Thirsty Thursday- Getting Together and Getting Out There
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 9, 2009
Joy’s fantastic homeschooling post about socialization is a perfect fit and set up for my post for this Thirsty Thursday.
Everyone is always talking socialization. So what do we about it? In our family we do a lot, and so can you!
Sports programs are excellent ways for your children to get out there. My Ms. Serious (12) participated in the Upwards sports program at our church. She did cheerleading in late winter/ early spring, and she played basketball after that. She loved it and made many new friends! Not to mention she learned new skills. Ms. Lovebug (6) will be doing cheerleading and Young Man (10) will be playing flag football starting in August. Our Ms. Firecracker is now a USAG level 5 competing gymnast, and she has been in gymnastics less than 2 years! It all started with a homeschool class at a local gym.
More sports: our homeschooling group has an Unusual Sports day. It is one day a week, or a month, that our group gets together and learns a new sport. Things like croquet, bocci ball, tennis and horseshoes. Start one of these with your homeschooling group, and pick the sports you like and know.
Photography club. Ms. Serious (12) has just joined our groups’ photography club. They get together once a month to present the club with their assignment photos. They also work in teams during the meeting to photograph subjects that follow the theme chosen for that meeting. They learn how to compose a strong picture.
Park days. All of my children love park days. You can set up a day for local homeschoolers to meet at a park for a few hours. The kids get to play, visit with their friends, and we often take the time to give to our community by cleaning up the park.
Library Days. A great chance for the kids to get together with friends, meet new people and find out about different programs offered by your local library. We have joined several of these programs including: arts and crafts, music, reading and drama.
Field trips. We have a very open homeschool group, and anyone can put together a field trip. I have organized field trips to local Civil War Battlefield parks, local state parks, local fire departments and local museums. The kids and the parents have a blast getting together, and we all get to learn something!
There are many opportunities to get involved in your community and with your local homeschool group or families. Parents and children alike get to meet a variety new people, try new things, experience new things, learn and help others. Take a breath and step out!
For more Thirsty Thursday- head over to Five J’s and check out what is happening.
Fully Relying on God,
~Rhen
Hey! Take a moment to enter my Cloth Diaper Giveaway and my CoQ10 Healthy Supplement Giveaway!
Things I Love Thursday
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 8, 2009
Our school year has started, and that means I am in full homeschooling mode. I am buzzing around getting each child’s curriculum organized and on their shelf.
This is how I came across what I want to share with you for my TILT post. You do not have to homeschool for this post to be relevant, so keep reading!
I wanted to share our handwriting series with you. I love using A Reason for Handwriting! I love their format. I love their layout. I love the tips they give for mastering each letter. I love the coloring pages. I love this bookin particular. This is what Ms. Lovebug (6) will be using this year.
This one of the series is called Transition. It transitions your child from writing in manuscript to cursive. Each lesson can last one week, or less if you like. My kids love the coloring page for practicing their handwriting. My Ms. Serious (12), Young Man (10) and Ms. Firecracker (8 ) have all used this series and loved it. They are upset they have progressed through all of the books. LOL
The A Reason for Handwriting Books start with Kindergarten aged children and goes through Book F, which is 6th grade. These books had/ have my kids looking forward to handwriting every day. Yay! Whether you homeschool, are prepping your child for public school, or just want to help your child improve their handwriting, this series is great for all of it!
See why they are my TILT?! For more great TILT’s pop over to The Diaper Diaries and check ‘em out.
Fully Relying on God,
~Rhen
I did not get paid for this or anything like that. I just use and love these books.
Hey! Take a moment to enter my Cloth Diaper Giveaway and my CoQ10 Healthy Supplement Giveaway!
Wordless Wednesday and You Capture!
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 8, 2009
Here is our adorable and tiny Ms. Independent (4) enjoying a juicy piece of watermelon on the 4th of July.
Your turn! Check out You Capture! and Wordless Wednesday for more great pics.
God bless,
~Rhen
Body after baby
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 8, 2009
What do I think about my body after baby? Two words. Oh, crap. Seriously.
I know that it is all a part of having children, that I should love my body, and that eventually I will be able to wear my clothes again. That doesn’t make me feel any better when I look in the mirror. My eyes are drawn right to my belly that looks like a deflated giant balloon, my hips with all of their stored fat, the extra cheeks I have on my derierre and the bags under my eyes from not getting enough restful sleep. I know it is not the best thing to say, but I am being very honest here.
Now, I am trying to change. I am not talking about what I see (I am already working on that), but rather the way I see it. I no longer want to bring myself down by focusing on the fact my body is not in the shape it was in at 20 or even 25. (I am now 33 with 7 children from 7 weeks to 12 years.)
I am working to adjust my attitude to look more toward that old adage about fine wine. I am getting better with age, and that is so true. I am taking better care of myself. I eat very healthy and work out on a regular basis. I know who I am on the inside, and I have not only become comfortable with that, but also learned to appreciate who God made me to be.
This is not an easy thing to do. I have never had a very high self esteem, and trying to point out positives in my body seems very egotistical. I know it is not egotistical. It just seems that way. It is okay to think good things about yourself. In fact, it is healthy to do so. Now, I just have to get comfortable with that. And I will, one step at a time.
A second, and a big, way I am working on is to get rid of all of my unflattering clothing. It is hard to appreciate your body, and the way you look, when what you see in the mirror is clothed in something that looks like a sack, pulls in the wrong places, is too tight, and/or is flat worn out and lacking shape. This makes you look bigger than you are. I will be left with little to choose from, but it is better than the clothing taking up space in my closet and tempting me to wear it.
Here I am 7 weeks after having our 7th child.
It’s not pretty folks. (Sorry the pics are dark. Rushed to get them on here) The pics show that I have a lot of work to do. Especially in the hip, thigh, tush areas. Each week I will post pics, and I hope they will get better looking each time. LOL Just keeping it real! I weigh 155.8 pounds and am still maternity jeans. My goal? Back down to 140 pounds and back in my 4/6’s.
I hope you will join me as I work to not only shape up the outside, but also as I improve the inside. I will share about my diet changes and routines, my daily workout schedule, my attitude adjustments and anything else that I think is relevant to getting back into shape and improving my view of myself.
For more on great Body After Baby posts pop over to Mama Notes and check ‘em out.
Speaking of getting healthy, I am having a Healthy Supplement Giveaway. Please check it out.
Fully Relying on God,
~Rhen
WFMW- Yearbooks
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 8, 2009
As a homeschooling parent I have often thought about finding a way to create a family yearbook to represent each school year. I had no idea how to do it. Until now.
If you don’t homeschool- DON”T GO ANYWHERE! This is not just for homeschoolers. How about creating a yearbook to commemorate your family’s activities for the year, or a “through the years” book for a high school senior, or remembering your child’s first year of life, or their first year of school? There are so many reasons to create a “yearbook”.
I have tried and tried, but I am not a scrapbooker. I have supplies. I don’t really have the time to give to making the pages and then putting them all into books. I needed something quicker and easier. This is where Our Hubbub by Jostens comes in and saves the day.
It is so easy. I choose a design I like. Personally, I chose the Homeschool Modern design.
Then I chose the cover. You can choose one already done or customize your own.
I uploaded the photos I wanted, and I was able to make the pages look exactly like what I had envisioned.
I have had a blast making our family’s yearbook for the ‘08-’09 school year. For example, I made a USA Gymnastics page for Ms. Firecracker (8 ), an Upward cheerleading and basketball page for Ms. Serious (11), an AAU Gymnastics page for Ms. Lovebug (6), and a birthday page to cover the birthdays they each had during the school year. All 6 birthdays and the arrival of our newest in May.
It has been a fantastic way to commemorate our school year and all our family has done and that works for me!
Have a WFMW or just wanting to check out what others are saying? Visit We Are That Family.
God bless,
~Rhen
Wow, FREE Healthy Stuff!!
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 7, 2009
I have an awesome new giveaway for ya’ll, and I get to give away something healthy!
What am I giving away? CoQ10!
Maybe you are asking what CoQ10 is.
CoQ10 is a powerful, highly concentrated supplement combining CoQ10 with D-limonene and mixed tocopherols. This trio of power-packed nutrients is rich in antioxidants and assists with energy production at the cellular level while protecting cell formation. Studies show CoQ10 has a positive effect on heart disease, low-energy, cancer prevention, neuro-degenerative diseases, and periodontal disease, among others. This vital supplement provides nutrients targeted to help each and every cell make energy, protect cell membranes, and function at top level for nutritional well being.
What parent can’t use more energy and better health to keep up with their kids???
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My husband has been taking CoQ10 (that we bought) for a couple months now, and he can definitely tell the difference in his energy level. He stopped taking it for about a week and really noticed!
A wonderful rep at True Essentials is sponsoring this giveaway and has donated a bottle of CoQ10 ($ 49.99 value) to give to one of my readers. How great is that?!
If you are looking for a healthy way to improve your health and get more energy, CoQ10 should be at the top of your list!
How do you enter? Easy (of course)!
Pop over to True Essentials and check out their products. Come back here and tell me which product you would buy. That’s it!
This is your initial entry and must be done before any additional entries can be done.
Additional entries:
1 entry- Follow me on Twitter
1 entry- Twitter about this giveaway- unlimited
1 entry- subscribe to my blog
5 entries- purchase any True Essentials product
10 entries- purchase any True Essentials product using auto ship
*Make sure you leave me a seperate comment for each entry you do.*
Now for the rules:
~Open to US residents only
~Winner has 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen
~I will delete all invalid entries
~Contest ends July 19, 2009 @ 11:59 pm ET
~Please leave an email so I can tell you if you win.
Okay friends, spread the word!
This little piggy went to market and…
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: July 5, 2009
….this little piggy got a make over.
Actually 14 piggies got make overs.
The piggies belong to myself, my mom (Granny), Ms. Serious (12), Ms. Firecracker (8 ), Ms. Lovebug (6), Ms. Independent (4) and Ms. Giggles (2).
While on vacation in June we did a lot of driving and stayed over night at a hotel. The kids always have a blast staying at a hotel. The littles are especially excited by the whole hotel thing. I remember considering it oh-so-exciting when I was a kid. LOL I think mine are crazy about the big breakfasts they get while there.
We went swimming, stayed up a little later than we should have, and we (all of the girls) did our toenails. Our girls are not yet allowed to wear nail polish, but I did decide to decorate everyone’s big toe with nail stickers. Oh my goodness the ruckus over the stickers was hilarious. I cannot tell you how many times I had to warn someone they were about to run into a wall or something because they kept walking around admiring the cuteness of their toes.
I do have to admit, they are the cutest toes ever! It was not easy finding stickers to fit Ms. Giggles (2) tiny little toe nails. Her toes are so little, yet chubby! 
I have had to replace the stickers several times for some of them. Two of the girls lost theirs at the waterpark we went to in the Dells. I think I have created 5 toe nail sticker monsters! LOL
It is a good thing they are so easy to put on. A quick, but totally fun, girl thing to do with my girlies. Yay!
God bless,
~Rhen
That’s a new one!
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: June 29, 2009
Being a mom of 7 children I get asked a lot of questions. Some of the questions are stupid. Flat out. Some of them are understandable. Some of them are a little personal. And some of them are just plain funny.
Let me set the stage for you. I am at the grocery store. All of the kids and Mr. Muscles are with me. We have 3 buggies of food we are purchasing to eat for the next two weeks. I am paying for said food when the young lady at the check out looked at me and asked, “Do you have a summer camp?”
I guess the competely confused look on my face led her to clarify. At that point she said, “I just thought with all the food, and all of the kids, that you guys have a summer camp.”
Guess what my response was.
LOLOLOLOLOL
Yep, you guessed it! I said, “They are all mine.”
That was a new one for me.
I laughed about that every time it crossed my mind for the rest of the day.
I am still laughing.
Summer Camp. Hahahahahahahahaha
~Rhen
Me? Running?
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: June 28, 2009
I saw a woman running the other day.
It made me think.
There are only two things that would make me run.
1. Someone/ something I don’t want to catch me is chasing me.
2. There is something in front of me that is covered with chocolate and it is running away from me.
Don’t get me wrong. I have great respect and admiration for people who run. I think ya’ll are just either picturing something/ someone chasing you or there is something that is chocolate covered in front of you.
My husband had to add his reason I don’t run. I don’t want a black eye. Haha. That was so funny I forgot to laugh.
*wink*
Do you run?
Shalom,
~Rhen
I just love giving stuff away!
Posted by: yestheyareallmine on: June 27, 2009
I am a cloth diapering momma who adores to spread the love of cloth diapers. It is fantastic that the hard working mom behind Bella Bottoms supports my passion, and she has generously donated more of her wonderful diapers for me to give away!
I love Bella Bottoms Diapers and have used them on our last 3 children (including our newest little one). I am loving seeing Ms. Dimples (6 weeks) in her new leopard print, giraffe print, coral and camo diapers. Yes, camo, and she rocks it!
One of my favorite features of my Bella Bottoms Diapers is that they adjust easily and to many different sizes to fit perfectly as baby grows. They are also very absorbant.
A little bit more about the features of Bella Bottoms:
Unique fold-down snaps, so your diaper grows as your baby does
Wooly Nylon surging for maximum strength and softness.
Soft stretchy elastic in the legs and waist for a great fit and superb leak protection
Prewashed fabrics to minimize shrinkage and fading
Top quality fabrics and work‘woman’ship by a mom who values your convenience and your baby’s comfort above all else.
Bella Bottoms also offers a great selection of diapers and accessories like:
*Bamboo one -sized diapers
*Hemp diapers
*Hemp/ bamboo diapers
*Organic diapers
*Cotton diapers
*Terry diapers
*and diaper doublers, soakers, wipes, pocket diapers and diaper covers.
There are many different choices in prints, patterns and colors! The green and the blue diaper covers are calling my name. :)
Here is what other people are saying:
Amanda- This is a very absorbent diaper and will hold anything my son throws at it. He is 7 months old, 20 lbs. and still fits on the smallest or next to smallest setting if I’ve added a doubler. I’m not sure that he will outgrow this diaper before he’s potty-trained – which is so wonderful! The price is right, the fit is right – just a great, great diaper!
Rikki- WOW! No leaks with this cover at all, my son wore it for 12 hours of sleep and not one leak! I don’t think anyone else uses this material and let me tell you IT WORKS!
Erin- These diapers are great! They are a great price and the hemp insert makes them super absorbent. I use them overnight with my 16 month old and he is dry in the morning when I add an extra insert. I am thoroughly impressed with these diapers (and all of Faith’s products for that matter) and wish I would have found out about them sooner.
Are you ready to win some? It is so easy!
One winner will be blessed with:
Not 1 but 2 gender nuetral, one-size fitted diapers (one moss green and one americana) and 2 snap-in soakers.
The one-size fitted diapers fit babies 8-40 pounds and will take baby through potty training.
Initial Entry: Click over to Bella Bottoms and tell me which diaper and pattern you would love to have. You must do this before you go for the extra entries.
Additional Entries:
*Subsribe to my blog.
or
*Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this G/A.
or
*Give mention of this giveaway on your blog.
or
*Enter into my Healthy Giveaway
but,
*If you purchase anything from Bella Bottoms during this giveaway that will be worth 10 entries!
Please leave a comment for each entry you do.
Only one initial entry per person. Twitter entries are unlimited until the end of the giveaway. Please leave me a link to your blog post or each Twitter post so I can make sure the entries are valid.
Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents.
Giveaway will end on July 12th at 11:59 pm et, and a winner will be chosen.
Please make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.
Good luck to everyone!
~Rhen
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Books I am Reading:
*Mathew
*A Woman After God's Own Heart- Elizabeth George
Book(s) to Read:
* 90 Minutes in Heaven- Don Piper
* Heaven- Randy Alcorn
* A Woman After God's Own Heart- Elizabeth George
Yes, they are all mine.
- Thirsty Thursday- Getting Together and Getting Out There July 9, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- Things I Love Thursday July 9, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- Wordless Wednesday and You Capture! July 9, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- Body after baby July 8, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- WFMW- Yearbooks July 8, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- Wow, FREE Healthy Stuff!! July 8, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- This little piggy went to market and… July 6, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- That’s a new one! June 29, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- Me? Running? June 29, 2009 yestheyareallmine
- I just love giving stuff away! June 27, 2009 yestheyareallmine
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