I'm One Of Those Moms!

For the past couple of weeks, I've seen a question or statement on the internet regarding doing school work during the summer months.  Early in the year, I was contemplating on possibly starting year round school this summer, but once I came to my senses ( I was caffeine deprived) I decided to continue doing school the traditional way ~ taking June and July off and starting back in August. I honestly would miss my night owl moments and once my husband is off to work, sleeping to catch up on missed snoozes.

So to answer the question do you do school work during the summer? Absolutely not!  ...not really.  There is no formal education, other than reading going on during the two months off but there are life experiences that are worked on here during the summer and that makes up our learning.

So I am one of those moms.

 I am one who believes that my son does better with  two and half months off (we finished up the year the second week of May). We love our summertime break. We love the laid back atmosphere on these sweltering days. If we choose to watch a movie on Netflix, we jump at the chance.  I will say this, if my son was behind in something, then we would work on it. I would not allow him to move on in the fall without some refreshing moments during the summer.

But I'm also one of those moms who believes there are learning opportunities in everything that is worked on around our home; not just school books. These opportunities range from mowing and weed eating the lawn, washing clothes and hanging them on the line, preparing simple meals, sewing buttons on a garment to cleaning the toilet just to name a few. My son does all the up keep on the lawn, he washes his own clothes and hangs them on the line, he can prepare simple meals. He has had the opportunity to learn to clean the toilet and today he will be working on sewing a couple of buttons on one of his rodeo shirts.

I honestly believe all children, boys included need to learn to care for a home. Boys should not be taught that cleaning is a girls job. I always think about the future when it comes to something my son learns. Is it going to benefit him later on? You bet! Everyone needs to know how to sew a button on and keep a bathroom clean.  There are a lot of bachelors in the world that have had learned how to care for their homes. I'm almost positive there are those whose mothers make a weekly visit to do the cleaning for them.

I also think about what if something happened to me. Are my husband and son going to know how to keep the cleaning going or the laundry? I would hate to know that I was laid up in bed for weeks and have to face a mountain of laundry or a moldy bathroom. Are the dusty bunnies going to move out from under the beds and sofa and take over the house? No one is going to clean like me. No one is going to see the dust in the corner like I would. But I do know if something happened to me, my home would not be completely over run with dust bunnies and our bathroom would not turn brown.

So, yes there is learning going on in our home during the summer months.

A Little History: A Visit to a National Cemetery

I wanted to share a few photos from our trip to the Marietta National Cemetery on Memorial Day. Since today is the anniversary for D-Day, it's a perfect time to share.

This is a map image for the cemetery and shows the layout of the rows of graves. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see the lay out of the cemetery. You'll also see areas that are in a circle shape. This is where the graves were placed around the oak trees and some of the trees have been removed.

This is the entrance into the cemetery. The photo on the left reads "Marietta National Military Cemetery Establish AD 1866". The photo on the right reads "Marietta National Military Cemetery, Here Rests The Remains of 10,132 Officers And Soldiers Who Died In Defense Of The Union, 1861 To1865." To date, there are over 18,000 graves in the cemetery.

This next photo is the grave of John Clark, Revolutionary War officer and former governor of Georgia. He and his wife were place here by a member of the DAR. The plaque on the left states this information.

One of the many soldiers patrolling the cemetery.

The same soldier saluting while the National Anthem was being played.

This photo is quite special. This is the grave of a Medal of Honor recipient. There are only two buried in this cemetery to have that honor bestowed upon them.

There are rows and rows (hundreds) of these markers placed throughout the cemetery. Each marker has a number but no name. These are unknown soldiers during the Civil War. 

Throughout the cemetery we saw headstones that listed each of the wars that our country fought up until the Vietnam War. Many of the graves had been placed by members of the DAR, UDC and SCV.

Are you looking for a place to do some history teaching? Why not visit a National Cemetery?

All In The Family

I’m a family genealogy nerd! I love history and I love learning where I came from. Thankfully, a friend shared her secret with me about 10 years ago for finding about her family. You won’t believe what that secret was!

About ten years ago, I was introduced to genealogy. From that moment on, I have loved learning about my family's history. But before that, my ears would perk up when I heard a name and a relation; nothing to cause me to stop and listen.

Part of my father's paternal family tree was presented to the family in the late eighties. It was neat seeing the names and dates and some faces in photos of those whom the older generation talked about. In the nineties my father's maternal family tree was presented. My grandmother had tons of photos of her family, and we had a few names along with dates. When this was presented I was a little curious about names and how far back the tree went, but that was it.

My third year teaching fifth grade, a friend of mine and I were talking about our family's history. I told her a little (what I knew) about my family and she went on to tell this awesome story about her family. I was a little surprised; this lady knew so much about her family and she was able to share it. I explained our family branches on my father's side, but for my mother, there was nothing known. I went on to tell her how my grandmother never really told anything about her family, so my mom really did not know much past her grandparents. She laughed and said that she used the internet to find out everything she knew.  That day I was introduced to Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com.

Because of the costs using Ancestry, I went straight to Rootsweb. I was shocked at the plethora of information found on this site.  My mom's paternal family tree popped right up when I typed in a name and a possible date.  I spent several months researching this branch in the tree and was amazed at learning her father's family is from Ireland and the first person to come to the US, came as an indentured servant. The maternal family branch has been a little difficult to track down. I've spent several years working off and on finding any information that I could about her family.  I am still at a road block on the maternal side of my grandmother.

At the first of May, I was asked if I  am still working on our family tree. I quickly nodded yes, but in my heart I was saying, "I haven't touched it in a year."  About a week ago, my sister asked me about someone in the tree and I felt like a dumb bell because I knew that I needed to check the information.Truthfully, I get discouraged when I have used all my resources and nothing new appears for months, so I pack everything away, until I feel the inspiration to look again. I did just that.

This week I pulled out my huge notebook and our Family Bible and I began researching.
I also saw where Ancestry was offering a free 14 day trail. YEP, I signed up for the 14 days and began working.  Would you believe after a year, I was able to find tidbits of information which caused me to search some other websites? I even found photos of my some of my mom's ancestors. I was doing a happy dance, I tell ya!

Within the 10 years of research, I have learned valuable lessons.

•  Learn all you can about your family.

•  Share the information with others.

•  Teach your children about their family's history; don't leave them in the dark.

•  Gather the information in either a software, book, disc ~something, so it can be handed down. Don't hoard pictures, letters, newspaper clippings, etc. There are others who would love to see them and have them.

Last night, my sweet son came and sat beside me at the computer wanting to see what I was working on. I showed him just a few of the people who are searching or have searched for the same person in our family. He was amazed at how many people are actually related to each other.

Family genealogy is definitely going to be part of our homeschool curriculum from now on. I want my son to be able to relate happy, sad, funny and weird experiences to his children and grandchildren one day.

Memorial Day 2012: My Thoughts

Many people do not know the true meaning behind Memorial Day. Some people take this day to thank veterans and their families for their sacrificial service. Most use this as a day of barbecuing and get-togethers and celebrating a day off from work or school. In reality, Memorial Day was a day of mourning those who died while in service to our country.

You can read about the history of Memorial Day HERE. The following paragraphs stood out to me when I was looking for the link to add to the post.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

 Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

When I read both I was saddened. People can easily be distracted from a time of remembering those who gave us our freedoms but these same people will spend months at a time planning vacations, Christmas, birthday parties, weddings, etc. I can't wrap my head around that fact.

When I read those paragraphs, I could not help but remember the last year I taught school. There was some sorta mix up with the total of school days and because of this, we had to go to school on Memorial Day. Let's just say, I was not the only one who was highly upset with this. No matter what suggestions were offered, administration would not back down on attending on a holiday. There was a staff member who spoke up about not being able to go boating with their family and how they always had a big cookout and what not at the lake. It took one very sweet and knowledgeable lady to explain to those who did not know the true meaning of Memorial Day.   I will never forget how she explained that Memorial Day is not about boating, cookouts, and get-togethers. She went on to tell that it is a day to remember those who died while fighting for our country. It is a day to mourn and remember the ultimate sacrifice these men and women gave at a time when our country was fighting for our freedoms.

Today, our family did something that we have never done and hopefully it will be something that we can continue. We visited The National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia.  I would never say it was a somber visit. It was an enlightening visit for me. I was able to see over 18,000 graves. Not all the graves belonged to servicemen; many belonged to their wives and even their children. Many had names/ranks/years/wars listed while almost as many only had a marker with a number or "Unknown Soldier" on the headstone. Seeing these headstones and markers made me realize that I have so much to be thankful for. If it were not for these people, we may not have our freedoms.

I am thankful for those who serve in our armed forces. I am thankful for those who send a spouse or children off to war. I am thankful to those who have lost their life so I could sleep peacefully at night. Most importantly, I am thankful to a heavenly Father who allowed me live in this great nation, so I can remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

~Happy Memorial Day!~

Hoarding No More

I wanted to show a few pictures from this week and last weekend's junior rodeo.

Do you remember this PHOTO from last week?

 

I sure do! Looking at the photo makes me think of the show Hoarders. First, I am not a hoarder. Secondly, I am not a hoarder. Thirdly, I AM NOT A HOARDER; just a little sentimental over cutesy papers my son created when he was little.

I spent Monday and Tuesday going through that pile of folders and notebooks and now I have a HUGE garbage bag of papers waiting to be taken to the garbage drop off in the morning. I even went through Jamie's K4 notebook and threw out a bunch of stuff. I had to have him help me, because I just couldn't choose to throw away some of the cute art projects that he made. Funny, he had a hard time with that too!  I am so glad  it is over with and now I can look on into summer without knowing I have that horrible task to complete.

Here is what is left of that pile ~

                                                                  Shocking, I know! 

Here are a few pictures of last weekend's junior rodeo. We were so proud of Jamie! In chute dogging (steer wrestling), he won first place with a 10.2 second throw and came home with a first place check, which went into his savings account. **This was his first throw in about 8 months, he chose not to chute dog in April. He was checking out his competition.**

Here he is on his steer. I felt like throwing a dirt clod at the man in this photo. I took pictures for my husband, while he was in  the chute helping Jamie with his rope.  In every picture I took for him, this guy was in every one; RIGHT. IN. THE. MIDDLE! Jamie did well on his ride, he didn't cover the bull (a full 6 seconds) but he did get out into the arena which was exciting.

I'm sure you have noticed my watermark on my pictures. I made it adjustable so I could decide on how I want to place it on my pictures.  That's why it looks different in all the pictures that I've posted since making it. I made it using Photoshop Elements 9, just as soon as I can write out how I did it, I'll post a tutorial on how. ~ Hopefully!  Photoshop Elements is not cheap and it takes time to learn it; so if you are like me and want something quick and easy for everyday pictures, don't spend your money on it.  I have one other editing software that anyone can get their hands on because it is free and I'm working on a tutorial for it.

My weekend consist of laundry, grocery shopping, thrift store shopping and blueberry and blackberry picking.  Have a good weekend!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudgy Buttons

Chocolate and Peanut Butter! You can't go wrong with either one and putting them together is OUT OF THIS WORLD! An easy recipe to double and even triple. Trust me!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter! You can't go wrong with either one and putting them together ~ OUT OF THIS WORLD! 

I found this recipe in  a Taste of Home magazine that was given to me from my friend Sharon. I was cleaning out some boxes that had secretly been hidden ( I'm the secret hider) since we moved here last year and came across this particular magazine. While looking through it, a craving for chocolate hit me out of nowhere. 

When I came across this recipe, I read that it would make just enough to make me happy without making a huge mess.  Honestly, this recipe makes just enough buttons, to make you mad. I recommend doubling the recipe for a huge chocolate craving.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudgy Buttons

2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon milk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

In a small saucepan, melt the butter; remove from the heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper; flatten tops and shape into 1-in. patties. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.


** I put my buttons in the freezer and when they came out they were kinda like a small peanut butter cup.**

Homemade Vanilla

For almost a year, I read about making vanilla flavoring.  I've read all the good, bad and ugly on making it with alcohol and without. They both have all three.

Have you seen the price on vanilla lately? If not, it is through the roof. For me, making vanilla is partly a frugal thing but I also like to know exactly what is in our pantry items.

If you are buying vanilla in the stores, then you are buying a watered down version. Read the label. Check for cloudiness. I bought two bottles at the BOGO sale at Sprouts not too long ago. I was extremely disappointed  at the cloudiness in the bottle. I knew there was water in it because I read the label. But I didn't expect the vanilla to separate. Anytime I used it, I had to shake the bottle. 

I weighed the traditional alcohol method along with the non alcohol method and for us, spending money on the glycerin (non alcohol method) was sending money up the chimney.  Depending on your beliefs, I recommend researching both methods and doing what you feel led to go with.

Homemade Vanilla

In our area, vanilla beans are a little difficult to find locally. I called Trader Joe's and several local health food stores and they did not carry any. I did find a tiny package of beans (6 beans) at our local Earth Fare. I paid $12.00 for those beans in January and I'm looking at Mountain Rose Herbs for my next purchase.

In January, my husband saw the price factor for vanilla. He was a little shocked over the price per ounce on the store brand not the national brand name. He finally decided it was time to take the step into making our own vanilla. When we left the grocery store, we headed over to the other store and he bought a bottle of vodka. You can use different types of alcohol like rum and bourbon but I went with the vodka because I didn't want any other flavor in mine. Bourbon vanilla flavoring has nothing to do with the alcohol, it's the type of bean.

Vanilla flavoring is super easy to make even though it takes time for it to flavor. I was so excited about my little jar of flavoring, that I only waited about 2 1/2 weeks, before trying it. **Wait at least 6 weeks ~ if you don't drink alcohol, trust me on this one!** Let me tell you, once it has flavored, you will find things to bake just so you can use it. It's that good! If you're like me, and love vanilla then you'll put it in just about everything.

All you need to make your own batch is the alcohol, vanilla beans and glass jars. For this batch, I used 2 half pint mason jars.

I took the vanilla beans and split them from the top down to the bottom of the bean. I did not cut the top or bottom off, I just left them. Next, I scraped the pods so the tiny beans would come out in the vodka. I placed 3 beans in each jar and poured the vodka over them. Remember these are half pint jars for the 3 beans. After putting on the lid, I placed the jars in a cabinet and took them out each day and gave them a swirl. I did this for about 2 weeks.

After a day or so, you should see the color of the liquid changing and after about 3 weeks, you can begin to smell the vanilla.  In my jars, I have left the beans in, just so the vanilla will keep flavoring. After a while, I'll take them out and add them to the other jar. This will be so when I add more liquid, there will be more "weaker" beans working together to strengthen that jar. ~ I hope that made sense.

If I have family members reading this, act surprised when you get your Christmas gift.

Pure vanilla is now on my list of items that I will not have to buy any longer.