Looking for things to keep the kiddos occupied this Thanksgiving?

There are lots of downloads here, of little projects such as thankfulness lists and lapbooks.



And something we are definitely doing!

Some fun links...

If you haven't checked out One Pretty Thing...you really should. These links are from there.

Make a nature crown. Here is a recipe for mulled cider scented play-dough.

We are getting ready for our annual church campout. And of course...we are anxiously awaiting Tad's arrival!

With that thought, another link from Adventures in Diapering and Beyond. Tips for keeping a Mother's Journal.

That Ol' Moloch Box!

Television

The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER
letThem near your television set --
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotized by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink --
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULLAND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK -- HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!'you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ!
They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more.
Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start --
oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts.
They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.
Roald Dahl

Favorite Everyday Things

Tooth & Gums Tonic...I'm addicted to the stuff!

It has wonderful ingredients such as Echinacea,

Gotu Kola, Peppermint Oil, Red Thyme, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus,

& Lavender.

Arbonne NutriMin C cleanser, toner & moisturizer

Bath & Body Works Orange Ginger Body Lotion

Bare Minerals makeup

Amy Knapp's Family Organizer

Post-It Notes - I use the pad on the bottom, it's lined.

I use it to keep my To Do list for the day in my organizer

and to jot down notes for school.

My Alternate Name Meme

From Mrs. Wilt My favorite is 4.
If you wish, consider yourself tagged.
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),Cortez Mercury
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),Chocolate Shortbread
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),M-Dos
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),Red Heron (Now THAT'S funny!)
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),Jean Annapolis
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),Dos-ma
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),The Green Coffee
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),John James
9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),Elizabeth Eugene
10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),Koester Kalamazoo
11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).Autumn Rose
12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Strawberry Jumpery
13. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),Cereal Magnolia
14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),The Embroidery Sunshine Tour