Ready, Set, GO!!!

School is in full session here at The Ruby Zebra. It's quite the adjustment from our lazy, do whatever we want Summer days. I like the structure of a good schedule...keeps me focused. I forgot how much prep work it takes to get our school work done in a proper fashion. We use workboxes and I love them, but I'm having to figure out how to use them with our new curriculum. It's coming together nicely though!

Our first day I took pictures of the kiddos and they are just super cute. Take a look for yourself!

 Cobalt {20 months}

Pinky {5 yrs}

We did some puff paint art...so fun!

We had a great first day, however today...well...IT.WAS.ROUGH. Warrior had to come home from work...yikes! That would have made me pee in my pants if my Dad would have come up to school to "correct" me. Luckily Warrior is very tender but also very direct. I pray that Pinky learned her lesson. I was not happy that I had to call him on the 4th day of school. Praying for a better tomorrow!

How do you hand discipline issues while in school time? I handle most of it but when I begin to loose my cool...it's time to call in back up.

School BEGINS!

The word excited is an understatement for how I feel about beginning the 2011-2012 school year! Pinky is beyond elated to begin, Cobalt...well he doesn't know any different :) We are are starting this Thursday {8/18}. These first 2 days are gonna be simple and fun! Lots of crafts and going over what I expect out of my kids.

The plan for the first day is:

Bible Time/Worship/Prayer
Calendar/Weather/ and we are gonna learn the pledge this year
Rules of our school year
How to use workboxes and other school items {I'm doing this now so I don't have to take time out of our normal school day to teach how to use things...now if she forgets, I will remind her}
School Pictures
School "Stats"- Height, Weight, Age, Favorite things, Goals etc.
Crafts

This year is gonna rock! Here is my printout sheet for our School Stats!

I added the eye and hair color on there because you just never know if they will change. Pinky's hair is turning darker so I just want to have it recorded when it does.

"Not" Back to School Hop: Curriculum Week

I've been away from this blog for a LONG time. We've been enjoying our Summer break, but I am SO ready to get back to a regular schedule. Being idle is not good for this naturally lazy girl!

I'm super excited to be using new curriculum this year. It's quite the learning curve for me considering this is actually my first year using curriculum. I'm loving all the planning that goes into using curriculum, but I look to the future and wonder how I am gonna do it when I have more than one kid educating at a time. That should be fun...

I'm linked up to Heart of the Matter's "Not" Back to School Blog Hop

Here's what we are doing this year 

{First Grade}

Five in a Row Volume 1

Math U See Beta

Draw Write Now Book 1

Explode the Code Book 2

{Tot School}

I'm watching a 2 year old boy so along with my almost 2 year old boy they will be doing lots of playing, games, building, and doing some sensory tubs from 1+1+1=1 and printables from Confessions of a Homeschooler

We are starting school in just a few more weeks, can't WAIT!

Thirty-One

Well, I am super excited to announce that I am a new Independent Thirty-One Consultant! If you haven't heard about this company let me tell you a little bit about it.

The name Thirty-One comes from the verses of Proverbs 31. These words may be thousands of years old, but I am constantly amazed by how today's modern woman can relate to them. Don't we all want to be strong, dignified and wise? The Proverbs 31 woman is dearly loved and respected by him and her children, yet she is an individual in her own right. She manages the home and property with kindness and integrity. her savvy business skills are partly brought about by her desire to serve others, to do good deeds and prosper.

You may know us as a company offering stylish purses, accessories and products that help organize the lives of busy women and their families. But we are more than that. We are committed to providing an opportunity for women to achieve financial freedom, find personal fulfillment and realize their dreams. 

Check out my website and let me know if you are interested in any products or have any questions! I fully believe that every homeschool Mom could use at least 1 of these products. I just love them all, and can't wait to share this with everyone! Take a look at the catalog and come back and tell me what your favorite product is or what you think you could use for you or your home.

Menu Plan Monday

We've got a little bit of a tummy bug here. So not fun anytime but especially during the Summer. Oh the heat...I think Summer forgot that it's only June not the middle of August. This week is gonna be brutal, lots of staying inside for us! How do you beat the MAJOR heat?

Who's hungry? I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com make sure you check out all the great menus there!

Monday  B- Cereal Bars

               L- Nachos 

               D- Take-Out

Tuesday  B- Oatmeal

               L- Out

               D- Stromboli and Veggie Chips

Wednesday  B- Waffles

                    L- Cheese Quesadillas and Fruit

                    D- Dinner at Church

Thursday  B- Cereal

                L- Crackers, Cheese Sticks and Fruit

                D- Spaghetti

Friday  B- Toaster Strudel

            L- Chicken Nuggets, Veggie Chips and Apple Straws

            D- Pizza Night!

Saturday  B- Cereal

               L- PBJ, Carrots and Strawberries

               D- Tacos

Sunday  B- Pop Tarts

             L- Mac and Cheese

             D- Dinner at friends house to celebrate the 4th of July!

Have a blessed week!

Menu Plan Monday

Whew, our Summer has been CUH-RAZY! How is yours going? I thought for sure I would have a pretty relaxing Summer, but alas that has not happened yet. Oh well, my kiddos are having a blast! Pinky is going to Soccer camp next week and she couldn't be more excited. She's never played before but my Warrior is friends with the Soccer Coach at UCO and we know he will take good care of her!

Who's hungry? I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com make sure you check out all the great menus there!

Monday  B- Cereal Bars

               L- Cheese Quesadillas and Fruit 

               D- Taco Salad

Tuesday  B- Oatmeal

               L- Out

               D- Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, Beans and Chips

Wednesday  B- Waffles

                    L- Nachos

                    D- Dinner at Church

Thursday  B- Fruit and Yogurt

                L- Crackers, Cheese Sticks and Fruit

                D- Spinach Alfredo

Friday  B- Toaster Strudel

            L- Chicken Nuggets, Veggie Chips and Apple Straws

            D- Pizza Night!

Saturday  B- Cereal

               L- PBJ, Carrots and Strawberries

               D-Leftovers

Sunday  B- Pop Tarts

             L- Grilled Cheese and Veggies

             D- BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Mashed Potatoes and Salad {with friends}

Have a blessed week!

VBS

Well, it's that time of year! Pinky is at VBS all week, so it's just me and Cobalt for 3 hours every day! That being said I will be VERY busy chasing him around and won't be able to post anything of worth. So have a good week and enjoy your time with your family!

Menu Plan!

We are gonna be pretty busy this week. My husband works for the University of Central Oklahoma in the Wellness Center and they have their annual event called the Endeavor Games this week. On top of that my daughter has VBS this week too! So we are gonna be on the go a lot. I'm hoping we can get most of meals in that I have planned. What's going on this week for you?

Who's hungry? I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com make sure you check out all the great menus there!

Monday  B- Cereal Bars

               L- Cheese Quesadillas and Fruit 

               D- Chicken Fried Rice

Tuesday  B- Pop Tarts

               L- Chicken Nuggets and Veggie Chips

               D- Dinner with our co-op friends at a Pool Party!

Wednesday  B- Waffles

                    L- Crackers, Cheese Sticks and Fruit

                    D- Salad

Thursday  B- Fruit and Yogurt

                L- PBJ's, Carrots, Fruit

                D- Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Friday  B- Cinnamon Toast and Sausage

            L- Fruit Salad

            D- Pizza Night!

Saturday  B- Biscuits and Gravy

               L- Fish Sticks and Fries

               D-Leftovers

Sunday  B- Muffins

             L- Grilled Cheese and Veggies

             D- Chicken Mess, Rice and Rolls

Have a blessed week!

Chazown

Are you living your life on purpose? Do you have vision for your life? Are you doing what God designed you to do?

At my church Lifechurch.tv our Pastor, Craig Groeschel led us through a message series called Chazown several months back...which you can find here. It goes along with the Chazown book he wrote and you can find it here. I highly suggest reading the book and watching the message, it's life changing.

One aspect that I LOVE that LC.TV did was offer an opportunity for anyone to find their Chazown. They built a website that walks you through steps to find your Chazown. So what does Chazown actually mean? Pastor Craig says it means, from the Hebrew, meaning a dream, revelation, or vision. It's the Hebrew word for vision, and it's what God had in mind for you when you were created. Each of us is a masterpiece, placed on earth for a unique purpose that's solely ours to fulfill. By going through these exercises you will uncover God's dream for your life- your Chazown (directly taken from the website).

I went through this with my lifegroup and it was great, I loved every minute of it and it's opened my eyes to what God wants me to do with what he's given me. I fully believe my Chazown is to be home with my children where I can educate them and show/share Christs love to them.

Click here to begin your journey to find your Chazown. You will walk through your Past, Present, Future and Purpose. You will make a personal timeline and an action plan to fulfill your Chazown.You can also do this with a small group, makes for great accountability!

Let me know your thoughts!

Week 1 of Ruby Zebra Camp

This weeks theme is Family!

We have a lot of fun games, crafts, activities, field trips and books to read! Here's what we have done and will do this week.

Monday: Grocery Shopping as a family (not fun for most people but my kids loved going as a family)
               Family walk to the park. We walked a total of 2 miles
               Pinky had some one on one time with Warrior, and I had one on one time with Cobalt.

Tuesday: Beginning a Summer scrapbook
              Scavenger hunt around town
              Make a Family Tree
           
Wednesday: Field Trip to the Library (we go every other week, but we are going for specific books this time)
              Paint a family picture on canvas
              My kids are going to spend the evening with their grandparents    

Thursday: Field Trip to the Park with our Co-op friends
              Backyard putt putt game
              Make a birthday cake for me

Friday: Donuts with Mom
           Make family hand prints
           Play the game of Life
           The kids will also be spending some time with a sitter so my Warrior can take me out for my birthday.

Well that's our week! Can't wait to show pics in an update this weekend!

Menu Plan Monday

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all our service men who sacrifice so much to keep us free and safe. I wanted to specifically say thank you to my awesome cousins Jason, Jeremy and Tomas. Jason is deployed on a ship in Libya while his wife and 2 kids are in Virginia. Jeremy is deployed in Spain, he has 2-3 months left of 15month leave. His wife and 2 kids are moving to Oklahoma from Nebraska for his last couple of months then they are off to HAWAII!!! Tomas is getting ready to be deployed to Afghanistan, he is leaving behind a daughter and a fiancée. I pray for these wonderful family members all the time. Will you join me in prayer too?

Now who's hungry? I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com make sure you check out all the great menus there!

Monday  B- Cereal Bars

               L-  PBJ, Grapes and Cheese

               D- Leftovers

Tuesday  B- Oatmeal

               L- Cheese Nachos, Strawberries and Yogurt

               D- Orzo with Parm and Basil and a BIG Salad

Wednesday  B- Waffles

                    L- Nuggets, Mac and Cheese, Carrots

                    D- Stromboli and Salad

Thursday  B- Fruit and Yogurt

                L- Crackers, Cheese and Fruit

                D- Parmesan Chicken with cream and Mashed Potatoes

Friday  B- Donuts

            L- Pizza

            D- Out for my BIRTHDAY!!!!

Saturday  B- Cereal

               L- Fish Sticks and Fries

               D- Chili Lime Chicken Tostada

Sunday  B- Pop Tarts

             L- Cheese Roll ups and Fruit

             D- Leftovers

Friday is not our typical day, but since I am turning another year older...I'm making the best of it! It's hard turning 29 for the 4th time :)

Oklahoma Tornado Update

What a crazy week we've had here in Oklahoma! Tuesday night was a horrific sign of what Mother Nature can do. We were within 5 miles of a huge tornado and luckily we are safe and our house is safe too!

However, we have some sweet friends in our co-op who were not so lucky. Fortunately they were unharmed but their house suffered extreme damage. Their house is unlivable. They have 4 kids 7 and under. I ask you to pray for them, they need to find housing for a couple months and they will be cleaning up their place too. It's a lot to handle but if anyone can do it they can. They are super strong and so calm.

I wanted to go help clean up, but I couldn't. I have a 5 yr old and a 17mo old...doesn't make it easy for me to help. I feel guilty for not being able to help, but then while I was praying for them God showed me that I was in fact helping them. By praying for them I was helping in the process of giving them peace. If that's all I can do, then I will do it ALL day!

Keep other families in your prayers too, we are still waiting to hear if a 3 yr old boy has been found. From what we know, his Momma threw herself on top of him and his 2 other siblings when the tornado hit. The tornado ripped them apart. The Mom was found hurt really bad with broken bones, she's also 5 months pregnant. The older sister is in ICU and as of last night she was on a ventilator. The baby brother 16 months old passed away at the hospital. They are still searching for the 3 yr old. Dad was away harvesting...providing for his family! This story is heartbreaking and it hurts my heart so bad for them. Please will you pray for them, they need every single prayer!

Weather Aware

Well today is one of those dreadful days in Oklahoma...we are expecting some MAJOR storms today. I get pretty nervous during these times because we do not have a storm shelter...we have to get in our bathtub, four of us in a tub is not rub a dub dub for me. Luckily my parents have a safe room and they only live 15-20 minutes away, so we will be heading out there later today just to be safe. Plus it's a good excuse for my parents to play with my kids.

So I thought I would take today to tell you all what we do to get prepared for tornadoes (even in a safe room).

*Bible
*grab some water bottles
*grab some snacks
*put tennis shoes on
*get our laptop
*get our camera
*don't forget the kids :)
*grab helmets (especially if you are not in a safe room)
*get pillows, blankets and a mattress if you are not in a safe room
*grab a flash light, candle, lighter, battery operated radio/tv
*cell phones and chargers
*extra pair of clothes, diapers, wipes...diaper bag would be good
*purse/wallet

I"m sure there are more items that you could have in your kit, but this will at least get you started. Now I'm gonna sign off and go get my items together so I can hit the road in a few hours! Be safe out there and be aware!

Summer Plans

Well, our first year of homeschooling is coming to an end today! Praise the Lord we made it through! I've loved being home and spending lots and lots of time with my sweet kids! We are SO ready for our Summer break, we will still do some school about 1-2 days a week, just enough to break up some of the boredom that can come with taking a break.

My background is in day camps, so I LOVE the thought of having weekly themes for our summers. I haven't done this with Pinky before so this is new to her and I'm pretty sure she will love it. Each week we will have a new theme and along with the theme we will have books to read, games to play, activities, crafts and field trips.

The Ruby Zebra Summer themes:

Week 1 Family Week
Week 2 VBS Week
Week 3 Sports Week
Week 4 Food Week
Week 5 America Week
Week 6 Water/Ocean Week
Week 7 Dance Week
Week 8 Nature Week
Week 9 Princess Week
Week 10 Cheer Week
Week 11 Music Week
Week 12 Animal Week

This plan will help our Summers not be so blah! We plan on having lots of fun with our friends who are in public schools and we are ready to jump in the pool! What plans do you have for your Summer?

Wordless Wednesday

The Well Planned Day Planner

For Mother's Day this year my sweet and amazing Warrior bought me a planner...if you don't know me, you're probably thinking "seriously? a planner?" I know it may be weird but I wanted a certain planner and he listened. He's good like that! I was so surprised when I opened my gift to see The Well Planned Day Planner for Homeschool Families. I LOVE it, it is so functional, pretty and exactly what I needed! If you haven't figured out what planner to use yet I would HIGHLY suggest buying this planner!

This planner includes: (from their website)

Spiral Bound with Three Hole Drilled to Fit into Binders.
Over 230 Full Color Pages.
Full Year Planner: July 2011-June 2012.
Home Management with weekly cleaning schedule, monthly projects, greeting card registry, and monthly budgeting.
New in 2011 Holiday Organization Section: Greeting card registry, activities and event schedules, gift giving, around town shopping and Internet shopping.
Organize and plan for up to 4 children in one convenient book.
Four Student Class Plans: Schedule each student's class assignments.
Four Student Time Schedules: Track each day by the hour.
Weekly Schedule: Organize your week with class assignments, weekly priorities, prayer requests, dinner menu, and notes.
Month at a Glance: Plan field trips, enrichment activities and books to read.
Semester Attendance and Progress Reports.
Perforated Report Cards.
Menu Planning: Plan weekly meals and conveniently shop with perforated shopping lists.
Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.
Insightful homeschool articles and tips to inspire you throughout the year.
and much more...


So what are you waiting for...go buy one!


*I was in no way paid for this review and did not receive my Well Planned Day Planner for free. If you would like for me to review your product please contact me and we will see what we can arrange.

Menu Plan Monday

Whew, what a crazy couple of weeks we've had here. I'm excited to be back on here and ready to connect with more of you too!

My husband and I have made some drastic changes in our family. We I like to eat out at restaurants it just makes me feel special to go out to eat with my family. Since we want to find our unique ways to become "Weirder" this is what we decided, our family will NOT eat out unless we have gift cards, someone else pays for it or we have some event that prevents me from cooking. So are you wanting to know why we are "Weird, in a God way"? Check out a recent message series at my church Lifechurch.tv and then you will know...

Okay onto our menu for the week, I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com make sure you check out all the great menus there!

Monday  B- Oatmeal
               L- Fruit Salad
               D- Beef Taquitos

Tuesday  B- Toaster Strudel

               L- PBJ, Carrots and Cheese

               D- Chicken Tetrazzini

Wednesday  B- Cereal

                    L- Fish Sticks, Blueberries and Corn

                    D- Leftovers

Thursday  B- French Toast Sticks

                L- Cheese Roll ups and Strawberries

                D- Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus

Friday  B- Smoothies and Muffins

            L- Crackers, Cheese, Grapes

            D- Homemade Pizza

Saturday  B- Waffles

               L- Leftovers

               D- Crock Pot BBQ Chicken, Salad and Rolls

Sunday  B- Pop Tarts

             L- Chicken Nuggets, Fries and Applesauce

             D- Sausage and Egg Burritos

What are you eating out "rules" at your house? I would love to hear your ideas!

A Short Break

I know this is like a week late but I am taking a short break from posting on this blog. I have a lot going on between being the Volunteer Coordinator for our Church's Child Dedications this weekend, Mother's Day activities, Pinky's Dance Recital this weekend too and educating my kids, there's just not much time left for blogging. I hope you all understand, I will be back soon...I promise!

Wordless Wednesday

Summer Ideas

I am so excited for Summer to get here! I plan on spending a lot of time at my parents pool with our friends. BUT, I'm sure Pinky will get bored at some point so I will probably do some school with her. I need ideas of fun family friendly, budget friendly things to do. Can you all help me with ideas. I do have many ideas but I could always use more. So have at it...

Ok, ok here are some of my ideas so far for this Summer

1. Pool
2. Camping with the family
3. Star gaze on our trampoline
4. Visit the Science Museum
5. Pool
6. Making our own bubbles
7. Family parties
8. Libertyfest
9. VBS
10. Pool
11. Cheer 4 Christ Camp

I'm sure I will come up with more, but I need daily ideas...like crafts and fun games to play.

THANKS!

Menu Plan Monday

Here is our menu for the week. I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com, what does your menu look like this week?

Monday- B- Cereal

               L- Fruit Salad

               D- Parmesan Chicken Sandwiches {I didn't get to make this last week}

Tuesday- B- Oatmeal

               L- Cheese Quesadillas and apple slices

               D- Mac and Cheese and Nuggets

Wednesday- B- Waffles

               L- PBJ, Carrots and yogurt

               D- Stromboli

Thursday- B- French Toast Sticks

               L- Pizza

               D- Spaghetti and garlic bread

Friday-   B- Cinnamon Toast and Applesauce

               L- Cheese Nachos

               D- Homemade Pizza 

Saturday- B- Cereal

               L- Nuggets, Fries and Applesauce

               D- Leftovers

Sunday- B- Pop Tarts

               L- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

               D- Pancakes and bacon

Gosh, this is another crazy week! I really hope to eat at home as much as we can but we'll see if that really happens.

Tasty Thursday

Well, I failed to get a new recipe up and ready for you all, I'm very sorry. So I thought I would post a few links to some of my favorite places to look for recipes. Where do you go to get recipes? Unfortunately I used to always go to my cookbooks but, with so many websites out there it's actually easier to find what you need online. Oh, my poor cookbooks, I bet they're lonely.

Lynn's Kitchen Adventures I LOVE this site, so good and she's a fellow Okie!

Tasty Kitchen Who doesn't LOVE The Pioneer Woman! Did you hear she's getting a show on the Food Network? Oh and she's a fellow Okie too! Us Okie women know how to cook! Just sayin'

Skinny Taste Gina has super healthy meals that are not scary at all!

Kitchen Stewardship I haven't officially made any of her recipes but I have friends that have and they RAVE about them, and we are taking BABY steps to eating more natural foods.

Our Best Bites Their Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are to DIE for!

These are just a few of the best sites I know, please tell me where you find good recipes!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

Favorite Links

Here are some of my favorite links from some amazing blogs! I use Tumblr to keep an archive of all my favorite links, but I thought I would share some with you!

Resurrection Cookies by Lemonade Makin' Mama. We are making these this week!
Make Your Own Resurrection Eggs by Want What You Have. I wish I would have seen this post before this week...I will be making these next year.
A Colorful Scavenger Hunt by The Artful Parent. I LOVE this idea, Pinky is gonna have a blast when we do this.
Praying For Your Child's Gifts by The Tuckers Take Tennessee. So powerful!
Our Journey to Russia by The Sloan Homeschool. Love all the fun ideas
Jacks Garden by Henry Cole by The Joys of Home Educating. We LOVE to read, and these are some fun ideas
The Household Binder-An Organized Girl's DREAM by Organized Hysteria...who doesn't love a good binder
Little Blessings on Canvas by Our Homeschool Fun. I love this idea!

Stay tuned for more next week! Did you find anything new?

Menu Plan Monday

Here is our menu for the week. I'm linking up with Orgjunkie.com, what does your menu look like this week?

Monday- B- Cereal

               L- Biscuit Pizza's

               D- Sausage Egg Burritos

Tuesday- B- Oatmeal

               L- Fruit, Cheese and Crackers

               D- Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

Wednesday- B- Toaster Strudel

               L- Fish Sticks, carrots and apples

               D- Out with a gift card

Thursday- B- French Toast Sticks

               L- PBJ, Carrots, Cheese Sticks and Pretzels

               D- Pasta with Asparagus

Friday-   B- PB Banana Smoothies

               L- Cheese Nachos

               D- Out 

Saturday- B- Cereal

               L- Nuggets, Fries and Applesauce

               D- Orange Pork Roast

Sunday- B- Pop Tarts

               L- Parents house for Easter Lunch

               D- Leftovers

We have a crazy busy week, so I really hope I can stick to our menu! What do you do on crazy weeks, do you eat out a lot or make small meals to go?