The Ring Test Update

You may remember that a few weeks ago I blogged about an old wives' tale to predict the sex of one's unborn baby. If you dangle a ring (or other metal object) in front of your belly, it will either spin in circles or go back and forth in a pendulum. We got circles.

According to the tale, circles indicate you're carrying a girl; a pendulum indicates a boy. Supposedly, the metal detects and responds to the energy emitted from the baby's hormones. Sounds strange, I know. You don't have to put much stock in it, but it was fun to try and see.

(Stop reading here if you don't want to know until the baby's born what I'm having.) :)

Our doctor's ultrasound confirmed...the baby is a GIRL! How fun. The boys have really been wanting a sister and just knew all along it was a girl, "because the ring test said so." We had to have lots of talks about how the ring test may not be accurate. They kept the faith.

In the hope that maybe I was carrying a girl, I went ahead and crocheted this hat. Isn't it adorable? I figured that if we were having another boy, I would just pass it along to a friend. Now I'm thrilled I can keep it for our little girl to wear (I like the pattern so much I'm sure I'll be making more for friends expecting girls).

So does the ring test really work? Many people think so. All I know is it worked for me and two of my friends who are also expecting girls. If you're pregnant and curious, it can't hurt to try!

The Fragrance of Beauty in our Homes

When you think about when you love your home the most, or when you most enjoy being at others' homes, is it because something there delights your senses?  Probably the answer is yes.

The most welcoming atmospheres usually evoke positive sensory experiences. Maybe there is a candle burning, or another form of fragrance and the house smells good; it is relatively tidy and looks warm and cozy; perhaps there is soft music playing and it sounds nice; most likely, there is food or beverages prepared and available for your visit (or your guests).  All of this fills makes you feel pleasant and peaceful.

In  Family Fragrance: Practical intentional ways to fill your home with the aroma of love , J. Otis and Gail Ledbetter share the power our senses have upon our perceptions--for good and for bad. "It is through the senses," they write, "that an overpowering desire is created within the human soul to stay connected with the home, or to separate and remove oneself."

The gist of the message is that we want our homes to not only look and smell nice, but to feel nice. We want our children and our spouses to learn that the aroma of the home will be consistent and uplifting, not filled with moodiness, impatience and tension. They write, "The Apostle Paul talks about the atmosphere we create when we live our lives before believers and unbelievers alike: 'But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.'" (2 Cor. 2: 14-15 NIV).

While we will all have bad days, the acrostic they use to help us aim for a peaceful atmosphere with our families in our homes is AROMA:

Affection
Respect

Order

Merriment

Affirmation

"If a sweet aroma is to be accomplished, it will take a determined focus on our part. It will require an intentional effort."

So at the close of this Messy Monday, I'd love for us to think about how we can create a pleasant aroma in our homes. What is one practical thing we can do to improve relationships within our home? What is one practical thing we can do to make our home feel more welcoming? (On my end, we are working on teaching the boys not to give into the sinful nature and fight physically when they're upset at each other; I am also aiming to set the table a bit more nicely, so at least some nights of the week it feels like a special celebration, instead of the same old-same old).


"A caring aroma that is inviting and inspiring can be created with a little time, effort, and creative thinking. How can you create an intoxicating family atmosphere in your home? How can you draw your children in?" -- Family Fragrance: Practical intentional ways to fill your home with the aroma of love

Menu Plan Monday

Hope you had a nice weekend! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Breakfasts:
Fried eggs, toast, grapefruit
Bran muffins, cantaloupe, yogurt
Granola and berries
Hot cereal (oatmeal/Malt-O-Meal)
Pancakes
Cereal and bananas

Lunches:
Turkey sandwiches, apples, carrot/celery sticks
Broccoli Cheese Quiche
Dinner leftovers (turned into something slightly different when possible)

Dinners:
(recipes for taco soup and tangy pork chops in Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes
3 Bean Taco Soup, cornbread
Chicken and Mushroom pasta, salad
Cornbread chicken, Chinese Cabbage salad
Roasted chicken with cauliflower and chickpeas
Homemade pizza
Tangy pork chops, potatoes, coleslaw

Visit Menu Plan Monday for more menu-planning ideas!

Favorite Frugal, Natural Cleaners

A few years ago, after the birth of our first son, I remember asking my mom questions about what my grandma (and my mom's grandma) used to clean with. What products did she use? Surely, back then, Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner, Pledge, Clorox wipes, and a host of other products did not exist. What the generations that preceded us used were arguably frugal and efficient. So what were they?

My mom said: vinegar and baking soda.

They worked great then; they still work great today.

I was interested in going back to basic cleaners not only because they save money, but also because with little boys who get into mischief, I didn't want anything around that could poison them. Vinegar and baking soda won't taste great, but they won't hurt my kids either.

Since then, I've continued to look into more natural cleaners. I found a great list online of formulas you can make on your own using common household items, like vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide.  Here's the list I found:
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

Here's some of my favorite formulas:

• I mop the floor with about 1 c. of white vinegar to about a gallon of hot water. Sometimes I add a few drops of an essential oil.
• Furniture polish=olive oil, some lemon juice
• Scour sinks and our porcelain tub with baking soda
• 1 c. of vinegar and 1/4 c. baking soda to clean the toilet
• Make your own magic eraser
• Clean the shower (and remove scale deposits) with a hydrogen peroxide/water solution (about 3:1) in an spray bottle
• Laundry detergent

Do you make your own cleaning formulas? What are some of your favorites?

Coffee Talk Thursday: Curriculum

Coffee Talk Thursday

 

Lately I've been researching curriculum choices for homeschooling our oldest in first grade next year. My sister-in-law generously passed down to us her A Beka curriculum for 1st grade. We would still need to order consumable workbooks for math, phonics, spelling, and language arts, but other than most everything we would need is there.

 

However...

 

If I didn't have the A Beka materials on hand and it were totally up to my husband and I to order our own materials for next year, here's what I think I would do:

• Order Singapore Math Standards Edition, either 1A and 1B (or start in 1B, depending on his progress test. I like how concepts are explained. He did really well with the Earlybird Math, and the hands-on experiments helped to solidify the concepts)
• Order Handwriting Without Tears - My Printing Book (We have not used this before, but I have heard good things about it from friends)
• Use the Explode the Code books, probably 1-3, for phonics
• Follow the handwriting and language suggestions in The Three R's by Dr. Ruth Beechick (really, if you followed her advice and approach, you wouldn't really need workbooks at this level at all).
• Possibly order The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times for history and combine in some good fiction and non-fiction books to help make it come alive
• Order some of Sonlight's recommended read-alouds books for Core 1, or check them out from the library
• Continue to work through Science Through Children's Literature: An Integrated Approach
• And, of course, the Bible. Just read sections from the Bible, memorize verses (AWANA is great at encouraging this), listen to Scripture memory CD's, family devotions, etc.

 But I'm torn, since we have been given the A Beka materials, and I feel like maybe I should just try it as suggested (with the curriculum guides and lesson plans) for a year. At the same time, I'm not crazy about creating the official classroom feel at home. That is one of the beautiful things about homeschooling--it doesn't have to look like the public or private school down the street. Sure there are times for lessons, but real learning takes place in the home all day long--even when it doesn't look "formal."

So, I'm still debating and praying about it. 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5).

In the meantime, what materials--or curriculum--do you use for homeschooling? Do you love it? What do you love about it? Have you tried any materials that just haven't worked for you (or your kids)?