I have a black thumb! It is no secret! I try, Lord knows I do! Last year we attempted to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. I was in charge of them and they all died and we only got one green tomato that never ever turned red. So this year when my husband planted tomato plants, I left it all up to him. Guess what we are getting tons of tomatoes!
I wish I could show you pictures but I can't get any off of my phone! :(
This all leads me to my dad. He has started a blog about his garden. He is doing a great job and I wanted to send you all over to his site! Check him out. He is also on facebook under NonGreenThumbs!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
My 2 year old is a MESS!
Many of you know that both of my girls have their favorite security items. For Ellie it is a little brown puppy appropriately named, Puppy, and then a pink and white crocheted blanket from Mimi. For Charlotte it is a little (used to be) white sheep from Bath and Body Works appropriately named, Sheepy. So now that you are all caught up....
About two weeks ago Puppy went missing. It was a sad day in the house. Ellie cried and did not sleep well the first couple of nights. Thankfully she was able to get over it and really has only missed it when she was extremely tired. I found it odd that we couldn't find Puppy. I had just seen him in the gameroom and he just disappeared. We even cleaned it well and couldn't find him. So two weeks and a very tired and cranky girl later, I decided to look one more time!
*Just a little side note here. To all you Mom's out there, are you the only one who can find anything in your house? I am! And it drives me nuts!
Anyway back to the story. Last night I decided to take one more look. Behind the couch under a few strategically placed items was PUPPY!! I was so excited. I quickly took him to Ellie, who was already in bed, and she was elated. I told her where I found him and that it appeared someone had hidden him there.
Charlotte jumped out of bed and declared, "I did it!". She was so proud. She then told us that she had put it in her "Fecret hidin' pwace" (secret hiding place). She is such a MESS! For two weeks she has known that we were looking for it and she remained quiet like she had no idea. If this is how she is at 2 what will she be like at 15? Lord, help me now!
About two weeks ago Puppy went missing. It was a sad day in the house. Ellie cried and did not sleep well the first couple of nights. Thankfully she was able to get over it and really has only missed it when she was extremely tired. I found it odd that we couldn't find Puppy. I had just seen him in the gameroom and he just disappeared. We even cleaned it well and couldn't find him. So two weeks and a very tired and cranky girl later, I decided to look one more time!
*Just a little side note here. To all you Mom's out there, are you the only one who can find anything in your house? I am! And it drives me nuts!
Anyway back to the story. Last night I decided to take one more look. Behind the couch under a few strategically placed items was PUPPY!! I was so excited. I quickly took him to Ellie, who was already in bed, and she was elated. I told her where I found him and that it appeared someone had hidden him there.
Charlotte jumped out of bed and declared, "I did it!". She was so proud. She then told us that she had put it in her "Fecret hidin' pwace" (secret hiding place). She is such a MESS! For two weeks she has known that we were looking for it and she remained quiet like she had no idea. If this is how she is at 2 what will she be like at 15? Lord, help me now!
Been Thinkin'
I have not been blogging because I don't know what I should be writing about. This blog has taken a whole other direction then what I had originally intended. Originally it was just a way for me to let my family see pictures and hear stories about the kids. Now it is more about my life and my walk with the Lord. Don't get me wrong. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.
I have been thinking about starting a new blog. Really a second one. One that is for me. Just about my journey. The kids are a part of my journey but I really want this blog (A Day in the Life of the Brown's) to be about the whole family. Not just me.
So these are some things that I have been thinkin' about. What do you all think?
I have been thinking about starting a new blog. Really a second one. One that is for me. Just about my journey. The kids are a part of my journey but I really want this blog (A Day in the Life of the Brown's) to be about the whole family. Not just me.
So these are some things that I have been thinkin' about. What do you all think?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
New Curriculum
Every homeschool mom knows that it can be very overwhelming when it comes to choosing curriculum. Especially if you have a bunch of friends that homeschool or are a part of several homeschool forums. They all have opinions and every single one them is doing something different.
I received a new curriculum (I believe it is new this year maybe even came out in 2010) for free in the mail last week. It is a 13 unit study (per series) and I received unit 1 from series 1 for free. It came with a DVD and PDF files so that the curriculum could be used by more than one student. It is based on the Friends and Heroes DVD series. The unit includes; history, geography, science, Bible, character building and art. Because I got it for free we are going to try it. But just looking at it I think this is the route we are going to go. Check out the website here. They have free online games and coloring pages too!
We need a good Language Arts curriculum. Up until now we have relied on Sing Spell Read and Write and more recently Hooked on Phonics. It was a great curriculum for J but he needs more. So I am going with Rod and Staff English 2. I know that he is in 3rd grade but we have not had any other formal LA teaching. (My main focus has been on reading!). So we are starting with 2nd grade. If he gets it quickly we will be in 3rd faster! :) Jackson will also continue with Hooked on Phonics. He is doing very well with it! We are also continuing with Explode the Code (for Jackson) and the pre-requisites to ETC, Get Ready/Get Set/and Go For the Code (for Ellie). She is actually almost done with book A; Get Ready for the Code. And she loves it!
*Edit* Here is the link for the store for Friends and Heroes. It is a different website. Sorry about that! :)
We are sticking with Horizon's Math. Jackson does well with it and now Ellie has started it. She loves it. Jackson hates it (but it is not because of the curriculum).
We are also going to sprinkle in some other Unit Studies. We did a few last year and are continuing through the summer. We are making mini-lapbooks on the 50 states. The kids will really enjoy it.
So what are you doing next year?
I received a new curriculum (I believe it is new this year maybe even came out in 2010) for free in the mail last week. It is a 13 unit study (per series) and I received unit 1 from series 1 for free. It came with a DVD and PDF files so that the curriculum could be used by more than one student. It is based on the Friends and Heroes DVD series. The unit includes; history, geography, science, Bible, character building and art. Because I got it for free we are going to try it. But just looking at it I think this is the route we are going to go. Check out the website here. They have free online games and coloring pages too!
We need a good Language Arts curriculum. Up until now we have relied on Sing Spell Read and Write and more recently Hooked on Phonics. It was a great curriculum for J but he needs more. So I am going with Rod and Staff English 2. I know that he is in 3rd grade but we have not had any other formal LA teaching. (My main focus has been on reading!). So we are starting with 2nd grade. If he gets it quickly we will be in 3rd faster! :) Jackson will also continue with Hooked on Phonics. He is doing very well with it! We are also continuing with Explode the Code (for Jackson) and the pre-requisites to ETC, Get Ready/Get Set/and Go For the Code (for Ellie). She is actually almost done with book A; Get Ready for the Code. And she loves it!
*Edit* Here is the link for the store for Friends and Heroes. It is a different website. Sorry about that! :)
We are sticking with Horizon's Math. Jackson does well with it and now Ellie has started it. She loves it. Jackson hates it (but it is not because of the curriculum).
We are also going to sprinkle in some other Unit Studies. We did a few last year and are continuing through the summer. We are making mini-lapbooks on the 50 states. The kids will really enjoy it.
So what are you doing next year?
Friday, June 3, 2011
New Curriculum...Why do we have to change?
Something you may not know about the homeschool world is that there are SO MANY CHOICES! Oh my goodness! I love that there are a million blogs and I have a ton of friends that homeschool but goodness me...there is so much to choose from. Everybody has their favorites, including me.
This is the time of year that everything goes on sale. So I am reading blogs and forums and even receiving emails from websites about all of the great deals. I am getting sucked into thinking that I need to change. Well it ain't broke so I shouldn't fix it! So I am not. But I am! Ha! I know same old Christi, can't make up her mind! :)
I purchased Hooked on Phonics. Not because I wanted to use it (no comments Mindy) but because I wanted to resell it. I bought it for a super cheap price and I knew I could make some cash off of it. It arrived. I opened it and now I think I want to use it! It is for older kids 2nd-6th grade. Jackson is almost done with Sing Spell Read and Write that he has been doing since we pulled him out. So we actually do need something new. This is actually a perfect transition. SSRW is extremely expensive and I just don't have the money for it right now. So I guess God had a different plan for J. Hunter this year! So on Monday we are starting Hooked on Phonics! I will let you know how it goes! :)
This is the time of year that everything goes on sale. So I am reading blogs and forums and even receiving emails from websites about all of the great deals. I am getting sucked into thinking that I need to change. Well it ain't broke so I shouldn't fix it! So I am not. But I am! Ha! I know same old Christi, can't make up her mind! :)
I purchased Hooked on Phonics. Not because I wanted to use it (no comments Mindy) but because I wanted to resell it. I bought it for a super cheap price and I knew I could make some cash off of it. It arrived. I opened it and now I think I want to use it! It is for older kids 2nd-6th grade. Jackson is almost done with Sing Spell Read and Write that he has been doing since we pulled him out. So we actually do need something new. This is actually a perfect transition. SSRW is extremely expensive and I just don't have the money for it right now. So I guess God had a different plan for J. Hunter this year! So on Monday we are starting Hooked on Phonics! I will let you know how it goes! :)
A leap of faith...and a new baby!
No I AM NOT HAVING A BABY! :)
I want to share something that I think it is really cool. Two years ago our church began calling on us to pray for the most unreached people group in the world, the preborn. These little lives are so precious and ordained by our Maker and they are being mercilessly killed everyday..by the thousands. Now I am so against abortion it is not even funny, but there are instances where even some Christians think it is okay to do this. One of them is after a test that you get in the early stages of pregnancy that lets you know of any birth defects. One of those "defects" is Down Syndrome. This test by the way is not very accurate (I have known many to have a positive test result just to have a baby born with the correct amount of chromosomes). These babies are more often then not....aborted.
Over the last year I have become very close to a beautiful family with a little boy that has an extra one of these chromosomes. His name is Jonas. He is one of the most precious human beings I have ever come in contact with. Sure, he is delayed. But I believe that he is closer to God than I could ever be. He is innocent. He is precious. He is just the way God wants him to be.
That being said. His parents, Roger and Mindy, have decided to be accountable for those preborn babies. They have been called by the Lord to be the alternative to abortion; to adopt a child that is just as special, just as precious, and with a purpose just like Jonas. This is not an ordinary adoption. They have to go through a private agency and a national network. They don't have a ton of money, but this is what the Lord has called them to do. This is considered a "private adoption" and there are costs involved.
Oh I forgot to mention that Mindy is a phenomenal quilter/sewer. So she decided to make quilts and raffle them off! She also makes bags that you can purchase here. She will also make a quilt for you. Just let her know the size and the type of fabric you like and she will quote a price. Her email is (mindychurchill at yahoo dot com). All of the money raised will go to saving the life of a child that God made with a purpose.
I hope you take the time to check out her blog and her facebook page! This is a special family and they are doing a great thing!
I want to share something that I think it is really cool. Two years ago our church began calling on us to pray for the most unreached people group in the world, the preborn. These little lives are so precious and ordained by our Maker and they are being mercilessly killed everyday..by the thousands. Now I am so against abortion it is not even funny, but there are instances where even some Christians think it is okay to do this. One of them is after a test that you get in the early stages of pregnancy that lets you know of any birth defects. One of those "defects" is Down Syndrome. This test by the way is not very accurate (I have known many to have a positive test result just to have a baby born with the correct amount of chromosomes). These babies are more often then not....aborted.
Over the last year I have become very close to a beautiful family with a little boy that has an extra one of these chromosomes. His name is Jonas. He is one of the most precious human beings I have ever come in contact with. Sure, he is delayed. But I believe that he is closer to God than I could ever be. He is innocent. He is precious. He is just the way God wants him to be.
That being said. His parents, Roger and Mindy, have decided to be accountable for those preborn babies. They have been called by the Lord to be the alternative to abortion; to adopt a child that is just as special, just as precious, and with a purpose just like Jonas. This is not an ordinary adoption. They have to go through a private agency and a national network. They don't have a ton of money, but this is what the Lord has called them to do. This is considered a "private adoption" and there are costs involved.
Oh I forgot to mention that Mindy is a phenomenal quilter/sewer. So she decided to make quilts and raffle them off! She also makes bags that you can purchase here. She will also make a quilt for you. Just let her know the size and the type of fabric you like and she will quote a price. Her email is (mindychurchill at yahoo dot com). All of the money raised will go to saving the life of a child that God made with a purpose.
I hope you take the time to check out her blog and her facebook page! This is a special family and they are doing a great thing!
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