Our Spring Adventures

So far this is my favorite season for home schooling! We have been out and about taking trips, learning new things and connecting with others! Being outside on beautiful days has been nothing less than wonderful! Carl Sandburg's Home is a great place to visit in East Flat Rock, NC this time of year. They have baby goats at the farm!! My children enjoyed the farm, but especially the baby goats. I was so proud that they weren't shy to ask questions. The caretakers on hand were very patient and willing to answer all questions (even the ones my four year old repeated five times heehee).

 We call him "The Goat Whisperer"

Some things we learned at the farm:
- Multiples are very common for goats
- The Carl Sandburg House privately auctions off goats
- Some of the goats will be competing at the WNC State Fair in the fall!
- At the Carl Sandburg House caretakers take the horns off of the baby goats to keep them safe
- The babies we saw were 4 days old and 8 days old
- There are two breeds of goats at the farm
- Sometimes twins or triplets can vary greatly in size, sometimes they don't
- Baby goats are very curious and fun to play with!

Another trip we have taken already was a HCHA (Henderson County Homeschool Association) trip to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. We have been to the Nature Nut programs held at the Center several times and the children have really enjoyed each one. This time, however, it was all children from our HCHA! There were two sessions for the day, each 1hour and 30 mins long. The first took us on a hike where we discovered May Apples, a washout hole, salamanders, scat, and all about the wild woodlands! Our second session, after lunch, was about raising trout. Did you know all of the trout at the fish hatchery are sterile! Very interesting facts. Matt, our guide, was wonderful with the children! They asked great questions and behaved superbly. During the "Raising Trout" session the children got to pass around test tubes with actual embryos showing different stages of development. There was much discussion about life cycles, animal population and what trout need to survive. Overall this was a fabulous trip and I was about to spend some time talking to other homeschooling mamas that I hadn't met before!

Some other plans for the spring include The Cradle of Forestry, Park Days, Lego and Robotics Club, Johnson Farm, and Dollywood! Stay tuned!

It's Here...post for a friend

Below is a post from an amazing and precious friend of mine. 

It's been nearly three years since we began seriously talking about and pursuing adoption as a way to grow our family.  After a lot of research, training, reading, talking, homestudy visits, a surprise blessing and a lot of growth we are once again beginning our adoption journey.  In March we will, Lord willing, be having our homestudy update and we are looking to pursue whatever avenue the Lord has for us!
  In New Brunswick, private adoption is through word of mouth and so we are writing this note for people to see, read, share and make connections.  Private adoptions need not be limited to the province of New Brunswick, either, (in fact, we can privately adopt from the USA as well!) so please tag others and spread our story far and wide!!

***********************************************************************************************

  We are Andrew and Abigail Barnard.  We have married for 6 1/2 years and have been blessed with three wonderful children.  We live in Woodstock, NB on a hobby farm of 5 acres where we have two goats and some chickens.  We have a spacious house and yard that we have completely renovated to be a family focused home.  Abigail (27)is a stay at home mom first and foremost.  She loves photography, music, gardening and cooking.  Andrew (28) is a mechanical engineer, who works in project management and sales.  He enjoys tinkering with engines and doing carpentry projects.  Together, we like to bike, hike, read, garden and bake together with our children.  Landon, Layla and Micaiah are very excited to be big brothers and a big sister someday.  They love to run around and play outside, ride their bikes and pick apples in our orchard.
  Our families and friends are an amazing support system.  They are very excited that we are expanding our family in this way.  Our church family is very important to us, as well, as faith plays a huge role in our marriage and family.  We raise our children with lots of love and encouragement and believe that these things are key when nurturing children to be positive and successful men and women.
  We recognise that adoption is a beautiful, but difficult thing for everyone involved and we also, as parents,  recognise that the decisions a birth mother must face for the future of herself and her child must be incredible.  We thank you so much for considering our family!

  We can be reached through email at andrew.abi@gmail.com
  As well as phone (506)328-2815.

  Blessings!
  Andrew and Abigail Barnard

Home School Curriculum For Sale

ALL SOLD! Thank you www.thehappyhousewife.com for your help!!

Abeka Readers for FIRST GRADE:

Animals in the Great Outoors
TipToes
Stepping Stones
Kind and Brave
Strong and True
Secrets and Surprises
Down By the Sea
Aesop's Fables
The Bridge Book

Science Reader: Discovering God's World
All are in excellent condition!
I will accept Paypal and price does not include shipping.
Contact me via email at amanda_jane15@yahoo.com 

These retail at $10.75 each or $107.50 for all
MY PRICE: $50

ALSO up for sale:

WEAVER Interlock curriculum by Alpha Omega
Great shape
Retail is $99
MY PRICE: $40

I will accept Paypal and price does not include shipping.
Contact me via email at amanda_jane15@yahoo.com

A New Job and Whole Wheat Flour

Up to this point in my life cooking/baking has really been more of a hobby, not an every day occurrence. Yes it is true, sadly, that I previously have relied on the microwave and eating out meet our dietary needs daily. Well as you might guess that can become quite expensive and not very nutritious either!

As many of you know I am new to this career of Stay at Home Mom and have been learning slowly how to best fulfill this role. I'm trying to cut myself some slack here because like with any new job, there is a learning curve, right? Anyway, I've found myself with more time on my hands, not much motivation and allowing boredom to set in! GASP! Lucky for me, I have this friend. See my friend, she was born to do this job...she knows the ins and outs like nobody's business. It is from her, a couple of good blogs, the help of a few others and the good Lord himself, that I continue making progress in this endeavor. In the past few months I have made great strides in the culinary department.

Here is a list of my small accomplishments:
- I can make buttermilk to use in baking, yes make it!
- I can bake bread, like real rolls with real yeast!
- I can make cinnamon rolls, breakfast bars, oatmeal pancakes, pizza dough!
- I can (sometimes with a bit of prodding from said friend) throw a meal together if I'm at a loss and low on groceries
- I can use things that I didn't know existed: spelt flour, flax seed meal, whole wheat flour (ok I knew it existed but didn't know people really used it)!
- I use onions and tomatoes even though I don't like them!

I'm very proud of my accomplishments but more so than that I want to share with you some "easier than you think" things that you can do! You can do it too. Below I've listed a couple of websites I really enjoy getting recipes from.

The Happy Housewife
The Pioneer Woman

Check these out and maybe, just maybe, someday I will be helping others out like they do! Oh and thanks to said friend for being my cheerleader and never (well not often anyways) laughing when I say "What the heck is that and where do you buy it?" <3

Home Made Laundry Soap

This may seem like "Oh my gosh I can't MAKE something to use!!" Well it is quite easy and quite effective and QUITE money saving. Here is how I do it!

I use the following recipe:

1 Fels Naptha bar of soap (you could use another bar, some use whatever kind they like, Fels Naptha is a laundry bar and was what I was recommended) *Found mine at Ace Hardware, all three of these items can be found at Harris Teeter
1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (THIS IS NOT BAKING SODA- find it with laundry stuff at the store!)
1/2 c of Borax (You can find this too at the laundry isle)
4 cups of water
5 gal bucket with lid

Let the money saving begin:
First grate up the bar of soap. Now I am lazy, so I cut it with a sharp knife then throw it in my ghetto brand Magic Bullet (whoosh whoosh and its powder!) You could opt for a real live metal grater for an arm workout, to each his own.

Next put the grated soap and the water in a pot, heat until it is all melted together. Do not boil.

Fill a 5 gal bucket half way with water. Add soapy water mixture, add borax and washing soda. Stir. Fill up to the top, cover and let sit for 10-12 hours to thicken.

Stir (and I mean get your hands in there and mash up the gelatin like thickened parts, when I went in to stir mine this morning the entire bottom was like jello, you have to get it all mixed in well so it forms lumpy liquid, it won't be smooth but it won't have giant chunks either.) Fill a used laundry soap dispenser half full then fill the rest with water. Shake (this breaks up the lumps) before each use. It is not a smooth soap, it is goopy but pourable, somewhat lumpy.

Optional: Add 10-15 drops of essential oil fragrance per 2 gallons once soap has cooled.
This yields 10 gallons!! TEN!
For a top loader you want to use 5/8 cup per load (180 loads)
Front loader: 1/4 c per load (640 loads!!!!)

ROCK THE SAVINGS my friends!

This recipe was found at www.duggarfamily.com Thanks!!

A Re Cap

I'm floored, as I am most years, that the end of 2011 is upon us. I think back and wonder where the year has gone. What did I accomplish and did I do what I set out to do? If I look at the calendar year, instead of the school year, I see how many changes have actually taken place! We have begun homeschooling our kids as of 2011-2012 school year and are loving it. We have the flexibility and freedom to teach them at their own level and to their own interests, as well as incorporate our faith daily! We have another family member! Itty Bitty was born March 26th, 2011. I am now a stay at home/work at home mom, selling Tupperware and teaching my children.  I am cooking and baking and shopping and keeping the house in a way I never have before! I think of my sweet Nana often and hope that I can one day do as good a job as she did raising her 5 children and keeping her house just so. I was able to be with her when she passed and I am ever grateful to know she was not in pain and just let go of our hand and grabbed on to the hand of her Savior. I'm amazed how God brings us into a place that we never thought possible or that we never thought was in our path. He is funny that way, knowing exactly what we need and when we need it. I'm thankful to serve Him and know that my best interest is all He has in mind.

Big Dad Chef has taken a promotion this past spring at Spring Arbor and now is the Dietary Manager for both buildings there in Laurel Park. He is an astounding boss and works very hard. I'm blessed to be available to care for our children so that he can do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.

Big Boy Child is doing second grade curriculum this year and is progressing well. He played football this fall and is just beginning his third year of basketball with Upward. He loves Legos and building things, and also likes the Wii and his brand new DSi from Santa. We have to limit the time on both or he will become glued to it!

Sweet Pea is doing a Letter of the Week curriculum as well as preschool skills (puzzles, lacing, pre writing, numbers). She is continuing to take tap/ballet at Releve Performing Arts Center and loves it. She is learning much more this year than she did last year, mostly due to her own maturity. She also did cheerleading this fall for Upward Football at Biltmore Baptist and loved it as well! It really boosted her confidence and our little gal broke out of her shell!

Itty Bitty is starting to stand on his own! REALLY!? My other two were walking by nine months but I'm happy he is taking it easy on me. He is a sweet boy who LOVES being attached to his mama. Hopefully as he ventures on and let's go of the couch, he will let go of Mama a bit too! Oh my silly little man!

Here is hoping that 2012 will be just as wonderful as 2011 has been. God has a lot in store for our family and we are excited to be part of His plan!  May you and yours be blessed beyond measure.

It's been a while!

It's been quite a while since my last post and many things have kept me busy and off of the blog! Homeschooling and outings and the passing of one of my most dear family members, my Nana. After that we had family in town, which was a wonderful bittersweet time of fellowship. Our family is adjusting to the void created by our loss, but we are trying to move ourselves along. So now, just this week we are getting back to some kind of schedule.

This Tuesday we attended Take Action Tuesday with the HCHA. Click on the link to see photos! This group meets at East Flat Rock Park each Tuesday and does fun educational activities together. I'm really looking forward to next week, Camping/Backpacking workshop with a fellow from Diamond Brand outfitters.

Update on the kids:
Big Boy child is flying through his work! He is doing so well with each subject and he says he likes Reading the best. We are using Abeka for reading this year and it has some really great stories that are character building. He is almost finished with the flag football season. He has really enjoyed playing football! Next up for Big boy child is Upward basketball! Lucky for us it is much closer to home, only a short 5 minute drive as opposed to the 25mins we are driving for football.

Miss Sweet Pea has hit a growth spurt! She is getting so tall and so grown up. She is my beautiful girl. Last night was her first night back at Releve Performing Arts Center (which she attended last year) and she was BEAMING as she ran up and hugged her teacher. This group does a WONDERFUL job teaching and encouraging children! I'm so proud of her homeschooling accomplishments! My girl knows her numbers 1-10 and can recognize and count out items (bears, marshmallows, sticks) to that number. She is working on her letters and this week we are learning the letter H.

Itty Bitty, as he has been dubbed, is doing fabulous! He is at the very beginning of sleeping through the night. He has slept from 10p to 6a a few times now and I'm hoping it will become routine! Bo gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, he is getting ready to chase the big kids around! He loves the other two and smiles and laughs at them all day. His cloth diapering is going wonderfully. We have sold off some of the Sunbaby pocket diapers and are now using Alva Baby diapers ( LOVE THEM!)

Hopefully I won't go a whole month without posting again! Happy Fall everyone, enjoy the beautiful color and the smells of this great season!