Beans for Peter

Two bean posts in one week... things are really exciting around here.

I pulled these out for Peter yesterday. He was in bean heaven while the other 2 did their lessons. Then Will and Hannah joined in and created their own bean themed coffee shop/bakery named, "Coffee Canteen." I was their only customer, so the shop hit hard times (boredom). Watching 3 kids play over and hour with a bunch of beans... that makes me happy.

It makes a huge mess. Don't you like how I picked beans that match the carpet perfectly?

Life Science : The Human Body

We have been studying the human body for the past several weeks and loving it! We're not finished. We still need to cover the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, tongue, and skin, but here are our bodies so far...

Both Will and Hannah have *loved* coloring, cutting, and taping their body parts on their personal body cut out. This book lays it all out for you. For each body part, there is a description of it's use and function and coloring page for the life size replica. I love that the body parts are layered, some using brads, so you can really get a feel for just how jam-packed our bodies are.

I picked this book up at a used book sale last year - a perfect supplement. It's out of print, but still available a few places.

Beans

We eat a lot of beans around here... you know, very recession chic.

I have always been intimidated by those bags of dried beans at the store. No real reason... just plain ignorance about soaking and such. The canned version - at least 3 or 4 cans a week - is what I always bought. Well, when the price of a can went over a dollar... I became determined to get over my dried bean fear.

Another thing about me... I love my crock pot.

So, imagine my excitement when I found this at A Year of Crockpotting.

I have done it twice now. No problem.


Some math... A bag of organic dried black beans is $1.99. Canned organic black beans are $1.29. I don't always buy organic, but that's what I have here. I got 6 cups from the bag! There are only 1.5 cups in the can. My rough calculations... I'm saving over $150 a year on beans. And with a lot less waste.

Feeling very frugal. Very domestic. Very excited about $150 more to spend on books. : )

Winter Sun

I am always stunned by the brightness
of the sun's rays reflecting off pure white snow.

Pouring in our windows today...

our tulips glowed during morning lessons.

We watched with wonder... thankful for His beauty.

Finally...

... a Snow Day!

We were in Florida the last (and only) time it had snowed this season. I was beginning to think this year's snow boots would never be worn.

Ready to go outside!

Peter, about 2 minutes later...

We filled our morning with snow angels, sledding, snowballs, shoveling...Pure joy!

By the way, the conference this past weekend was wonderful. There were five talks from five different, godly, inspiring women. For homeschool moms - I highly recommend it. This is not a conference about curriculum choices, but the heart behind it all. There will be a conference next year in Chicago and Baltimore. I came home feeling refreshed, encouraged, and with a clearer/brighter vision for our homeschool.

A Night Away

Just what you need for the blahs of February.

Tomorrow I'll be on my way to the Apologia Live Homeschool Moms' Conference. A few moms from my church will be joining me. This is the first one of these... the speaker line-up looks great. I'll let you know.

Want to come?

Seeds, Fruit, and Prayer

Yesterday, I was despairing about the lack of visible fruit in a little one's heart. Before turning off the lamp last night, my husband reads to me an excerpt from the book he was reading, Pia Desideria by Philip Jacob Spener (c. 1675),

Our fruit, like other fruit, must be borne in patience, and the fruit in others must be cultivated by us with perseverance. The work of the Lord is accomplished in wondrous ways, even as he is himself wonderful. For this very reason His work is done in complete secrecy, yet all the more surely, provided we do not relax our efforts. If God does not give you the pleasure of seeing the result of your work quickly, perhaps He intends to hide it from you, lest you become too proud of it. Seeds are there, and you may think they are unproductive, but do your part in watering them, and ears will surely sprout and in time become ripe.

In addition to continuing our work, then, let us commend the matter to our heavenly Father, pray fervently to Him, and be content with such success in our work as he may be pleased to have us see. With sincere devotion let us therefore help one another to wrestle with prayer and supplication, that here and there God may open up one door after another to his Word, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ fruitfully, that we may do so cheerfully and speak in a befitting manner, that we may glorify His name with our teaching, our life, and our suffering.

emphasis mine