Yarn Dyeing

We recently attended a yarn dyeing party hosted by one of our good friends.  It was quite fun for the kids!  Koolaid was used for the dye, which was very interesting.  The kids squirted their choice of color on their yarn.  I was amazed by the way the Koolaid color stuck to the yarn leaving only clear water afterwards!  The yarn turned out beautiful!

I'm Still Alive!

It's been a long, long while since my last post!  There have been a lot of changes here that's for sure.  We are no longer homeschooling.  In January of 2010 my son went back to public school, and the following school year both of my kids were back in school and so was I.  I was accepted into the nursing program and will be starting my second and final year in a couple weeks.  There was no way I could continue to homeschool them and accomplish what I need to.  Life has been busy.  Studying has become a way of life during the school year.  Summer has been a welcomed break from the rest of the year.  I've been able to read books that I actually want to read and do things I love to do.  I did start a new blog, which focuses on food and health.  It's something I like to do; however, with school looming soon, I'm afraid I won't have much time to post.  I'm looking forward to once again having a life next summer!  

School Has Begun

On Monday, July 27th we started our school year. I usually like to start in early July, but after my class, I needed time to recoup before I could muster up any excitement to teach my kids. It's now day four and, so far, we're off to a great start!

This year I needed more organization, especially with the new puppy, my new job, and my class that will start mid August. I made a schedule for each of my kids. This way they can see what it is they should be doing and at what time. I made sure to schedule their subjects in a way that while one is at the table, the other could be listening to me read. Having them at the table together is cause for a lot of distractions. There are also times when I will have to be doing something besides teaching, so I made sure to have them doing something they could handle on their own during that time. I might have to make changes as needed, since I may have left too much time for some subjects, while others might need more time.

I found the lined paper on Donna Young's website . I really enjoy all of her free printables.

What are we using for curriculum this year? Check it out here, or you can view some of the books we are currently reading on the Amazon Widget.

New Puppy

On July 19th, at approximately 4:30 pm., we brought home a new maltipoo puppy! This is a rare happening for us as you might have assumed after reading one of my earlier posts, "A Dog Named Sal". This all came about after my friend Stacey and I, with daughters in tow, visited Furry Babies Inc. which is located on the second floor of Cherryvale Mall. In case you are not familiar with this store, let me explain. As you walk past you see pinkish walls and the pink sign, Furry Babies. Who could resist? Look a tad closer and you'll see little cribs set up all over with super cute puppies of all kinds for sale! What a way to lure you in right? Not only that, it appears to be a glamor shop for pups. You can buy posh beds and fashionable clothes for you new furry baby, if you wish.
We decided to go in and take just a peek. Stacey quickly spotted an adorable female maltese. She was so cute and the salesman let us all go into the little room to play with her. Five minutes later, Stacey was in complete love. She was on the phone with her husband in a flash to see about possibly bringing her home. It just wasn't meant to be on that day. So we all walked away from the store thinking of that cute pup, wondering what family might buy her. Her excitement got me into thinking about getting a puppy. She can be dangerous that way. ;-) I thought maybe we could buy her and that way Stacey would still be able to see her. Drake has always wanted a dog, and we were thinking of it off and on but were never sure if we wanted to commit. The next day we went up to the store again, this time just our family. I wanted to show my husband the cute puppy. We talked and hesitated in the mall. It didn't feel right to make a rash decision, and we went home empty handed.
After that, I spent time searching online for a puppy because I figured it's kind of like kids, if you wait forever to have them, you probably never will. Is there ever a right time or perfect time? So I kept on searching. I have always liked the look of matipoos, and if we were to get a dog, it would have to be the non-shedding type. I searched many websites: petfinder.com, puppyfind.com, pups4kids.com, and many others. I knew I didn't want to drive very far to get a puppy or have to have it shipped to us, so I search for maltipoos that were close to our area. It was at puppyfind.com where I finally saw this cute, unique looking puppy from McHenry, IL. My husband spoke with the breeder, and we planned a visit. So on Sunday, the 19th of July, we made the trip and brought home our first puppy. Abbi was her name given by the breeder, but we have since settled on Bella. No, it's not a Twilight influence, really. We took the plunge and, though it hasn't been very easy so far, we are committed to doing our best. Our kids really enjoy her, but we all have a lot to learn. I hope that Bella will grow up with good manners and that is something that takes dedication.

Oh and more good news! Stacey did end up getting her puppy, the one at the mall! She was able to put a deposit down and get her the very same weekend we picked up Bella!


Here are some pics of our new addition!

This is the day we got her at 10 weeks old.

First bath