Last time Patriots played Giants, I made this 7 layer dip. I used a cake decorating tip with sour cream to decorate. The x’s & o’s are black olives. Pretzel sticks for the goal posts
Layers under the guacamole, from the bottom up:
Refried Beans
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Green Onions
Tomatoes
Grated Cheese
I have some good news…
Sir Cumference has a new book in its series & I wanted you to know.
The new book is Sir Cumference & The Viking Map.
What’s it all about?
Xaxon Yellowbearyd was the fiercest Viking warrior of his time. Now a map to his hidden treasure lies in Radius’s and Per’s hands. Together the cousins must decode the strange numbered grid on the map-and figure out the secret of the Viking’s X and Y axes. As bungling bandits pursue them, Radius and Per use coordinate geometry in their quest for “treasure of the greatest measure”.
The Viking Map will be available in February, so I am taking pre-orders. If you grab a copy in January, you can get 20% discount on Sir Cumference & The Viking Map, as well as any other Sir Cumference title.
Click here to grab Sir Cumference & The Viking Map
We will ship your order as soon as we get the new books in stock, probably mid-February
Other Math Story Books on sale this week…
What should you do today?
1. Read the story of MLK so your kids become aware of his movement
2. Discuss the definition of prejudice. Brainstorm ways you can dvelop friends & learn from people of different races or political persuasions.
3. Discuss your dreams and goals for your family. Use these quotes:
If you can dream it, you can do it. ~ Walt Disney
Nothing much happens without a dream. For something really great to happen, it takes a really great dream. ~ Robert Greenleaf
Without a vision, the people perish. ~ Proverbs 29!8
4. Check out books from the library. This week, learn about cultures of children from different nationalities.
5. Attend a local event.
Before Christmas I started using a strategy to organize my home. Each afternoon I set the timer for 15 minutes and started working on a project.
I am often tired in the afternoon and don’t have the “thinking” capacity to work or create. So, the afternoon is a perfect time to do some mindless activity…like organize a room, clean a closet, sort through stacks of papers.
When I get a chance, I set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and head to my project. By setting the time, I have a deadline and work as quickly as possible to finish my task.
What have I done in 15 minutes?
What can “you” get done in 15 minutes?
What project can you do in 15 minutes?
Share as a comment & let us all find something we can do in 15 minutes.
Thanks for everyone that shared their one-word for 2012. I loved it. Hope you did too!
Since we got so many cool words to consider for 2012, I am trying to convert all the words into a printable. Give me a few days & hopefully I will have a printable for 2012 One Words
Oh yeah…Lisa is our winner. Lisa’s word is “reclaim”…striving to reclaim:
Lisa will win a copy of my ebook, Let’s Get Organized. Congrats to Lisa…watch your email for your book.
Remember to check our blog this week. You’ll find:
Tradition has it that this celebration of the arrival of the wise men brought an abundance of food & hospitality. This is the first year that all our kids are gone for a Feast of Epiphany. In the past, we have celebrated Epiphany for several years with a special meal. I found an article about the Epiphany feast and the symbolism used in the past, so I’ve followed their menu. It’s an Italian meal with cheese appetizers, pasta & sausage dishes, as well as oranges & cenci for dessert. I’ve used this menu for most of our feasts.
Oranges are a symbol of sunlight which reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem, the light that guided the Wise Men to our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the holiday of light when the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to Christ!
Why celebrate Epiphany or the Arrival of the Magi?
Epiphany means to “show” or “reveal”. The wise men were the first ones to worship Jesus as King & Lord. They were Gentiles recognizing Jesus Christ as King, the first ones to reveal Jesus to a wider world as incarnate Christ (from CRI)
Matthew 2 can be read at your dinner table tonight. To read more about the Epiphany Celebration & Feast, look at this article.
Another tradition I found:
The custom of the Star Singers, reminiscent of the travel of the Three Kings is still very much alive in Bavaria and Austria. Beginning with New Years and through January 6, children dressed as the kings, and holding up a large star, go from door to door, caroling and singing a Three Kings’ song. For this they receive money or sweets. Formerly the collected donations went to unemployed craftsmen and veterans, today they go to charities of the church or the Third World. (from 3 Kings Day)
Long-term and short-term goals are great to have as you move forward in life, as long as you are using daily lists. However, these longer term goals can sometimes be philosophical, not very practical or measurable. I want to share a strategy I use to plan my week & days.
A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.
First, create a “to-do” list for today and the next day and the next! Every morning I keep a blank piece of paper next to me as I read my Bible. When ideas or tasks pop into my head, I write them down. When I finish my quiet time, I evaluate my list, comparing it to my weekly goals.
When I get to mid-afternoon, I sometimes have a brain-drain! I can’t remember what I am suppose to do that day. All I have to do is find my list and see what hasn’t been crossed off. It’s a great memory tool as my mind forgets.
Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies.
As a mom, you know there is always a need for contingencies. When my oldest was born, I heard that moms should list “to do” tasks on multiple days. If you don’t get a task done the first day it is listed, you still have time to complete it on the next day. AND…you don’t feel guilty for taking 2-3 days to complete a task and ultimately fulfill your goals.
This is the first week of January and many of you will be more relaxed with your schedule, whether or not you homeschool. It is the PERFECT TIME to set goals for 2012.
Get some blank paper and start planning.
You will be glad you did!
Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them. I’ve marked resources for some of these areas for you to study further.
You must ask yourself if there is anything in your goals that does not follow God’s Word. If so, your plans will turn into disarray! If you are unsure about your goals, spend time on your knees praying for God’s direction for you and your family. Otherwise you will always miss your mark.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the cousel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord
And in His law he meditates day & night.
Psalm 1:1-2
If your goals require you to have a certain kind of knowledge, make plans in getting the appropriate knowledge and education. Set aside a specific time each day to work towards that education. I usually try to read at least one hour per day to educate myself so I can mentor my children to be great leaders.
Raising-Leaders.com is a good resource for moms who want to continue their own education or provide an education for your kids to become leaders.
If working at home so you can gain freedom for you and your family is a goal of yours, write it down. Or, maybe you want your teens to have a choice between working for themselves or for someone else. Wherever you sense God leading, write it down! Begin researching how you can set up a family business so you can eventually replace your day job.
Avoid mistakes of Self-Employed Business people
StephenBeck.com
At the end of this week, write down the goals you have drafted. Share these with your spouse and discuss the pros/cons of each goal. Be sure both parents are in agreement with the goals you have set. If not, go to God and pray for his wisdom. He may want you to submit to your husband’s direction. Continue to pray about the difference, but be sure you are always submitting to your hubby. God will reward you for this.
Steve & I planned our goals for 2012, just last week. This past Monday, we reviewed our goals and how we would start implementing this week.
Have a realistic goal on how much you really want/need to earn. Look at the debt you have accumulated and develop a plan to reduce debt. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.
We live in a society that spends most of its time in front of a screen (TV screen, computer screen, movie screen). We must “make the time” to keep our bodies physically fit. Jot down goals to exercise, eat healthy and enjoy your family through games and play. If you don’t plan for it, it won’t happen.
…like playing for the local homeschool basketball team or high school football team. Determining your children’s physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Sports are a great way for your children to learn character lessons and grow in Christ. But, you must be careful to guard your family time so that sports doesn’t become the highest priority in your family. In other words, don’t forsake family time and family devotions for too many basketball and softball games.
As the saying goes -’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans. Plan this year to get away with your spouse for at least one weekend. Begin planning now…get the grandparents to watch your children.
The above discussion sums up the categories you can use to prepare your goals: Spiritual, Education, Family, Financial, Health-Fitness, Career/Job.
It is best to have some very long-term goals (20+ years), but to start right now, I’d suggest 5 year goals and 1 year goals in each of these areas. Then break these down to 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily.
In my recent post, I discussed the importance of goal setting as a Mom. Without a vision, the people perish. This includes stay at home moms and especially homeschool moms.
What’s your vision for your family?
Where do you start in setting goals to accomplish that vision?
Decide what you really want to do or what you want to do as you raise your children to be Godly leaders. These are life goals for you and your children. This is your overall vision. For our family, an overarching vision was to raise children who could think Biblically & critically.
Our family chose subject activities to encourage critical & Biblical decision making. This included choosing formal school subjects, as well as having in depth discussions at our dinner table.
What do you want to accomplish this year? this month?
Look at where you are as a family right now as you decide these manageable goals.
Our short term goals included one topic each week for dinner discussions. We also had to make a point to eat dinner together. We were all on board so we ate at a variety of times ranging from 5:30 to 9pm.
It is imperative that you write down your goal.
I have a small notepad next to my Bible. When I read my Bible each morning, I write down any idea that pops into my head. This keeps me focused on my Bible reading, without forgetting ideas I have. During my prayer time, I can pray about any ideas I’ve written down.
At breakfast, I re-read my list and put times/priorities on my list so I stay focus on what is most important for that day . . . after praying about my list.
These are just a few ideas I use when setting goals. Each year you can re-evaluate last year’s goals as you set goals for the upcoming year.
Thanks to everyone who posted their favorite book of 2011. We randomly picked one of our comments to win our ebook, Homeschooling Like A Pro. Charise is the winner. Congrats! Charise favorite book of 2011 was Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. Others mentioned this book, also.
If you haven’t read through the comments, take some time right now and do so. I love seeing the variety of books that impact our homeschool moms. I’ve already started a new list of books for 2012. Since I’ll be reading 52 books in 2012, I want to pick some of the best ones.
It looks like a few books were favorite to many moms. To top that list is Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Gifts A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. That is at the top of my list, once I get my copy in the mail. You can read more about this book here:
