Kindergarten or Whatever it May Be

the school year is here.

Kinder?

pre-K

preschool

a smidge young, I know

I think we are doing kindergarten with Gillian this year.  Maybe?  

We had been struggling along with letter learning.  

I thought she would be no where near learning to read this year.

A couple weeks ago?  Wham!  

She gets it.  She is remembering her letters.

A month ago, the recall % was close to 0.  

Now, suddenly, it is up to about 85%

It is amazing to watch little ones learn.

So, I think it is a kindergarten year for Gillian.

We are still going through theme letter lesson based on totally tots ABC craft cards.

"m" is where we began this year.  the kids had a blast with magnets.

Gillian knows that that magnetic items contain a high amount of iron.

She knows a compass works because of the magnetic poles in the earth.

We studied maps & we are learning to use a compass.

(So Free Range parenting, no?  Pretty soon, I'll let my kids navigate the city on their own.)

Source: instructables.com via Erin on Pinterest

this pin?  I didn't DIY.  I followed the link & just bought the stuff.  It seemed like a hazardous project.  I don't want anyone to breath in magnet dust.

We've been using these coloring/writing sheets here - 

you can customize them to say whatever you want!

And color by letter papers here - fun!

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Baby Spa Retreat

Speaking of rest, 

Scott & I got away for a night, 

with baby Kendall along for the ride.

We went to Healdsburg, 

while the other 3 kids went to Grandma & Grandpa's.

Here's a ridiculous overload of photos.

H2 hotel had rad rooms.  

Check out baby K having a spa day in the bathroom sink.

Kendall loved mom & dad focus.

She now has a deeper bond with daddy.

She's been a momma's girl most of her days.  

It is sweet to see her reach for daddy now.

Five Minute Friday {Rest}

Gypsy Mama's Five Minute Friday -

"We write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write bold and beautiful and free. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not."

Writing prompt this week: Rest

Go.

Rest.
How?
So much to do.
Menial tasks, which must be done.
But also important things.
So many people to serve & help.
So many things to make & do.
So much work.  Work, work, work...

We were created to work.
We were created to serve.
to care, to reach out beyond ourselves.

And we can get pretty darn tired just thinking about all that can be done.

Rest.

We were created to rest.
We require rest.

Don't just call it "me time" or a "luxury".
It is a real need.

We were created to rest.

Don't be quick to judge rest as selfish or lazy.
Be still.  Stop. Be slow to speak.
Rest.

God rested & He is perfect.
How much more do I need rest.

Our only purpose is not just to care & serve for others.
Our first purpose is to love God.
yes.  Part of that is doing.
But a lot of that is resting.
Leaning on Him.
Believing He will.
Growing in faith...

Stop.

Join in over here - 

Don't Just Pin it, Do it {Jello Play dough, Microdermabrasion & Crock Pot Cooking}

I like Pinterest, more & more every time I go on.  
I am especially liking it as a place to gather schooling ideas.
Don't waste all the great ideas shared on the web. 
If you see a great idea, pin it.
Now it is easy for others to search for & find all that free goodness.
Idea sharing is what Pinterest is about.


But don't just let all the good ideas just sit there. 
Use all that inspiration!


My friend Sarah is hosting a Pinerest Challange link up party.
If you are a pinner, go over to Emerging Mummy & take part!


We've done a few of the ideas this week I found for preschool.


Jello Playdough was a winner.
Fabulous colors &  the dough is scented!

Source: playdoughrecipe.org via Erin on Pinterest

We made a Very Blue Berry jello dough 
& a Green Lime jello dough;
and we made topographic maps of 
our Monterey Bay.

Also?  I gave myself a full body microdermabrasion treatment for pennies.
Yes!  Pennies!
Baking Soda was the magic ingredient.  
Back when I was single & more frivolous with my dollars, 
I had a real microdermabrasion facial.  
What do they cost?  Something like $100 I think?
Forget about it!  Baking Soda works just as well!


And, a pinned dinner from my crock pot...

Source: sweetvoyage.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Asian Pork over Soba Noodles

adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup  Brown Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 1-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds Pork Shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• (buy pork stew meat to make this fast!)
• 
  
• 12 ounces soba noodles
• 
  
• 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
• 2 cups chopped Bok Choy
•  
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter
• chopped roasted peanuts, for serving 
• chopped Cilantro, for serving
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Add the pork and toss to combine. Cover and cook until the pork is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
2. Fifteen minutes before serving, cook the soba noodles according to the package directions.
3. Saute veggies in a pan over medium-high with approx 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, cooking just until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, transfer the pork to a medium bowl; set aside. Pour the cooking liquid into a large skillet, add Peanut Butter and cook until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pork and toss to combine. Serve the pork over the noodles and vegetables; sprinkle with the peanuts & cilantro.

What I am Into Right Now - August 2011

Stuff I am into right now, as summer moves into the school year.

On My Nightstand 

Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew - by Sherrie Eldridge

Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayer

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

Yet to crack open - 

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry - free audio download, until the end of the month!

Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson

On My TV

We are watching Star Trek Enterprise.  

As often as possible.

My husband is not a trekkie.  But he is.  

I am turning into one.  But I'm not.

In the Movie Theater

Captain America - love it.  
I wish I could see The Help, too.  But I'll wait for DVD, I suppose.

In My Ears

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

On My Stove

Red Chile Sauce - I won't tell you exactly how I make this.  

I don't follow this recipe really.  It was my original springboard. 

What I actually make I will publish in a cookbook someday.

On My Laptop

Pinterest - gathering school ideas.

Here is a good groups of school boards I discovered. 
Oh, and another one! 

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Erin on Pinterest

{In the plan for tomorrow!  Isn't that cool?!!  M is for Magic Milk Paintings}


Do you other Pinsters have links to good early ed home school pin boards?  

Do share.

Here's my kid food board I've been working on.
Do you have any fun food ideas to share with us?

**  I am linking up with Megan - Sorta Crunchy. **

Send our Dossier Across the World

Friends, we have completed our portion of our adoption dossier.
Whew!
What is a dossier, you ask?
It is a stack of papers prepared to be presented to the country from which one is adopting.
A dossier is somewhat of personal history for the family desiring to adopt.
Documents are checked & re-checked, authorized by this person & that person.
It is a relief to have our stuff done.  
I am not a lover of paperwork.


Now we have to raise a remaining $2,000, so we can send our dossier across the world.
Do you want to help us?
Do you drink coffee?  
Buy Just Love coffee from our online store & a check gets sent to our adoption agency.
I am also listing various things for sale on my Everyday Carnival Store.  
Any money brought in there, goes to our adoption fund.
Check it out, if you so desire.
And tell your friends!

Cartoon Love

This isn't me confessing how many cartoons we watch around here.  
I'm not ready to share that with you all.  
Let's just say, too many.
I'm not telling you about all the lame ones I let my kids watch either.  
You don't need to know stuff like that.  
(Why does Netflix bother streaming Hello Kitty & Voltron?)
What I wanted to tell you is, I love Tangled.  I didn't think I would.  
I avoided watching it.  
The preview made it look lame to me.  Really lame.  
As in, it looked as lame as The Road to El Dorado.  
(Which I've only seen the preview for.  Still.  I know this--Lame.) 
Truth is, I love Tangled.  I do.  
And, I found out after seeing it that Rapunzel & I have the same dream.  
I want to see the floating lanterns, too.  So badly.  
I exclaimed my dream aloud a few times while watching the movie.  
Gillian informed me that it was just make believe.  I said it had to be real.  
I googled it
I found out that she was wrong & I was right.
See.

Source: flickr.com via Erin on Pinterest

I have a dream.  To see the floating lanterns of Thailand.
The good news is, my man has a dream of traveling to Thailand, too.
He wants to eat Mangosteen & Durian fruit.


But, there is bad news.  
The festival of the lights is in November.  
The season for Mangosteens & Durians is the summer.


Now we are in deep conflict.
This is more serious than him liking mushrooms & hating English roses.
Hard things.

ten on ten {8-10-11}

take ten photos, one per hour, on the 10th day of each month,
finding beauty in the everyday stuff.

.

1. Kendall in the morning.  2. Girls going for a "drive".
3. Big girl undies for Mo, among all the laundry.
4. Content baby while running errands.
5. Nap time.  6. Quiet time play.
7. Kendall finally asleep for her nap.
8. Finishing the hem of a summer skirt (with barely any summer left...)
9. dinner - they got burnt...  10. Bed time story