The photo above is of the kids acting out Psalm 23. They were allowed complete creative license to "design" their own costumes and props. The shepherd's staff ended up being a coat hanger shoved into a rolled up map! It is amazing what kids come up with. The still waters were a blue down blanket. The green pastures were a fluffy green synthetic fur blanket that my daughter pretended to "graze" on. She wore grey and black socks on her hands and feet, and covered herself with a white fur boa and a white throw blanket. She made a cute (although somewhat thrown-together looking) sheep. Kaden was the shepherd. I helped him tie the pillow case on, and he abandoned the green throw blanket robe because it restricted his arms. He was way ahead of his time with the Star Wars logo brightly shining from his t-shirt. They acted out the entire verse and read it to me.

I wanted to share some great links we have found also. I especially like the sheep shearing video. I'm still hoping to gather up the things we need for the llama craft I linked in an earlier post. I think the kids have enjoyed this unit, especially since it has been over Christmas break, and we have let them have time off from the "worksheet" part of school - which is the part they hate. Maybe they will be more willing students in that area after this nice break. Happy sheep-studying, and Happy New Year 2006 my bloggie-friends!

So here is the "tacky tree". It's coming down today, you better believe it. It will be the first time in my life that I've actually WANTED to take a tree down before New Years Eve.

I did get to the recipes I promised, but the homeschool posts will have to wait. We are going back to Texas for the weekend upon request by family, and are trying to get finished with school so we can get our bags packed for the long trip. Dollop of Sour Cream tagged me before Christmas, and I'm just getting around to my answers... Although a little late, I thought it would be better to do this now, rather than wait until next year!

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS:

1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider?
Hot chocolate, or a Grande Decaf Hazelnut Frappuccino or Latte if that is available instead.

2. Turkey or Ham?
Turkey – with lots of dressing and cranberry sauce. The real question is: “Canned or Whole Cranberries?”

3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?
Fake. I almost died from an allergic reaction to the resin from the real tree we had in 1998. I’m not only allergic to the resin from the tree, which hangs around in your house long after the tree is gone, but I’m allergic to the mold that grows in the stand. Even the dust from the fake tree and ornaments bother me. To avoid allergy issues, we stick to fake, and try and seal our Christmas things up pretty tight.

4. Decorations on the outside of your house?
We usually have a hand-painted manger scene that my father-in-law cut for me out of a flat piece of wood and attached steaks to. I painted it. It is very large, though… so we left it in storage this year. We usually go easy on the lights (maybe just one or two strands and a star above the baby Jesus) because my husband is allergic to the work involved putting up outside decorations and lights… and I’m not about to climb on the roof. This year, I would have put lights on the balcony at the apartments, but we didn’t have any lights or money to buy them!

5. Snowball fights or sleddin'?
No snow. From Texas. I love snow, though… as long as it doesn’t turn to sludge and ice.

6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
No shopping this year. I do enjoy doing it when we have the money, though.

7. Favorite Christmas song?
”Christmastime”, and “Welcome to Our World” - both by Michael W. Smith on his Christmastime Album

Here are the lyrics to "Welcome to Our World" - they are so awesome:
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don’t mind manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home
Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
World now breaking Heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe out air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Prefect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Links to some great Christmas music you may not have heard yet:

There are three other albums which I enjoy each year that you probably can’t buy… they are a Nutcracker and Symphony CD that AT&T sent out in 1997 or 1998 to their customers, and two various artist Christmas CDs from Starbucks. I found another old various artist CD at half-price books two years ago, also, but I don’t even know the name of it. As you can see, I really love Christmas music. The more the merrier!

8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?
I like them, but I really don’t watch that much TV. I never know when they are on. I may go months without watching any TV at all… besides news clips on the internet or DVDs that the kids play at home (or an occasional movie with the family/with Kevin for date night).

9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
Never… but by the end of the first week of January, I start getting tired of it. Although, this year, it has made me more sad than happy… being away from home.

10. Stockings before or after presents?
We always did stockings first as a kid. We don't have stockings right now though. I haven’t done them since we gave up Santa (when my son was a baby). I am considering bringing back the stockings, though… if we hand make some. I miss those little tiny gifts like glitter chapstick and such. They were always neat to dig into.

11. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?
I’ve never had someone come caroling at my house, although if we had stayed in Texas, our church family there did caroling this year. I really wish I could have gone with them. They rode on a hay ride rig and went through the town we lived in. I love to sing.

12. Go to someone else's house or they come to you?
We usually do the Christmas shuffle – and since Texas is so big, and we have family ALL over it, that meant hitting all the big cities within a week or two and a lot of time on the road. It was kind of nice this year not to have to drive, but I would rather drive to see family than be alone. We went to a friend’s house for Christmas lunch/dinner this year. It was nice to share the cooking and company since we were out of state. I have always hoped that one day, my kids would all come home for the holidays at my house.

13. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?
We have before, although this year, we didn’t. I really should have, though. My kids are very familiar with the story, but that’s no excuse. I just really was NOT in the Christmas mood this year. No presents, no shopping, no money, no decorations (other than the fake table top tree with no lights)… Bahumbug. Of course, that’s not what Christmas is about… and I could have gotten off my "pity pot" to make it better, but didn’t. We did go see a free light show, visit my dad, and eat lunch with friends. The grandparents were kind enough to send our kids some things to open in the mail this year, also.

14. What do you do after presents and dinner?
Usually, DRIVE. Kevin’s parents and mine were divorced when we were little, so our kids have the blessing of four sets of grandparents.

15. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Pecans baking on the top of a pie or sweet potato casserole, gingerbread or cookies baking, fir or pine needles (even though I am deathly allergic), and just the entire meal (same smells as Thanksgiving). There's a pumpkin bath and body works lotion that I absolutely love, which they don't make anymore, also...

16. Ice skating or walking around the mall?
My father is the ice skater. I did NOT inherit this gene, even though as a very young child, my idol was Dorothy Hammel and I wanted to be in the Icecapades. Malls are bad for your wallet. I try and avoid them if I can. If I had a little money to spare, I might enjoy it. When my husband and I were kids, we loved going together to the mall. We got married when I was barely 20, and he was barely 22.

17. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?
Depends on which set of presents (we have four or five families to celebrate with). Traditionally, we go to a Christmas Eve Lutheran service with my husband’s family, and we eat a nice dinner together (his family is huge – as his mom was one of FIVE, and they always get together for every occasion), and then we open gifts with his mom’s side on Christmas Eve. It’s usually a drawing that decides who buys who’s gifts. Parents get to exchange kids names also. Then, we drive around and do Christmas on whatever day the other grandparents can do Christmas with the rest of our family.

18. Favorite Christmas memory?
The first Christmas I was with my husband. We were dating, but engaged. It was like magic being with someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It truly gave Christmas a new meaning.

19. Favorite Part about winter?
Christmas and Cold (I love winter clothes and lots of blankets and hot drinks)

20. Ever been kissed under mistletoe?
I’m sure I have. But it may have been staged. I can get you mistletoe if you need some. Just send me an email. Texas is covered with it in the winter. I like the challenge of getting it out of the tree more than the kissing thing. I am blessed to have a wonderful man to kiss every day.

21. Tagging...
Since it's after Christmas, the buck stops here. But, if you would like to answer these, go right on ahead! Happy New Year!

Technorati Tags: Food and Drink, Christmas, Dinner, Food, Recipes, New Years, Cooking, Kids, Holidays, Family, Memes, Photos, Personal, Music, Christmas Music

I promise to post something more helpful and interesting (and even on topic) tomorrow! I dug my school lesson-planner from 2003-4 and am getting ready to finish typing the posts for that year of our homeschooling adventure. I'm half way through the year, so it will be tomorrow before I can get the first post up. I'll do that tonight after school is over and dinner is eaten. Free time is scarce.

Sheep Unit Study Leftovers
Today, we're finishing up our SHEEP stuff (and the rest of the week). I still haven't found a Sheep Farm around here. I'm calling the Extension office back this morning and hopefully everyone is back from the holidays. We have a list of activities left to do, including:

That's enough to keep me busy.

AWESOME Sheep Unit Craft
I have a friend who has lived in Ecuador for a year or more, and she has all these lovely woven rugs and treasures. I have been saving a craft up for a few years to do with this unit also. This is probably going to be my favorite craft for the year. It is so detailed and awesome. I got the idea from a Family Fun magazine. I can't wait to make it. It reminds me of my friend's Ecuadorian keepsakes. I found one of the best sheep websites available: Sheep 101 (since we're studying breeds today and mapping the common American breeds). As a side note... you might also enjoy checking out this GREAT animal clip-art site.

Bee's Birthday Gift

My children brought me a birthday card this morning while I was still sleeping. They got out of bed and had their rooms clean, made their beds, were dressed, brushed their teeth, made their own cereal and cleaned up their mess before 8:30am! What a birthday present for Mommy. God is good. My husband has had a gift certificate to Eddie Bauer for over a year now, and we found it again yesterday. He told me he would buy me a sweater and scarf with it. How nice.

Foodie News
Cooking at home every night has its advantages and disadvantages. The former would be health benefits and enjoyment; the later would be doing endless DISHES and cleaning up the mess. It's great for YOU, my little bloggie reader, because I am saving all my favorite recipes on my foodie blog. Be checking in on my Gatheringmanna.blogspot.com website for the latest. I update it at least once a week, sometimes three or four times a week. I am slowly getting my recipe pile-up posted in there. Today's additions will be "Stuffed Green Peppers" (tasty winter meal), "Sweet Spinach Salad", and "Cold Black Eyed Pea Salad" (which almost tastes Lebanese).

Keep Christmas Alive
Hope you all are still enjoying your Christmas holidays. This is our last week to just enjoy "unit-study-learning" without the added Math and Language worksheets. The kids are really enjoying the break!

I'm busy spending time with my family, but I thought I'd drop in and share a cute link in an effort to keep my blog appearances up. I like to think of this as a "daily" updated site... so I am trying to make it so. Hope you enjoy this link - just click the words below!

This is the picture we took last year in front of our Christmas tree. I thought I would share it since a) our tree is a lot nicer than the stand-in, table-top tree we used this year which doesn't even have lights, and b) we haven't taken a family photo in front of it anyway. So Merry Christmas from the Bee family.... and a Happy 2006.

In case you have any budding physicists in your brood, this is one website that is well-worth checking out. Not only is Larry the coolest, spunky old scientist around (and a genius)... but his website is "the bomb". Wish I had someone that talented to re-vamp my blog! One can dream.

I've been busy home-making, home-schooling, and digging out of our endless stack of paperwork. My grandma used to say "I can't wait to get to heaven, because there won't be paperwork there." Now I understand why she said this. Doing paperwork feels about as good as grinding your teeth down with a spoon would.

I have been getting some wonderful emails, though. Since we're out of town for Christmas for the first time ever, it is nice to get emails from friends. I may be one of the only ones who are actually in town this week. I responded to someone's "out of office response" today, I was so lonely. Now that, my friends, is pathetic.

I thought I would share with you a small homeschoolish epiphany I had today after accumulating a few email links and reading my husband's work schedule when he got home. Seems his company has put him on the "sucky-shift". That means he'll be getting differential, which is good... but let me put it first on my list below and you'll know what I mean.

FOUR MORE REASONS TO HOMESCHOOL YOUR KIDS:

1. When your husband gets notice that he'll be working 9-6 with TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY as his days off... you'll be glad you are homeschooling! If we weren't, he'd never see me or the kids. As it stands, we can just do school on Saturday, and part of Sunday, and we can alter our days off to fit HIS schedule.

2. The link speaks for itself: Will Your Kids Be Christian?

3. The link speaks for itself: Homeschooled Boy Wins National Science Contest

4. The link speaks for itself: District Will Abandon "Intelligent Design"

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas Season. We are still plugging ever so slowly away at our current Konos Unit, and thankful for our parents who have sent some money and gifts. I'm looking forward to making my Sweet-Potato BLISS for Christmas Day. We've been invited to a friend's house for lunch and we're taking that and a few other items with us. Thank the Lord for ALL his wonderful gifts He blesses us with all year long. I'm glad that my Lord is always celebrating Christmas.

One of my favorite people sent me one of my favorite Texas holiday treats in the mail yesterday. I thought I would share the secret of his holiday gift success with all of you mail-order gift exchangers out there who love to mail presents. Your family and friends will thank me later. I actually resort to hiding these after sharing a few when the box first gets opened. You should see me sneaking around munching on them in secret so the kids (but mainly the snack-devouring husband) won't find out! Click the title of this post to view the Sweet Taste of Texas website. You'll be glad you did (and so will the gym you have to sign up with later)!

Technorati Tags: food, Friends, family, Christmas, Holidays, Gifts, Shopping, Presents, Birthday, Yum, Texas, Houston, Dallas, Austin

Although Texans seem a proud and loud-mouthed brood... there has never been a state full of people with bigger hearts towards guests than the "Friendship State". Of course, you'll find varying degrees of hospitality in different cities (and everyone is entitled to a few bad days). As a general rule, we would ask that you not judge us just on the basis of one place you visit, but a culmination of all of the state as a whole.

Each Texan is partial to his or her own stomping grounds, and (for the sake of preventing any hostility) you should always find a little something nice to say about it before you tell them what you disliked! Chances are, if you haven't gotten off of a major Texas highway, you really have no idea what the state is all about anyway. Probably the most ugly and embarrassing scenery in the whole state is the part you'll see traveling all the way down Interstate 45 and all the way across Interstate 10. What a sad shame that visitors can drive through the state and shake their head, wondering why we are such a loyal bunch. Even Highway 35 can be a little pathetic at moments, and it certainly keeps visitors to the Austin area completely in the dark about the area's rugged, beautiful hill country that is not visible unless you travel west from the interstate.

I thought I would share these interesting facts with you after our long drive into (and out of) our home state over the weekend. My husband actually asked someone out of state if they had to take a class on "Texas History" when they were in high-school. Ha! I hope you'll enjoy this little history lesson and we Texans hope you know that although we LOVE our state fiercely, we certainly aren't hostile towards any of the other great states in this united country we share! May God bless Texas, America, and the World! Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth!

Technorati Tags: Texas, Austin, geography, History, Texas History, houston, dallas, metroblogging, fort worth, san antonio, flags, patriot, independence, travel, road trip

My domestic side, while getting a fierce work-out lately because of our zero-eating-out-budget, has truly been bruised. Last night, we ended up with ginger snaps instead of gingerbread people to decorate. The kids got a belly-laugh when we pulled them out of the oven in a tray full of little flat crispy puddles. (I mean, hey - if Ljc can bake cookies with her doggie and they come out fine, what's left for me but a life of shame?) The recipe was great, but I had allowed my six year old to read me the ingredients (and she translated 2.5 cups of flour into 1.5 cups somehow). They were a little disappointed about not getting to ice them. You just don't ice ginger snaps. It's not done.

Before I let them use the cookie cutters, I went looking for my digital camera (which has been gathering dust for the first time in years on the laundry room shelf) to see if it had any battery left. Not a drip. It took me ten minutes to find the box with the battery charger. As my husband downloaded the files off of the 256 picture card on his PC, I tried to fire up my computer. The grey screen of death gave it's icy stare from my monitor. I turned the computer off "the hard way" - by jabbing it's belly button - for a little sweet revenge and to jolt it back to reality. I've been dreading this moment for five years. It wouldn't power back on.

So, my ginger-people are puddles, and my computer is dead. Bahumbug. Even worse than that, though: My husband brought home "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" last night on video. I won't give a review, because some of you may have forgotten to take your Prozac today. Let's just say that my husband is banned from video selection for at least a month.

We are considering what is cheaper.... buy a new computer, or drive to Texas and confiscate my daughter's PC out of storage (gutting it to insert my D drive and taking it over). Of course, this would mean I could also get my four boxes of CHECKS that I managed to somehow forget in a "blonde moment" (as my blonde husband calls it). It wouldn't hurt to visit a few GREAT friends and eat at Chipotle, Pei Wei, and our favorite breakfast taco joint. It would cost about the same as buying a brand new PC. What do you think? Should I head for the border?

Technorati Tags: homeschooling, Homeschool, Home School, Parenting, children, Family, Life, Friends, christmas, holidays, cooking, baking, christmas cookies, kitchen, Recipes

I got an email about this today from my blog (How sad is that?! ...and while I'm trying to stay away from the computer this week, too). Sweet Spunky Jr. sent me a comment about nominations and voting... so I had to run over to Spunky's site to check out the nominees. I was excited to see that my humble and silly homeschool blog got nominated in three categories! I'd be happy to win just one of them. *grin*

So here they are:
Best Homeschool Mom Blog
Best Informational Homeschool Blog
Best Inspirational Homeschool Blog

I don't know, what do you think? I would never vote for myself in the first category. Maybe Informational or Inspirational? I'm going to have fun this weekend checking out the other nominated blogs and casting my vote. Click the book to go and vote for your favorites.

THANKS SO MUCH to my bloggie-readers for putting me on the list!

Colossians 1:28 - We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

I've been wowed this weekend by another blogger's humble introspect into her own life and her selfless pledge to give her family what they need... her attention! I wanted to share her lovely post with you, so that you can read it for yourself (click the title of this post to go there and read it). I think that it is a timely reminder as the holidays approach that the best gifts do not come in brightly colored packages with satin bows. Your best gift is yourself. This is the gift that Christ gave us. This is the gift that we are called to give.

Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

May you be ministers of grace, love, and gentleness in your homes... may your relationships be the foremost thing on your hearts and minds. I pray God's blessings over all of you this Christmas season, and I pray that the Giver of all good things blesses you with all your needs and the desires of your hearts as you seek and worship Him.

I am taking Beth's advice and putting my all into my family this week. Today is my husband's birthday, so it's a great day to start!

I went to bed sorely disappointed last night. No snow. Yeah, we saw a few icicles, but that was the extent of our "blanket of white" that the meteorologists promised. Wednesday night, we awoke to what sounded like crushed gravel hitting the windows and had to throw on two extra quilts. The seventies model heating system just couldn't keep up with demand, so it kept kicking on and off in five minute intervals. It rattled loudly. I seemed to be drowning in a sinus snott-bubble (Can you say that on a blog without appearing juvenile? ...Hey, I hang out with a 6 and 8 year old all day, so cut me some slack already.) and I couldn't go back to sleep. My poor allergies have been wrecking havoc on me since we left Texas.

I laid in bed wide awake while the sleet and ice came down outside, wondering if my husband would be able to get to work the next day. You see, he works for a company who's ice policy is "GET TO WORK OR YOU'RE FIRED". There are some high roads and bridges between where we live and his office, not to mention hills, so I lay awake praying that he would be able to safely make it in. After witnessing seven accidents (in about an hour) from my apartment balcony in Fort Worth during the 1994 January ice storm, I know that ice can be a boogar. Not that I've seen much of it in Texas. In fact, it's not frequent that you will hear the words ICE-STORM and TEXAS in the same sentence... that is if you live near the Gulf Coast. The "big FREEZE" every year usually consists of a night when it is just below 32 degrees outside and you bring in your tropical plants on the porch. Big deal, right?

So, I flipped on a flashlight in the night to scribble some blog notes down on the notebook beside the bed (I know, it's a sickness... have mercy on me, Lord!). The light wiggled and flickered on and off. I figured that's why they warn you to stock up on batteries before a snow storm. I wondered if we'd be stuck inside the house for days. I was secretly hoping for a few feet of white powdery snow to settle overnight and leave us in Christmas-time Bliss yesterday. My kids almost cried when we woke up and opened the blinds. The most fun they had was pulling a five inch icicle off their Daddy's truck. Kev called it a "catfish truck". That made them giggle.

I guess sledding is out of the question any time soon. Oh, well... I hear that January through March, we'll still have a chance of white.

I've been checking off my list... yeah, I know what you're thinking... Santa's List, but sorry - nothing that magical. I've been ONLY naughty all year, anyway (according to my creditors). I doubt my name made it to the North Pole. I'll settle with having it in the ecosystem.

I'm doing my checkbook and paying bills since payday is tomorrow. But, I wanted to give you all a few links since you'll be sorely missing my wonderful posts while I'm busy getting my priorities straight....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PARENTING LINK: Yelling easy to do, but hardly doing the job

SCIENCE LINK: ID Critic Beaten... so sad that people can't be Christ like. It is bad enough that we are already up against scoffers. Must we add fuel to the fire? (when I say we... I assume that these people who beat the professor are proponents of ID and proclaim to be Christian)

TEXAS LINK: Merry Christmas, Texas Style

PATHETIC LINK OF THE DAY: French ethics... you can't take someone's face (transplant), but you can kill your own baby (abortion). Go figure.