TNChick: Photohunt #228 Framed

Cardboard Boat Regatta

Every year, Girl Scouts Diamonds (our local council) has an event that is strictly for those troops that registered early.  This year, it was a Cardboard Boat Regatta.

Council supplied us with duct tape and cardboard....only other supplies we could bring were more duct tape and more cardboard!  (We were allowed to bring wood for handles for oars).

We arrived on time and at 10am the girls started building (adults couldn't help).  They worked until we were almost out of duct tape. We sent a parent after more and kept on building.  The girls took a break for lunch and then they finished up.  At noon, they blew the 30 minute warning whistle and then the adults were allowed to help decorate!

We were all wearing our *peace - love - diamonds* girl scout shirts that are red and white.  We went with red and white duct tape.  The girls named their boat The Love Boat.  We finished it up and the girls carried it down to the lake.  We were in heat #5, so there was a bit of waiting - in the HOT.

To be honest, we were not very optimistic about their boat.  We didn't think they would be able to get in, we weren't sure it would float if they did, we weren't sure of their paddling abilities...just over all, not much faith in them.   We were proved wrong!!!!  Those girls got in that boat with out sinking or swamping it!  They did have a bit of an issue paddling, swirled it around a time or two.  But they got it across the bay!  They bailed close to the finish line and drug it on it, but they crossed the line - that is what counts!!

A total eclipse of the sun...

Too bad it is just plastic and not the real thing!  According to the web searches we did, it will be a while before we see a real one!  This will have to do for now! I'm not sure when or where this set up came from, but I have held onto it.. knowing that we would eventually need it!

We put a small dot on there to represent where we are.  It is not to scale - unless we call the dot Arkansas!

The sunshine was bright and there was a total eclipse, followed by a partial eclipse! (Please ignore the marshmallows in the background! They were part of a catapult experiment for Scouts).

Speech and Voice... maybe we will get somewhere now!

Samantha started Voice Lessons, with her piano teacher, back at the beginning of August.  She is loving them! Today, she started back speech lessons.  Maybe between the two, we will get somewhere with her speaking?

Catapult

In efforts to complete our requirements to move from Webolos II to a  Boy Scout (in February 2011) we have been working on projects from his Webolos book.  One thing he has done is built a catapult- he did this without any help from me and it works great!  They have used it several times in *war* outback - shooting everything from marshmallows, to broken crayons and acorns!

Look what we found...

Not sure what they are or what their purpose really is, but I found these in a box in the shed that has some other school stuff in it!

We all picked an object and placed it out in the back on the table in the sunlight...

I chose my dolphin keychain. 

Riley chose a plastic bear & 

Samantha chose a comb!

We left them out there for about 30 minutes (paper said 7-10- but we forgot about them!)

Once we brought them in, we *developed* them in water:

and let them dry....

They turned out really cool and the color is set for good - so we all have nice new bookmarks!

Photohunt #227: Numerical

Trolley Ride, Old State House, Civil War & Peabody Ducks!

That would be how we spent our Friday!!  We arrived at the NLR Trolley stop in time to catch a ride over the river.










We were dropped off 3 blocks from the Old State House where we joined our homeschool group.  We were given a tour of the Old State House, which used to be Arkansas' State Capital Building and we got to meet with a guy who does Civil War re-enactments  He shared with us the clothing and supplies from each side and had some fun Civil War trivia.

 Once we left there, we walked back by the Peabody, snuck inside to peek at the ducks.  We missed their march, but they were still eating when we got there.  We jumped back on the Trolley, finished the downtown tour and headed home for some lunch!

 Kiddos finished school with no complaints!

Annual *NOT* Back to School Fun Day!

This morning was the first day of public school.  In order to celebrate the fact that we don't have to go back to school, we met a bunch (20 families) at the local donut shop.  We had a great time there. The turnout was better than last year!

Another mom planned a Skate your *BUNS off - to immediately follow the donut shop.  There were 50+ kiddos there and they had a BLAST! Of course, all of the mom's had a great time as well!! I didn't get any pictures, sorry!

We finished up our Hunter's Ed class tonight, kiddos will have to take it again, and they are OK with that.  We talked to the instructors afterward about how the class was taught and how it could be very confusing.  Example:  The whole class they talked about how to measure a caliber from land to land.  They taught that, we reviewed that and I ingrained it in their brain...the test question about this said nothing about land on there.  There were several questions like that.  The curriculum was easier than the boat course, and they both did better on the hunting test.  Now, I don't think we wasted time at all.  Even though they didn't pass the test and get their Hunter's Ed Card, they did learn a lot by being there.  Mostly gun safety!

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington by Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss

Love Finds You in Victory Heights , Washington : The war has stolen Rosalie’s fiancé, Vic, from her forever.  But rather than wallow, Rosalie distracts herself by cramming her days full of activity—mainly by shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy.

When a reporter dubs her “ Seattle 's Own Rosie the Riveter,” even more responsibility piles up. Her strong arms bear all this, but when intense feelings surface for Kenny, the handsome, kind-hearted, and spiritually unwavering reporter, the fear of losing another love propels Rosalie to leave.

It’s only when Rosalie realizes that God has brought her to this place—and this person—for a reason, the sparkling grace of God compels her to let go of her own strength and lean on His, as well as open her heart to love.

About Tricia Goyer:  Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-four books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock , Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. For more on Tricia visit www.triciagoyer.com

About Ocieanna Fleiss:  Ocieanna Fleiss is a published writer and has edited six of Tricia Goyer’s historical novels. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area. For more about Ocieanna visit her blog.

Buy the book!!

Contest info: Tricia is giving away 5 Victory Prize packs during the blog tour. Go HERE to check that out!1  

Loved this book!  There have been several Love Finds You books that I have read, and this one is one of my favorites - hands down!!  Sorry - for some reason I cannot get the images to download?

Frustrating Doctor Update

So, here's what has been going on with my health:

FEBRUARY: Regularly scheduled 3 month check up.  I felt horrible (it was because of a stressful past few months- I am SURE of this!). Doc ordered Pulmonary Function test, gave me some pain meds and put me on a steroid dose pack.  Took the dose pack, felt GREAT!  Took the pain meds as I needed them, they helped some.  Went for my PF test and waited....

MAY: Regularly schedule 3 month check up.  Still not feeling great.  Doc didn't like my PF test at all, wants to try me on a new med, but he doesn't prescribe it without a team.  So, he wants to send me to a Pulmanologist.  I can do that... they will call me when they get me an appt.

JULY: Finally get in to see the doctor.  He asks tons of questions, does an initial exam and says from what he hears, there is no scarring on my lungs and doesn't think that he will need to do a biopsy and put me on the meds...but he wants a CT scan, just to make sure.  he said that some people have to be on a daily maintenance does of steroids, and I may be one of those people.  They will call me when they get the CT scan set up, and will make plans for a follow up appt from there.

AUGUST: Go for CT scan...front and back....it hurt. I cannot lay flat on my back, and certainly not flat on my stomach. And I cannot take deep breathes and hold them.. Was in some major pain when I left the scan.
Doc's office calls... he looked at the scans and good news, there is nothing there.  Some minimal scarring that has been there a while (they compared to scans from 01 & 06 as well) but nothing has changed.  Well, I kinda got into it with the Pulmanologist's nurse.  It is not good news... I still hurt, I am out two days of my life, almost 100 bucks (without thee bill from the CT scan) and I still hurt - yet they say there is nothing wrong.  Somethings wrong:! I am hurting!

Conveniently, both my Rhuemetologist and the Pulmanologist are both out of the office this week.  So, I am sitting here - still hurting, with good news that there is nothing wrong - waiting on at least one of the docs to return to the office so they can call me yet again and tell me nothings wrong...or make me come in for more test and spend more time and money to find more nothing...

I am almost thinking I want to look into a more natural way to treat this...any suggestions?

Hunter's ED ~ can I really do this?

YIKES!  Last week we went to Boater's Safety Course.  It was pretty easy.. I was able to follow along and even though I didn't *need* the course, (was there with the kiddos- who have to have it) I went ahead and took the test and was able to pass.  (Kiddos on the other hand did not).

SO, this week we are working on Hunters Education.  In Arkansas, you have to have a Hunter's Ed card in order to get your hunting license. I am not a hunter - would prefer to be out there with a camera - BUT, my hubby is and we all go to Deer Camp with him opening week.  Since I am out in the woods and at the camp, we decided I should probably have a hunting license on me.  BUT, I gotta pass this class first - and I don't know if I can- Sad huh?

The first night was all about firearms and firearm safety... OVER...MY...HEAD!  I am really having to study this book! The kiddos are taking it with me and I worry about them passing as well... At least they have a few more years before they legally have to get a license!

*Amish Proverbs by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne's Amish Proverbs just hit the shelves. To celebrate she's giving away a KINDLE and throwing a party! Let the fun begin. See below for info and links.

Find out more about the book, Suzanne and the blog tour here.

Enter Suzanne Woods Fisher's Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway!

One Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle preloaded with Suzanne Woods Fisher titles. The Prize Pack (valued at over $205.00) includes:

* A brand new KINDLE, Free 3G, 6", Latest Generation

* Amish Peace by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest.

Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on September 1st.

 
Join Suzanne for a Wrap-up Party on September 1st!

She’ll be announcing the winner of the Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway, chatting with readers, and giving away copies of Amish Proverbs and The Choice! Be sure to join us on Wednesday , September 1st at 8PM EST at Suzanne’s Author Page

Be sure to check out the blog tour here or purchase a copy of Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life!

This was a super sweet book!  I really enjoyed reading thru this and really thinking about what it was saying!  I have always been fascinated with the Amish lifestyle, and this book will now be one of my favorites!

WIN YOUR OWN COPY:

I received a copy for myself, as well as a copy to give away.  Since I don't have very many readers - just leave a comment and I will draw from the names of those that do leave the comments! I will draw for a winner on September 1st!

DISCLAIMER: This book was give to me free in exchange for my honest review.

A day on the lake

Today we found a way to conquer the heat!  We loaded up first thing and got ready to head to the lake.  I ran to grab a bag of ice while the guys loaded the boat and on my way out, I noticed the corner had a bubble in it - with a little water bubbling out.  I rounded the block and drove back by the house and told them to call the water department.  I went out a different way...I wasn't about to drive my car over that!  When I got back, they all had gone down there and taken pictures.  We continued loading the boat and finished getting ready... then the main busted!  I have never seen anything like it before!!  It was like something that is on a cartoon or something...

It was shooting about 75 feet up in the air!!Pretty interesting to say the least!

An hour later than we had planned, we were on the road!  I didn't get many pictures from the lake, because I had a dead battery!  We had a good day - except right in the beginning - when we hit two stumps and tore up the propeller on the motor... nice size chunk taken out of it...but it least it wasn't something that would have been more damage or more costly to fix - like a chunk out of the bottom of the hull!

Boater's Safety Course

We spent Tuesday night and tonight in a 3.5 hour - each night - in a Boater's Safety Course.  Due to a recent law passed - Rachel's Law - any person born on or after 1/1/86 are required to have a safety course and carry the required card with them.  Since we just got the new boat, I felt that it would be a good thing for me to do, along with the kiddos.

They learned TONS, but didn't pass the written test at the end, so they will have to take it again next year.  The course is on a 6th grade level and there was a lot of info that I felt they didn't get, but they did learn so much... and they learned the important stuff... safety stuff. There was some stuff that dealt with registration and insurance - that they didn't get.   All in all, I am satisfied with the results.  It was taught by USCG people, so I know that when we say LifeJackets!  Then the kiddos will know we mean business!

Girl Scouts!!

It's about that time again!!  I have been pretty involved with the Council Staff as well as the Service Unit in getting this year off to a good start!  We had our first Leader's Meeting tonight and I was pretty pleased with the turn-out and enthusiasm.

If you have a daughter and are not involved with your local Girl Scouts, I encourage you to check into it!  Samantha and I both have gotten SO much out of scouting! 

Destination Disney: Disney Decorating

DISNEY DECORATING. 

We’ll make this a two-fold topic this week:

1. Are any of the rooms in your home decorated in a Disney theme?  If so, what room(s) and how are the decorated?  (please share pictures)  If not, but you’d like them to be, please explain your dream room to us. No Disney decorations here... I like Disney OK, but not *that* much of a fan of it! Closest I have ever come, when I first moved out on my own, I had a Disney Christmas tree for a couple of years.
2. Would you like to stay in a Disney-themed room at a Disney resort?  If you could be in charge of decorating one of these themed rooms, what theme would you choose and why?  How would you decorate it? Get creative and share colors, fabrics, etc.  I think it would be cool to stay in a themed room - just to get you in the magical spirit!  Not to be a BORE, but I love the recent stuff that has been out that has been the Mickey gloves, with the red, black, yellow and white!  I *almost* tried to talk Rog into doing that in our kitchen, it was just so cute!  

So, post away about your Disney Decorating – and go here to Heidi's post and link up! 

FIRST: Final Touch by Brandilyn Collins& Amberly Collins

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins

and the book:

Final Touch (Rayne Tour, The)

Zondervan (May 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Brandilyn and Amberly Collins are a mother/daughter team from northern California.

Brandilyn Collins, known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense, is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Coral Moon, Crimson Eve, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels.

Visit the Brandilyn's website.

Amberly Collins is a college student in Long Beach, California, majoring in marketing. She’s active in her Alphi Phi sorority and dotes on her Yorkie puppy, Bear.


Here's a video about the first book in the Rayne Series:



Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071933X
ISBN-13: 978-0310719335

Press the browse button to view the first chapter:

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And we made it...

First day of school went great!  I was worried they would feel overloaded...but they seemed fine with it!
I think Riley is most excited about Science - Astronomy & he is looking forward to All American History as well.
Samantha, believe it or not - she is enjoying the reading!  She has already reading ahead!

The rest of the day was spent hanging out and playing board games...mainly dominoes - not the right way - they were setting them up and letting them fall! Isn't that the best domino game ever anyways??

In the middle of the blistering heat (104 or something like that- does it really matter once it gets to that point?) we were the blessed recipients of a major thunderstorm!  Cooled the temps down by 30+ degrees!

Pizza for dinner and then off to VBS!

Destination Disney: Disney Dining Plan

So please share your experience(s) with the Disney Dining Plan --- 

What do you like about it?  What don’t you like about it?  What is your favorite place to use your Disney Dining Plan vouchers?  What’s your favorite Disney Dining Plan experience?  Do you have a favorite food item that you’ve experienced via the Disney Dining Plan?  Did you take advantage of the free DDP option by booking during the dates provided?  Or did you pay for your DDP and, if so, did you think it was worth the money?

 Sorry, I am NO help here... this is not something we took place in!  If you have used this, please feel free to share with Heidi.

Back to School we go!!

Today is our first official day of our 2010-2011 school year.  We are 5th grade this year and our curriculum is a variety of things!  Here is our complete list, we do not do everything every day. This is what we plan to cover this year:

BIBLE: New Testament Overview from Grapevine Studies

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Reading - Weekly assignments from Reading Street by Scott/Foresman; Read alouds from our 'The Junior Classics' set, starting with Book 1 Fairy Tales and Fables;  encouraging them in their personal reading
Spelling - weekly word lists from Handbook of Phonics by Eagle's Wings; enforcing them with activities from Making Spelling Words Stick.
Writing - Handwriting 2 (to perfect their cursive writing) & Write With the Best Volume I
Grammar - Painless Grammar, MadLibs, Gram Slam

MATH:
Math Mammoth Multiplication for review, Math Galaxy Fraction Fun, Math U See (later) Epsilon

SCIENCE: Apologia Astronomy & read alongs on topic

HISTORY: All American History Volume I & read alongs on topic

In addition to this list, we will be trying a word of the day, and maybe a poem of the week.  We will also be playing games to reinforce what they are learning.

Starting today!  Will check in later and let you know how the day went!