Free American History Book

If you don't subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse e-newletters or magazine (digital and/or paper), I definitely recommend it for any homeschooler. The wealth of information is pretty incredible. This week's Freebie Friday newsletter had many things listed, but I thought I'd share a free history book from Bradenburg Studies. A Beginner's History of America covers American history up to the Civil War.

Trip to Dillons 7/16/09

Manager Specials:
Bob Mills Apple and Blueberry Granola Mix $2.79
Dillons 8pack hamburger buns $.50/1 x 2 = $1/2

OTHER ITEMS:
Green Seedless Grapes $.99/lb = $3.15
Kroger cottage cheese $2
Kroger Ketchup $1.29
10 lbs kroger potatoes $2.99
1 gallon "Superman" flavored Kroger sherbet/ice cream tub $2.99 [I cannot recommend this flavor blend--it is cotton candy, banana, and bubblegum--who knew!! not the regular rainbow i expected]

Mega-Sale buy 10, save $5 {price after $.50 is subtracted in parenthesis}:
Kroger individual pizzas (2) $1/1 = {$.50/1}
Chex Mix $2.49 - MQ $.50/1 = {$.99/1}
SoBe LifeWater 20oz (2) $1/1 - BOGO MQ = {$0!!!}
Kelloggs MiniWheats 16-18oz (4) $2.99,
used 1 BOGO and 3 $1/1 from mailer
= {$1.50/1}
Sunny Delight $1 - MQ $.25/1 from mag. = {$0!!!}

my total OOP with $1.26 tax = $24.86

I think I did a decent job even though I haven't kept up on the coupons as of late. To find these printable MQs, go to the list at The Weekly Grocery and support another mommy by clicking on the coupons she lists for the Dillons Sale. I found the Sunny D Q in a parenting magazine at the dr.'s office today--hope they didn't mind me cutting it out :) I think it was Parents, but I'm not sure.......the cereal bigtime Qs are from VocalPoint--sign up to get your great coupons!!! They send various insanely GREAT coupons every once in a while........

Pregnancy Update

Went to the OB today--at 27 weeks gestation, I'm measuring 33 weeks--WOW!!! Blood pressure is fine, heartbeats were fine (not up for recalling the numbers). I've gained 2lbs a week this month, making my total gain at 20lbs so far (25 if you count my real pre-preggo weight and not my first appt. weight at 13 weeks).
BE FORWARNED--THIS MAY BE TMI, but I'm gonna just be upfront and frank about stuff [not like I'm up for blushing when mentioning the vejayjay anymore]
{BTW--how in the world do you spell that for real? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, just skip it--that's okay!!}
Since I'd started having the fake Braxton Hicks contractions already (bad momma, not drinking her gallon-a-day of water!!), my nice OB did a cervix check. Great news--still high and thick, just how we want it at this point. But we do have #3 ultrasound scheduled for next Thursday and my next OB appt. in 2 weeks (another WOW!!).
Other great news (?!?) is we got the gestational diabetes screening out of the way today also. Since there was a wait for the busy doc, they sent me to the lab for the nasty cup full of Triaminic-like orange goo. I think I'll go with the lemon-lime if I have to do that again. And, you know what? IF I know they are doing a test like that, I'm gonna opt for the nectarine instead of the Zebra Cake with my lunch--but, alas, I did NOT know we would do it today. I thought I had to fast and do it first thing in the morning with my previous pregnancies. Either I've lost all memory or I was just plain wrong. I HOPE I do not have to do it again for this pregnancy--but if I do, I'm definitely going for the fresh fruit instead of the cake of sugar calories that day. I had my fill of sweetness after that orange drink, that's for sure!!!
And, one more pat on my back--I didn't cry when they drew blood! YAY for me!! LOL I told the nice lady who was very good and quick that I used to be a big baby about this stuff, but at least I didn't cry anymore! She kinda laughed. When I told her after 4 babies and getting poked just about everywhere, I was getting used to it, she stared at me with the shock of "you have 4 other kids?!?" Ummm, yeah, that wasn't my point, but YAY me for not crying when she stuck me with a needle that will leave a bruise for a few days......just me.............

Yummy!

I was awake thinking of yummy foods late into the night last night--unfortunately, most of them I did not have on hand or was missing an ingredient or two--thank goodness we are going to the store Wed. and/or Thurs.!!
I've been getting the Prepared Pantry e-newsletter and enjoying the ideas although I am SO NOT a kitchen person and prefer mixes usually [if I could afford it], so I thought I'd share one of their recipes for breakfast pizza. We have everything but the peppers, eggs and cheese, so this will probably make it to our dinner table this week (or maybe a brunch on Saturday). Having my girls [and boys sometimes] beside me in the kitchen may be stressful, but it really will help with this one--as I'm making one dough, my 8yo can be making the 2nd one (Cause there is no way only one would feed us!!). Maybe this could be a freezable dish too..........homemade breakfast pizza from the freezer just needing reheating? YUM!
Recipes like this make me SO happy to have my Tupperware skillets from when I sold--they are oven safe (and I have a couple 10 inch and one 6 inch--if anyone is interested, I have a couple of their lifetime guarantee pieces of cookware back in the storage closet that really need to be sold--NIB, 1/2 of retail values OBO!!!)
OK--gotta go get a mid-morning snack.......let's see what I can dig up....maybe peanut butter on crackers?!? Strawberry smoothie?!?! ham and cheese rollups [with pickles]?!?!?! MMMhhh--I must be pregnant or something *LOL* YUMMY!!!!

The Spirit at work

as in the HOLY Spirit.......
I didn't share the awesome results of our Vacation Bible School and now it seems pretty necessary...
For a church that avgs <100 in Sunday School, having 145 kids and 77 helpers on our biggest night was just huge!! There were 6 that responded to the lessons/msgs, heard the Spirit's call and were saved during the week. THEN, Sunday morning the sanctuary was packed for the program and 2 more little girls went fwd......
Last night, our little 6yo J came to me, a bit teary-eyed and said "I asked God into my heart so I could be a Christian". I didn't want to be too overjoyed because he's "asked Jesus to come into his heart" before with no real understanding of sin, forgiveness, etc., it was just cause that was the right thing.......WELL......he completely gets it now. Turns out, he had read thru the little send-home pamphlet from VBS about "How to Become a Child of God"--he understood it all and knew that he needed to take that step......PRAISE GOD!!!
It looks like he will go fwd and share this with the church Sunday morning and there will be a baptismal service sometime soon......

A Bit Spacey

I've always tended to be a bit on the spacey side--walking into the room and forgetting why I was there, pausing mid-sentence and not knowing what I was saying. Just this morning, I was cooking scrambled eggs and needed to go blow my nose [darn allergies + a hormonal break-down]. While in the bathroom, I'm looking at my hair, thinking it looks okay today--so I take out the mirror to look at the back of it, fluff it a bit, then head back to the kitchen....OH!! I was cooking eggs! Thankfully, they weren't burnt, just a little stuck to the pan........good grief!!
Anyway--this just leads me in to say we just finished our week of VBS--the Answers in Genesis curriculum called "Operation Space". It was awesome--our usual Sunday School attendance (adults and kids) is around 100 and every night this week, we had over 130 kids plus the adults. And many of these kids are unchurched! Most are public schooled. Most have no idea about Creation Science, just Evolutionary Science or a strange combination of the two. We were able to teach and lead these kids to God's Truths and show them that His Word is the Absolute Authority. We also had a special guest come visit on Thursday--Mr. Aken is an astronaut and has been in space 4 times, holding the record with 2 other guys for the longest spacewalk of 8.5 hours. He is a Christian and he shared some really cool pictures and info for us all. Pretty awesome for a little midwest town that doesn't even have a gas station anymore, let alone a street light--just a few churches and an elementary school.......
WELLLLLLLL.....now what to do with all the papers and STUFF that the kids come home with, have good info on and they really want to keep....hmmmm.......since I caught them drawing planets on their free Saturday morning, I asked if they wanted to do a space lapbook (really, astronomy was supposed to be our summer science and it never has happened). SO---into my file of space lapbook stuff I've collected and back to homeschoolshare for more relevant booklets. If you're looking for more fun, yet school-like space stuff, search learning page.com for their space stuff--grades PreK thru 3rd grade math, science, and language worksheets. It's free to sign up, but you do have to log in.....great simple math review for those not doing regular school right now--all with a space theme!!
Now, we are not sitting down and DOING school today, I just started printing pages (always printing an extra for my master notebook) and my eldest has a clipboard of some planet stuff to do whenever and however. She's started gathering all her color pages and other papers from this week, adding them to her clipboard. My 6yo boy with have a file folder here close to my desk and so will my 3yo girl--eventually, probably having a ziploc baggie for all the things they cut out. Currently, I hear my 8yo daughter "teaching" crafts and having class at the dining room table--my 3yo has her new treasured bible [a Gideon New Testament] and insists on carrying it everywhere. Making paper airplanes may not be constructive, but it is definitely keeping them busy......and hopefully, they'll decide to do a little more of the stuff I printed for them. If not, we'll tackle it on some free afternoons when they need planned activity ;-)
Now that I've made it thru a week of late-night VBS, I am in desperate need of a week-long nap (LOL)......or maybe just a Saturday afternoon nap, so the little one and I are headed upstairs soon so i can be totally spacey and relaxed, perhaps get some rest so the hormones and emotions will not break out and take charge of my cloudy, allergen-filled brain----ahhhh, to be weightless and floating on a "cloud"....I think I may have found my lamaze "happy place"!!!

Staples is offering free paper and more!!

Check out Common Sense With Money to find out how to get a whole bunch of office supply/school stuff for REALLY close to free (we're talking pennies!!)
I have no idea how my trip might really play out--not planning a trip to town till Thursday, so I may really be too late to get in on the best deals......but what we REALLY always need to replenish is good crayons, colored pencils, and glue sticks.....not to mention ink cartridges [ugh!]. I also have not done the rebate thing with Staples yet--have a gift card here waiting for another trip to Office Depot from their Star Teacher program, though.