tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306866706551830562024-03-14T00:51:03.723-07:00real life educationLife as a homeschooling family. Life is good.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-60503911769906697762010-02-04T06:24:00.000-08:002010-02-04T06:32:59.335-08:00Kids in SchoolAnother change in our family this last few weeks is that we put everyone in public school, except Braxton. He is still home trying to get into Driver's Ed before we plunge into public school life. <br />I hope that it wasn't the carb-induced fog I talked about before that led to this decision. I don't think it was. After much prayer and discussion, we felt that this was the best thing for our family at this time, so that I could get some much needed rest, and the kids could have some new experiences. It is not the ideal, but much in life isn't! <br />My goal will be to continue using the ingredients for a Leadership education in our home. I find that many of them can be applied to any family situation, even with kids in the public schools. <br />We still have our bookshelves, we still have our family responsibilities, we still don't have TV and will only have a movie on the weekend. There are more, and I'm sure to write about them in the future, but for now I have to get kids up to get ready for the school bus!reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-45930245111395942112010-02-04T06:15:00.000-08:002010-02-04T06:23:37.087-08:00Falling Off the Wagon!Okay, I have really been paying for it lately. About two weeks ago I gave into temptation and fell off the SCD wagon, right into a pile of soft puffy pancakes. I noticed that they didn't affect my body <span style="font-style:italic;"></span> that<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> bad, so I figured I was okay! And like any addict I figured that one more wouldn't hurt. Well it took me a couple weeks to figure out through the carb induced fog, that I was hurting. So I took the pie, pancakes, waffles, cake, and such delicacies back out of my diet, and I feel much more human again.<br />I find it interesting, and a little annoying that I still can't digest almonds without a reaction. One of the staples on the SCD diet is almonds, so it really puts a crimp on things. I find that when I eat even one SCD almond cookie, I am huffing and puffing, my heart speeds right up with any motion, my energy levels plummet, and I have more anxiety. They are delicious, but just not worth it. I'm thinking that coconut might do the same, but I'm going to wait another few days to try it out. We'll see!reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-63035333305898535712010-01-21T17:34:00.000-08:002010-01-22T18:26:31.656-08:00Family Getaway!One of our absolute favorite places to go is the ocean. We decided this last weekend that we needed some serious family-getaway-from-it-all time. So we packed up, drove out, and had a blast trying to fly a kite...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcFaLA1YFMNZpv_obV0b0w15tR6NsgUtZHHjROH0awZbJoyf45i_4pIuLF9hTyxaTdUg4qTdB_Npn5HFnT3v8tU-3zOZ59iFfAMOs2xsrJO9BkBL3X0xQZSqEx1bn0FSGzX9e7a1T1iUz/s1600-h/b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcFaLA1YFMNZpv_obV0b0w15tR6NsgUtZHHjROH0awZbJoyf45i_4pIuLF9hTyxaTdUg4qTdB_Npn5HFnT3v8tU-3zOZ59iFfAMOs2xsrJO9BkBL3X0xQZSqEx1bn0FSGzX9e7a1T1iUz/s320/b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429373959874709154" /></a><br />...digging in the dirt...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNJP7k70kELLzuHdyhkix5yhYV2FlmgmmcyoZI1uGM7IyM3OcH2Na7dChgMBDkAILzUWIjThB8ELGUcQ9QF-C2ch2h5jBdrZP9PhVB-Mq74gRu58YlOXDarE9m3dQQ2EdGlx5bcfY4GxC/s1600-h/c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNJP7k70kELLzuHdyhkix5yhYV2FlmgmmcyoZI1uGM7IyM3OcH2Na7dChgMBDkAILzUWIjThB8ELGUcQ9QF-C2ch2h5jBdrZP9PhVB-Mq74gRu58YlOXDarE9m3dQQ2EdGlx5bcfY4GxC/s320/c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429374379959424514" /></a><br />...fighting with mud...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJXW3tOnl69bb5SsXJyoMGXXvvFDVh1x_bxuBf8eQhAEiZKorcE_vtDgqtZPkQX4hRqZvGkmawDaw7YithJhNMLPA_7D5xQtPuprNtQ4p3UocvEH9WMUE6nMZs_jmq_oJTKPwmlnb7L94/s1600-h/d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJXW3tOnl69bb5SsXJyoMGXXvvFDVh1x_bxuBf8eQhAEiZKorcE_vtDgqtZPkQX4hRqZvGkmawDaw7YithJhNMLPA_7D5xQtPuprNtQ4p3UocvEH9WMUE6nMZs_jmq_oJTKPwmlnb7L94/s320/d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429374845831585218" /></a><br />...figuring out the wind velocity of an sparrow compared to that of the kite...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgY8bBmOMl2NlwIcfu_zyzOh7j8gHm4xbLGidx6vDb1iT82fLEyhck16Md4tny3gWJkrpUc9Mwxl5pPBhmRqct9bFKDVP5Ey1Rif2jP2cUpXWIbGlagshb_oGzjVtuDJLDyW-vPNQPVfl/s1600-h/e.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgY8bBmOMl2NlwIcfu_zyzOh7j8gHm4xbLGidx6vDb1iT82fLEyhck16Md4tny3gWJkrpUc9Mwxl5pPBhmRqct9bFKDVP5Ey1Rif2jP2cUpXWIbGlagshb_oGzjVtuDJLDyW-vPNQPVfl/s320/e.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429375031800204322" /></a><br />...wrapped up in blankets and hugs...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrse1KZAiNSwDv9pAfJLhqadQPiE-BMpAfMel7ZKdFUmdw3c7tktupFfCSAsPSxsaZhKMUtF9Ow0FLV-I_UAx-zJTOvWz9-CBj5J0eBGNT__BSo63ZjvKA7Pmm_T6gC8WGBc4tDVo0Vqav/s1600-h/f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrse1KZAiNSwDv9pAfJLhqadQPiE-BMpAfMel7ZKdFUmdw3c7tktupFfCSAsPSxsaZhKMUtF9Ow0FLV-I_UAx-zJTOvWz9-CBj5J0eBGNT__BSo63ZjvKA7Pmm_T6gC8WGBc4tDVo0Vqav/s320/f.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429375411909782658" /></a><br />...creating amazing sand art...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2P8_w9m-Y5IQvr9kQ8l_-IjJXgaX-vOEWS4N5SeCZU30qMoAXBID5aAu_knnvq363ZP42vV8bFV8Rd41ZKmUoOvFiPVND1VenpJH5Lanp0s1wAggb0BeuGnPvMuDJsrx4Rg3FW-8f1Bp/s1600-h/g.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2P8_w9m-Y5IQvr9kQ8l_-IjJXgaX-vOEWS4N5SeCZU30qMoAXBID5aAu_knnvq363ZP42vV8bFV8Rd41ZKmUoOvFiPVND1VenpJH5Lanp0s1wAggb0BeuGnPvMuDJsrx4Rg3FW-8f1Bp/s320/g.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429375641879619842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvU596MDYYTh-5hDxUk7_NofDZRVXezV_vyXu3iYYd96H31tdKhOJYPlkvDfqrvm3MXUNxgAFvlvhfSpiOr53aymhV3S0RlLpLXPsI9CSwARq6ztuMA0rMnMenaCWVpfOkOJs9R7bNiyqF/s1600-h/h.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvU596MDYYTh-5hDxUk7_NofDZRVXezV_vyXu3iYYd96H31tdKhOJYPlkvDfqrvm3MXUNxgAFvlvhfSpiOr53aymhV3S0RlLpLXPsI9CSwARq6ztuMA0rMnMenaCWVpfOkOJs9R7bNiyqF/s320/h.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429375865591839570" /></a><br />...goofing off...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYxLsS0PThurI4A1FXXfQ6IM2Dpi3NCos0I245mFgsETa3vlhricS-9hHKgUoSMvrDm9AHObdobvhYr64TfCFVcjBmP23KuNxOgIB3idQNOYhcm2COW9RHrGrBveaQUvGZkcoQGMEXXBk/s1600-h/i.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYxLsS0PThurI4A1FXXfQ6IM2Dpi3NCos0I245mFgsETa3vlhricS-9hHKgUoSMvrDm9AHObdobvhYr64TfCFVcjBmP23KuNxOgIB3idQNOYhcm2COW9RHrGrBveaQUvGZkcoQGMEXXBk/s320/i.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429376097272050306" /></a><br />...hiking back up to the cottage, you can still see some of the amazing art!...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mtwrTk0W8751BgvGt3JvdVoa5b6bFy_9EtyT6vSM5xCW4LlPA1j71kYzTDMRA_5l36YVsatpv0Iuy_Sk3kQ93BGoKaYC5mU62zcP2JHJ5d7XPHchnoCW8Ns80ITdtCu6p9_WXFUng8RQ/s1600-h/j.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mtwrTk0W8751BgvGt3JvdVoa5b6bFy_9EtyT6vSM5xCW4LlPA1j71kYzTDMRA_5l36YVsatpv0Iuy_Sk3kQ93BGoKaYC5mU62zcP2JHJ5d7XPHchnoCW8Ns80ITdtCu6p9_WXFUng8RQ/s320/j.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429376251324201618" /></a><br />...board games back inside...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jToPvfCbzRK7sPghRRIcocBtXwsQEkmbKnx-7Vu_n6Rj_nMaun16bVES0ACjUf8DKfaq6CxT44RswTuOPHYJwzzWfSkSfa-b3BHKaRarbbpXwUbyzXe7SrPsh-H5fuK2IUr4Jwcsw0K_/s1600-h/k.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jToPvfCbzRK7sPghRRIcocBtXwsQEkmbKnx-7Vu_n6Rj_nMaun16bVES0ACjUf8DKfaq6CxT44RswTuOPHYJwzzWfSkSfa-b3BHKaRarbbpXwUbyzXe7SrPsh-H5fuK2IUr4Jwcsw0K_/s320/k.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429376526186662498" /></a><br />...soaking in the hot tub during the rain and wind storm...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbVTVibgYZNk7EHy0K588t9Z1pUWSD_ACKwlDrWG5g2r-ZiXZAMO7zDT9r6fSl-9WA64oEl4EKjn0yvDmLxrc4UgXn2-qqsDlz3bJ7UGPsocyCf5nqicc6oYWcsLtu5QBFOOyf_YmeG42/s1600-h/a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbVTVibgYZNk7EHy0K588t9Z1pUWSD_ACKwlDrWG5g2r-ZiXZAMO7zDT9r6fSl-9WA64oEl4EKjn0yvDmLxrc4UgXn2-qqsDlz3bJ7UGPsocyCf5nqicc6oYWcsLtu5QBFOOyf_YmeG42/s320/a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429376764423357842" /></a><br />I'm so glad we went! We all had a blast and came home very reluctantly.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-26141991337727700612010-01-21T14:10:00.001-08:002010-01-21T18:02:06.361-08:00Court of Honor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfJyd0NM_CPTE0zx8PzWMKxEPN_0VBsvHT8kL9SYswDDASzNqLhHmwtQKxbZWm4bEkJHVM-9kGJO2gb-U2k459-JPhSM8ftvigpGUmrHxlVeHeAjr9joIsPCoWMACXna-9VBxVgVocz_I/s1600-h/19953_1301417729611_1055461422_901588_1250555_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfJyd0NM_CPTE0zx8PzWMKxEPN_0VBsvHT8kL9SYswDDASzNqLhHmwtQKxbZWm4bEkJHVM-9kGJO2gb-U2k459-JPhSM8ftvigpGUmrHxlVeHeAjr9joIsPCoWMACXna-9VBxVgVocz_I/s320/19953_1301417729611_1055461422_901588_1250555_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429320063641956866" /></a><br />Saturday the boys were involved in a really great Court of Honor for the local Boy Scouts. It was all the troops, teams, and crews from the area we live in. Keegan was the youth in charge of organization (you can see him, the young man farthest from the podium), and Braxton was Master of Ceremonies, sitting closest to the podium. Jarik was involved in the flag ceremony.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlt7N2lJpwiljNwlr6lkqW8y6RUanWYdNqCyAzumsuiqTdKbVLfrQAINKu7XtAS0t0oZesm5T0F0s0Z5hRxP2Noh9V1fT3YQKr3okZ94c9Uk1aOIrMpBw2ccjtgQUYOtxIWXGYpv5krjQ/s1600-h/19953_1301417889615_1055461422_901592_3066904_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlt7N2lJpwiljNwlr6lkqW8y6RUanWYdNqCyAzumsuiqTdKbVLfrQAINKu7XtAS0t0oZesm5T0F0s0Z5hRxP2Noh9V1fT3YQKr3okZ94c9Uk1aOIrMpBw2ccjtgQUYOtxIWXGYpv5krjQ/s320/19953_1301417889615_1055461422_901592_3066904_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429321212227834962" /></a><br />In this photo Jarik was receiving his Life rank, Braxton was the one to hand out the awards.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHjupN46oTFqFidbNiAIaPkPz-mgjakVCyxMX9lxUnoSFVPWpIr-N7YrK80dJlChYuheAABsc27kDvZY34QRF3ly99QwW_BLfJOygOGGUsZRYPS4LAJVBfRH8GhM_HOLn274hKAsT83gb/s1600-h/19953_1301419209648_1055461422_901593_5117848_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHjupN46oTFqFidbNiAIaPkPz-mgjakVCyxMX9lxUnoSFVPWpIr-N7YrK80dJlChYuheAABsc27kDvZY34QRF3ly99QwW_BLfJOygOGGUsZRYPS4LAJVBfRH8GhM_HOLn274hKAsT83gb/s320/19953_1301419209648_1055461422_901593_5117848_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429322446304704770" /></a><br /><br />It wasn't only the boys getting recognition! All the men and women in the area that had gone to Wood Badge training were recognized. Here is Kevin among them. It is awesome to see so many leaders getting this training.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEWWge7nOnUPrWEuDeIN4apFAsWB0OLwsjUFtlnlIYy4PLgsiQMP8f-vV4GYWkObELnv_AKa9h208rOz4qEO0hOFhaBkX2XZuSPiR9q8Lv64IkAnytk-EuJ8JbD-v_otdp_01kC5CjfLZ/s1600-h/19953_1301419289650_1055461422_901595_3911618_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEWWge7nOnUPrWEuDeIN4apFAsWB0OLwsjUFtlnlIYy4PLgsiQMP8f-vV4GYWkObELnv_AKa9h208rOz4qEO0hOFhaBkX2XZuSPiR9q8Lv64IkAnytk-EuJ8JbD-v_otdp_01kC5CjfLZ/s320/19953_1301419289650_1055461422_901595_3911618_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429323078412160594" /></a><br /><br />This is my favorite pic of the night. In it are all the boys that have the possibility of becoming Eagle Scouts this year! Wow! You can see Jarik, Braxton, and Keegan are all in there! Keegan just has his paperwork to hand in, and the other two are just planning their projects now. <br /><br />Here are the merit badges each of my boys received at the Court of Honor:<br />Keegan: Aviation<br />Braxton: Citizenship in the Community, Camping, Communication, Citizenship in the World, Auto Maintenance, American Labor, and Dentistry<br />Jarik: Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Communication, Camping, Citizenship in the World, Auto Maintenance, Dentistry, American Labor, Horsemanship, and Public Speakingreallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-16691302383541768802010-01-16T12:08:00.000-08:002010-01-21T06:17:22.425-08:00Kidschool<span style="font-weight:bold;">Sarah</span> studied Japanese, learning more words and reading Japanese hiragana, she trained for track season, did some copywork, and read individually, and worked on her blog.<br /><br />Update (Jan. 21): Really the rest of us did things too. It was the beginning of a really busy spell though, so I never finished this post.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-16615024661953212842010-01-14T18:57:00.000-08:002010-01-14T18:58:04.842-08:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/815506.Undoing_Perpetual_Stress_The_Missing_Connection_Between_Depression_Anxiety_and_21st_Century_Illness" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety and 21st Century Illness" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178650349m/815506.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/815506.Undoing_Perpetual_Stress_The_Missing_Connection_Between_Depression_Anxiety_and_21st_Century_Illness">Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety and 21st Century Illness</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/156669.Richard_O_Connor">Richard O'Connor</a><br/><br/><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/84742403">4 of 5 stars</a><br />I love this, in the chapter about repairing the Emotional Brain, page 144: "But in today's world, most of us have a vulnerable heart. The Perpetual Stress Response has us full of anxiety, which dissolves our self-esteem. The things we are told to value - material success, acquisitions - are easy to lose....And they don't repair the orbitofrontal cortex, the damage in the brain that represents our fragile psyches, in the way that meaningful relationships, living up to a set of standards, or having a rich spiritual life can do for us."<br />What? You mean science is telling us the way to repair our minds/psyches/brains is by 1. having meaningful relationships (family is central to the Creator's plan...) 2. living up to a set of standards (oh, like the 10 commandments,or For the Strength of Youth??), and 3. having a rich spiritual life (you mean worshiping my God and Savior may be...dare I say...healing??)<br />Sarcasm aside, I really am enjoying this book. It is alive with honest research and analysis. I'm getting into the part where he is discussing mindfulness, and it's spot on.<br />I definitely recommend this book. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/877049-jenni">View all my reviews >></a>reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-49430455241885985592010-01-14T18:01:00.001-08:002010-01-14T18:46:14.366-08:00Kidschool<span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gospel</span></span> 2 Nephi 2-3<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharing what is mine </span>Today it was really short, because I had 15 minutes between work and leaving the house to finish my visiting teaching and take Keegan and Braxton to the dentist. So we just read a little from <span style="font-style: italic;">Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens</span>. Each also wrote a journal entry to summarize their favorite thing they learned today, so that I could discuss it with them later tonight. We are also each going to do some research this weekend on someone that changed the world through their love of a cause or people. Brax is doing Buddha, Jarik is doing Gandhi, Sarah is researching Christ, Quen is doing Joan of Arc, and I am working on Aung San Suu Kyi.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jenni</span> kept up on Haiti's relief effort, visiting teaching, scripture study, and read <span style="font-style: italic;">Undoing Perpetual Stress</span>, blogged (figured out how to follow a blog!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kevin </span>helped the boy's volleyball team, online law class, scripture study, and read <span style="font-style: italic;">Left Behind</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keegan </span></span>classes all day, is sending me the link on deviantART<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>for the robot scorpion that he designed. I'll add it tomorrow if I can. Seminary of course, and volleyball tonight.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Braxton</span> spent all morning setting up the new stereo system he has inherited. He learned quite a bit actually. He is playing in the volleyball semi-finals tonight, and practiced the ukulele alot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jarik</span> played the piano, studied Italian with Rosetta Stone, read <span style="font-style: italic;">Pirateology</span>, and three <span style="font-style: italic;">You Wouldn't Want to Be...</span> books - one on criminals, one on samurai, and one on the Hindenburg. He too is off playing volleyball now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah</span> is, that's right, playing volleyball. Today she read <span style="font-style: italic;">You Wouldn't Want to Be on the Hindenberg</span>, studied Japanese with Rosetta Stone, and made a tutu. She also went to a Presidency Meeting for her Beehive class.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quen</span> played the piano, read <span style="font-style: italic;">You Wouldn't Want to Be on the Hindenberg</span>, worked on his Star Wars battle drawing (fifth day now...), and wrote about Captain Cook.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-67520729976125886932010-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:002010-01-14T18:46:56.608-08:00Kidschool<span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer<br />Gospel</span> Pres. Uchtdorf's talk: Two Principles for Any Economy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharing what is mine </span>Today we discussed what makes someone a great mentor. We have been watching movies based on relationships of mentors with their students, such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Karate Kid</span> (now the kids can't wait to see the new one with Jayden Smith and Jackie Chan!), <span style="font-style: italic;">Forever Strong, Stand and Deliver, </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Poet's Society</span>. We have also been watching episodes of the BBC production of <span style="font-style: italic;">The World's Strictest Parents</span> (so much I can say there, but I'll leave it for another day). It was interesting to see how much the kids really thought about it, and what they learned from it. We discussed who their mentors were. Quen was really into it, listing the prophet, his gramma, Webelos leader, etc. I then read aloud from <span style="font-style: italic;">Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens </span>the section on mentors, and started into the section on falling in love with learning.<br /><br />We also watched videos and news reports from Haiti. We discussed the earthquake, what life is like in Haiti, and what has happened so far. We discussed the humanitarian efforts. Braxton had a hard time with the poverty and lack of food. When he saw that people resort to eating dirt, it was too much for him. I'd really like to follow up on this with some service to benefit those in need.<br /><br />Kevin discussed with the kids at brekkie the Somalia fishing industry and pirates. It was really interesting, and Sarah had great comments that showed she was really analyzing the information given her, like telling Kevin the pirates sounded more like privateers. It lead to more discussion, obviously. Two thumbs up for independent thinkers!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jenni</span> I went visiting teaching and read copious amounts on the Haitian earthquake and people. With work lasting 5 1/2 hours today, and kidschool, it was a full day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kevin </span>Work and then scouts tonight. The boys are working on getting things ready for the Court of Honor this weekend.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keegan </span>worked at the campus library, went toEngineering class, Electricity class, and his Engineering and Design class. He was also facebooking, asking for ways to know what his grade status is in a class. He is currently 6th out of 53 in Engineering. Not at all competitive...Keegan is the youth leader in charge of the stake court of honor, so he worked on that, plus set up his scoutmaster conference to finish his Eagle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Braxtonf</span>ound more music for the ukulele - he is really getting good! Read <span style="font-style: italic;">The DiVinci Code</span>, and read about the Hindenberg, which has been a topic of interest for the boys lately. Brax also had his Board of Review to receive his Life rank, and he helped cook tacos for lunch that were utterly delish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jarik </span>spent hours practicing the keyboard. He found the theme music to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pink Panther<span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span></span>and started learning it today. He also studied Chemistry, read <span style="font-style: italic;">Call of the Wild</span>, and then decided he didn't need to do more when I left for visiting teaching...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah </span>created a skirt with a 'tattered' edge. It has layers of fabric, and looks like something a fairy would wear. It is very cute! She started and finished <span style="font-style: italic;">Maximum Ride</span>, absolutely loving it, and narrated the whole thing to me. I think I'll have to read it too! She also worked on her blog.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quen </span>was absorbed by his <span style="font-style: italic;">You Wouldn't Want to Be...</span> books that he checked out of the library. He also worked hard to earn some extra cash to buy computer time and legos.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-67930236775152828292010-01-12T20:27:00.000-08:002010-01-12T20:31:32.992-08:00Mom's Red JuiceHere is another smoothie recipe. This one is great for cleansing.<br /><br />1 beet, peeled<br />1 orange, peeled<br />1 apple, cored<br />1 lemon, peeled<br />1 handful spinach or kale<br />1 tsp fresh ginger<br /><br />Take the beet and run it through the juicer. Then add the spinach with the ginger in the juicer. After that put the apple, orange and lemon through.<br /><br />Drink within 15 minutes for maximum enjoyment!reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-20520992400348909082010-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:002010-01-12T16:54:47.452-08:00Workboxes After Six MonthsWell, workboxes were great for about 2 months. But then it really started to stick in my craw. I felt I was setting up the contents for all of my children's studies, and it was taking me hours to do so. I've gravitated back to the TJed principle of 'structuring time not content'.<br />The kids had started doing the minimum work possible, and I had started getting frustrated at them, because I couldn't be on them all day to finish their work, set up their work, grade their work, and still do my own work! The love for learning was really starting to fade.<br />So over the holiday season, I let it all go. I just started back on structuring their time. I've already seen a difference. It is harder to stay organized and clean, but I think that we will get that down with a little more time.<br />For now, no more workboxes. If the kids want to set up their own, all the power to them! I'll even help them do so in a weekly mentor meeting. But for now, workboxes are going the way of the do-do.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-900177872299828112009-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:002010-01-12T20:42:19.202-08:00Kevin's Red SmoothieOkay, Kevin made another spectacular smoothie for me tonight. It's a beautiful red color and just sweet enough. Here is the recipe:<br />1 beet, peeled and juiced (with the tops though)<br />7 carrots, juiced<br />4 granny smith apples, juiced<br />1/2 lemon, juiced<br />10 strawberries<br />4 eggs<br />1 TBS maple syrup (we're out of agave)<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />Throw the whole lot in the blender and mix, then serve immediately.<br />Makes 4 servings.<br /><br />We thought we'd throw in the beet, since we read yesterday that they are great for your liver.<br />WARNING: My kids hated this one, but one of their friends couldn't get enough.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-30070160220773734752009-09-21T06:18:00.000-07:002009-09-21T06:24:27.939-07:00Sabbath Ramblings - 'It Was Good'I thought that each Sabbath I would add a thought from what I had been studying during the week. This last week was hard to narrow down to one quote, but in the end Genesis 1:31 won out.<br />"And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold it was good."<br />I realized, God took joy in his work. He stopped, looked, and said, it's good. I need to do the same. I need to stop, look around, and enjoy what God made as well as enjoy the work I have done. I need to see the good. Because it is good! And I'm good. My children are good. See and enjoy!reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-78188673720034362332009-09-19T14:31:00.000-07:002010-01-12T20:22:45.712-08:00WorkboxesI've been researching ways to get my home school organized again, and stumbled upon a great idea. In fact, I was almost there on my own, but seeing what these other wonderful families have done, I'm excited to start my own version. Just google Sue Patrick and workboxes, and you will see what I'm talking about!<br />I had decided to use file folders in a box for each child to separate their assignments for the day. I just purchased a large file box from Walmart for each. Then filled each with 12 files (to start with) and a plastic tote for glue, scissors, and such.<br />Then I found the workboxes. I have already spent my budget for now, so I will have to make do with what I have, but I think it will meet our needs.<br />I'm changing my white board to look like the schedule strips. I've picked up contact paper and velcro tabs at Walmart this morning. I'm going to make the laminated assignment tabs to turn over when done. I'm going to also take their assignments every evening and prep the boxes with everything they will need for the next day's work. Then there will be smileys that I can stick on the white board for assignments I've checked.<br />I love how visual the whole set up is.<br />I'll keep you posted on how it works!reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-43000791267366859162008-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:002010-01-12T20:22:24.650-08:00Visiting DadToday I'm visiting with my dad in the ICU. They are taking great care of him. He is still on a ventilator, and is not able to wake completely, even though he is not being sedated. I'm glad for the opportunity I have though to just sit and be with him.<br /><br />Update - January 12, 2010: Looking back on this, I'm glad I posted it. It brings back the memories of what was happening then, and the last days I had with my dad. I am so grateful for the moments he became coherent, where he thanked me for being with him, and told me he loved me.<br /><br />I didn't realize the depth to which his death shook me. I believe it was one of the 'last straws' that created such havoc in my body and mind. Even now, I am just getting back some semblance of balance.<br /><br />It really shook my son, Keegan as well, and he went through an incredibly difficult time. It's interesting, because it seems his grief is lessening too, and he has peace in his heart again.<br /><br />I am forever grateful for the testimony I have that I will see my dad again. I will be able to laugh with him, and show him my love. I know he sees us, and I have felt him near on a handful of occasions. This life is not the end. I know that. He still loves us, and wants our happiness. I don't know how I would manage without this knowledge.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-70477217607555170102008-08-07T14:41:00.000-07:002009-09-21T06:34:26.204-07:00It's a Wonderful Life!Boy did life get in the way of my intentions to start this blog. Within this last year we have been involved in a major car accident where I injured my back, moved, are starting our own business here in town that we hope will be a real asset to the community as well as to our family, our oldest turned 16 (!) and is starting college, both of our older boys have been working at a Boy Scout Camp, and it has just been BUSY!<br /><br />I am excited about the possibilities in the future here for our family. I am in the process of creating this years plans, and am getting more and more excited as I go! We will be studying the Reformation to the Restoration, and basing most of our studies off of that. My next blog will be more of an in-depth look at what we will be doing.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-87000660033689852422007-05-11T11:06:00.000-07:002010-01-12T20:24:02.298-08:00Having an Action PlanI was thinking how very grateful I am for my Action Plan. It's where I keep all my goals for my family, homeschool, individual children, and even myself. Having tried various methods for time management and goal keeping, my Action Plan is what works best for my family.<br /><br />I got this from "A Recipe for Success" by Rachel and Oliver DeMille, then fitted it to my family. Twice a year, in the spring and fall, there is a routine I follow to create my Action Plan.<br /><br />1. Declutter! I go through my house top to bottom getting rid of junk. Flylady.com is the place to go for help on this one if you have never done a good declutter, or you get stuck in the middle of the mess and give up. (ME!) For those that know me, I am always joking about doing my 6th month purge for 6 months! This does lay the foundation for a better education, because environment is a very important element of education.<br /><br />2. I create a list of all I do, then cut out the things I don't need to be doing. Some things just stop, some are delegated, some are put on the back burner. The goal here is to cut it by 50%, freeing up more time for relationships, education, and the things that really matter.<br /><br />3. For me both of these should be done by either Oct 1 or Apr 1, depending on the season. This way I can spend the next weekend at the LDS General Conference, to get a great spiritual refill and contemplate what to focus on next. It really doesn't matter your religion, find a way to refill, including study, prayer, and/or meditation to focus on what is important to you.<br /><br />4. Then I find a quiet time and place, with my husband (hopefully!), to discuss and write out what we feel important about each of our children and ourselves. We like to escape somewhere, and let the kids have a weekend with the grandparents. This spring we went to a beautiful spot on a little island north of Seattle. We had so much fun, and got alot of thinking down on paper.<br /><br />5. From what we write, we create (okay, let's get real, I create) a working plan that incorporates the goals we have, and the goals we have for each of our children. I do this very prayerfully, and it takes a few days.<br /><br />6. Then, I use it. Weekly I review my Action Plan, and plan my week accordingly.<br /><br />It really is very simple. There are simple questions suggested in the book above by DeMille that I follow, adding my own here and there. If you are interested in more information, email me at reallifeeducation@hotmail.com.reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130686670655183056.post-78527812256341578822007-05-09T07:03:00.000-07:002010-01-12T20:06:30.581-08:00Learning Something New...<span style="font-family:verdana;">So today I enter the blogging world.<br /><br />As a homeschooler, I believe in modeling a life of learning. I know computers are great, but honestly, I know very little about how to use one. So I am diving right on in, and learning how. I have a vision of being able to connect with other homeschooling families with the same ideals, and goals as I do. I also believe that I have alot to offer in many ways. I have been homeschooling for 15 years now. That includes my oldest sons early years. We were firm on our decision to homeschool before he was even born. In fact, none of my children have been to public schools. So I have alot to share with how I make homeschooling work for my family. It might help someone else! I know I sure depended on experienced homeschoolers my first few years, and beyond! I still do.<br /></span>reallifemomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01563914070202485946noreply@blogger.com0