of my favorite movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coraline, herself was a great character. She was quirky, independent and virtually fearless. In fact all the characters were memorable. I really loved the boy next door, Wybie, and The Cat. Of course the animation was amazing also, I can't imagine the time and detail that went into this movie. I just wish there was a little more to the storyline.

My main problem with the movie was that nothing was explained. I wanted to know why. Why did the doll look like Coraline? Why was the other mother alone to begin with? What were those little balls that encased the spirit children? Why did the cat go between both worlds? Why didn't the real parents seem to remember anything? You get my point. I like strange and innovative movies...but I like them to have a bit more background information.

Other than all my unanswered questions I really enjoyed the movie. The premise itself was quite brilliant, and the button eyes? Creepy! The perfect mix of fun and heebie jeebies. My hubby and 13 year old really liked it and weren't at all put off by the 'unanswered questions'. I wouldn't recommend this movie for the younger viewers though, because it was quite dark (both in color and content) and had some scary images.

Favorite Line

"How can you walk away from something, then come toward it?"

My Rating

*edited to add: Another somewhat inappropriate moment in the movie you may want to be aware of is during a rather bizarre scene in which two elderly 'others' are performing a song and dance routine. They are quite scantily clad, the busty lady performs in a thong and pasties...yup.

WFMW - Aromatherapy Lamp Rings

The flu season is upon us! My boys were hit hard with congestion this year. So I've been using our aromatherapy lamp ring a LOT. I just add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the ring and place the ring on the lamp's light bulb. As the bulb heats the oil the menthol scent (very similar to Vicks Vapor Rub) is soon spread all through the house. It's very soothing. And when we're not sick I use it for parties the house smells divine with a little cinnamon and vanilla oils! That's what Works for Me! What works for you?

Works for Me is a tip sharing meme hosted by Kristen at We Are That Family.

Nominate Your Favorite Homeschool Blogs!

Nominations are now being accepted for the Homeschool Blog Awards. Click the button and nominate all your favorite sites, there are plenty of categories to choose from!

I nominated my favorite ladies!

Music Monday #20

It's Monday and I'm ready for some music! How 'bout you? This meme is a place to express yourself through music. If you'd like to play along be sure to read the guidelines and link up. This is the 20th edition of Music Monday! (cue bells and whistles and drop the balloons) This week I wanted to highlight a little country music. I listen to country music only occasionally now, but there was a time when it was my music of choice. A few of my favorite songs were Strawberry Wine, The Dance and Sold. But today I want to showcase a song I didn't hear too often, but it never failed to make me cry. I still tear up every time I hear it. Here it is, David Ball's Private Malone.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN OUR ARMED FORCES! We honor the sacrifices you've willingly made. Whether you agree with the war(s) or not you have to appreciate the dedication of our soldiers.

SwingSetsAndMore Play Tunnel Winner!

We have a winner folks! The random number generator at Random.org chose comment #13.

CONGRATULATIONS Jen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jen, I have sent you an email notifying you of the win. You have one week to respond with your mailing information. If you do not respond within a week a new winner will be chosen. Thanks for entering!

I'm a Genius!

Truly! Watch in amazement! I'm the ONLY ONE in my family who knows how to:

1. Change a roll of toilet paper
2. Hand wash a dish
3. Start the washing machine
4. Reheat leftovers
5. Answer the phone

Genius I say!

WWU - Gettysburg

It's time for another Weekly Wrap Up, hosted by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Link up and share what you did this week!

We didn't start anything new this week. We're pretty much on track so I'm happy. Here's a few highlights:

MONDAY:

A field trip to Gettysburg! Have I mentioned that we're only about 30 mins from Gettysburg? Yep! It's a HUGE Civil War resource. We haven't utilized it as much I would like, but since we're studying US history I plan to take advantage of more of what Gettysburg has to offer this year!

Getting started in front of the Alabama Memorial

Bram strolling hand-in-hand with his "lady friend"

Ranger Barb-she was FANTASTIC!

My handsome boy, listening intently

Shane with our Littlest...and the ladies again

Me, Ranger Barb and my boys after the horse poo incident

We went on a hike, tracing the path taken by the DETERMINED Alabama 15th. It was great. We had a wonderful leader Ranger Barb who filled us in with all kinds of great facts as we hiked. It was unreal what these men had to go through (a 20 mile forced march without water). I can't imagine the difficulty of going over that terrain, in the summer heat, in wool uniforms with 40+ lbs of gear strapped to their backs!

The weather was great and the kids had fun. Bram enjoyed a stroll with his little female friend :) At the very end of the walk, while heading back to the vehicles, Bram tripped over a pile of horse poo that was partially covered in the leaves. He got it smeared on his pants and sneakers. Yum. Luckily I had a change of clothes and sani-wipes in the backpack :)

Tuesday: Co-op. Several kids have come down with H1N1. I'm now wondering if that is what Fox had last week because his temperature stayed at 101-102 even with medicine.

Wednesday & Thursday: Great days at home, very productive. It was exactly what we needed after a few busy weeks and sickness.

Friday: Today was pretty productive but Fox's fever and congestion came back. So we took it easy and generally had a slow, relaxing day.

How To Eat An Oreo Like A Two Year Old

Mmmm, Oreos! The Double-Stuf is one of my favorite cookies. I have a very particular way of eating them...and Bram does too it seems.

How To Eat An Oreo Like A Two Year Old

1. Remove the top cookie layer
2. Throw the top cookie layer on the floor
3. Slowly lick the yummy icing off the bottom cookie layer, be sure to scrape some off with your teeth and savor the slow melt in your mouth
4. When all the icing has been consumed, throw the bottom cookie layer on the floor

How do your kids eat their Oreo cookies?

WFMW - Get Your Toddler To Take Vitamins

We're a vitamin-taking family. We each take a multivitamin daily and when needed we'll take a little extra vitamin C or B or E. I grew up taking vitamins. My mother was a Shaklee nut and I remember her forcing me to take those wretchedly sour Vitamin C tablets. I also remember spitting them out in my toy box and the scolding I received when they were discovered, months later, all moldy and disgusting. :)

My oldest son has never given me any trouble taking vitamins. He gladly chewed up his Flintstones and Scooby Doos as a little boy and now swallows his teen tablet without worry. But my youngest son can be contrary. He boycotted vitamins at a very young age. So I switched from the regular chewables to the gummy vitamins (which I scoffed at when they first appeared on the market). These worked better than the regular chewables, but were still occasionally spit out. I decided I would not fight over vitamins. This was not a disobedience issue, so I would not make it a contest of wills; I reserve that for taking medicine and eating vegetables. So I got sneaky :)

One of my Littlest's favorite treats are fruit snacks. What works for me is this: I simply remove a few of the fruit snacks, insert the gummy vitamins and he eats them without even noticing the difference. Easy.

That's what Works For Me! To check out other participants Works For Me tips visit We Are That Family.

Right Words at the Right Time

I've shared that we're planning to put our house on the market, with no plan of where to go or what to do. We feel God is slowly hatching a plan for us so we're trying to walk in faith and follow His leading. We're trusting He will illuminate each step we need to take as it comes.

I've also shared that I really (really, really) want more children but we've decided not to have any more, at least for now. We'll reconsider later if we feel so led. But for now we're just watching and listening for His voice. Most of the time I feel exceptionally peaceful about our decisions...most of the time.

Other times I start to play the "what if" game and generally drive myself crazy with what if what if what if what if what if. I sometimes get an idea to "do this" or "try that" and I have to remind myself that we're taking things slowly (not my strong suit) and not acting on impulse.

I was in the middle of one of my "What if we try this?" moments when I came across a wonderful post full of wisdom from Connie at Smockity Frocks. Check it out below, I'm sure it will resonate with you too. It's amazing how the right words at the right time can calm a spirit.

The House That Two Incomes Built

Music Monday #19

It's time for another Music Monday! A place to express yourself through music. If you'd like to play along read the guidelines and link up. This week I chose a song that was one of my all time favorites. I remember singing this song as a child and feeling so TOUGH. So here it is, Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart. Did you know he is Canadian? I'm learning that so many of my favorite singers and musicians are Canadian. It must be all that gorgeous, inspiring scenery...or maybe the French blood!

GFCF Pumpkin Pie

First let me say that neither of these recipes are my own. I found the GFCF pie crust recipe on another blog. It had rave reviews so I copied it for future use. My stepfather has celiac so I collect recipes to use when he visits. As for the pie, it's pretty much the Libby's recipe with coconut milk subbed for the evaporated milk and a little more spices because that's the way I like it. Feel free to fiddle with the recipes to get your desired results. If possible, you may want to make the pie a day ahead of time. I felt it had a much better consistency after resting for a day. I was very surprised by the coconut milk in the pumpkin pie, it is so good and creamy! I like it better than dairy pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

GFCF Pie Crust

1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy & gluten free butter substitute (Fleischmann's Unsalted, Earth Balance etc.)
1 large egg, cold
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Sift together rice and tapioca flour, potato and corn starch, sugar baking powder, xanthan gum and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter substitute and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork until well incorporated. Form dough into a ball. If it's too sticky add a little more tapioca flour. Roll it out in between sheets of wax paper then arrange in pie plate.

GFCF Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch of nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 (15oz) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups coconut milk well blended (NOT lite)
1 deep dish pie shell

In a small bowl, stir the first 6 ingredients together. In a large bowl gently beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree and coconut milk, mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425º for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes until set. Allow to cool. If possible, make the pie the day before. Enjoy!

Homeschool Blog Awards

The Homeschool Blog Awards are coming! Have you decided who you're going to nominate? I have! There are a couple ladies I feel deserve some recognition...but I'm not saying who! :0)

WWU - Much Better Than Last Week

It's time for another Weekly Wrap Up, hosted by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Wow, where has the week gone? I can't believe it's Friday already! This week was blessedly smoother than last week. Not a lot has changed curriculum wise, we're still moving along with Joy Hakim's History of US, Math-U-See, Rosetta Stone, Bible Readers etc. So I'll just post the highlights.

Fox started reading Indian Captive. This story looks really interesting, I think I may snatch it and read it after him. It's the true story of Mary Jemison, a young girl who was kidnapped and raised by Seneca Native Americans in the early 1800s.

Tuesday we had co-op. Fox is taking Physical Science and he's really getting a lot out of the class. He was telling me all about the ozone, stratosphere and radio waves. I'm impressed.

Wednesday we found a dead mole on Fox's bedroom floor...fun. I'm guessing the dogs brought it in and the cats took it upstairs. Thankfully it wasn't decapitated or disemboweled as we've found them in the past.

Thursday was a field trip! Shane's birthday is at the end of October. He is obsessed with sailing so every year we take him to the Annapolis Sailboat Show. The weather couldn't have been any more perfect. Bram on the other hand...oy. We left a little early because he was overstimulated, over tired and over it! We went aboard a few monohulls and catamarans. They really are beautiful and functional.

Shane drooled and I looked about in horror as I imagined our retirement. Shane loves the ocean, he loves to swim in it, sail on it, scuba and snorkel. His dream is to retire to a sailboat and sail all over with our kids and grandkids. I love to travel and love the idea of experiencing things with our kids and grandkids...but I am TERRIFIED of the ocean and sailing. If I were to play a word association game it would go like this:

Ocean: Sharks, dismemberment, death

Waves: Riptides, exhaustion, death

Sailing: Capsizing, drowning, death

You get the point. But I go with an open mind. I tell him I'll try out his dream but we have to start in the Caribbean where the water is clear and the sharks are small! And I want those electric pulse shark-be-gone anklets for swimming. :)

Today I declared a "Life Skills" day. We skipped schoolwork and cleaned the house. It REALLY needed it! We got a lot accomplished, I'll only have a little bit of catching up to do this weekend. That's it for our week. How was yours?