E is for Eat.... and E is for Elmers!

E IS FOR EATING
Here's my weekly addition to the A B See Photomeme over at the Homeschool Post. I think I may have missed a week in there, somewhere, because I'm still on the letter E (not that there are rules about what letter you can be on... but I like to go in order). I've been really bad about taking pictures lately. Blame it (like everything else) on the pregnancy.

So... this picture is rather old. I think it is possibly two school years ago - on our "back to school breakfast" day. Too bad this year we really aren't having one of those... because we aren't going back to school.

Ha! Gotcha! We never stopped doing school this year. Still plugging slowly away at it - like a constant dripping torture...

However, I'm feeling the inspiration and desire slowly come back - despite last year's painful burn out. Here's hoping that all these new school supplies and the feeling of 'fall in the air' can breathe some life in to our homeschool and put a fire under our hineys.

Check out the link in this post up there (under the phrase "back to school breakfast") to read about our school-year tradition of starting up with a trip to IHOP or our favorite breakfast taco joint. I think this year we might go to a donut shop... or maybe take donuts to the park after it gets cooler. We already did some goal review at home, so in another 6 or 8 weeks, we should be ready for a "back to school breakfast" again.

E isn't just for eating, though. School children can not live on breakfast tacos alone. School SUPPLIES are also very important and necessary for getting the year off to a good start.



E  IS FOR ELMERS
Elmer’s has started a new way to bless those who can't afford school supplies: Bagging It Forward. They are donating $10 - up to $10,000 total - to 'Adopt-a-Classroom' for every Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward blog meme post. This post would qualify (see how easy it is???)...

HOW CAN YOU JOIN?

• Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
• Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
• You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
• The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
• The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section of this post for your participation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES

• Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
• Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
• Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
• Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
• Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

I’m donating a virtual bag of school supplies to Karin and Nikowa, and challenging them to Bag it Forward with Elmer’s! E is for 'Excellent Idea'!

"I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up"

If there ever was a bandwagon, I am quite certain that I fell off of it. Or was it a turnip truck?

I was supposed to be doing the 31 days to a better blog thing. And a number of other series I began to write and have not been working on in ages.

Come to think of it, I was also supposed to get some homeschooling done. Not much of that going on around here this week, either. Nor housekeeping. Nor cooking. Cereal anyone?

The only thing going on around here lately has been pregnancy brain fog, doctor visits, a bit of nausea and EXTREME exhaustion. Heavy on the extreme part. Either that, or I've hit a bout of accelerated aging and I'm fixin' to turn 60 before I hit 40.

So, since I'm looking around for a 'Clapper' and pondering the deep mysteries of why something smaller than a gerbil could suck every bit of spring from my step...

...please enjoy this brief list of brain drivel I thought important enough to share:

1) I've gotten a few questions about my KONOS/Unit Study planner pages in the past few weeks (I'm not the only one looking forward to a new school year!). Here's my public answer (I apologize if I haven't emailed you back - I'm drowning in emails):

My planner pages are not available any more because I broke my blog. I had the first two years worth of images and files hosted at Geocities. [I told you people I was a dinosaur. You didn't believe me.] If anyone can please help me procure a maid, a secretary, a nanny, about twenty crates of highly caffeinated Italian Coffee (a personal Barista that would work all hours would also be nice)... I might be able to get this blog fixed. Maybe a truck full of cash would be easier? Then I could hire one of my talented friends to suffer instead?

Works for me.

In the mean time, if you would like to donate a tip to my jar, I would love to email you a copy of my planner page in PDF format. You just have to agree not to modify, sell, or redistribute it. Except for personal use of course. YOU GO GIRL!

2) Oh, yes, the picture up top. That was about 12 hours in to our drive home from Tennessee when we went to Blissdom in February of 2010. If you'll remember, my mom had gotten released from the hospital after a near death experience and was still wearing her paper bracelet... and we were driving straight through - from Nashville to Austin. What a night. And a next morning. All in one. Morgan and I (sense of humors still in tact) were taking a potty break in a very YELLOW roadside restroom in the wee hours of the night. In the snow. Both ways. Uphill. Without shoes.

OK, OK, we had shoes. Hers just didn't match. And one belonged to her brother.



Story of my life.

3) All week I've been trying to blog. I've been head-blogging. Shower-blogging. Bed-blogging. And after a while, it's like a carbon copy. All the amazing posts that I was working on start to look like the baby's attempt to make happy faces on his sister's math page. "No comprende. It's a riddle."

If you know what song that line came from, you are as old as dirt ... or as old as me. Whichever is older.

Back to my story. What were we talking about? Oh... yes... blogging.

Well, in my attempt to blog, every time I would get online, I would fall in to the evil choke hold of my email's clutches. The computer would spew some foul thing about archiving me and my Gmail would freeze as another page -or three- full of unchecked emails would appear to keep me from escaping. So, for the past few days, when I was feeling good enough to get online, all I did was DIG. OUT. OF. EMAIL.

Long story short. Or maybe it's short story long by now? I ended up falling upon the gem of the month (inside my email box, of all places): Ann Voskamp's most recent post about hearing from God - shining out of all those junk-messages and PR pitches like a beacon of hope...

WELL, don't take my word for it! Read it for yourself.

After reading her blog, I didn't feel much like writing any more this morning. So I tried listening instead. Mostly I just heard the kids bickering and making excuses about why the chores weren't done. Then I wished I was in Canada helping Ann on the farm instead of living in suburbia down here in Texas. Sure would be cooler... and she did mention peaches (they are my favorite fruit).


4) I found my second grade through fifth grade bestest friend [BFF4E] on Facebook today. I thought I would never find her because her maiden name was SO. COMPLETELY. GENERIC. Long story short, I found her through her SISTER's marriage records (free search in the county where she lived). Then I looked up her brother-in-law's Facebook page (hoping that he would be online since a lot of guys would rather chew glass - my husband included) and scrolled through his friends. There she was! I couldn't believe it.

Too bad she lives in another state. Just you wait, girl. I'm going to dig out the old letters and pictures if there are any that survived the flooding at our Houston house. Surely I have something.

I do have an interesting story about our friendship: We spent half of third grade in the 'dunce corner' with some evil teacher that hated us (her desk was moved to the pencil sharpener on the side of class, and my desk was moved by the teacher's desk in front of the class). She did it because we got caught passing notes. We never stopped passing notes. We would color them yellow and roll them around pencils and pretend to need to sharpen them so we could drop them off. Or she would wad hers up and throw it in the trash and when the teacher wasn't looking, I would dig it out and read it. Diabolical, I know.

There's your reason #8,926 to homeschool. No temptation to pass silly notes instead of doing your work. OH, wait... my daughter sends notes to her friends through the mail, my mom - the piano teacher, and email. There goes reason #8,926.

I guess notes are just bound to happen in tweeny girls - no matter what. The poor kids have email. Now they can be ten times as goofy in nine-trillion times the speed and volume. I'm so glad that email and facebook weren't readily available until after I was out of my teens. Heaven forbid the dirt that people would have on me now!



5) If you've been tweeting with me on Tweet Deck, you'll already have this little tidbit of information: Zofran really works.

I had a sonogram at the doctor's office this week (not yet 12 weeks along, so NO, I won't know the gender until 20 weeks for certain). Baby looked fine (albeit feisty - she was kicking and bouncing around like a kernel of popcorn). We saw arms, legs, etc, etc. I mentioned to the doctor that I was tired of eating saltines and drinking nasty, $6.00 4-packs of organic Ginger Ale. [Not the Boylan stuff... some other all-natural ginger-packed stuff that I have found almost as nauseating as the nausea itself.]

"Oh, you need some Zofran?" the doctor chirped. Kind of odd when your OBGYN is half of your size and age - and has never had any of her own children.

"Sure." I said, as nonchalantly as possible. She handed me a script.

I tried not to speed to the grocery store. I promise.

Let me just tell you, that I'm one happy camper. Hope the insurance will pay for the next 9 pills after these are gone. If not, I found out that HEB has melt-in-your-mouth tabs of Zofran generic on their 5$ prescription club list. TAKE THAT HMO PILL PLAN!

I'll take it, too.

And hopefully, THAT, folks - will enable me to return to blog land. I know you've been on the edge of your seats wondering why it had been four days, right? Well, now you know.

There's hope I might get up off of the floor yet... at least until I fall out of the next turnip truck.

The end.

Day 2 and 3 of Building a Better Blog ... and a List

Day 2 Challenge: Write a list post.

(Insert evil laugh here: Muahahahaha!)

I'm a list-making fool. I've always made a lot of list posts. In fact, I have to restrain myself from making list posts because it's the way my brain works. I figured I was running everyone off with my endless boring lists. Had no idea that people really like them.

I can go to sleep now. I learned something today.

Day 2's list is at the bottom of this post. Read it and weep (that's what I'm planning to do after I finish blogging today... read it, weep, and then start trying to check it off).

One of the questions they asked on the challenge post was:

What do you like about reading and writing a list post?

For me, the answer is that lists are easy on the eyes. They break chunks of information down in to the perfect size for you to quickly read through it. They give you the feeling that you are checking things off when you read them. They motivate you to get busy. WOOHOO for lists!

- - - -

Day 3 Challenge: Promote a blog post.

I use twitter and facebook to link my individual posts every time I write them. I usually only link them up once on each site unless it is something really good that I feel is worth sharing duplicate links on. I hate spam and figure everyone else does, too.

For the most part, I don't link my posts up anywhere else or use any other type of promotion. I have a stumble upon account and have seen it work well with some of the posts we have promoted on the Homeschool Post, but I just don't have the time to work that hard on my blog most of the time.

My motto: "If you build it, they will come." Ha!

I think that the joy of blogging is somehow lost when you are so worried about your readership numbers that you have to push every post. A little link on twitter and facebook take no time at all since I'm already there... but beyond that, I would hope that my readers, if they love the post, will click those buttons for me. Make the stumble upon and digg, etc. buttons available on your posts and let the reader do the extra promotion (or not). Be happy with just the joy of blogging itself.


My day jobs (homeschooling/baby raising/homemaking - simultaneously) require that I 'let it go'. So I have. I quit checking stats a long, long time ago... and removed a lot of my blogrolls and promotional buttons (even my affiliate programs more recently) off of the sidebars. The only ones I have kept are Amazon and Homeschool Tracker - because I sometimes get a tiny tidbit of money from them and I adore them both. I guess in a way, I'm doing the opposite of "building" a better blog; however, I'm a lot happier.

I just love blogging. I don't need an extra pat on the back to do it joyfully. It's my release - my hobby - my toy. I'm going to do it whether you read it or not.

So there.

- - - -

I realize that this isn't a 'list post' in the strict sense of the term. They were really wanting me to do the list as the entire post (something I enjoy reading and love doing)... however, THIS is the crushing list that is swimming around in my brain right now... and so it must be typed out. I excuse you from reading it. It might cause nervous tension or nausea on a lazy Saturday for some of you. Don't say I didn't warn you...

What I should be doing instead of blogging today:

Purge email accounts
Shop the pantry and come up with a menu
Cast the baby's hands
Spraypaint the book case we salvaged from the trash on someone's lawn
Make lunch
Bake banana nut bread
Updates in Homeschool Tracker for completed assignments
Order brochures and info from chamber of commerce in DC/Hershey
Work on my indexing
Listen to Pudewa homeschool talks again
Prayer Journal, Devo, Bible reading
Read with the kids
Work on magazine project
Print out goal review papers for school next week
Help the kids put up a blog post
School planning - particularly history
Workboxes cleaned out
Upload pictures from camera
Edit photos for next week's blog posts
Prepare August posting schedule for the Homeschool Post
Read for me
Start portfolios for last year's school papers
Encourage Morgan to finish her painting
Redo my school list in my homeschool binder (too much chicken scratch)
Write in the baby's baby book
Install lights we got from IKEA (beg husband to do this)
Finish working on the bills/checkbook
Check off our chore list & sticker charts
Tidy the house
Run the vacuum
Print off a new school year calendar for the binder
Check the calendar for next week's appointments (make a mental note)
Declutter school area
Clean off my desk
Eternal laundry quest
Send out reminder email to authors of Homeschool Post for next week
Browse recipe books
Call mom
Blog a recipe on Gathering Manna

Think I can get that done this weekend? I doubt it. Never hurts to try!

31 Days to Build a Better Blog, Sprittibee Style

Being the awesomely "connected" and "sponsored" blogger that I am, I had no idea that a 31DBBB challenge was going on. I didn't even know what 31DBBB meant until someone kindly let me know they were 'stalking' my blog on twitter. As flattered as I was, I felt a little out of the loop. Sorry, Darren! I haven't been up on my blog reading lately (pregnancy nausea is a good excuse, no?).

I'm going to be brutally honest with you: I have little time for blogging. Or for doing all the extra promotional, statistical, communicative things that bloggers must do to stay on top of their 'game'. Here's the scary truth (please don't nod in agreement that you already knew it): Most of what I blog, I slap up on an instant whim. When I do have the weekend hours at my leisure (I laugh when saying that word because with a 1 year old, there is no such thing), I spend more time thinking about what I'm writing... but if you've been around much, you'll know that I am often just talking out of my head over here.

That's all I have time for. And even that, my kids will tell you, I'm pushing (beyond the limits of priority). Just now it's baby's naptime, but I can think of a hundred or so other things that really should get done first ... (and by the time this post will be done, it might be well after dinner... or maybe after everyone else is asleep).

However, I don't want you to think that just because I have been blogging since before God created dirt, that I might not think I can't improve. I'm the last ancient dinosaur blogger that hasn't moved to Word Press yet, so I hear. But that doesn't mean I can't learn a new trick or two. Heavens, I certainly could use the 40700 comments that Pioneer Woman gets on her red Kitchenaid Mixer giveaways over here. Just because I have two blog conferences under my belt doesn't make me an expert at anything but running up debt on my credit card, y'all. I'm no snob, so I decided to join in the 'fun'.

The assignments are daily. (AS IF I can do all this in 31 days!)...


But it must be brief. So here goes:


Day 1 Challenge: Write a tagline, a short elevator pitch and a long elevator pitch for your blog.

Tagline:
My blog's tagline is similar to the random nature here at Sprittibee. I've always been honest... time doesn't permit me to be anything but fickle. I blog about a wide variety of topics. My top 5 are probably: parenting, homeschooling, motherhood, photography, faith, and personal/life. Therefore, since I'm so scattered, I figured I'd use a tagline that matches more with the name of my blog rather than what I talk about.

"Honey Sweet - Bloggy Goodness"

And of course, you can throw in the bible verse I usually have on my blog header somewhere for good measure (because no matter what I talk about, I try and honor God in the post):

Psalm 119:103 - "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Of course, these have nothing to do with my words. I just thought, ya-know, bees... honey... sweet... words and blogging... uh...

Guess you had to be there.

Short Elevator Pitch:
Hmmm. Something short and sweet that explains the purpose of my blogging? Would "Oooo! Shiny!" cover it? I don't know. The keyword tags at the top of my blog that appear when you open my site (my wonderful blog designer's idea... something about Google spiders?) are:

homeschool, photography, parenting, mommy, christian

Maybe I should just stick to that and let it be? I think it covers most of my posts... except the strange ones about swapping snott, refrigerating chiggers and stealing fries at Chick-fil-A off of someone else's tray.

But I digress...

Long Elevator Pitch:
I'll be honest, I still don't know what an elevator pitch is. But out of context and from seeing a few other entries for the contest, I guess it's just a breif description of your blog's purpose.

So what is "Sprittibee" about? I'm just a Christian wife, a homeschool mom, a photo nut, a Native Texan, a blog enthusiast - sharing my 'buzz' with the rest of the world in hopes that I'll learn more about myself and encourage my readers to know they are not alone out there. Maybe I'll help that homeschool mom have the strength to go another day without giving up?

I can just hear it now: "Surely I can homeschool if this scatterbrained lady has been doing it for the past eight years!"

No, really - you can be honest. I know if you read here regularly, you probably have said that to yourself at one time or another. Go ahead and raise your hand. It's OK. I can take it.

So now you have my tagline, short elevator pitch, and long elevator pitch. And you know nothing more about my blog than you started out knowing. So I guess I'm not such a focused niche blogger after all?

That's it! I quit.

Just kidding.

Homeschool Essay at BlogHer Today... Come See!

I'm turning heads over at BlogHer about the topic of homeschooling. As you know, BlogHer is a mixed group of amazing and talented bloggers from every walk of life. How great to be able to represent homeschooling to all these women leaders - to share something that is so important to my heart - from "our" perspective.

The article is entitled:
"My Early Homeschool Journey: From Doing School to the Power of Play"

If you visit, please leave a comment there! You can even facebook connect and comment or share the article on your own profiles - or tweet about it from right there on the page.

I really enjoyed writing the article, so I hope you'll stop in to walk down memory lane with me!

Texas Wildflowers AND Homeschool Blogs - What Could Be Better?

You can find me at the Post today! You don't want to miss it!

Quick Pregnancy Update

I got my maternity artwork from my friend Ellia. I was so inspired by how she wrapped it and all the cute little things she attached... a feather, a tiny fabric bouquet of flowers, a bingo card, and a lovely flower - you can see for yourself in the photo above. It is so nice getting pretty things in the mail.

My tiny masterpiece went on my wall of inspiration above my desk as soon as I got this photo snapped.

I haven't been able to blog much lately due to a pretty bad bout of pregnancy nausea. Well, the nausea has been around for weeks now, but over the past week it has been really bad. Thankfully, I haven't actually tossed my cookies... (sorry for the visual). The boys went camping with the boy scouts this past weekend and I spent most of the weekend lying on my couch, moaning, and eating saltines. It is really difficult blogging when you are flat on your back.

I hope I can manage to get back in to a normal routine tomorrow. From what the pregnancy timeline sites all say, I should be done with the yuckies in a week or two... but I'm hoping for tomorrow!


I was able to eat pretty well today for a change. It was the first time I have wanted to eat meat in a while. I had one slice of bacon with breakfast, a burger for lunch, and grilled chicken at dinner. Although my nausea was better today (more mild), I think I sprang all that food on my stomach a little fast... because after dinner I was ill... more from eating too much than 'morning' sickness.

This morning the scale told me I was one pound lighter than I was when I first got pregnant with Kohen 16 months ago. That means I've LOST about four or five pounds since I got pregnant, because I had gained a few pounds over the months previous to getting pregnant with this little one.

I guess you can't live on saltines alone. They sure come in handy, though. My best food and beverage friends lately have been saltines, Bing cherries, peaches, slightly watered down Simply Lemonade, and Boylan Ginger Ale.

Please keep me in your prayers to be rid of the nausea and have a little more energy. We have a lot of homeschooling and homemaking to get done next week... and I'll be helping with the Carnival of Homeschooling over at the Post Tuesday (which makes for a very late Monday night).

Busy week ahead... hopefully pregnant mama will be up for it!

D is for Digger

ABSee Week 3 is up over at the Homeschool Post. Check out the photos that made the top 6 for last week and be sure to join in the fun if you haven't already!



Week 4 is next Friday and the prize is going to be awarded for July. I'm loving the inspiration of everyone's photos.

Our Fiesta Texas Adventure

It has taken me a while to recover from our San Antonio Fiesta Texas weekend sponsored by Visit SanAntonio. Of course, I'm pregnant and 37... and a complete an utter wuss when it comes to HEAT (Can you believe I live in TEXAS?). I turn in to a monster when I perspire - it isn't a pretty picture. That's why I have air conditioning (and keep it on 74 through the heat of summer)... and why my idea of camping does not include the words May, June, July, August, or September. Better yet - my idea of camping is in a cabin or condo... with A/C and trips in to town for shopping and Starbucks.

But I digress...

I just want to give you a clear picture of the kind of 'trooper' I am before you think that Fiesta Texas isn't a wonderful place. I'm a summer wimp of the greatest proportions. Plus, being pregnant, I stay in a constant state of nausea lately... which makes me rather irritable. I'm thrilled that the kids enjoyed themselves despite my angry grimace in the glaring sun. In fact, I even heard dear child #2 and her friend agree that our day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas was the 'BEST DAY OF THEIR LIVES'.

So it's all worth it to drag mama out in the heat. I can smile about it now.

The girls were the real winners on the trip. They rode the Goliath at least five times and adored every vertical- horizontal- upside-down- corkscrewing moment of it. The Goliath was the sweetheart ride of the day (I won't even tell you how much time I spent sitting and waiting in front of it).



Aside from my son's friend (who did ride the Goliath once, and a few other things cheerfully), the boys were the real park losers. Why?

1. My husband's Dramamine didn't work - the first ride he got motion sickness. Why he started with a ride called Tony Hawk's Big Spin, I'll never know. However, it was the last ride for him (and we were there from noon until almost 9pm).

2. My eldest son is a chip off of his mama's block: which means he's just as cranky and miserable in the heat (and he lives in a hyperfocus ADD fog... like his mama before him). He's also a complete CHICKEN when it comes to roller coasters. He wouldn't even get on the Wiggle's Big Red Cars or the Bumper Cars. This made the day rather boring for his friend - who had to ride with the girls.

3. The baby (also a boy) was stuck in his stroller all day. Sweaty, hot, miserable, and imprisoned in a stroller while all these fun things were going on around him = not ideal for my little man who loves to walk and run. It was the only way, though... because we had to keep an eye on him and there were drinks and snacks and diapers and wipes to carry.



At least the little one is not a ride chicken. He gladly rode the Wiggle's Big Red Cars (you'll never get me to understand why pregnant women can't get on this ride - I could have walked along side the entire thing). He also rode the Ferris wheel. They said pregnant women couldn't get on that, too - but I snuck on anyway. The Ferris Wheel was my favorite part of the day.



Towards the end of the day, we all rode the train, too. Little man said "Choo Choo" every time we saw it and the whole time we were riding it. Well, besides the time he sat across from the guy with a stuffed hot-dog. Then he said, "Puppy".



I'd love to add some suggestions to Fiesta Texas for our next visit that maybe they can take to heart:

1. Add more PARK BENCHES for parents who are waiting. We sat on the ground by the bumper cars. Luckily I haven't fallen and can still get up (even if I require a little help from my tweens).

2. I think anyone who dares to brave the park (especially in the summer) with a baby under 2 years old (and a stroller full of junk needed to care for a kid under 2 years old) should AUTOMATICALLY get a Flash Pass so that the parent doesn't have to wait in line as long for her older kids to ride the coasters. Keeping a baby occupied for hours on end in the heat is not an easy task. It is much more rewarding and easy to be 'on the move' between attractions and coasters... than to sit in one place (especially if there is not a bench).



The park was really busy the day we went. I am not sure, but I think that Fiesta Texas is a bit smaller than the Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. It certainly was a clean park - just like the signs said upon entrance, and the scenery was really pretty - with limestone cliffs and nice landscaping. The park employees were wearing really bright neon yellow colored t-shirts, and there were a ton of them - everywhere - so it was really easy to find someone if you needed to ask a question or get help.

As for the eating, they had plenty of different types of food to pick from - Pappa John's Pizza, BBQ, Sandwiches, Salads, and even a Panda Express. Unfortunately, though, you can expect to pay double what you would pay in a non-amusement park Panda Express or Pappa John's. The food prices are comparable with the movie theater... and if you get thirsty, you'll be forking over $3.50 for a bottle water or $4.00 for a frozen lemonade. Make sure to plan ahead because if you plan to stay a while, you'll be needing to spend some money. We actually brought in a few of our own snacks and two small water bottles per person, but still ended up buying drinks and snacks because we were there all day.



"I said, I said, I said..." (couldn't resist)...

If you get really hot, you can stop in for a show. We went to the Rockville High show. It was cute. The air conditioned theater was a huge plus. They don't allow you to take strollers in, so Dad and baby stayed on the porch. The show in the food court was a little more 'PG13' rated because of some songs they chose. It was really loud, too - so if you have sensitive ears, sit near the far back while you eat.

We were really looking forward to the fireworks show (it has been voted the 'best in Texas' according to the back of the Six Flags Map), but the heat had fatigued all of us - even the big kids. We voted on leaving at 8:30PM and headed for the car. I had been drinking water all day and wore sunscreen, but I ended up getting a burn on my face and feeling like I was a bit dehydrated. I figured it was salt that I needed since I shared the Salt and Vinegar Pringles with the kids on the way home (I usually don't eat anything that salty). Of course, my idea of exercise is typing out a blog post... so 9 hours of walking is a bit extreme.

My children and their friends all agreed that the day had been a total blast. Even though mom and dad are old fuddy duddies, we were really happy the kids had so much fun. Hopefully there will be a next time for a Texas theme park after mama is no longer pregnant. Then daddy will be the only fuddy duddy. It was awful not being able to ride the coasters when I'm such a thrill junkie. Of course, it won't hurt next time if we go in the Spring or Fall, either (then I won't be such a grump).

Going to FIESTA!

I love a good FIESTA! Especially one in TEXAS.

One of the first vacations as a family that Kev and I ever took was to San Antonio, Texas. We loved the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens... we loved the Riverwalk... we LOVED the Mexican Markets and the FOOD! OH, my lands - the Mexican Food! We've been back quite a few times and each time we discover something new:

.the missions (the ALAMO - every good Texan must see it up close at least once)
.the Court House (I dare you to pronounce Bexar County in front of locals)
.the RiverCenter Mall
.the Hard Rock Cafe ala Riverwalk
.Mi Tierra Cafe and Mexican Bakery



There's so much to see and do (and EAT) in San Antonio. You'll never tire of visiting the 'same old places'. I've been to the Alamo and the Riverwalk so many times and they never lose their draw.



We visited San Antonio the very first month of little Viking's life. It was his FIRST vacation (due in part to a business trip that Daddy had to make and the fact that Mommy didn't want to be home alone). He rode the River Boat at one week old!



I was so excited when Visit San Antonio contacted me about their Fiesta Texas and Heart and Sol Summer 2010 Giveaway promotion. It seems strange to me that they need a PR team for such a great city, but I'm thrilled that I get to be part of their blogging crowd that spreads the 'news' about how neat a place San Antonio is.



Today all day you can find me on my tweet stream (follow me at @Sprittibee on Twitter) talking about our sponsored trip to Fiesta Texas for their 'blogger event'. Just type in #visitSA and/or #FiestaTexas in your Tweet search line on Tweetgrid.com or inside Tweetdeck and you can follow along with ALL of the bloggers at the event.



Even though this thrill junkie can't ride any of the big boy roller coasters (because of my 9 week pea in the pod), I'll be enjoying the shows and attractions ... and trying to keep the 1 year old happy. Lucky for us, we have a "Cadillac stroller" (thank you Grandma Betty!). Hey - someone has to stay with the bags and the baby (never thought it would be me).

Be sure and stop by to give some love to my sponsor. You never know - it might be that you get some of that love back! VisitSanantonio.com is offering some really SWEET prize packages for those that register with them for the...



Heart and Sol Summer 2010 Getaway Sweepstakes

You could win a summer getaway to San Antonio for your family! Winners will be notified by August 10th - that's not that far away!

Check out the groovy trips they are dishing out:

Package One:
3-Night stay at the Westin La Cantera Resort and Spa (includes 4 tickets to SeaWorld, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Enchanted Springs Ranch and Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch)

Package Two:
3-Night stay at the Marriott Riverwalk (includes 4 tickets to SeaWorld, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, IMAX Theater Rivercenter, and San Antonio Foodie Tours)

What have you got to lose?

Sprint over there and sign up. Then be sure to follow me on twitter to get the low-down on today's amusement-park thrills. Check up later on the blog for some rip-roaring reviews. I already know to expect good things since I've been to San Antonio before!


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Disclosure: Visit San Antonio is providing us with tickets and vouchers for the trip to the amusement park today in exchange for an honest review and some horn tooting about their favorite city in Texas. The opinions here in this post are expressly my own - and were not compensated for (besides the bliss I got when eating Mexican pastries and baked goods from Mi Tierra - which I purchased with my very own money). Note to VisitSanAntonio.com - next time, please include vouchers to Mi Tierras and their bakery. Thank you very much.

C is for Computer

Coincidentally, C is also for CONFERENCE. This laptop belonged to one of the Savvyblogging gals. I took it when they hired me to be their photographer in Tennessee. Can you guess who's it is?



Pop over (click the button) and see who won last week's top 5 photos over at the Homeschool Post! There are two more weeks before the prize is given away! Get your photos uploaded on the A B See flickr group to be counted!

Fourth and Fifth Grade Homeschool Book List

I'm a little behind on my homeschool series, so I figured I'd put in a token post and try to work my way towards catching up. The kids are actually in 6th and 7th Grades this year!

SO...
 
HERE's OUR 6th YEAR OF HOMESCHOOL: 4th GRADE and 5th GRADE (2007-8)!

Do you have kids that are younger than these grades? Go see my previous book lists. They are linked on my Homeschool Series post by year/grade level. Pardon me for any of this post that seems like a repeat for those of you who frequent my blog... the long explanation is for those who are new visitors.



These are the books we read in 2007-8. In case you are just "tuning in", our kiddos were 9 and 11 at the time. Both of the kids were reading very well already. Many of the books on this list are well over their grade level. Some are encyclopedia type books which we either read parts of or all of - depending on the unit and level of interest. If we only read part of a book, it is listed in italics.

We like to have an ongoing "family reader" (usually a chapter book) for unit study, history or just for pleasure. I also require most school days that the children read on their own or out loud. There are 111 books listed here. As the books get thicker, the lists get shorter. I did NOT include any PREVIOUSLY read books in this list (and there are always quite a few). That means that all of my book lists should NOT contain duplicate books (even though the children often re-check books or re-read some at home in our personal library).

Many of these books can be read at a much older age level as well, so don't let the grade level fool you. The grade in the title of this post just happens to be the grade they were in when WE read them. You can read them any time you like (I'm not a kid, and I enjoyed many of them!). The ones that my children considered too 'babyish' or young are noted in italics, along with any other notes I made when recording the book list that year.

The books that we enjoyed the MOST are bolded. A few were so good that we went out and bought our own copy to add to our library at home. I didn't write down the reasons why we loved them. Some times it was content, others it was illustrations, and sometimes both. The kids love revisiting those books; and if we don't have them at home, they don't hesitate to re-check them at the library. The rest of the books which are NOT bolded are probably great, too (I either didn't remember them very well, the children read them without my help and didn't comment about them, or they just weren't a FAVORITE). Don't think that just because the book is not bolded, it isn't a good book! Our favorites are subjective and you should read these for yourself to find out what your family's favorites are!

Books that had objectionable content (according to our worldview - which is Christian in nature) are conveniently listed in red. These are books that went above and beyond truth and logic to preach evolution or erase the line between fact and theory. Another reason it may be red is if it had sexual, spiritually dark, mystic or adult themes. If you aren't a Christian and you don't have a problem with evolution or early exposure to sensuality, you can read them/watch them without issue. They are labeled in red as a service for other like-minded Christian moms who read this blog.

If you enjoy using our book lists and ideas here at Sprittibee's Homeschool Blog, please consider dropping some spare change in the tip jar - no donation too small! We could use a few dollars to buy more books with since most of these are LIBRARY books we checked out! Another way you can support my blog is to order the books you want through my Amazon store! You can check out my little Amazon book store up at the top of this blog by clicking the bookstore link, or clicking the text in this sentence! Many of our favorites are there and sorted by category. If you purchase them through our referral, my kids might eventually get a free book for their library. It's a win-win situation! You get great books, we get a few pennies for telling you about them.

SPRITTIBEE'S FOURTH & FIFTH GRADE BOOK LIST

Animals in Flight - Jenkins & Page

Surprising Sharks - Nicola Davies

Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne (Unabridged)

Ballooning - Phyllis J. Perry

Blimps - Roxie Munro

Poem: Snowbound by Greenleaf Whittier

Mission to Mars - Franklyn M. Branley (worldview issues)

Science Factory - Jon Richards

Air and Flight - Jon Richards

The Secrets of Animal Flight - Nic Bishop

Ships of the Air - Lynn Curlee

Flying - Gail Gibbons

Floating in Space - Franklyn M. Branley

Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines - Caroline Arnold

Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth - Jonathan Wells (only read certain parts)

Amelia Earhart: Courage in the Sky - Mona Kerby

Leo the Late Bloomer - Robert Kraus

Culture in Japan - Melanie Guile

Skippy Jon Jones - Judy Schachner

Cat, You Better Come Home - Garrison Keillor

The Extinct Files - Wallace Edwards

Testing Miss Malarkey - Judy Finchler

How You Were Born - Joanna Cole

The Human Body - Paul Lewis & David Rubenstein (only read certain parts)

See How they Grow: Kitten - DK

The Kingfisher First Human Body Encyclopedia - Richard Walker

Japan: Enchantment of the World - Ann Heinrichs

Seadogs - Lisa Wheeler

Cub in the Cupboard - Ben M. Baglio

Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies & Moths - Jim Arnosky

Lifecycles: The Journey of a Butterfly - Carolyn Scrace

Monarch Butterfly - Gail Gibbons

Butterflies (Zoo Books) - Beth Wagner Brust

Video: Pole to Pole, Deep Sea

(Elsie Dinsmore: A Life of Faith) "Elsie's Endless Wait" - Martha Finley

Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars - Margery Facklam

The Fellowship of the Ring - Tolkien

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew - Margaret Sidney

Animal Babies in Ponds and Rivers - Kingfisher (for younger readers)

Frogs, Toads, Lizards, and Salamanders - Nancy Winslow Parker & Joan Richards Wright

From Tadpole to Frog (Lifecycles) - David Stewart

Frogs - Sheila Buff

Slippery Babies - Judy Cutchins

Butterflies and Moths - Elaine Pascoe

Insects - Jen Green

It's a Hummingbird's Life - Irene Kelly

Making Animal Babies - Sneed B. Collard III

A Mother's Journey - Sandra Markle (penguins)

Animals Hatch from Eggs - Elaine Pascoe

How Spiders Make Their Webs - Jill Bailey

Animal Babies in Polar Lands - Kingfisher

The Amazing Egg - Susan James

How Animals Care for their Babies - National Geographic Society (Books for Young Explorers)

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones - Ruth Heller

Things that are Most in the World - Judi Barrett

(Elsie Dinsmore: A Life of Faith) "Elsie's Impossible Choice" - Martha Finley

Clarence the Copy Cat - Patricia Lakin

The Life Cycle of a Salmon - Lisa Trumbauer

A Dragon in the Sky: The Story of a Green Darner Dragon Fly - Laurence Pringle

Movie: Waltons "The Gift"

Eyes on Nature: Fish - Jane P. Resnick (evolution)

Rays - Martha E. H. Rustad (for younger readers)

Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea - Chris Butterworth

Inside an Egg - Sylvia A. Johnson

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs - Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto

Even More Parts - Tedd Arnold

(Elsie Dinsmore: A Life of Faith) "Elsie's New Life" - Martha Finley

Kittens in the Kitchen - Ben M. Baglio

The Taj Mahal - Rachel Lynette

O Jerusalem - Jane Yolen/ Illustrated by John Thompson

India (Major World Nations) - John C. Caldwell

A True Book: India - Elaine Landau

Country Insights: India, City and Village Life - David Cumming

Ancient India - Virginia Schomp (some nudity)

India (Eyewitness Books) - DK (Manini Chatterjee & Anita Roy) (some nudity)

Secrets of the Vine for Kids - Bruce Wilkinson

Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

(Elsie Dinsmore: A Life of Faith) "Elsie's Stolen Heart" - Martha Finley

Ducktails - Janette Oke

New Kid in Town - Janette Oke

The Confessions of St. Augustine (parts)

Trial and Triumph (Stories from Church History) - Richard M. Hannula (parts about Augustine)

A History of the Christian Church (revised edition) - Williston Walker (parts about Augustine)

Heritage Studies 3 Textbook (Early America/New England section)

The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving - Ann McGovern

Smart About the 50 States - Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Seabird - Holling C. Holling

Little Miss Liberty - Chris Robertson

Madlenka - Peter Sis

Molly Bannaky - Alice McGill

Syrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent - Bill Peet

Looking at Liberty - Harvey Stevenson

The Old Pirate of Central Park - Robert Priest

The New York Colony - Bob Italia

The Patchwork Quilt - Valerie Flournoy

Liberty's Journey - Kelly DiPucchio

How to Draw - Jack Hamm

Going Lobstering - Jerry Pallotta and Rob Bolster

Potato, A Tale from the Great Depression - Kate Lied (younger reading level)

Mei Li - Thomas Handforth

Egyptology

The Way Science Works - DK (parts of the book)

New York's Bravest - Mary Pope Osborne

Basket Moon - Mary Lyn Ray

A Peddler's Dream - Janice Shefelman

Pilgrim Voices, Our First Year in the New World - Connie and Peter Roop

The Great Depression - Michael Burgan

The Journey - Sarah Stewart

When Jessie Came Across the Sea - Amy Hest

Oscar, Cat-About-Town - James Herriot

For the Temple, A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem - G.A. Henty

Summer Reading (not listed)


Up next in the series will be:
Post #2 - Fourth and Fifth Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Post #3 - Fourth and Fifth Grade Field Trips
Post #4 - Fourth and Fifth Grade Learning Enrichment
Post #5 - Favorite Memories from Fourth and Fifth Grade

I can't promise how long this series will take to finish with a 1 year old and two tweens to homeschool... but I'll get 'a round tuit'.

xoxo




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Baby Gets to Swim

Mama committed the unpardonable sin over 4th of July: forgetting to bring baby's Little Swimmers and his swim suit to Aunt Laurie's pool party. The little guy was feeling pretty left out of the fun.

I didn't mind missing out on the pool since I glow in the dark and blister in a matter of nanoseconds, but he didn't understand why the big kids got to play in the "bath" and he didn't. All that splashing was looking really fun.

With every moment, he inched closer to the pool, pointing at it, and trying to gain the sympathy of his "Momo"... who eventually noticed him and swam over to say 'Hi'.



Of course, the Viking figured she was going soft on him, so he proceeded to hike the leg up on the edge of the pool and crawl over. As much as sister loved him, she wasn't about to bring him in the pool and spoil her big-kid fun.

Poor wittle guy.



Sensing his unhappiness, grandpa Keef came to the rescue. He never had any of his own kids before he married Grandma Betty, but he sure has a heart for the little ones. Baby K lurves him so.



Baby K and Grandpa Keef are buddies. Swimmin' buddies.



The pool party was saved because mama let him get in with his poofy white daiper (and I mean POOFY - that sucker was 10 lbs when we peeled it off of him) and get his little train outfit wet... but mostly because Grandpa Keef wasn't too busy to play!



Unfortunately for the big kids, we forgot to put sunscreen on them... and didn't find it until AFTER they were cooked like little 4th of July sausages. We doused Kaden down with Vinegar that night after we got home and it really helped take the red out by the next morning. Even the blisters went away. He has his mama's sensitive skin... but fortunately, none of the kids are as WHITE as mama.



On a completely unrelated note, while at the pool party we got to see a bunch of hang gliders drifting on the summer sky. I made a mental note to add it to my bucket list. Being mom AGAIN at 38 might put a dent in what all I can get accomplished, though... since I can't be a daredevil until the kids are grown... and the littlest one will be grown when I'm in dentures... and possibly a nursing home. But by then, I won't remember my bucket list anyway. So I guess it doesn't matter.



On another really odd, and likewise unrelated note, Aunt Laurie informed me that the sucker fish in her tank that Kohen was enamored with was the SAME one they had when they first got the tank. That was back when Kev and I were first married... and we're coming up on our 18 year anniversary. That's a really old fish!

Seems strange to think that I was looking at that fish back before any of my kids were born...