Are you Exhausted, Irritable, and Overwhemed?



I actually did fall asleep reading
to my daughter last week!!

There was a hilarious movie back in the 70s in which the vixen lamented in her best Marlene Dietrich voice,

"...I'm tired. Tired of playing the game.  Ain't it a crying shame?  I'm tired..."

The whole thing is hysterical!!

But when you really feel that way...not so hilarious.  I know from personal experience and even my friends deal with it sometimes, as well.

So, I was excited when I found out my Gabby Mom review this month was a new video by Lorrie Flem entitled, "From Exhausted, Irritable, and Overwhelmed to an Energized and Fulfilled Woman of God."  It's a new resource from Eternal Encouragement.

Now that's an extreme makeover I need!

I figured it would be fun to share it with another mom who is in the trenches with me, so I invited a friend. 

The video is an hour long and FULL of meat.  Of course, it took us about 3 hours to watch it thanks to getting some cheesecake, children going in and out, making the speakers work, getting more cheesecake, and actually taking breaks to talk about what Lorrie just said.  I actually think it was beneficial to take breaks because there was so much information covered.

So, don't get exhausted while watching the video.  Take a break or two.

Now, if I attempted to share everything from this hour long video, it might make you feel overwhelmed, so I won't do that.  Lorrie takes you step-by-practical-step to find REAL REST.  The video comes with a viewers guide which also makes it easier to keep track of the steps Lorrie shares.

 

Usually, my reviews for Gabby Moms is all positive, but I do have a little warning.  I want to warn you so it doesn't make you irritable.

First of all, Lorrie has a heart for hope and encouragement.  That's why her ministry is called Eternal Encouragement.  She has sooooo many resources for so many of our day-in-day-out challenges and growth issues, and she wants to share that help and encouragement with us.

For that reason, throughout the video, Lorrie mentions other resources she has.  Her reasons are to help, but it kind of comes across a little "commercial-ly" and distracting.  But please remember, Lorrie is only trying to point out that Eternal Encouragement has resources that will help in many of the challenges we face.

My friend and I really enjoyed our afternoon with Lorrie Flem.  If you want some help in changing from "exhausted, irritable, and overwhelmed" to "an energized & fulfilled woman of God," just click HERE.  It's $19.97.

Watch it by yourself or grab a friend and enjoy fellowship with each other around the Word.  Cheesecake optional!



I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

Price Chopper--chopped off 70%

Betsy's Price is Right: Price Chopper--chopped off 70%: I got my deals from Kansas City Mamas . •Welch's Grape Jelly - $1.50 $0.75/1 Welch's Sparkling Juice Beverage, Juice, Jelly, or 100% Gra...

Johnny Appleseed Day--Sept. 26

Would you believe I've lived this long and never realized that Johnny Appleseed Day and my birthday fell a day apart!

(And trust me, I've had plenty of years to figure this out!)

So, here are some sites for you to find Johnny Appleseed and apple things.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Apples are very popular things!

Squidoo.com --Johnny Appleseed Unit

AtoZTeacherStuff.com --Johnny Appleseed Unit

EdHelper.com --Appleseed reading comprehension, math printables, more

HomeschoolShare.com --Appleseed lapbook and printables

Teaching Heart.net --Apple Theme Unit

ABCTeach.com --Apple theme printables, worksheets, activities, word puzzles & more

AtoZ Teacher Stuff.com -- apple lesson plans, activities, printables

EdHelper.com -- apple readers, reading comprehension, read & color, math printables, puzzles, more

Webtech.Kennesaw.edu --apple plans, printables, more

BANG! A review game

I came across a review game you can make a play.  It's a flash card game called BANG!  It's cool because you can use the same game to review Dolch/sight words, math facts, letter sounds, etc.  All you have to do is make a new set of cards for whatever you want to review!

Just visit Come Together Kids for more details on how to make it and play it.

The Superiority of the Bible as the Primary Text

The Superiority of the Bible as the Primary Text

"We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We're starting to put more textbooks into our schools...containing fables and moral lessons...We are spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools...The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other man-made book."
-- Fisher Ames, 1789

Super Schick and Quattro Coupons

Betsy's Price is Right: Super Schick and Quattro Coupons: Coupons.com has posted some high amount coupons for razors. I think there will be some great deals coming up with CVS and/or Walgreens. ...

Cities on the Cheap--Free Field Trips & Activities...

This link to my other blog has a great site.  I've gotten ideas for a lot a free field trips and activities through it.  Check it out for yourself!

Betsy's Price is Right: Cities on the Cheap--Free Field Trips & Activities...: I know I've talked about Kansas City on the Cheap . I've gotten discounts at various places and have ended up with several free field trip...

Fall into Autumn--Sept. 23

I don't forget the start of fall.  It usually "falls" on my husband's birthday, so if I'd forget it, I'd be in trouble!

So, I thought I'd help you out with a few resources for autumn.  Please feel free to share your ideas and resources as well!

Squidoo.com--Autumn Leaves are Falling Unit Study

Apples4theTeacher.com--coloring pages, worksheets, poems, more

EasyFunSchool.com--Autumn Science

EdHelper.com--color by number, read and color, math printables, a lot more

ABCTeach.com--worksheets

TeacherPlanet.com--lesson planets, worksheets, clipart, more

KidZone.ws--language arts, math, cutting skills, more

BusyTeachersCafe.com--activities, worksheets, links, more

Guarding against Gardasil

Last week, Michelle Bachmann made the news with her comments about the Gardasil vaccine. 

Gardasil is also a big issue in California right now as the state has passed a bill allowing minors to be vaccinated without parental notification.

This is wrong on so many levels in my opinion.  The possible dangers of the vaccine.  The state parenting my child.  Using a vaccine to potentially skirt disease in place of teaching purity.  Shall I go on?

Dr. Mercola had a whole article on this issue last week as well.  I'll post the video, and then please go read the rest of the information HERE.

Vistaprint - 6 Free Fall Products

Betsy's Price is Right: Vistaprint - 6 Free Fall Products: You know I like Vistaprint. I get free things from them all the time! This week they are offering 6 free fall products . These deals are...

20 Great Reasons You Homeschool

Alzheimer's--I'd like to forget what Pat Robertson said.

I'm so glad I found out what happened from reading Doug Phillip's blog.  I'm saddened to see what a "Christian leader" is saying.

I will let Doug Phillip's blog speak for itself (make sure to watch both videos), but I do want to say a few things.

Christian's can easily find justifications for their selfish actions without Pat Robertson giving them an excuse and validation.  How sad that one who has the ears of many has decided to start tickling them.

And what a slippery slope this one is. 

Even if you vow of "to death do we part" with "death" being defined by Clinton-ese, how about putting some of the rest of Scripture to practice?

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." 

Galatians 5:13

Free Money & Free Field Trip at the Federal Reserve

Yup, you read correctly.  You can have a free field trip AND get free money at the Federal Reserve's Money Museum!  We went to the one in Kansas City, of course.  There is also one in Denver. 

Now the facts are,  you receive a bag with about $165 in it!   The money is shredded beyond recognition but hey, it's the thought that counts.  Right?

You can also make your own money without getting in trouble with the Secret Service.  Here's mija's money.  Pink, of course!

Let's get to the rest of the visit!  It really is free.  It's kind of cool.  They run your ID before they allow you in the place.   You can take pictures of everything but back where the "ginormous" cash vault is located.  That's where they literally move money with forklifts!!

There are all kinds of displays both interactive and not. 

You can see things like money throughout the history of the United States. 

Or pick out counterfeit money. 

Most displays cover items like how the federal reserve works and elements of economics like inflation, budgeting etc.  For that reason, I can understand why the lessons plans they offer are geared for grades 5-8 and 9-12.  They do offer on-site presentations for groups of grades K-12.  That would have probably worked better for mija at her age. 

So remember...

Free Money + Free Field Trip = Federal Reserve's Money Museum !!!

Museum Day, Sept. 24 = Free Field Trip!

De-Schooling Dynamics



Laurette Lynn

 Last night I listened the the HECOA teleconference with Laurette Lynn, the "Unplugged Mom".  I'm going to share the basics of what I gleaned here.

De-schooling is not related to un-schooling and unplugging is not related to electronics. 

Now that all that is settled, let's talk about what it is. 

Unplugging or de-schooling means removing the artificial reality of the school model from our minds and replace it with the family learning design which is natural and organic.  It's basically a "de-toxing" process!!

She mentioned five basic concepts that often challenge the unplugging process.  Here they are and just a few comments on each.

Home education is for you. 

Everyone.  Single. Married. Religious. Secular.

School is an artificial process that has only been around for a little over 100 years.  It was developed by industrialists (who happened to have been educated at home and within the community) in order to develop their work force. 

School is strange; you handling your child's education at home is not.

Home education is not school at home. 

Don't try to replicate the school experience at home, because you're not supposed to.  It brings down anxiety when you realize you don't have to "do school". 

You can teach your child. 

You are not on your own.  There are so many resources available.  Most importantly, you are not being a teacher, but merely doing a natural extension of your parenting. 



http://www.unpluggedmom.com/

One excellent point she made was concerning standards.  She questioned who set the standards which state your child needs to be able to do certain things by a certain age.  That standard is set by the school model!  If you are unplugging from that paradigm, why use it's standard??

We don't socialize. 

She encourages us to first be honest about what is meant by the "socialization" question.  It actually means, "Is my child going to be weird, awkward and have no friends?" 

The answer is no, because instead of socializing, we just have relationships.  Again, a natural and organic thing.  In fact, the relationships our children will develop this way are more valuable and varied because they weren't forced through mandatory demographic groupings which result in limited choices in developing friends.

Home educated kids can go to college and succeed in life. 

What was interesting was, again, to watch for the school mindset.  If you go to college just because it's what you're supposed to do, then it's probably part of the conveyor belt mentality of  "schooling".  She mentioned that college is not for everyone, nor does everyone need to go to college at the same age or same way.

So, a lot of things to think about!  I definitely still am!

Don't forget, you can still jump into the rest of HECOA's conference.  Check out my other post for more details.

How to Save on Family Passes.

Betsy's Price is Right: How to Save on Family Passes.: This post is from SavingsLifestyle.com . It had an interesting idea on how to save money about family passes. Make sure to check how many ...

HECOA Teleconferences

Home Education Council of America has scheduled many great teleconferences in the upcoming week.  They are free for HECOA members, and it's free to join.  The first one is tonight.

Here are the basic information.  Go HERE for summaries about each class and to register. 

"De-Schooling Dynamics"--Thursday, Sept. 8, Time: 3:30pm Pacific Standard Time

“Ordering our Crazy Lives”--Thursday, Sept. 15, Time: 12p PST 

“Principles of Happy Home Educating Families”--Wednesday, Sept. 14, Time: 2p PST

“Juggling Homeschool and Household”--Thursday, Sept. 15, Time: 2p PST


“Happy Kids who Love to Learn”--Wednesday, Sept. 21, Time: 4p PST

Special Needs Presentation:  “Is Homeschool better than Public School?”--Tuesday, Sept. 27, Time: 2p PST

A D or not A D, that is the question!

Earlier this year, I attended the Home Education Council of America's Super Summit.  I say attended, but it was online, so I didn't actually have to go anywhere!

One of the speakers was Rachel DeMille of The Thomas Jefferson Education.  She and her husband Oliver have a website Thomas Jefferson Education or TJed for short.

I wrote a review of the this session HERE if you'd like to read it.  Today, however, I'm just going to bring up one point.  Here's what I wrote:

Quality, not Conformity. This key means you avoid grading and use personalized feedback to encourage quality. George Wythe (one of Jefferson's mentors) College used A and DA. "A" meant acceptable while anything less than quality would receive a "DA" for "do it again."

I started using this practice this school year (all three days of it so far), and it seems to be making an impression.

I've been using "A" and "D" instead of "DA", but using the same meanings.  I explained to mija that she was either going to earn an "A" or it would mean a "D" which means do over. 

It has been a great incentive.  First, she doesn't want to do it again.  Second, she likes to see an "A" on her paper.

I also like that "A" means "acceptable" not perfect.  "Quality" for my 6-year-old, third grader will look a little different that "quality" for an average third grader.  That does not mean, however, that I allow uncorrected errors, sloppiness, or even bad attitude.  Those things are not acceptable to God. "..anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:35).

So this year, we are going to work on getting A's that shows our work is "acceptable"!  That includes mommy.  After all, I won't get a  DA or "do again" with my child!

One Income Living in a Two Income World

Betsy's Price is Right: One Income Living in a Two Income World: I came across anarticle entitled, " One Income Living in a Two Income World ." I love how she deals with the misconceptions and realities o...

Elisabeth Elliot on children and more

Last week, Revive Our Hearts with Nance Leigh DeMoss started a three day series with Elisabeth Elliot.  That godly woman shared many insights, of course, including the topics of being a wife, godly parenting, and just walking by faith.  I will link to all the days for your convenience.  It's not going to be wasted time as you can tell by quotes I copied.

Day One:  Read or Listen HERE
For parents to allow their children to be in control and not to lovingly make the children understand that the parents are the ones who have been given by God this responsibility, it creates a view of God that means we can run God.

Day Two: Read or Listen HERE
You’ve got to remember, whomever you marry, he’s a sinner. There isn’t anything else to marry.
Day Three: Read or Listen HERE
 I think older women not only have a tremendous privilege, but a very great responsibility to talk to younger women, to try to help them realize what a blessing it is that they are that age, and then to testify to them what a blessing it is to be this age.

WomanFreebies---another source of freebies

Betsy's Price is Right: WomanFreebies---another source of freebies: You know me and finding freebie sites! I LOVE it!! It's fun seeing what I get in the mail everyday. Well, here's another freebie site I...

Quote

"How many Catholic schools do you think teach the students to question the authority of the Pope? Do you believe Christian schools teach students to question or challenge the authority of Jesus Christ?  Do military schools teach the cadets to challenge the authority of superior officers? Well, why should we then expect government schools to teach children to question the authority of government?"
-- Neal Boortz
(1945- ) Radio talk show host, columnist

Art in the Home Classroom

I mentioned a week or so ago about visiting cafemom.com.  One of the homeschool groups asked to share about art.  This is what I shared.

We currently do not use an art curriculum or classes. My daughter is 6, and we are doing grade 2.5. We are finishing up some 2nd grade things and going on into some 3rd grade stuff.

I'm really big on subject integration, so here are just a few examples of how I've done art in the past year or so.

•Studying Egypt, China, etc. Went to the museum and looked at actual Egyptian and Chinese art. She can spot a Chinese dragon a mile away!

•Library doing an activity on Jackson Pollack. She still brings me pictures that are similar in form to Pollack's and says, "Here. I made a Jackson Pollack for you!"

•Anatomy. Read and studied some on Leonardo DaVinci. She thinks it's cool when she sees the Vetruvian Man different places.

•She was doing a study on lions, so we had a "How-to-draw" book and practiced drawing lions.

•Of course, there is always the holiday arts and crafts stuff to do, too.

Well, there's a few.

I think the biggest challenge in how I do art right now is making sure I find ways to bring art into the subjects and then doing it. It's actually easy to come up with all kinds of ideas. It's harder to make yourself do them!

I would like to eventually get her some more art for art-sake and basics exposure and practice. I don't think it's going to happen this year.

Well, one of the other ladies shared a resource which I want to share with you.

Confessions of a Homeschooler has great resources including many printables HERE.  One of them is "The World's Greatest Artist, Vol. 1" which includes lesson plans for many artists including Van Gogh, Monet, O'Keefe, Da Vinci and more.  The lessons go along the books series "Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" by Mike Venezia.  The way she's worked it together with the books is awesome!

Also, some other art freebies have come my way.

Sharon Jeffus of Visual Manna has some her art book available for free only through Labor Day, so you'll need to download quickly.

Indians in Art
Chiaroscuro
Math & Science

Sharon is also going to be starting some new online art class, so you might check that out on her site as well!

So, no excuses fellow home educators.  Let's get some art into our educating. 

Coupons Restocked at Coupons.com

Betsy's Price is Right: Coupons Restocked at Coupons.com: First of the month. Time for coupons to restock. Here are some of the coupons at Coupons.com . Notice the ones for games...time to start...

Motherhood is Application--Desiring God

Another blessing from Desiring God!

Motherhood Is Application
by Rachel Jankovic
August 25, 2011

If I had to pick one word to describe motherhood, I think that word would be “transforming.”

The days of a busy mother are made up of millions of transformations. Dirty children become clean, the hungry child fed, the tired child sleeping. Almost every task a mother performs in the course of a normal day could be considered a transformation. Disorder to order, dirty clothes to clean, unhappy children to peaceful, empty fridge to full. Every day we fight against disorder, filth, starvation, and lawlessness, and some days we might almost succeed. And then, while we sleep, everything unravels and we start again in the morning — transforming.

Finish the article HERE.