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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Giving Huckabee a Chance

With Fred Thompson being a bit of a disappointment I am going to start looking into Mike Huckabee. While I only saw part of the debate last night, I was impressed by what I saw and what I have heard. My concern is that NerdDad has heard that he is a big spending Republican. That is my one really big problem with George W. Bush. So what do you all think of Mike Huckabee?

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Christmas Card Time

So I received our first Christmas card of the season today! It is a delightful picture card from our niece (on NerdDad's side) of her 2 cute little kids. But that brings up a time honored quandary. What do you do with all these cards? Of course you display them for the month and then what? Well, here is my multi step process that is very simple. The key is taking them fro the display and fully dealing with them.

The first thing you must, and I mean MUST, do is make sure you have the address of the sender in whatever permanent address book you have (be it day planner, outlook, or database) and then toss the envelope. One less piece to hold onto.

After Christmas I toss all plain cards into the recycling. Take all the letters and make any notes you need from the information (new baby birthdays, anniversaries, upcoming graduations, etc) in your planner. Then toss!

Now on to all those great pictures. Now this is a new area for me. You can toss, if you want but I am a girl so I am immediately invested;). First make sure that all the pertinent information is ON it some where. Now not on the face of the picture but the back, bottom etc. Make sure the year is on there also. Then we are onto a collection vessel. You can use a shoe box or photo box and put dividers in by year. The other option (the one I am going to use) is a scrapbook. You can get them cheap at any craft store and it doesn't have to be fancy. Then just slap them in an write all the information next to them. You can go further if you want but I am just not that good.

That is it! All of the cards, their information and all their mess is dealt with! One less thing to worry about. Go and enjoy your cards.

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Sunday, November 25, 2007

Meal Plan Monday

Now that Thanksgiving is over let us get back to regular scheduled programming. Here is this week's menu.

Monday: Turkey and Rice, Leftover Garlicky Green Beans w/Pine Nuts
Tuesday: Ham (leftover) and Gruyere Potato Gratin (new Recipe), Broccoli
Wednesday: Crockpot Roast and Potatoes, Spaghetti Squash
Thursday: Turkey Pasta Alfredo Bake
Friday: Ham and Cauliflower Casserole (new Recipe), Beer Bread

Have a great week!

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Friedman on Schools (Choir Style)



Is there really anything more I need to say?

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Thanksgiving: A Celebration of Individual Rights

NerdDad found this great article by John Stossel over at RealClearPolitics about Thanksgiving. It point out that communal living spelled disaster for the Pilgrims and that it was only through individual land (and therefore production) that the Pilgrims were able to survive.
"So as it well appeared that famine must still ensue the next year also, if not some way prevented," wrote Gov. William Bradford in his diary. The colonists, he said, "began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery. At length after much debate of things, [I] (with the advice of the chiefest among them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves. ... And so assigned to every family a parcel of land."


If only they pointed that out in school.

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Monday, November 19, 2007

Weird Al Hilarity



Faithful readers will remember when I posted the actual "White and Nerdy" Video last year but here is the first take. As a childhood Donny Osmund fan I found this extra funny. He is very white but I would probably use Dweeby more than Nerdy as a descriptor. I don't know how many other Donny and Weird Al fans are out there but I know at least my girl Sue would get a kick out of it. So Sue, here it is for you!

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Greatest Political Ad Ever!



Regardless if you like Huckabee or not, this is a great commercial.

(HT: GOP Vixen)

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Sunday, November 18, 2007

Meal Plan Monday

Here it is! I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.
Monday: Breaded Chicken, Fried potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara Florentine, Broccoli
Wednesday: Cube Steak, Beer Bread, Broccoli
Thursday: Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Broccoli
Friday: Spaghetti, Broccoli

Have a great week!

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Friday, November 16, 2007

This Makes You Both Look Bad

I guess Brittany Spears is a wiser mother than someone. Sorry, just typing that line gave me chills. Heidi Klum, in an interview, said that Brittany Spears told her about the tabs on the side of the diapers (or the little sticky things). Before that she was tying string around her kid. Now they had this conversation when Spears crashed Klum's Halloween party.

So who looks worse in this exchange?

(HT: Rocks in My Dryer)

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

Aloha Friday Question

So An Island Life has Aloha Friday. To play you post a question and people answer it for you in the comments. So here it goes.......

What is your favorite junk tv show (ie no learning shows)?

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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Project Runway is Back!

So as I am typing they are about to announce the winner and loser of this season's premiere episode of Project Runway and I have a couple of thoughts.

First, what was up with the chick using herself as the mannequin while she draped, pinned and fitted on herself? Was she the same one rubbing the silk on the grass to stain it? Can anyone say freakshow?

This season seems to have more accomplished designers than before. Hopefully that means they will be very talented and a little more professional in their demeanor.

How you know they really didn't care for your dress? When a judge says it looked like the model was "pooing fabric". The weird part is they kept that one.

Isn't Tim Gunn great?

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

WFMW: Library Books

This week we hit a new record in the NerdFamily household. We hit the 25 book limit at the library. That was the indicator that we needed to both NerdBug and NerdPie their own cards. Now we can have a combined 75 books out at a time. When you have books in this quantity you need to have some organizing systems in place. For new, unread books I have a spot on the bookshelf where they all get stacked as they come in. It is when they are taken off the shelf and read that things get sticky. So now I have a library out basket. Each person is only allowed to have one library book off the shelf at a time. Then when you are done with it you put it in the out basket. Then simply pick up the basket and take them in! Easy Peasy!

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

Homeschooling Carnival: I am Thankful Edition

Welcome everyone to this week's Homeschooling Carnival. In honor of the nearing Thanksgiving holiday I have decided I should go over some of the many nerdy things I am thankful for. We have many delightful entries into this week's carnival so let us jump right in!

I am thankful for Veterans. Without them we wouldn't have any of the freedoms that we enjoy today. The Diary of 1 gives us a great Veterans History Project. Everyday Me has a great project for homeschool kids in writing Medal of Honor winners. They give us directions on how to go about that with True Heroes.

I am thankful that NerdDad and I made the decision to homeschool. We have many reasons (tune in later in the blog for more on that) for homeschooling and how it ties into our overall life priorities. The Joyful Journey shares some of hers in Why Not School?? Key Words is Sharing My Answer to One Adoption Question where they share their educational philosophy. Homeschool 2.0 reviews 2 Million Minutes and talks about how it relates to their own philosophy. All Info About Homeschooling talks about their choices in Living Intentionally. Large Family Mothering gives us a brief description of our philosophy, after 19 years of homeschooling and 14 children, and encouragement to seek the truly important things instead of the expected in The Plans of Mice and Mothering.

I am thankful for the over all freedoms that homeschooling gives me. Life Without School compares a Thanksgiving school free lunch to the freedoms of homeschooling in The Free Lunch. Homeschooling also inherently gives us the freedom to not agree. Notes From A Homeschool Mom voices her opinion in Why I Won't Be HSLDA's Pansy.

I am thankful that I can exert a little control over when and how my kids are exposed to things and how I want to handle them. That is the case with Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent On the Seriousness of Children's Literature. The Educational Life's post So I Made Her Cry on Purpose is in similar vein.

I am thankful that family traditions are just as important to teach as "school" traditions. I feel that this takes the place of rallies, assemblies, parent/teacher conferences. etc. Reese's View of the World gives us a beautiful pancake tradition with A Tradition is Made. Then Chrysalis tells us to Let Grandparent Shine During the Holidays. She gives us 3 ways that they can serve as family storytellers.

I am thankful that I can take a break from our current studies to delve into a subject. Little Fun; Little Learning give us Thanksgiving unit ideas in Fun-Filled Friday. More4Kids Education also has Thanksgiving Projects for Homeschoolers. About Homeschooling gives even more Thanksgiving Activities and Studies. Our Homeschooling Expedition gives us a delightful Christmas unit in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

I am thankful that where I am weak others are strong. The reality is that I don't have to know or enjoy everything that I want me kids to learn. I just need to find the resources to help me equip my children. That was the case for Annette at Homeschooling Journey in the area of music. She found a Music Curriculum For Music Haters. Now I hated handwriting so I am taking the help from Little Blue School who offers Handwriting Help. Life on the Road also discusses handwriting in The Importance of Handwriting.

I am thankful for math. I just love math, it makes the world go round. It is logical. So of course I enjoy Let's Play Math's How to Read a Fraction. Day by Day Homschooling gives us Great Math Resource - Math Mojo! Wild About Math! tells us How to Get Past "Stupid" Math Mistakes.

I am thankful for reading and literature. It brings life, entertainment, understanding, insight and knowledge. Life Nurturing Education reflects on their study of Pilgrim's Progress in Finding Life in Dry Lessons. Reading also help develop character. SuperAngel discussed her character development as facilitated by a poem in Desiring A Mind To Work.

I am thankful that homeschooling enables me to teach the real world to my kids as a subject all its own. Frugal Fanny voyages into the subject of money management with What You Learned from Your Allowance and Why Kids Still Need Allowance Today. Kathy at the Homeschool Buzz reviews The Lemonade Wars. It teaches the basics of the very important subject of capitalism. To balance that I believe in teaching your kids about service to others. Lunablog gives us a idea on that with Here’s a family project that can really make a difference in someone’s life.

I am thankful that I get to see all growth my kids make. It makes my heart happy that I get the time and exposure to see when my kids are in transitions both academically and socially and not just the results. Domestic Entropy says that there's a transition that happens between preschool-age thinking and school-age thinking, and her daughter is right in the middle of it in Kids Grow Up and Change.

I am thankful that I have a modicum of control over the copious amounts of crafts my kids do. Not that I don't love every art piece but I can decide what kind of crafts they do that might actually fit in around the house. Also, I can ship off all the crafts to loved one as gifts instead of having to keep them around the house (insert evil giggle here;). That is why I love Mental Mosaic's Easy Gift Idea: Make Your Own Refrigerator Magnets. It is something that everyone can find a place for and they are cheap to mail!

I am thankful for the chance to help my children develop their minds through logic, starting very young. Play-Activities.com gives us some tools to Teach young children how to think by the way we talk to our kids, one word at a time.

I extremely thankful that I am blessed to teach my children to start learning as young as birth and not just waiting for kindergarten (not that most non-homeschoolers do, it is just a learning blessing). Lionden Learning gives us tips to stimulate infant brain development with Let's Get Moving. Talk About Speech has a good piece on Early Speech Development.

I am thankful for the ability to personalize education to my children. If I find they learn a different way or need extra work in an area, I am free to change course. A Ten O'Clock Scholar offers us Helping the Older Child Learn to Read. Speaking of reading, The Thinking Mother gives a review of Schooled. It centers around a homeschooled child and is for kids.

I am thankful for church and community support. I personally am blessed by having many people in my life, and especially in my church, that support my homeschooling even if they don't homeschool themselves. Small World knows about this kind of support. In Something Nice Happened Yesterday we find out about a church that volunteered to allow her support group use of their facilities. I am also grateful that homeschoolers come together and both celebrate our victories and support us when we need help. Boy+Academy has given us 45 Days: A Review to share how teacher and student have both grown. Barbara Frank gives us the gentle reminder that Parental Pressure Can Mean Failure. Janine at Why Homeschooling alerts us to the NEA Resolutions and what they really mean.

I am thankful for technology and the ability to use it to further my kids' education. Also I just enjoy the hunt for educational materials. Frugal Panda gives us 17 Ways to Get Free Books. That includes both traditional books and the easy to store e-books. Then Jimmy over at OEDb: Online Education Database gives us 101 Web 2.0 Teaching Tools. I am in love with Principled Discovery's Saturday School: Make Your Own Simple Circuit. We will make these for all the things we need quizzing on.

I am thankful that the more that people learn about kids and education, the more vindicated I am to everyone else about homeschooling. Ragamuffin Studies give us a little more proof in The Red Herring: Social Skills and Schools Today.

I am thankful that I am giving my kids an education that will get them into college (if they choose to go). Bright Kids at Home gives us record keeping tips in Homeschooling Teens-High School Record Keeping. Percieval Blakeney Academy tells us Don't Do This regarding 10 mistakes that are common in applying for college.

I am thankful that homeschooling frees me up to do things when I want. That includes enabling me to use field trips to its fullest ability. Alasandra shares A Gem of a Field Trip. I don't have to do school on anyone else's schedule. I can't let them sleep more and now I am justified by No Fighting, No Biting! with Kids Need Sleep. We can take an afternoon to do a cool activity like the Map and Compass Exercises at Melissa's Idea Garden. Welcome to My Brain shares the fun and delight her homeschool got by doing a float for a parade when she asks an important question. Doesn't everyone have one of these in their yard? I also get to enjoy the season with my kids. Just like My Domestic Church in The Loveliness of Fall Sports.

Life homeschooling can be very crazy and sometimes stressful. That is why I am so thankful for humor. I have been blessed (or did I just choose wisely?;) with a husband with a great sense of humor and that makes my life so much better. Having a sense of humor sometimes means laughing at yourself and sometimes laughing at others. Po Moyemu—In My Opinion gives us a great chuckle with Funny School T-Shirt. Then onto the hilarity at Consent of the Governed with A Wish List from Homeschoolers To Non-Homeschoolers. The list was so nice it was submitted more completely over at Grizzly Mama. But as I said sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves. That is the case for HomeSpun Juggling with A Picture is Worth a Thousand Bricks. I also love sweet childlike humor. Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths give us kids answers to Why Did God Make Mothers?

I am most thankful for the blessing of having my family and being entrusted with loving and teaching these little, soon to be big people. Our Family Village tells us that apparently the government thinks that is can do a better job in Yikes!. Of course having everyone around all the time emotions can run high. Personal Development gives us some ways to deal in How To Calm Down. As if to assure us that those little ones will grow into a wonderful maturity Jocelyn Dixon offers us Being Thankful Because I Am Homeschooled.

I am also thankful for all of you and the blogosphere. It gives me an opportunity to meet many more people whom I share viewpoints and can learn from. That is the point of great carnivals like this so keep submitting you articles for upcoming carnivals and make sure you join in the fun.

Now that you have come to the end of my carnival I have a couple of requests. First, comment here and tell me what you are thankful for. Second, go read all these great articles and let the authors know what you think. The only thing better for a blogger than writing a great post is getting great feedback! Have a great Thanksgiving!

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Meal Plan Monday

Here it is folks!

Monday: Spinach Lasagna (freezer), Garlic Bread, Salad
Tuesday: Eggs, Fried Potatoes, Sausage
Wednesday: Crockpot Roast and Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday: Breaded Chicken, Potato Shakers, Broccoli
Friday: Cube Steak, broccoli, Beer Bread
Have a great week!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Less Than 48 Hours

You have less than 2 days to submit your posts for the Carnival of Homeschooling that I will be hosting on Tuesday. In honor of Thanksgiving I will be looking at all the things about school I am thankful for. Trust me, as a nerd I have an interesting perspective on school and its surrounding issues;). So pop over to BlogCarnival and submit your post and then come back on Tuesday!

Aqua Dots Kill!

While that may sound like an inflammatory title it is true. The AquaDots toy was made with substandard chemicals that turn into a date rape job when activated by water. (Those with toddlers read when eaten.) This can lead to come, seizures and possibly death.

Chemically what is going on is:
The toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics.


The Chinese online trading platform ChemNet China lists the price of 1,4 butanediol at between about $1,350-$2,800 per metric ton, while the price for 1,5-pentanediol is about $9,700 per metric ton.


What I find especially scary is that I was looking at buying these Wednesday morning at SuperWalmart and didn't get them because I was waiting for a sale.

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Tuesday, November 06, 2007

A Statement on Society



I loved this because it is true!

(HT: Neatorama)

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WFMW: Backwards Day

So for Backwards WFMW I am asking you all a question to help me. I am looking for ways to help with all the paper clutter. I already open the mail over a recycling bin. It is the short term paper. You know all the stuff you hold onto for a little bit and then it piles up.

Thanks!

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Monday, November 05, 2007

Frugal Homeschooler: Music

For those who are looking for my free music resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

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Sunday, November 04, 2007

Meal Plan Monday

Here it is! Have fun this week!
Monday: Roast Chicken, Spaghetti Squash, Beer Bread
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara, Broccoli
Wednesday: Crockpot Pork Spareribs, Brown Rice, Broccoli
Thursday: Tilapia, Broccoli, Bread
Friday: Pasta Alfredo Bake

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