Rooty, Tooty, Fresh and Fruity

Tuesday I had to go in for my one hour glucose test. I had to take Bailey and Travis with me since David had taken the seven oldest to the lake. They stayed for two days and some of the kids caught their first fish! But....I missed it because I had decided to stay home with the little guys instead of running my pregnant self ragged trying to keep up with them at the lake in 95 degree weather.

Anyway, needless to say, I didn't pass. Well, I was actually borderline at 132 since my doctor goes by the 130 scale instead of the 140 scale. So, when I came in at 132 the nurse practitioner said that since I was borderline she would let me make the call to come in for the three hour test.

I was like, "Oh, please don't leave it up to me? How can I make that decision?" On the one hand, I don't want to take unnecessary risks with my unborn baby, and I know there are some sugar issues going on because 1) I DIDN'T pass the test and 2) there is serious emotional BREAKDOWN when I don't eat.

I decide to go on and take the three hour test. Which I did this morning.

I had something to eat at nine last night and had to fast until I got to the lab at 8:45. So by the time I drank the sugar coma in a cup it was nine.

Finally, after four blood draws, three in one arm and one in the other, looking like I have illegal recreational activities, and being forced to put up with The View on the lab TV, noon finally came so I could leave.

David came with me and right before I was done he got a phone call that he needed to run into work. I told him that he was taking me to IHOP, because, well, FOOD. And I had a Groupon.

The Groupon I got for free because last year I had bought four tickets to a childrens museum that ended up closing before we could use the tickets. So Groupon had refunded me the money which I used to snatch up the IHOP coupon, so it didn't cost me any more money. Score!

I'm adding this in, because why not include all the mundane minutia of this experience?

I went in with him to work because I had to sign something, but after about fifteen minutes there, I was starting to sweat and my hands were getting shaky.

I thought I was going to swoon and faint like Scarlet O'hara, except that I wasn't wearing a hoop skirt and frankly, my husband does give a .....

Well, anyway, we got out of there and headed to IHOP but it was 1:30 by the time my food actually arrived. So, after 16 hours with no food, I was about ready to eat the napkin.

Instead, I had four whole wheat pancakes with banana, two scrambled eggs, three sausages, three bacons and hash browns.

It was about the best food I've ever eaten.

And, praise God, the test results already came in and I passed!

Homeschool Reading and Literature Resources

Fun Amelia Bedelia activities

Barnes and Noble has a free Educator Discount Card that will save you 20% off your purchases!

Books a Million has a 20% off free Educator Discount Card as well!


Glencoe Literature has a ton of free Literature study guides for classic books. We've been using these for years.

College Prep Genius has very good information on how to do well on the SAT or answer an SAT question of the day.


Who remembers School House Rock?


Here's a good Beowulf translation.


Read some classic books online at Kids4Classics.

Monday Musings

Travis had developed a new vocabulary word. Three out of four words from his mouth were "stupid".

Someone accidentally bumps into him....."Stupid!"

Someone doesn't give him what he wants......."Stupid!"

Any old reason at all............"Stupid!"

So, I kept reprimanding him when he'd say it......"Travis, that is naughty. We don't say stupid." 

Finally he got out of the habit, and learned not to say it. He would say, "Stu...Aw, Man!"

     A few weeks ago, Brittany and Tyler had an orthodontist appointment and I needed to take all the kids with me. I just dropped them off and took the other kids around the corner to a neighborhood lake with some nice shade trees and a sidewalk around it. There was a really small "beach" that lead up to a shallow area where the lake went under a small bridge.

     I was letting the older of the kids walk the younger ones around and look at the ducks and throw rocks in the water. Brittany and Tyler walked down and met us there when they were done and no longer had I said, "Well, it's time to get in the van and go to Sam's" when Travis stepped forward and did a total face-plant into the water.

    He didn't cry. I think he was in shock. And of course we were all shocked and laughing. Tyler dashed over immediately and pulled him out of the two inches of water. He was soaked. So, I had to run home, change him and then go on to Sam's, because why would I have packed a diaper bag with essentials for taking a small child away from home?

First Harvest!

Our little garden will not succumb to my brown thumb after all! Well, most of it anyway.

Okra

Eggplant

Jalapeno

Cayenne

Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Squash

Cucumbers

First harvest!

Ocho de Mayo!

     Well, in my Cinco de Mayo celebration planning phase, I didn't anticipate a yard sale, bake sale and car wash at the church. We were all tired de Mayo, so we had to celebrate on the following Tuesday instead.

     I had originally planned to do a study of the Ancient Aztecs, Inca and Maya, which we did, and follow that with a week long study of Mexico, which we did, and end that week with the Cinco de Mayo celebration, which we did the following Tuesday.

These are a few of the resources I had on hand.....

....and I checked out the rest of what we used from the library.


Here is what we did:

-mapwork, labeling Mexico and surrounding areas, older kids labeled the different Mexican states
-colored the flag
-took a look at how different/similar our lives are to families in Mexico
-made a timeline of major Mexican events
-read a book about Vaqueros
-read about the Chicle tree and sampled Chiclets gum
-read a book about Day of the Dead
-researched Volcano Paricutin
-researched various chili peppers
-looked at some artwork by Diego Rivera
-listed to Mariachi music
-read books about the country's facts (temperature, exports, government, etc.)
-looked at several books on animals

One day was CHOCOLATE DAY! We......

-read a book about the history of chocolate
-read how chocolate is made
-read biographies on Milton Hershey, and the Mars Family
-chocolate games and worksheets from the chocolate unit studies books
-did an online tour of the Hershey factory
-used the Hershey's and M & M's candy math books for some yummy math lessons............

Then, Cinco de Mayo!!

We made these mini chili pepper pinatas. It's basically a half sheet of card stock folded into a cone, then rolled in green tissue paper. Put in your candy, fold and tape the bottom, then twist the top of the green tissue paper. Take red crepe paper, make slits with tissue for a "fringe" effect, then wrap it around your green tissue, leaving the green twist exposed for the stem. Just secure the red crepe paper with tape or glue stick at each end.

A Maya mummy race with the left over crepe paper.

We also made tissue paper flowers. These are so easy. Choose 6 or so layers of tissue paper, fold them accordian style, secure them in the middle with a pipe cleaner, then separate out the layers.

I had a whole list of fun recipes to make, but we ended up having tacos. Because that was easy. And I was still tired. But, we did have a fun time!


Chocolate Printables

Chocolate Unit Study by Homeschool Share

Mexico Recipes
Coloring Page

Maracas Color Page

Sombrero Color Page

Flag of Mexico

Map of Mexico

Another Map and Questions

Color Page of Traditional Clothes

How to Make Castanets

Aztec Printables

Mexico Printables

Ojo de Dios Craft

The Story of Paricutin

Recipe for Chicken Mole

A Mexican Food Pyramid

Chicle

Chili Pepper Color Sheet and Scoville Scale

Another Chili Pepper Sheet and information on Chili Peppers

A Painting by Diego Rivera and a copy to color

26 Weeks.....What?

I CAN'T believe that I'm already 26 weeks. I feel like I just found out I was pregnant. And, now I'm in my THIRD trimester. What?

Thankfully, everything is going well. I had a level two ultrasound a few weeks ago, since I am now old, and everything looked well. The bleeding membrane healed, the placenta is in a good spot and the baby looks great.

We didn't find out the gender, because that would ruin the surprise. David thinks he saw that it was a boy, but I was looking at the same screen and I didn't see any clues. Well, odds are its either a boy or a girl.

I have been walking for a mile on the treadmill five days a week and doing a few leg lifts and arm weights afterwards. So, I attribute that to my blood pressure being at a good number the last few doctors visits I've had. Even though I'm old now.

Did I mention the fact that I'm old now?

Because if I didn't, it must've slipped my feeble mind, because the doctors certainly didn't forget. They've mentioned it at least 85 times.

Since February.

It's apparently all downhill after 35. Who knew?

At least I'll have muscles.

Mother's Day

I woke up yesterday to biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs and strawberries and yogurt prepared by Brittany. I was too busy stuffing my face to get a picture.

Bethany and Brooke put together a basket with all kinds of goodies in it: cards by all the kids, flowers, notebook, lamp, earrings, and bookmark. They had everything unpacked from the basket and put in the appropriate place for me by the time I was done with my breakfast, so again, no picture.

We went to church and all the moms got a pretty picture frame. I ended up in the nursery the entire morning because Travis was having no part in me leaving him there. I won the catagory for "Mom with the most children". Again. Even though I wasn't even in the sanctuary. Ha!

When we got home, two kids were asleep, and my mind was focused on the burgers David was about to grill out, so of course, I didn't get the picture I wanted of me and the kids. And then I took a nap.

Ah, well, it was a fabulous day, and some are spent just living them, not behind the camera.

Thrifty Finds!

Another neighboring city-wide yard sale this weekend. I took Timothy, Bethany and Brooke with me and we shopped til we dropped. Literally. We had set up the night before for the youth yard sale at our church. That took about three hours and I was soooo tired. But we got to shop early and it was worth it!

Then, Saturday morning we set out again, but by about 10:30 we were getting hot and miserable and headed back.

Six maternity shirts and a bathing suit.....$10.00 for all.

I think it was about $1 for all three baskets.

A rooster plate for my kitchen for 25 cents.

Four corning ware and 2 pyrex......$2.50 for all.....woohoo!

A few things for homeschool....

Three BIG baskets for 25 cents each that I'll use for

dirty laundry sorting.

Candles were 25 cents each.

And a few things for the soon-to-be little one. (The Aveeno

sunscreen wasn't opened in case you were wondering.) 

A small rant:  I actually heard someone who was having their yardsale yesterday say, "I checked ebay and I will sell it to you for ____." They were not talking to me, but really? I don't care what it's selling for on ebay. This is a yard sale. If you want an ebay price then sell it ON EBAY."

One more small rant: I actually also heard someone who was having their yardsale yesterday say, "I'll sell it to you for $10. It retails for $40." They were not talking to me either, but really? I don't care what it retails for. This is a yard sale. Your item was USED. NOT new.

Okay. Done now.

Head on over to Rhoda's Southern Hospitality for some more Thrifty Finds!

I am NOT a green thumb at all. I would more consider myself a brown thumb. Last year David built me these boxes to plant some vegetables, but with the winter of the Artic Circle and then the Summer of Hades everything died.

I didn't want to waste all that time and effort for nothing so, we are trying again this year. It's not a big garden, but this rental house doesn't have a big yard.

This is the squash and on the far end left with the child draping over it is the cucumber plant.

These are the tomatoes and the small plant is the strawberries. I'm not sure about that one. I have not had any success the last two times I tried strawberries.

Tips, anyone?

These are the hot peppers, onions and eggplant. And another child.

And then there was this guy. I know he looks like a python in this picture, but he really was only about a foot long. If you are a mouse eating snake, then my friend, stick around. Stick around.

Has anyone else noticed a large number of spiders so far this year? I just don't want to see another tarantula in my garage because, honestly, I can't promise I will maintain my composure.

And.....Happy Birthday Tyler!

And the last birthday party goes to.....

Tyler!

He wanted his cousin Devin and his friend Jack to have a sleepover.

Nerf gun wars...........

Tyler requested ice cream sundaes instead of cake, Mountain Dew, pizza and Doritoes.

Any one want a stomachache for their birthday?