CHRISTEPHI

I don't know if it comes across via cyberspace, but I am not a naturally organized person.  Thankfully, God created us with amazing brains that are able to learn and grow and change!  One way I have been growing the past few years is in the area of organization.  I have been slowly-but-surely beating my house into organized submission.  I have done meal planning , got a freezer and filled it with a bulk cooking day , created my very own oasis  and then rearranged it .  I love Pinterest because I can see how other people organize and discover new ways to categorize, group, and store all sorts of things. (I have board dedicated to organization on Pinterest).  I've also been reading books about organizing and homemaking: e-books, library books, and even one or two I bought. When I decided that I would focus more time and energy on my blog this year, I knew I would need a way to keep myself organized!  There are so many free blogging planners out ...

Ugly dead grass and leafless trees are all we see during the winter months. By the time February rolls around, Christmas is a distant memory and the longing for warm spring days has set in.  Here in Missouri, we're torturously teased with the occasional 50 or 60 degree day that reminds us of spring, but doesn't last.  A mere 12 hours can bring those temps plummeting to sub-zero with flat gray skies and dull brown lawns.  The dreariness gets old mighty fast! Day 3: the sprouts are about a half an inch already. A couple years ago (before Pinterest!) I hit on the idea of growing some wheatgrass in little containers around the house.  It grows very quickly and the kids enjoy checking its progress everyday and running their hands gently over it. Less than a week and already the wheatgrass is lush and beautiful! I bought the wheat berries from the grocery store's bulk bin.  I soaked about 1/4 cup of grains in 1/2 cup of water overnight.  In...

Homeschooling Miss M has been quite the adventure. We started with pre-K and she outgrew it quicker than we completed it!  She learned to read when she was four, so I didn't see any point in doing a kindergarten curriculum.  We went straight into first grade.  She outgrew that too, but we were so near the end that I decided we'd press on and finish it anyway.  Finally the day arrived for us to begin a new year of school.  I know, I know, it's weird to start a school year in February, but hey, we homeschool!  Plus, if I start now and school on through the summer (which I plan to do), then we can take off November and December when we get busy with birthdays and holidays! I made posters to greet the kids on the first day. As I mentioned before , we're using Adventures in U.S. History by My Father's World to which I added the the recommended language arts, Singapore Math, and Rosetta Stone Tagalog. They picked out their "best clothes" to wear...

If you have a little girl, it's likely you've read a Fancy Nancy book or two.  Miss M received a copy of Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day  (affiliate link) from her auntie and absolutely loves it!  She's been pouring over it for weeks and begging to have a Spa Day.  We decided that in honor of our last week day off before starting second grade, we'd have a special Spa Day! Fantastique Face Mask Mash half a ripe banana in a small bowl.  Add in about half a teaspoon of honey. Mash the mixture some and put it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.   Miss M had begged for this.  She even got out the ingredients for me.  But one look at that slimy, banana scented goop and she had an instant change of heart!  She let me apply it to her in spite of her wails of protest and cackling laughter. Little Guy's response was: "I'm ugly! I'm ugly!" until I wiped it all off of him. Marvelous Manicure The next or...

In the middle of February a 60-degree day is a rare blessing.  It's a promise of spring-yet-to-come, but everyone knows it won't last long and it's best to take advantage of it while you still can!  We had one such day recently and decided to take a short trip to  Weston Bend State Park . Miss M stops to point out the "here-o-glyph" on the map. As far as vegetation goes, it's still the dead of winter.  Nothing has come to life yet, partially due to the awful drought we're experiencing, and partially because it's still early in the year.  As Miss M put it, "Everything is brown and gray and dull."  I've noticed, though, that when the trees are bare and the underbrush has died back for the winter, you really get a chance to appreciate the different shapes of the trees. Bare trees line the Missouri River. This tree looks like a giant slingshot! Our first stop was the scenic overlook that provides a sweeping view of the M...

Crazy bread is one of my favorite breads to make.  It's versatile and forgiving.  It makes a great accompaniment to dinner or a perfect afternoon snack for the kids.  And it's hard to mess up! Add 1 cup warm water to a small mixing bowl.  I use water that is just slightly warmer than body temperature -- warm enough to wake up the yeast, but not so warm that it'll kill it. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar and stir to dissolve.  You can use white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, anything that'll "feed" the yeast. Sometimes I mix some parmesan cheese into the dough too! So yummy! Sprinkle one .25 ounce envelope of yeast over the water.  Or if you're like me and buy yeast in bulk, use two heaping teaspoons.  Stir the yeast into the sugar water and allow it to rest about 10 minutes until the surface is foamy. Meanwhile, measure out 2 cups of flour into a large bowl.  I use bread flour, but all-purpose will work.  Or try substituting wh...

I once read that every room should have something living in it.  And I do love houseplants!  There's something so magical about a green, thriving thing sharing your space.  There are also  all kinds of benefits to having houseplants.  But that only works if you don't murder your plants. I am a plant murderer. A once-beautiful dracaena tree. I can't count the number of once thriving houseplants I've destroyed over the years.  Overwatering.  Underwatering. The blame doesn't lie entirely with me.  I water them when I'm supposed to.  I even give them plant food sometimes.  But I've never lived somewhere that has the right conditions.  We only have northwest and southeast facing windows.  They're small windows and only rarely get any direct sun shining through them.  All the windows have deep roof overhangings and they all have UV coating that blocks the sort of light plants love from entering. The ficus, or Rubb...

We are nearing the end of Calvert 1st grade, so we decided to knock out the last two chapters in our science book with a dedicated Science Week!  So far we have explored  position and force  and  simple machines and magnets .  Then we started investigating the different types of energy: first heat and then sound . It's the last day of Science Week!  Just as heat and sound are types of energy, so is light!   Light is the form of energy that allows us to see. Some materials let a lot of light pass through them. Other materials block out light completely.  Miss M tried a few materials to see what lets light through and what doesn't. Plastic wrap, waxed paper, aluminum foil, an empty paper towel tube, and a rubber band. First she covered one end of the tube with plastic wrap and tried looking through it. She could see light!  Then she removed the plastic and covered the end of the tube with waxed paper.  She could se...