It is hard to come up with a title all the time that starts with "Unfolding...," so I'll probably stop doing that. Be aware of the change. I like change...most of the time. I changed the layout of my blog. It had been the same for months. I like endings and new beginnings. My favorite holiday is New Year's Eve, not New Year's Day, New Year's Eve. I like the ending of one year and the beginning of a new one. It brings with it the idea of a fresh start, not knowing what the New Year will bring. Sometimes we get to the end of the year and wish it would have been different. Sometimes we can look back and reminisce about exciting things that occurred. Regardless, we should always be thankful.
I taught this past weekend on the 70 years of exile when the kingdom of Judah was taken captive by Babylon. You know the story of Daniel. This was at the same time. The Judeans had prophets come to them before they were taken captive to tell them what they needed to do to prevent their destruction. They didn't do it. They enjoyed their sin too much to care about God. God never stopped loving them, though. Even through Jeremiah, the prophet, God told them they'd spent 70 years in captivity but also told them there was hope for their future.
These people were taken captive after being attacked by the Babylonians. They were forcefully removed from their homes, their land, and their families. I can only imagine the cruelty they were subjected to by the Babylonians. It is remarkable to me that through all of it Jeremiah still was able to say in Lamentations, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'"
It is easy to be thankful when things are going well, but we are to be thankful in all situations. "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:18
I would be remiss if I didn't thank God for protecting us last week. We were on our way to a birthday party in Washington. I drove the back roads since it was the quickest way there. As I neared a bend, I looked ahead and saw an 18-wheeler headed down the hill. A guy behind him decided - on the bend, down the hill - to pass him. It was not a passing zone!! I slowed down, but the truck was barreling down the hill. This guy in his SUV had just enough time to swerve between me and the truck to get back into his lane. I was pretty sure he was going to crash because he was losing control since he was driving so fast, but he didn't. We were all safe. So, thank you, God, for protecting us!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Unfolding eBay
About 10 years ago, I started selling things on eBay. I did that for about 4 years and then quit. Just recently, I started it back up as a way to try and make some extra cash. I have a lot of things sitting around not being used. If I can sell them to someone who can use them, then it declutters my house and makes it easier to move next year, if we actually do. I am also selling items for a friend of mine. I love doing the research to find out what things are, like when she gives me figurines, and how much they are worth. I don't mind taking the pictures and writing up a description of the item. I don't even mind packing things up and taking them to the post office. What drives me nuts, however, is waiting for someone to actually bid on something I'm trying to sell. I become obsessed with the F5 button to refresh the page of items I'm selling.
Now, I know, some things I'm trying to sell nobody wants to buy. Thankfully for most things there is no listing fee. If it doesn't sell, I don't lose anything. When somebody does finally bid, though, it is so exciting to see how high it might go. Just this weekend, I had a Lladro donkey figurine on that sold for $52.79. It went up $21 in just one night. It's addicting. I'd rather do eBay than play video games or all those other games on Facebook or on my phone like "Angry Birds." To each his own, I guess.
If you have some things you'd like to try to sell but don't want to do eBay, I'm open for business (for a small percentage). ;-)
Now, I know, some things I'm trying to sell nobody wants to buy. Thankfully for most things there is no listing fee. If it doesn't sell, I don't lose anything. When somebody does finally bid, though, it is so exciting to see how high it might go. Just this weekend, I had a Lladro donkey figurine on that sold for $52.79. It went up $21 in just one night. It's addicting. I'd rather do eBay than play video games or all those other games on Facebook or on my phone like "Angry Birds." To each his own, I guess.
If you have some things you'd like to try to sell but don't want to do eBay, I'm open for business (for a small percentage). ;-)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Unfolding Coupons
I am not an expert couponer, but I do use them and enjoy saving a ton of money when I can. I will share what I do so that hopefully some of you who use them less will benefit from what I have learned.
When the coupons come in the Sunday paper, the mail on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the local newspaper on Thursday, I go through them and cut out what I will definitely buy. I have started cutting out coupons for brands I don't normally use because they are expensive, e.g., Pantene shampoo as opposed to Suave. Sometimes when you combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons at places like Rite-Aid and Walgreen's you can save more on an expensive product than a brand you would normally buy because it is cheaper. I now cut out most every coupon except for pet food, baby products, and food that I won't buy because it is just BAD for you.
Almost every store takes coupons. I just found out that the dollar stores will take coupons at face value (no doubling or tripling). Imagine a product at a dollar store that is $1.00, and you have a coupon for 75 cents off. How great is that to get a product for 25 cents? I shop at Giant Eagle, Rite-Aid, and Walgreen's most often. I sometimes shop at Shop 'N Save and KMart. I rarely shop at Wal-Mart. I just don't like that store for some reason, although they do have really good prices sometimes. If I have a coupon for $1.00 off of a product that is not on sale at Giant Eagle, I can be pretty sure it will cheaper at WM. So, if I really need that item, I will purchase it there. I once got Snuggle fabric softener for 97 cents at WM because I had a $3.00 coupon and it was cheaper at WM than GE. I felt like I was stealing it.
I drink bottled water. Most of the time you can't buy it cheaper than $3.50 for 24 bottles. I don't like paying this amount because I know eventually a store will sell it for under $3.00. Walgreen's this week has a coupon in their flyer for 24 bottles of water for $2.67. You can buy 3 of them at that price. They will substitute another product if they are out of the product that is on sale. Just ask them. They also had Gain dish washing soap for 95 cents with a coupon in their flyer. I also used a manufacturer's coupon for 50 cents and got my bottle for 45 cents.
There are some websites that help you use coupons and let you print out coupons (be sure your store takes printed-out coupons). Check out Coupon Mom which is free and The Grocery Game which charges every 2 months based on how many stores you choose to watch. I just signed up for Coupon Mom, so I don't know a lot about it yet; but The Grocery Game lists all of the items on sale for that particular week for the stores you choose and lets you know what coupons are still valid that have been in the inserts over the past few months. It then gives you a final price. You can create a shopping list as well. These sites are very helpful if you lack the time or know-how to sit and go through all the flyers and coupons yourself.
I recommend signing up for websites that sell things half off, like Groupon. I got a deal on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, $26 dollars for a year of Sunday and Thursday papers. If I bought the PG 48 weeks out of the year (no coupons in holiday-week papers), I'd spend $72 a year. This way, I get my coupons without spending an extra $46 dollars per year.
I will end here for today. My kids have learned that if it is not on sale and I don't have a coupon chances are I won't buy it. They know the mantra, "My favorite price is free."
When the coupons come in the Sunday paper, the mail on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the local newspaper on Thursday, I go through them and cut out what I will definitely buy. I have started cutting out coupons for brands I don't normally use because they are expensive, e.g., Pantene shampoo as opposed to Suave. Sometimes when you combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons at places like Rite-Aid and Walgreen's you can save more on an expensive product than a brand you would normally buy because it is cheaper. I now cut out most every coupon except for pet food, baby products, and food that I won't buy because it is just BAD for you.
Almost every store takes coupons. I just found out that the dollar stores will take coupons at face value (no doubling or tripling). Imagine a product at a dollar store that is $1.00, and you have a coupon for 75 cents off. How great is that to get a product for 25 cents? I shop at Giant Eagle, Rite-Aid, and Walgreen's most often. I sometimes shop at Shop 'N Save and KMart. I rarely shop at Wal-Mart. I just don't like that store for some reason, although they do have really good prices sometimes. If I have a coupon for $1.00 off of a product that is not on sale at Giant Eagle, I can be pretty sure it will cheaper at WM. So, if I really need that item, I will purchase it there. I once got Snuggle fabric softener for 97 cents at WM because I had a $3.00 coupon and it was cheaper at WM than GE. I felt like I was stealing it.
I drink bottled water. Most of the time you can't buy it cheaper than $3.50 for 24 bottles. I don't like paying this amount because I know eventually a store will sell it for under $3.00. Walgreen's this week has a coupon in their flyer for 24 bottles of water for $2.67. You can buy 3 of them at that price. They will substitute another product if they are out of the product that is on sale. Just ask them. They also had Gain dish washing soap for 95 cents with a coupon in their flyer. I also used a manufacturer's coupon for 50 cents and got my bottle for 45 cents.
There are some websites that help you use coupons and let you print out coupons (be sure your store takes printed-out coupons). Check out Coupon Mom which is free and The Grocery Game which charges every 2 months based on how many stores you choose to watch. I just signed up for Coupon Mom, so I don't know a lot about it yet; but The Grocery Game lists all of the items on sale for that particular week for the stores you choose and lets you know what coupons are still valid that have been in the inserts over the past few months. It then gives you a final price. You can create a shopping list as well. These sites are very helpful if you lack the time or know-how to sit and go through all the flyers and coupons yourself.
I recommend signing up for websites that sell things half off, like Groupon. I got a deal on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, $26 dollars for a year of Sunday and Thursday papers. If I bought the PG 48 weeks out of the year (no coupons in holiday-week papers), I'd spend $72 a year. This way, I get my coupons without spending an extra $46 dollars per year.
I will end here for today. My kids have learned that if it is not on sale and I don't have a coupon chances are I won't buy it. They know the mantra, "My favorite price is free."
Monday, May 16, 2011
Unfolding an Open Window
I'm so excited! I got the news this morning that I was accepted to be part of the homeschool crew to evaluate homeschool products and then review them on my blog like I did with the MRSA unit study. I was so disappointed that I did not get the part-time teacher position I had applied for with another company, but when I thought about it I realized that for every closed door there is an open window. This is my window. I will still get to write. I will have a job that will require me to write. I love it!
For the past few months I have been taking a Universal Class through the Peters Township Library website called "How to Write a Unit Study." For my homework, I am required to research how one particular subject can tie into all academic fields like math, art, music, science, etc. I have been enjoying the brainstorming and research that I need to do for each lesson. Hopefully one day soon I will actually get some of my unit studies published. As soon as I figure out how.
I haven't forgotten about my novel. It sits here on my computer gathering virtual dust. I don't lack the motivation to write; I lack a sufficient amount of time to sit down and get anything done. I am hoping after our last 4H this Thursday that I'll be able to get some reading and writing done.
Does anybody remember my word of the day posts? Does anybody miss it? Should I bring it back? My kids still use the word quinquennium from time to time.
Here is a good quote I just read:
Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty
For the past few months I have been taking a Universal Class through the Peters Township Library website called "How to Write a Unit Study." For my homework, I am required to research how one particular subject can tie into all academic fields like math, art, music, science, etc. I have been enjoying the brainstorming and research that I need to do for each lesson. Hopefully one day soon I will actually get some of my unit studies published. As soon as I figure out how.
I haven't forgotten about my novel. It sits here on my computer gathering virtual dust. I don't lack the motivation to write; I lack a sufficient amount of time to sit down and get anything done. I am hoping after our last 4H this Thursday that I'll be able to get some reading and writing done.
Does anybody remember my word of the day posts? Does anybody miss it? Should I bring it back? My kids still use the word quinquennium from time to time.
Here is a good quote I just read:
Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Unfolding the Aspartame
So, it's been two weeks almost completely free of aspartame. I had one diet Dr. Pepper a week and a half ago that made me nauseated, and I had a couple of sips of a diet pop I was sent for a survey. I have to say, though, after two weeks I feel like my memory has improved. I have less word-finding difficulties than I had before. It sounds strange to be excited that I can find words like "refrigerator" in a sentence when I'm talking, but it really has been a struggle lately. I found an article yesterday about the mechanism of aspartame in your body. Check it out at http://aspartame.mercola.com/. It makes sense why I was having so many problems. I've got another month and a half to see what else improves.
In the past week, I've had a lot of premature ventricular contractions. My heart will beat normally and then it will pause. The beat right after the pause is very hard. If I am exercising while this happens, that next beat actually hurts. Potassium and magnesium are minerals that help regulate muscle contractions. When I was drinking diet pop, I was getting a lot of potassium. Since I cut that out and changed my diet, the PVCs have started up. Now I need to figure out how to get enough potassium and magnesium in my diet without eating my daily alloted calories in bananas. I might get all hairy and start swinging from vines.
Do you remember me saying that Paige was not very happy that I told her no more aspartame? She read the article I cited above and came to me telling me that even though she was sad that she wouldn't be getting any more aspartame she knew that I was doing the right thing by not letting her have anymore. It's nice to know that sometimes they figure out how smart we are as their parents when they're young.
In the past week, I've had a lot of premature ventricular contractions. My heart will beat normally and then it will pause. The beat right after the pause is very hard. If I am exercising while this happens, that next beat actually hurts. Potassium and magnesium are minerals that help regulate muscle contractions. When I was drinking diet pop, I was getting a lot of potassium. Since I cut that out and changed my diet, the PVCs have started up. Now I need to figure out how to get enough potassium and magnesium in my diet without eating my daily alloted calories in bananas. I might get all hairy and start swinging from vines.
Do you remember me saying that Paige was not very happy that I told her no more aspartame? She read the article I cited above and came to me telling me that even though she was sad that she wouldn't be getting any more aspartame she knew that I was doing the right thing by not letting her have anymore. It's nice to know that sometimes they figure out how smart we are as their parents when they're young.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Unfolding Motherhood
Back in 1997, I remember going to the obstetrician. He told me I was pregnant. We had been trying to get pregnant, and I went on medication to help. Hearing him tell me I was pregnant was surreal. I wasn't expecting it at all. Two days later I miscarried. I had been excited about being pregnant finally, but it hadn't really set in and then it was over. Three months later, we got pregnant again. Jacob was born on January 25, 1998, Superbowl Sunday, and, yes, it was actually on in the delivery room. Jacob was born right after the first touchdown of the game at 6:36 p.m.
I didn't know anything about taking care of babies. The nurse at the hospital had to teach me how to change a diaper. I had never, in my entire life, changed one. I learned quick, though. Jacob learned to crawl at 7 months of age. Within a few weeks of that he pulled himself up to standing. Once he did that he was walking. He was only 8 months old. We didn't encourage it. I would have enjoyed watching him crawl and not getting into as much as he did once he learned to walk just a little longer, but there was no going back. Maybe my future children would walk later, like at 12 months, I secretly hoped.
We got pregnant with Nathan right before we moved out of our house in Ellwood City. He was born 9 months later on Friday, March 3, 2000. I was so ready to have him. He had been lying on my sciatic nerve for most of the second half of my pregnancy. If I laid or sat too long I couldn't walk when I got up. So, for him, we scheduled induction. I got up that morning, took a shower, had breakfast, did my hair and make up, went to the hospital, had a baby at 1:06 p.m., and then had lunch. All in a day's work. Nathan did wait a little longer to walk. He was 9 months old. There was just no stopping these children! When he was 18 months, he was scaling our kitchen cabinets to sit in the sink.
We had Paige on Friday, November 30, 2001. I had gone into false labor with her twice. After the second time, I said, "My water needs to break before I go back to the hospital." That Friday, I got up to do my typing. A little while into it I started having contractions. They weren't so bad, so I ignored them and kept typing. As they started to increase in severity, I tried all the techniques that were suggested by the doctors and nurses to relieve discomfort, especially if they were false contractions. No such luck. They kept coming. I didn't want to call John home from work or call my sister-in-law to come watch the boys. I just didn't want to inconvenience anyone if it wasn't true labor. I called the doctor's office. The nurse told me I should come to the hospital to be seen. I called John; he raced home. His sister came to watch the boys. By the time John made it home, my contractions were between 2 and 3 minutes apart. He sped the whole way to the hospital. Thankfully, we made it there in one piece and still pregnant. I think it was probably 3 more hours before I had her at 7:33 p.m.
As she was being delivered, the doctor told me to stop pushing. He began counting - 1...2...3...4...5 - and his eyes and the nurses' eyes got bigger as the numbers got higher, but they wouldn't tell me what he was counting until she was born. The umbilical cord had been wrapped her neck 5 times. He said that most of the time when a cord gets that long it knots on itself and cuts off the nutrition to the baby, and the baby is usually stillborn. Paige was perfect. She is our little miracle baby. I watch her grow and see the strong will she has and, while I am not too fond of it at the present, I know that God will use it to his glory as she gets older. By the way, she walked at 9 months, too. Ugh!
I loved why I was pregnant, but I didn't really enjoy pregnancy. I loved feeling each of them move inside of me, but pregnancy was hard and long; I'm not a patient person. However, I LOVE being a mom! I love teaching my kids. I love nurturing my kids. I love playing with my kids. I love, I love, I love.... I could go on and on and on. I am truly blessed with the children I have, and I know I will one day see the one I lost. I pray we all cherish every moment we have with our kids. It really does go by so fast. People used to say that when my kids were younger and I had had hard days. I hated hearing that because that particular moment wasn't going fast enough for me. Then people would say, "This too shall pass." The hard times do pass. The kids grow up and mature. We, as parents, learn more as we parent, and we, hopefully, parent with more wisdom than at the beginning. My kids are 13, 11, and 9 now, and I am truly enjoying the stages they are all in right now. I look forward to even greater times in the future...but not too quickly!
I didn't know anything about taking care of babies. The nurse at the hospital had to teach me how to change a diaper. I had never, in my entire life, changed one. I learned quick, though. Jacob learned to crawl at 7 months of age. Within a few weeks of that he pulled himself up to standing. Once he did that he was walking. He was only 8 months old. We didn't encourage it. I would have enjoyed watching him crawl and not getting into as much as he did once he learned to walk just a little longer, but there was no going back. Maybe my future children would walk later, like at 12 months, I secretly hoped.
We got pregnant with Nathan right before we moved out of our house in Ellwood City. He was born 9 months later on Friday, March 3, 2000. I was so ready to have him. He had been lying on my sciatic nerve for most of the second half of my pregnancy. If I laid or sat too long I couldn't walk when I got up. So, for him, we scheduled induction. I got up that morning, took a shower, had breakfast, did my hair and make up, went to the hospital, had a baby at 1:06 p.m., and then had lunch. All in a day's work. Nathan did wait a little longer to walk. He was 9 months old. There was just no stopping these children! When he was 18 months, he was scaling our kitchen cabinets to sit in the sink.
We had Paige on Friday, November 30, 2001. I had gone into false labor with her twice. After the second time, I said, "My water needs to break before I go back to the hospital." That Friday, I got up to do my typing. A little while into it I started having contractions. They weren't so bad, so I ignored them and kept typing. As they started to increase in severity, I tried all the techniques that were suggested by the doctors and nurses to relieve discomfort, especially if they were false contractions. No such luck. They kept coming. I didn't want to call John home from work or call my sister-in-law to come watch the boys. I just didn't want to inconvenience anyone if it wasn't true labor. I called the doctor's office. The nurse told me I should come to the hospital to be seen. I called John; he raced home. His sister came to watch the boys. By the time John made it home, my contractions were between 2 and 3 minutes apart. He sped the whole way to the hospital. Thankfully, we made it there in one piece and still pregnant. I think it was probably 3 more hours before I had her at 7:33 p.m.
As she was being delivered, the doctor told me to stop pushing. He began counting - 1...2...3...4...5 - and his eyes and the nurses' eyes got bigger as the numbers got higher, but they wouldn't tell me what he was counting until she was born. The umbilical cord had been wrapped her neck 5 times. He said that most of the time when a cord gets that long it knots on itself and cuts off the nutrition to the baby, and the baby is usually stillborn. Paige was perfect. She is our little miracle baby. I watch her grow and see the strong will she has and, while I am not too fond of it at the present, I know that God will use it to his glory as she gets older. By the way, she walked at 9 months, too. Ugh!
I loved why I was pregnant, but I didn't really enjoy pregnancy. I loved feeling each of them move inside of me, but pregnancy was hard and long; I'm not a patient person. However, I LOVE being a mom! I love teaching my kids. I love nurturing my kids. I love playing with my kids. I love, I love, I love.... I could go on and on and on. I am truly blessed with the children I have, and I know I will one day see the one I lost. I pray we all cherish every moment we have with our kids. It really does go by so fast. People used to say that when my kids were younger and I had had hard days. I hated hearing that because that particular moment wasn't going fast enough for me. Then people would say, "This too shall pass." The hard times do pass. The kids grow up and mature. We, as parents, learn more as we parent, and we, hopefully, parent with more wisdom than at the beginning. My kids are 13, 11, and 9 now, and I am truly enjoying the stages they are all in right now. I look forward to even greater times in the future...but not too quickly!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Unfolding a Change
We had no dinner food in our house last night since I didn't go grocery shopping last weekend, so we went out to eat. We headed for a local pizza joint, but once we got there we saw at least 8 people waiting for tables. There are only about 8 tables in the whole place, so we decided to just go to Giant Eagle for dinner. Going to the grocery store probably sounds like a strange option, but the kids love the idea that they can choose whatever they want in the little deli that is there. While we were having dinner, I decided to broach what I thought would be a very difficult subject. I related my story of having been to the grocery store the day before just to pick up a few things when I made it to the cereal aisle. I picked up a bag of generic Fruity Pebbles. I love Fruity Pebbles, and it fit right in with what I usually buy. Having just cut out sugar from my diet, I looked at the bag and decided I didn't want all that sugar.
When the kids were younger, I got into the habit of buying them sugared cereal. I don't know if I bought it once as a treat and it morphed into buying all sugared cereals or if I decided to let them have sugared cereals because I didn't eat many as a child. It could be that they are the ones that go on sale most of the time. Whatever the reason, in my mind, I figured asking them to gradually wean themselves from the sugared cereals was going to be like I was slowly cutting off their arms.
I ventured forth with my suggestion. Keep in mind, it was just a week ago that I told them no more pop, diet or otherwise. They wondered what they could possibly eat if they weren't allowed to eat sugared cereal. Nate asked if Cinnamon Toast Crunch was a healthy choice. Um, no, Nate, they're not. It didn't seem it was going to be an easy switch, especially when Paige, in the middle of the produce department, said to me, "You can't tell a kid she can't have sugar." I chuckled and said, "If I'm their mom I can." A lady nearby laughed.
Once we made it to the cereal aisle it was time for decisions. Nate was happy he could have his Honeycomb. There is a lot less sugar in that than the stuff they had been eating. Jacob was thrilled he could have Rice Chex. Every time I put one of the "new" cereals into our cart, Paige made a gagging noise. Her issue, I'm pretty sure, was not so much I was taking away the sugar, but that I was taking away the sugar. I was making that decision. She is a very strong-willed, independent child, and she doesn't like it when decisions are made for her. Oh well, she is only 9. It is still my job to teach her what is right. Once I made it to the dairy aisle she decided to make her own decision about which cereal she would eat. So, she went back to the cereal aisle with her dad and chose one which she taste-tested when we got home. You'd have thought we let her have a huge piece of cake with sugar sprinkled on top. She couldn't stop raving about this new, healthier cereal. That went better than I expected it to. God has once again honored my effort to do what is right with my children. Now if I could just get them to exercise a little bit more.
When the kids were younger, I got into the habit of buying them sugared cereal. I don't know if I bought it once as a treat and it morphed into buying all sugared cereals or if I decided to let them have sugared cereals because I didn't eat many as a child. It could be that they are the ones that go on sale most of the time. Whatever the reason, in my mind, I figured asking them to gradually wean themselves from the sugared cereals was going to be like I was slowly cutting off their arms.
I ventured forth with my suggestion. Keep in mind, it was just a week ago that I told them no more pop, diet or otherwise. They wondered what they could possibly eat if they weren't allowed to eat sugared cereal. Nate asked if Cinnamon Toast Crunch was a healthy choice. Um, no, Nate, they're not. It didn't seem it was going to be an easy switch, especially when Paige, in the middle of the produce department, said to me, "You can't tell a kid she can't have sugar." I chuckled and said, "If I'm their mom I can." A lady nearby laughed.
Once we made it to the cereal aisle it was time for decisions. Nate was happy he could have his Honeycomb. There is a lot less sugar in that than the stuff they had been eating. Jacob was thrilled he could have Rice Chex. Every time I put one of the "new" cereals into our cart, Paige made a gagging noise. Her issue, I'm pretty sure, was not so much I was taking away the sugar, but that I was taking away the sugar. I was making that decision. She is a very strong-willed, independent child, and she doesn't like it when decisions are made for her. Oh well, she is only 9. It is still my job to teach her what is right. Once I made it to the dairy aisle she decided to make her own decision about which cereal she would eat. So, she went back to the cereal aisle with her dad and chose one which she taste-tested when we got home. You'd have thought we let her have a huge piece of cake with sugar sprinkled on top. She couldn't stop raving about this new, healthier cereal. That went better than I expected it to. God has once again honored my effort to do what is right with my children. Now if I could just get them to exercise a little bit more.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Unfolding Withdrawal
A week ago I gave up aspartame. I was drinking 2-3 cans of diet pop a day and wondering if the pains I was having in my mouth and the issues I was having with word-finding difficulties could be related to it. I looked online and found a site that listed some possible side effects of NutraSweet. There are many sites out there, not all scientific, but this one listed 92 symptoms that are possibly associated with ingesting aspartame. Because many of my symptoms were on this list, I decided to cut it out of my diet and see what happens. I understand that a lot of the symptoms listed are related to other disease processes, but why not try something simple first to see if it works? Besides, putting one less manufactured chemical into my body can only be a good thing.
Around day five I had had a bad day. I decided to "treat myself" with a diet Dr. Pepper. Within 15 minutes of drinking it, however, I was feeling rather nauseous. I'm pretty sure that wasn't a coincidence. So, I have decided to never drink another diet pop with aspartame again. Unfortunately, so many things have aspartame in them. I was eating dinner last night and looked over to see that my son's yogurt, with only 100 calories, had aspartame in it. So, I guess I don't buy that brand of yogurt anymore. Where does it end? Holisticmed.com lists other artificial sweeteners to avoid. It is amazing how many products use artificial sweeteners. This is definitely going to be a learning process.
I didn't make things any easier on myself when, 3 days into my aspartame withdrawal, I decided to eat better by eating less and cutting out sugar as much as possible. This is bad for me because I LOVE SWEETS!!! This morning for my Food Science class I teach I had the kids make things at home that they could share with the class so we could have a little party. Everything, except for the fruit someone brought, was a dessert. I had to be really picky in my choices. I did have some fruit, but I also had a small spoonful of a Heath bar dessert and a caramel apple cheesecake bar. They were both equally delicious. Hopefully that's all the sugar I'll have today.
I have found that by cutting out the sugar I have less of a desire to eat all day. That is definitely a good thing. I am still waiting for my confusion and word-finding difficulties to improve, though. The holisticmed.com site says it can take up to 60 days without aspartame before symptoms start to improve. This is going to be a long road. I suppose I'll be learning a lot during the trip like what to avoid and how to eat well without breaking the bank. If I find the answer to that last one, I'll share it with you.
Around day five I had had a bad day. I decided to "treat myself" with a diet Dr. Pepper. Within 15 minutes of drinking it, however, I was feeling rather nauseous. I'm pretty sure that wasn't a coincidence. So, I have decided to never drink another diet pop with aspartame again. Unfortunately, so many things have aspartame in them. I was eating dinner last night and looked over to see that my son's yogurt, with only 100 calories, had aspartame in it. So, I guess I don't buy that brand of yogurt anymore. Where does it end? Holisticmed.com lists other artificial sweeteners to avoid. It is amazing how many products use artificial sweeteners. This is definitely going to be a learning process.
I didn't make things any easier on myself when, 3 days into my aspartame withdrawal, I decided to eat better by eating less and cutting out sugar as much as possible. This is bad for me because I LOVE SWEETS!!! This morning for my Food Science class I teach I had the kids make things at home that they could share with the class so we could have a little party. Everything, except for the fruit someone brought, was a dessert. I had to be really picky in my choices. I did have some fruit, but I also had a small spoonful of a Heath bar dessert and a caramel apple cheesecake bar. They were both equally delicious. Hopefully that's all the sugar I'll have today.
I have found that by cutting out the sugar I have less of a desire to eat all day. That is definitely a good thing. I am still waiting for my confusion and word-finding difficulties to improve, though. The holisticmed.com site says it can take up to 60 days without aspartame before symptoms start to improve. This is going to be a long road. I suppose I'll be learning a lot during the trip like what to avoid and how to eat well without breaking the bank. If I find the answer to that last one, I'll share it with you.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Unfolding King David
Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. I am currently in the middle of three historical fiction books. I have a hard time finishing them. Hopefully this summer I will be able to finish at least two of them. A few months ago I did read a book which I have been wanting to share with you for a while; this one I even finished. It is called David: The Warrior King. It was written by David J. Ferreira.
Mr. Ferreira let the reader know at the beginning of his book that he spent a great deal of time researching the life of King David and wrote his book in such a way that he did not take anything away from Scripture. Obviously when we read the story of King David in the Bible, we are not given a lot of detail. In the same way most historical fiction books are written, Mr. Ferreira added people and events to allow the story of David's life to flow better as a novel. He, in no way, was untrue to Scripture. That which you find in Scripture was also found in his book.
From what I was able to find out, he was only 25 when he wrote David: The Warrior King. He is an amazing author. I was riveted from the beginning of this book. I had trouble putting it down. He added such great detail that I could actually picture the events in my head as I read it. There were a lot of scenes of war that were described, so it is not a book suitable for anyone younger than maybe 15 or 16. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want my 13-year-old reading it. If you are looking for a great historical fiction book to read though, I highly recommend David: The Warrior King.
Unfolding Disappointment
I just received word that I was not selected for a part-time online writing teacher position for which I applied over a month ago. That position was the main reason why I started this blog. I'm still waiting for word on the job that required me to have 25 followers.
I am disappointed. I thought I knew what direction my life was supposed to take. I have been doing transcription for 13 years, and I am tired of it. Don't get my wrong. I am grateful for a job, and I know that falling into transcription all those years ago was a gift from God; but my heart just isn't in it anymore. I feel like it is time for something new. I love to write, but maybe I'm just not that good at it. I certainly don't have enough time to get better at it while having to work 39 hours a week on top of everything else. Maybe it's just that I wasn't supposed to be a teacher.
Maybe I'm just supposed to be happy with the status quo? How do we better ourselves or find things we're good at, though, if we never take a chance on something new? I took a chance. I feel like I stumbled and now have to bandage my wounds. I'll pick myself up and move on once I build up some more confidence. I guess there are plenty of examples of people in this world who failed many, many times but finally succeeded. I am certainly not the first person to face disappointment, so I guess I'll just keep praying about the direction God wants my life to go in. For every door that is closed, God opens a window. I'll let you know what happens, if anything.
There is always the Pillsbury Bake-Off million dollar prize!! LOL
I am disappointed. I thought I knew what direction my life was supposed to take. I have been doing transcription for 13 years, and I am tired of it. Don't get my wrong. I am grateful for a job, and I know that falling into transcription all those years ago was a gift from God; but my heart just isn't in it anymore. I feel like it is time for something new. I love to write, but maybe I'm just not that good at it. I certainly don't have enough time to get better at it while having to work 39 hours a week on top of everything else. Maybe it's just that I wasn't supposed to be a teacher.
Maybe I'm just supposed to be happy with the status quo? How do we better ourselves or find things we're good at, though, if we never take a chance on something new? I took a chance. I feel like I stumbled and now have to bandage my wounds. I'll pick myself up and move on once I build up some more confidence. I guess there are plenty of examples of people in this world who failed many, many times but finally succeeded. I am certainly not the first person to face disappointment, so I guess I'll just keep praying about the direction God wants my life to go in. For every door that is closed, God opens a window. I'll let you know what happens, if anything.
There is always the Pillsbury Bake-Off million dollar prize!! LOL
Monday, May 2, 2011
Unfolding Motivation
I was trying to think of something to blog about when I was reminded of all I have to do. Why is it that the list never gets shorter? Why is it when I have a little bit of time to just sit I feel guilty and have to get up to do something? Perhaps it is the stress that actually holds me together.
If I'm always moving why can't I seem to lose any weight? I'm not terribly unhappy with the way I look, but I find that the older I get things that enter my mouth find their way to my hips a lot more quickly. I don't have time to exercise; well, I think it is that I lack the motivation. Maybe it is that if I spend 30-45 minutes on the treadmill I subconsciously consider that time wasted because I'm not getting other things done. I know I need to exercise, especially since I love to eat. Why can't I have a lack of motivation to eat?
If I'm always moving why can't I seem to lose any weight? I'm not terribly unhappy with the way I look, but I find that the older I get things that enter my mouth find their way to my hips a lot more quickly. I don't have time to exercise; well, I think it is that I lack the motivation. Maybe it is that if I spend 30-45 minutes on the treadmill I subconsciously consider that time wasted because I'm not getting other things done. I know I need to exercise, especially since I love to eat. Why can't I have a lack of motivation to eat?
Friday, April 29, 2011
Unfolding MRSA
Don't worry, I don't have it. My kids don't have it. John doesn't have it either. I had the opportunity to review a unit study about MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). I have heard a lot about MRSA in the news, and I even know someone who has had it. So, I was glad to have the chance to learn more about it with my kids in a way they could understand.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has put together a series called, "The Curiosity Files: Explorations with Professor Ana Lyze, Expert in Outlandish Oddities." This particular unit study I worked through with my children was about MRSA. Some others ones they have published deal with the blue diamond, dung beetles, red tide, and quicksand, just to name a few. These can be purchased through the The Old Schoolhouse Store. They come in the form of an e-book which you can download and then print out the pages you want. They regularly sell for $6.95, but currently MRSA, Cicada-Killing Wasp, Dung Beetle, and Red Tide are only $1.00.
The MRSA e-book was designed for students ages 8 through 13 and includes a complete explanation of what MRSA is, what causes it, who can get it, how it is treated, and how to protect yourself from getting it. There are 3 different vocabulary lists. Right after the discussion of the above topics, there is a short "MRSA Glossary." About one third of the way through the e-book, there are two more spelling/vocabulary lists: one for elementary students and one for junior high/high school students. If the two grade-specific lists were placed directly after the MRSA discussion, the short "MRSA Glossary" would not have been necessary. There is something I don't like about the lists. The "MRSA Glossary" contains words that aren't on either of the other lists, words like strain, symptom, and virus, but superbug and antibiotic are on both lists. I agree with not giving elementary students harder words like nosocomial, but a word like culture should be able to be understood by elementary students. You may want to tweak your student's spelling list a little to better meet their needs. There is a quiz after the discussion that can be given to determine what material was learned. It seemed to me that some of the information was deeper than an 8- or 9-year-old would be able to grasp, so I was pleasantly surprised when my 9-year-old could answer virtually every question correctly.
Being a unit study, this e-book includes other school subjects besides the obvious - science. There are activities for math, language arts, art, music, etc. I appreciate the teaching on the metric system that is included and also the multiplication, or large-number addition, that is needed to see how many MRSA bacteria would be present after 12 hours. As I was doing the math activities with my children, I realized that they were not labeled for elementary or middle/high school. The discussion of the metric system seems to speak more to the younger range of ages, although it is completely and easily understandable by older students. Right after talking about exponents, which is a topic for older students, the study teaches them how to read large numbers. There should be a heads up that this section is for elementary students. It seemed a bit silly to be "teaching" my 13-year-old how to read large numbers. There is also a typo that I noted, which until I realized it was a typo, made it slightly confusing to read. On page 26 in the paragraph before the challenge, all of the numbers should have an exponent of 0 (zero); they should not read 20; 30; 50; 2,345,6780.
There are great topics to research for writing assignments for all levels. I appreciate that there are cluster webs, flow charts, etc., to serve as aids in the writing assignments. There are also activities for learning about acronyms and acrostics. There are word searches and crossword puzzles, which are labeled as elementary or middle/high school. There are also a number of Bible verses shown in manuscript and cursive for the students to do copywork. Speaking of verses, because this unit study was written from a Christian perspective, there are activities that include Bible study, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing with my children. It also helps them to see how God is involved in everything they are learning.
There are some good ideas for art projects such as making a safety poster about MRSA. This could be enjoyed by all ages. The coloring page that is included seems a bit useless to me, especially because it has no caption to let the student know what it is they are coloring. Instructions are given for a putting together a lap book. As far as music goes, I didn't enjoy the activity listed in the book; we were to clap out a rhythm while "chanting" some phrases about how to avoid contracting MRSA. It was a bit hard to understand. I did, however, like the bonus activity where the kids could create lyrics based on what they had learned about MRSA and put them to a familiar tune.
There are science experiments included in the e-book. The ingredients for the bacteria experiment list nutrient agar and petri dishes, each with an asterisk beside them, but there is no explanation that I could find for the asterisk. Most likely, you will have to purchase these items from a science supply store. I order my supplies from a science store online.
For history, the students are to make a timeline, and the e-book gives them a list of dates and names and "Major Events in the Fight Against Infection." They are to then choose one of these events or scientists and write a research paper or a newspaper article, prepare a monologue while acting as one of the scientists, or write a short children's book about the life of the chosen scientist. I like a lot of the ideas this unit study has for further study. They are very creative and will certainly help the student to enjoy the topic.
Physical education was not forgotten. A game of Tag for elementary students is suggested where the student who is "It" is MRSA and runs around "infecting" the others players until the last player who is uninfected wins.
There didn't seem to be a lot for the high schooler or gifted middle schooler in this unit study for really in-depth study until about two thirds of the way through when they are given a huge research project to do that would require around 20 hours or more. This project would most certainly cause them to learn a great deal more about MRSA than is contained in this e-book. It encourages them to present their research in a multimedia format. Here, as well as throughout the unit study, many helpful websites are provided for further learning. Also, a list of books for further reading, as well as answers to all of the activities, is included at the end of the e-book.
As I did this e-book with my children, there were only a few things I didn't like, which I have detailed above. I don't think I would have chosen this topic on my own to teach my children, but I am glad I had the opportunity to review this and use it because it is extremely interesting and has a lot of wonderful activities in it. The small things I didn't like are significantly outweighed by the good things that are contained in this study. This is well-written, although it could be proofread a bit better to eliminate typos and grade-level designations could be more prevalent. At $6.95 per e-book, it is a great deal. At the current price of $1.00, it is a steal!
If you have questions about these unit studies or any other products The Old Schoolhouse Store sells, you can contact them through the contact page on their website or by calling 1-888-718-HOME. Their address is PO Box 8426; Gray, TN 37615.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has put together a series called, "The Curiosity Files: Explorations with Professor Ana Lyze, Expert in Outlandish Oddities." This particular unit study I worked through with my children was about MRSA. Some others ones they have published deal with the blue diamond, dung beetles, red tide, and quicksand, just to name a few. These can be purchased through the The Old Schoolhouse Store. They come in the form of an e-book which you can download and then print out the pages you want. They regularly sell for $6.95, but currently MRSA, Cicada-Killing Wasp, Dung Beetle, and Red Tide are only $1.00.
The MRSA e-book was designed for students ages 8 through 13 and includes a complete explanation of what MRSA is, what causes it, who can get it, how it is treated, and how to protect yourself from getting it. There are 3 different vocabulary lists. Right after the discussion of the above topics, there is a short "MRSA Glossary." About one third of the way through the e-book, there are two more spelling/vocabulary lists: one for elementary students and one for junior high/high school students. If the two grade-specific lists were placed directly after the MRSA discussion, the short "MRSA Glossary" would not have been necessary. There is something I don't like about the lists. The "MRSA Glossary" contains words that aren't on either of the other lists, words like strain, symptom, and virus, but superbug and antibiotic are on both lists. I agree with not giving elementary students harder words like nosocomial, but a word like culture should be able to be understood by elementary students. You may want to tweak your student's spelling list a little to better meet their needs. There is a quiz after the discussion that can be given to determine what material was learned. It seemed to me that some of the information was deeper than an 8- or 9-year-old would be able to grasp, so I was pleasantly surprised when my 9-year-old could answer virtually every question correctly.
Being a unit study, this e-book includes other school subjects besides the obvious - science. There are activities for math, language arts, art, music, etc. I appreciate the teaching on the metric system that is included and also the multiplication, or large-number addition, that is needed to see how many MRSA bacteria would be present after 12 hours. As I was doing the math activities with my children, I realized that they were not labeled for elementary or middle/high school. The discussion of the metric system seems to speak more to the younger range of ages, although it is completely and easily understandable by older students. Right after talking about exponents, which is a topic for older students, the study teaches them how to read large numbers. There should be a heads up that this section is for elementary students. It seemed a bit silly to be "teaching" my 13-year-old how to read large numbers. There is also a typo that I noted, which until I realized it was a typo, made it slightly confusing to read. On page 26 in the paragraph before the challenge, all of the numbers should have an exponent of 0 (zero); they should not read 20; 30; 50; 2,345,6780.
There are great topics to research for writing assignments for all levels. I appreciate that there are cluster webs, flow charts, etc., to serve as aids in the writing assignments. There are also activities for learning about acronyms and acrostics. There are word searches and crossword puzzles, which are labeled as elementary or middle/high school. There are also a number of Bible verses shown in manuscript and cursive for the students to do copywork. Speaking of verses, because this unit study was written from a Christian perspective, there are activities that include Bible study, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing with my children. It also helps them to see how God is involved in everything they are learning.
There are some good ideas for art projects such as making a safety poster about MRSA. This could be enjoyed by all ages. The coloring page that is included seems a bit useless to me, especially because it has no caption to let the student know what it is they are coloring. Instructions are given for a putting together a lap book. As far as music goes, I didn't enjoy the activity listed in the book; we were to clap out a rhythm while "chanting" some phrases about how to avoid contracting MRSA. It was a bit hard to understand. I did, however, like the bonus activity where the kids could create lyrics based on what they had learned about MRSA and put them to a familiar tune.
There are science experiments included in the e-book. The ingredients for the bacteria experiment list nutrient agar and petri dishes, each with an asterisk beside them, but there is no explanation that I could find for the asterisk. Most likely, you will have to purchase these items from a science supply store. I order my supplies from a science store online.
For history, the students are to make a timeline, and the e-book gives them a list of dates and names and "Major Events in the Fight Against Infection." They are to then choose one of these events or scientists and write a research paper or a newspaper article, prepare a monologue while acting as one of the scientists, or write a short children's book about the life of the chosen scientist. I like a lot of the ideas this unit study has for further study. They are very creative and will certainly help the student to enjoy the topic.
Physical education was not forgotten. A game of Tag for elementary students is suggested where the student who is "It" is MRSA and runs around "infecting" the others players until the last player who is uninfected wins.
There didn't seem to be a lot for the high schooler or gifted middle schooler in this unit study for really in-depth study until about two thirds of the way through when they are given a huge research project to do that would require around 20 hours or more. This project would most certainly cause them to learn a great deal more about MRSA than is contained in this e-book. It encourages them to present their research in a multimedia format. Here, as well as throughout the unit study, many helpful websites are provided for further learning. Also, a list of books for further reading, as well as answers to all of the activities, is included at the end of the e-book.
As I did this e-book with my children, there were only a few things I didn't like, which I have detailed above. I don't think I would have chosen this topic on my own to teach my children, but I am glad I had the opportunity to review this and use it because it is extremely interesting and has a lot of wonderful activities in it. The small things I didn't like are significantly outweighed by the good things that are contained in this study. This is well-written, although it could be proofread a bit better to eliminate typos and grade-level designations could be more prevalent. At $6.95 per e-book, it is a great deal. At the current price of $1.00, it is a steal!
If you have questions about these unit studies or any other products The Old Schoolhouse Store sells, you can contact them through the contact page on their website or by calling 1-888-718-HOME. Their address is PO Box 8426; Gray, TN 37615.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Unfolding a Homeschool Year - Part II
When I wrote objectives for what we were going to cover this year in school, I decided to teach on a few topics for art and music that I could not easily find an already-written curriculum. The few things I did find did not suit my taste, so I created something myself.
I wanted to teach my kids about American music in the early 20th century. While there were probably a few types of music that were popular depending on the region in which folks lived, I chose to teach about ragtime, jazz, blues, swing, etc., the type of music that was most prevalent in the southern and eastern regions of the U.S. In order to teach about these types of music and their respective composers/musicians, I needed to do some research. I read a lot of library books and internet articles. I learned about the musical theory of the songs as they were played, about the history of the people influential in the style, and about cultural issues, including the fact that most musicians at this time were African American and were, at that time, not accepted by the majority of society except for their musical talents. When teaching my kids, we obviously listened to a great deal of music on CD.
The great thing about doing a study of this sort is that it lends itself to so many more topics. For example, we learned that Scott Joplin, famous for the ragtime song, The Entertainer, played his music outside of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. We were able to research the history and purpose of the World's Fairs. We were able to learn what sorts of entertainers and exhibits would have been present at the World's Fair.
You may wonder why we started with Scott Joplin since, as can be seen by the date above, he lived mostly in the late 19th century. Joplin was considered one of the prominent figures of ragtime music, and it was ragtime that developed into jazz, which was the next style of music we studied. We ended our study of these styles of music with Frank Sinatra, which led to many interesting discussions about the mob and who they were.
For art, I chose to forgo the usual study of color and symmetry but, instead, decided to look at architecture as art. We looked at a handful of famous buildings and bridges. We learned about their designs, their designers, their histories, etc. As with our music "program," we were able to learn so much more than just how a structure is built because each of the structures we studied has its own story. We could tie our music class into our art class because a lot of the structures we studied were built in the early 20th century. We could study the history during the time period, things like the Great Depression, World War I, etc.
So that the kids would have hands-on learning for their art class, I purchased 3D foam puzzles of the buildings and a wooden puzzle of a bridge for them to put together. When we studied the Statue of Liberty, I purchased cooper sheets and Wilton cake pans, and they molded the copper inside of the cake pans just like men molded the Statue of Liberty inside the wooden forms they created to make her back in the 1800s.
I enjoyed teaching these classes so much to my own children that I have offered to teach them at our co-op next year. This will require a little more preparation and creation of homework so the high schoolers can earn credit towards graduation, but I certainly don't have a lack of material to use. I'm glad I have a whole summer to prepare, though.
I wanted to teach my kids about American music in the early 20th century. While there were probably a few types of music that were popular depending on the region in which folks lived, I chose to teach about ragtime, jazz, blues, swing, etc., the type of music that was most prevalent in the southern and eastern regions of the U.S. In order to teach about these types of music and their respective composers/musicians, I needed to do some research. I read a lot of library books and internet articles. I learned about the musical theory of the songs as they were played, about the history of the people influential in the style, and about cultural issues, including the fact that most musicians at this time were African American and were, at that time, not accepted by the majority of society except for their musical talents. When teaching my kids, we obviously listened to a great deal of music on CD.
The great thing about doing a study of this sort is that it lends itself to so many more topics. For example, we learned that Scott Joplin, famous for the ragtime song, The Entertainer, played his music outside of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. We were able to research the history and purpose of the World's Fairs. We were able to learn what sorts of entertainers and exhibits would have been present at the World's Fair.
You may wonder why we started with Scott Joplin since, as can be seen by the date above, he lived mostly in the late 19th century. Joplin was considered one of the prominent figures of ragtime music, and it was ragtime that developed into jazz, which was the next style of music we studied. We ended our study of these styles of music with Frank Sinatra, which led to many interesting discussions about the mob and who they were.
For art, I chose to forgo the usual study of color and symmetry but, instead, decided to look at architecture as art. We looked at a handful of famous buildings and bridges. We learned about their designs, their designers, their histories, etc. As with our music "program," we were able to learn so much more than just how a structure is built because each of the structures we studied has its own story. We could tie our music class into our art class because a lot of the structures we studied were built in the early 20th century. We could study the history during the time period, things like the Great Depression, World War I, etc.
So that the kids would have hands-on learning for their art class, I purchased 3D foam puzzles of the buildings and a wooden puzzle of a bridge for them to put together. When we studied the Statue of Liberty, I purchased cooper sheets and Wilton cake pans, and they molded the copper inside of the cake pans just like men molded the Statue of Liberty inside the wooden forms they created to make her back in the 1800s.
I enjoyed teaching these classes so much to my own children that I have offered to teach them at our co-op next year. This will require a little more preparation and creation of homework so the high schoolers can earn credit towards graduation, but I certainly don't have a lack of material to use. I'm glad I have a whole summer to prepare, though.
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