May 31, 2011

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!

May 30, 2011

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 fiancĂ©e. 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 :)

May 26, 2011

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!

May 24, 2011

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!

May 20, 2011

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?

May 17, 2011

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.

May 16, 2011

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!

May 3, 2011

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!